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Post by Bannanachair on Sept 26, 2018 1:54:25 GMT -4
"Captain, where are the gunports on the ship? This ship seems to be designed to hide things - are you absolutely, completely certain that there's nobody on board?"
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Post by Tikobe on Sept 26, 2018 2:22:18 GMT -4
"Look over there," he responds, pointing to a spot on the ship. You couldn't see it, but after about a half minute of looking around you finally noticed something odd about the patterns of the wooden planks. You look around and see a large number of similar patterns on the ship's side. They had probably concealed the gun ports by putting planks larger than the ports were over them and altering the sides of the New Age so the planks that were over them looked like part of the ship. It was an intricate and clever design.
"As for possible hiding places we haven't check, there aren't any. We've covered every centimeter of the ship except for it's propulsion system. However, going into that would be suicide for any human, and besides," Captain Bayod says as he nods over to some guards who were leaving the ship, "we just set up a few barrels full of gunpowder where the system is connected to the New Age. In a minute, we'll set them off and blow the propulsion right off the ship and make it unable to move and leave port. If someone survived their way in they won't survive the stay."
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Post by Bannanachair on Sept 26, 2018 3:13:07 GMT -4
"Good. This investigation is going to be rather tricky - we need to find out when that ship arrived here, get witnesses to give descriptions of everyone that they saw leaving the ship and find out what they're doing in Saffur. My ship, the Guimar Garnier Origin will be monitoring and searching every vessel entering or leaving the city's docks until further notice. I'd advise you to increase security around places that you think might be of interest to the Crestrisen, Captain."
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Post by Tikobe on Sept 26, 2018 3:25:09 GMT -4
"Heheh. You say that, but..." Captain Bayod looks around before continuing.
"There's no clue why they're here, and honestly, there's nothing interesting here. There's the port, sure, but that won't stop the flow of produce, only delay it. There's only one thing I can imagine, and I would've dismissed it as lunacy if it weren't for this feeling I have. I mean, as I said, they had no reason to attack your ship, and if they were truly covert, they wouldn't have come in with a ship armed with cannons and with obvious evidence that they were Crestrisen. I was a soldier in the war, and part of the unit that wiped out the remaining Paladins of Crestrise