Pirates of the Aether

[Wordplay]

'Calm down, Master Saltfoot. As Melanie says, fer the moment, ye're safer aboard the ship, where ye're surrounded by powerful allies. I had hoped tae explain this before events overtook us'.

Kieran speaks in a calm and soothing tone.

'In fact, everyone stay calm, and look tae yer posts. Whatever it is, the lasses dinnae think it poses a direct threat tae us. Panic on the other hand is, when ye live on a wooden skyship kept aloft by fire.

As fer that voice ye heard jus' now, dinnae worry yerself fer the moment. It's nae a complete surprise. After all, we came here expectin' tae meet with her...

As fer hearin' her voice right up close, well plenty o' mages use sendin' spells. That itself is a more common magic. Even I ken that. Worry if she's close. Speakin' o' which, Casters, now would be a good time tae cast any divinations that show the unseen, or the magical! Check the ship's clear'.

Kieran stays composed, trying to give the impression that there is nothing to worry about - nothing immediate anyway. So he speaks about the mundane.

'Mistress Grym, I think that Aimari meant her people use sommit like this magic to dig fer water after they've divined it - not that the magic fed off water - though I dinnae ken much o' magic'

'Now Melanie lass, I think ye speak true. I dinnae think that we were brought here tae stop this, but rather tae witness it. I received a special task - why I dinnae ken - but it seems that ye ken something of it.

I was appointed to fight the darkness. If the darkness was nae goin' t'escape, then there would never have been any need tae appoint me'.

'We'll stay an' observe for a little while longer. Soon after that, we may return tae the place ye speak of, though I think that of all places they're best prepared fer this...by the way, no-one speak the name fer the moment. If she can speak tae us, she can probably hear us...'

Kieran walks to the railings, and stands, with his hands placed apart. Then he whispers, almost under his breath.

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'San Jun? San Jun I'm Lady-took sure ye can hear me. It does nae have tae be this way. Even if ye could conquer the world, what would ye do with it once ye'd conquered it? What d'ye truly desire? Respect? Love? Vengeance?

It cannae be power, or servants or luxury. Ye could have any o' that already...

Talk tae me'.

[Techwarrior]

Erin viewed the area below with casual interest, surely this couldn't be something we needed to worry about. Even the wizard, the quiet one, Aimari, didn't care. Then again, little seemed to worry Aimari.

And then Mel had to prove him wrong, whatever ritual Melanie was talking about was not good. That much was clear from her actions. Whether the light was forced on her or not, one did not start calming the masses unless things were going badly. Being something of a leader from his Path he knew such things.

More importantly, what was going on, and why, why did that pattern remind him of...

Damn, the fool halfling made him forget. It couldn't have been-

Wait, did she just say darkness?

Erin comes up to Kieran, his eyes troubled. His normally strong, boisterous voice now little more than a whisper.

"Captain, could I have a word? It's.. kind of important."

[Snowbluff]

Barty

"Aimari, unless you lack the ability to sweat, you do need water for cooling. I think simply drinking it could be filed under a 'vital component for life' as well." He mutters.

Barty speaks up a little. "Divinations are really my thing. Nine hells, killing demons doesn't seam very easy with my magic. They seemed rather resistant to negative energy. I wouldn't trust electricity spells, either. If they are actual demons they would be immune, right? Arg, dammit I'll have to review my notes..."

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OOC: Shocking Grasp and Chill Touch have both been doing a craptactular job against the demon things, right?

[hoverfrog]

"Well then," Bellamy swallows his fear, "if flight is out that leaves fight, right? Just point us in the right direction and we'll take this wizard out, whoever she is." Perhaps a show of bravery will help to overcome his cowardice of a moment ago.

[PersonMan]

Aimari seems interested at the beginning of Melanie's strange transformation and speech, but as it continues, disappointment washes over her. Just like Maia, she had come so close to grasping the truth, only to fall short.

"You seem to be one to talk, puppet. You choose to ignore the truth you know exists and instead chase notions of your black-and-white world," Aimari says, her annoyance at the constant inability of others to understand the true workings of the world growing again. Her eyes pulse slightly, seeming to hold something back as she looks at Melanie. She seems to be about to speak again, but stops and looks down at her right hand, seeming to concentrate on the ring on her middle finger for a moment. Aimari glances back up to Melanie, 'hmph's and shakes her hands as if to dry them, sending a few quickly-dying sparks from her fingers.

Walking with a surprising amount of confidence, Aimari heads towards the front of the ship, intending to find some solitude for the time being.

[Wordplay]

No reply. Maybe she cannae hear me after all...Maybe it doesnae mean anything

Kieran is bothered by Aimari's exit.

I must have a word with ye later Melanie...

Kieran replies to Barty

'Well, if ye have divinations, then please cast them, check that the ship's safe, and see if ye cannae scry what lies below yon sands - what that ritual is so keen to unearth'.

Then Kieran registers what Erin said, and the tone of his voice. Kieran's learned not to ignore a crewman when they say something's important.

'Aye Erin, by all means. What troubles ye?'

[theskorpionking]

Grym rests her hands on Melanie's shoulders, "The Mother curse that woman and these black lands. Mel, you're no more a puppet than I am. I've lost Anna already, I won't lose you. So whatever I must do to stop this....thing, I'll do it."

[Snowfire]

Melanie looks up at Grym, smiling gently as she squeezes the Caitan's hand with her own far smaller one. As the light around her fades from her eyes slightly, green irises turn sad.

"It's not her fault, Grym. She just...doesn't see." She looks across the Kieran, considers asking if she can go, but thinks better of interrupting. "If they ask, could you tell them that I've gone to talk to Aimari please. There's not much I can do here." Then, not waiting for a reply, she darts off after the cloaked woman. "Thanks Grym!"

She slows swiftly after removing herself from the immediate area, gliding carefully along the trail of the cloaked and armoured mage - or she seemed to be be a mage at least. Her own internal light dimmed, snuffing out, and she touched down softly on the decking of the Gambit as she approached where Aimari had stopped. Halting her advance a few foot from the hooded woman, she spoke softly.

"They said you're name was Aimari. And I'm sorry about back there." She shrugs, even though she knew it couldn't be seen such things were more often felt. "But I think you misunderstand what It/I was trying to say. The world isn't black and white. I know that. But the power that I let act through me, and the power releasing itself below us are sides of a spectrum. I think you know that.

"By the nature of who I am and what I channel, I seek the best in any situation. I search for the light when it seems lost, and spin it from nothingness if there is truly none with me. But..." She sighs heavily. "I'd be exactly the foolish puppet you named me if I didn't see all the colours and shades of our world. She takes a step closer, light shimmering on her skin. "Except that you seem to think that knowing that - or something very close perhaps - puts you above others. Maybe you're right, maybe it does. But if that's the case, do you not have an obligation as one who - I believe - does not wish goodness and Light to fall, to teach that to those who would wish to know?

"For I can say with certainty that I am one who would wish to understand if I do not." She stops and waits calmly.

[PersonMan]

Aimari considers the girl for a while, digesting what she says and considering whether or not to answer her. She was definitely quite observant - Aimari doubted that most of the crew had any idea of what the truth was, and they'd 'known' her for far longer than this girl had.

"Those with knowledge have no obligation to share it. Those who have a different view of the world than I are not in some way of less worth, they are merely ignorant or it, just as you or I are ignorant of the lives of the people who came before the mages, for example. Many would not accept it, their minds are simply not ready to rid themselves of their preconceived notions and accept an entirely new truth," Aimari explains, looking into the wind rather than at the girl. Her hood falls, revealing her carefully braided crimson red hair and the slowly shifting tattoos on her cheeks.

"I doubt you will believe me when I say that your power truly comes from your inner hate, and that this emotion is not something to be avoided," Aimari adds after a moment, turning to Melanie as she finishes.

[Snowfire]

"Perhaps. But I would think that most would do their best to find those who could see what you believe to be true." She replies, tilting her head to one side as if memorising the face in front of her. "They're very pretty." She remarks. "The tatoos, I mean. I've never seen ones like that before." She chuckles suddenly. "Well, I don't remember seeing ones like that. Doesn't mean I've never seen them before all things considered." The much younger girl shrugs, the wind gently tossing her sable hair out behind her, and the humour fades from her expression.

"Hate." She says slowly, her tongue rolling the word in her mouth and stretching the syllables as her green eyes meet Aimari's, the pinpricks of light from before flaring into being within them. "I would not call you wrong, or a liar." She says at last. "But I would be curious as to how you reached this conclusion - or if it was taught, what their justification was?

"Emotion is the basis of all that I am, Aimari." She says in way of explanation, although you get the impression that Melanie might not be...alone in talking to you. "But there are many. Why, particularly, hate over all others?"

[Snowbluff]

Barty

Barty watches as Melanie walks off towards Aimari, but Grym is in his peripheral vision. Wow, those lips... and hips... tai- *THWACK* He wasn't thinking that last part. He rammed his head into the mast of the ship, in order to bludgeon the distraction out of his head. In a poor attempt to regain his composure, he stands up and casual leans himself against the mast.

"Sup?"

Seeing that no one seemed to noticed right away, he wipes his forehead with his palm. Blood. I must've hit myself harder than I thought.

"Grym, is Melanie going to be okay with that one over there?" Barty says, remembering what he was doing in the first place.

Larry presses his palms against his face. "Smooth, meatbag."

[PersonMan]

Aimari isn't sure how to respond about the girl's comment on her tattoos - they were many things, but "pretty" generally wasn't the kind of adjective applied to them. As Melanie looks at her, Aimari decides to let the girl look her in the eyes, meeting her gaze. It might come as a shock to her that they seem to be nearly ablaze with rage, even without a hint of it on her expression, the tattoos on her face suddenly seemed to be overflowing with malice and spite.

After a moment, Aimari turns back into the wind, considering where to begin with her response. "From dozens of different lands, traveling from all directions, the inhabitants of the Hate Isle have all found the truth. They come from different nations, with different pasts and different outlooks, only one thing is the same: their power comes from hate," she begins, raising one hand and willing a bit of power through it, causing a small flame to coalesce in her palm.

"There are many different opinions on why hate is the true source of power, but more than enough evidence. I think a theory of Res Yserrdik is a very good explanation: hate is the source of many other emotions. Hate of being alone leads to camaraderie, hatred of having little to ambition, and so on," Aimari continues, letting the flame in her hand grow before letting the wind extinguish it entirely.

[Snowfire]

Melanie's eyes widen at the raw fury crawling behind the woman's eyes but, to her credit, she doesn't flinch. The light swirling around her concentrates, wisps flowing down around her and her eyes are eerily calm for one so young. Especially in the face of such a display of tempered rage and malice. The girl moves forward to stand beside Aimari, looking out into the wind, and she cants her head at the display of flame.

"And yet," Melanie raises her own hand, palm up, "such a theory would not, I suspect, account for feelings such as love. I can see camaraderie, ambition and many others. But I cannot see love." She shrugs, the wisps of light around her concentrating around her hand, forming a upthrust weave of radiance. "I can, though, accept and understand your ideals. And..." she smiles suddenly, "I would propose a test for when we are back on solid ground, if you would be willing."

The girl curls her fingers in around the white not-flame in her hand, sending streamers of light spinning out through the gaps between them as she closes her hand into a fist. Wriggling her hand to loosen any tension, she lays it on the railing, and looks across at the hate-mage.

"Your hate against my light." She says. "If you are right, I will have to show something more than calm. Determination and anger similar perhaps to what I almost showed in aiding your fellow crew and defending myself from those demons. So," she twitches a questioning eyebrow, "would you be amenable to such a thing? Purely for the purpose of my own curiosity. I cannot deny the validity of your stated theory, but I would wish to test it myself."

[PersonMan]

As Melanie mentions love, Aimari's mouth twitches towards a smile. She had been expecting her to bring up that particular feeling. Foreigners always did.

"I've experienced myself how love comes from hate," is all Aimari says in response, a sly smile creeping onto her lips.

Aimari raises her eyebrows at the girl's suggestion. What she proposed seemed quite similar to a rageduel, but...well, she was fairly certain that what she had in mind was significantly different than that. Rageduels were nasty things, while this girl was strange, she wouldn't offer one just to see who was right in a philosophical matter.

"What precisely are you proposing? A contest of sorts, yes, but how exactly are we to pit our powers against one another? Do you wish to water the sands with my blood and perfume with air with roasting flesh?" Aimari asks, her tone curious.

"I am not sure if such a contest would be wise, however. Unleashing hate of the intensity I feel is not to be done lightly. If I use it frivolously, I will soon find myself under its control, rather than it being as it is now," she continues, shaking her head. "Besides, while I do enjoy releasing my feelings, I gain no joy from roasting one of my own comrades over a matter of curiosity."

[Vixsor Lumin]

"Captain, if i could have a word with you in private?" Arryl says to the Kieran as the crew scatters to do theyre jobs.

[Snowfire]

"Oh, I wouldn't deny that it can if what you say is true." Melanie replies brightly. "I'd just...believe that you are the exception, not the rule." She shrugs. "Sure, I could be wrong. But what better way to test it?" She smiles with just a trace of 13 year old smugness at Aimari's words of blood and roasted flesh.

"For your worries of blood spilled, I would tell you that I can freely manipulate my light-given weapons and power to disable rather than kill. And..." She gives a look akin to that of a child who has stolen not just one cookie, but an entire cartload. "Well, killing me in general means doing so twice - although the second time would only require a dagger. For all that I may seem soft, I am actually surprisingly difficult to kill." The words aren't boasting at all, but calm - almost slightly chirpy.

"So I think, if done in the presence of the rest of the crew so that they could stop you if you lost control - and then beat me - a duel between us would be quite safe. I can ensure that I do not kill you. And they would, I believe, be able to ensure that you do not kill me. Of course convincing them might be somewhat of a challenge, but I can be quite adorable when required." She bats her eyelashes, fluttering them cutely. "See?"

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Roll heartlessness vs cuteness!

[Wordplay]

Kieran suddenly stiffens, and his blood runs cold.

Did I hear that just now? After what I've seen, and heard. I should know better than to question that.

Everythin'. Nae room fer compromise - reminds me o' my wife. Maybe it'll turn out I'm 'married' tae ye too San Jun. Hah

Kieran tries to shrug off what he just heard, but he appears severely shaken.

Alera, I miss ye. Where are ye?

When Kieran focuses the first thing he sees is Barty banging his head repeatedly against the mast. Kieran gives the man a confused look.

Well Aimari says her power comes from hate...maybe he's a Pain mage - needs tae give himself a migrane tae work his powers.

'Aye, Arryl, but Erin was first. Both of ye, if I need tae hear it right away, then tell me, and dinnae mince yer words. Otherwise let's repair tae my cabin, and we can talk there in private'.

[theskorpionking]

"Melanie made be stilll considered a child by human standards, but, believe me Barty, she can take care of herself.", Grym says. She tears off a stirp of her shirt and approaches Barty, placing the cloth on his bleeding forehead. "Here. This should help stop the bleeding."

[Snowbluff]

Barty

His face grows red as Grym approaches. "Ouch." He let's Grym bandage his head with her shirt-(Chunk). "Thanks, but I would have been fine. You're almost too kind." He gives her an awkward hug, and then walks up to the railing.

"Does anyone know how fast we can get down there?" He says, observing the ritual below.

[TheMightyQuinn]

Rok

*The massive pillar of silence and sinew almost fades into the background of the ship as all of this is taking place - from the rousing speech, to the disturbing ritual - he takes it all in with a blank face. Perhaps it has no effect because it is beyond him, or perhaps it's just that there's nothing he can do about it. No reality-shattering power at his fingertips. No flames nor light for him to throw around like common stones. What he did have, he had in spades, however.*

*Moving over to the man bashing his head into the mast and the feline woman, he smiles, somewhat lopsided and with a mischevious twinkle in his eye.*
"Down? Can get down fast. You want? Rok go too."

*Turning his head slowly, his neck pops loudly, and he poins over to a massive roll of chain on a turn-wheel on deck.*
"Long chain, get long rope. Rope and chain, then climb up. Down is fun - jump."

*Giving the two a wink, he turns to Kiernan.*
"Cap'n? Go down? Ready."

[Techwarrior]

"Aye, in private would be better. Much better."

Erin is fretting so much his wings are twitching, normally he holds them firmly in place. Erin's eyes dart to different members of the crew, almost as if he's worried they'll read his thoughts.

[hoverfrog]

"You want to go down into that...that fire?" Bellamy stared incredulously at the giant, "Rok, you are an amazing individual but doesn't that strike you as slightly..um..foolhardy?"

[Wordplay]

'Down? Not just now Rok, maybe later. Alright Erin, come with me'.

Kieran stalks quickly astern, and climbs up the steps to the Captain's cabin.

'Come in quick Erin. Arryl, could ye please wait outside fer a moment?'

Kieran sits in his chair, and motions for Erin to take a seat.

'What's the matter Erin? I can tell somethin's got ye seriously worried, and that worries me. Best tae spit it out man'.

[Lentrax]

The light is writing patterns on the ground. Patterns that are making thier way further south.

[Snowbluff]

Barty

"The target is heading south!" He shouts over his shoulder.

"You've read my mind, Rok. Well, except that my method is a little less fun. My great-great-grandmother was a Silverscale. I inherited a little cloudwalking, to say the least."

"Yes. Because we have so many clouds between us and the ground. That's why we can't see the disturbance move. Flesh-for-brains."

[Techwarrior]

"Well Captain, of you recall, earlier I was telling you about my Rebirth. Its the ritual that changes a person into a Dragonborn. It's something that requires the person to make an egg big enough for them to reside in while they undergo the process of the Rebirth. Once, I was as human as yourself Captain."

"Now, to the best of my knowledge, most undergo the process willingly and come out of the egg fully remembering their past. You see, during the Ritual, one must accept that everything they had in their former life is no longer party of them. Their family, their life, sometimes even their friends are lost to them. It is an act that requires one to sever their connection with their entire race; to not have the memories of what you give up makes the sacrifice less important."

"I am different in this regard; for some reason, I can remember little of my former life. That was what led me to this ship; the late Captain Reya didn't press me when I told her I would prefer not to talk about my life before the Rebirth. See, becoming a Dragonborn requires more than just the Ritual, more than just giving up ones former life. Someone whose heart is black cannot successfully undergo the ritual. So while she didn't know my past, she knew that even if it were something terrible, I was that person no longer."

"Normally this is something that I avoid talking about. At the past few ports I've been asking around looking for information about my kind. We are an ill-documented race though, so so far my efforts have been fruitless. My present theory is that outs worthing I did purposefully from some horrible thing I did. I remember screaming, terrible screams and blood. I have nightmares sometimes with horrible visions if things that leave me drenched in cold sweat that I know happened to me before."

"Looking into that dark pattern.. Something stirred; I almost remembered something. If I've seen that pattern before, maybe I worked on the other side, these people controlling this. Perhaps whoever they are has something they could hold over me, or worse, perhaps they can control me more easily because of it."

[Vixsor Lumin]

Arryl bows his head and folds his hands behind his back. "As you wish Captain." he stands outside of the captains quarters and waits to speak his piece.

[hoverfrog]

"Um, this probably isn't the right time but I don't understand what's going on. Can someone please explain what this magic voice is and what it has to do with the lava flows or whatever they are down on the ground." the captain and crew were well briefed it would seem but the newcomers weren't. Bellamy had tried sneaking around and exploring, he'd tried talking to Rok and some of the others in the hope that they'd let something slip. maybe it was time just to ask outright.

[Wordplay]

Kieran is impassive, and then quiet for a moment, thinking.

'Ye did the right thing tellin' me lad'.

Kieran unsheathes his cutlasses, and places them on his desk, hilts towards Erin, points towards Kieran.

'It's just as possible that ye were a victim of the Destroyer as workin' fer her. But even if ye did serve our enemies, ye clearly made a decision tae leave them - tae go far as to tae destroy the person ye were'.

'That said, jus' because ye recognised the pattern, is nae tae say ye've owt tae tae do with San Jun. We are all caught in the middle o' a great an' terrible pattern, planned by the Gods and the Destroyer. I'm startin' tae realise this, especially since I've seen the lass - Melanie. Her an' I have a part tae play in this that is startin' tae become clearer tae me. Perhaps what ye saw is the first glimmerings of kenning yer own path'.

'I think that this crew, and our guests are all brought together fer a reason. But e'en if I'm wrong...'

Kieran looks Erin in the eye

'I trust the man I've come tae know. Ye have my complete confidence Erin. Whatever happened in yer past, it's who ye are now that matters. The Erin I've come tae know is a good man. If anythin' from yer past comes back tae haunt ye, ye will nae have tae deal with it alone. Keep me informed about any dreams or presentiments.'

'We'll speak more o' this later. Jus' keep what I said tae ye about the pattern hush fer now. Jus' because I realise I'm in the grip o' powers greater than myself, doesnae mean I'm happy about it. Perhaps ye could send Arryl in?'

[Space Lawyer]

Maia awakens in her pitch black cabin. She had slipped down there soon after dropping the supplies off to the little girl. Surely the captain and the strangers would want to have long conversations on the stranger's origins, and possibly some sort of discussion on philosophy and morality, and courses of action. Such things were not what Maia wanted be involved in. She was to be an instrument of the captain's will, no more, no less. She makes her way up to deck, and stands outside the captain's cabin. The thick door muffles the voices, but Maia can tell there is some sort of discussion happening. She maintains perfect stillness, waiting.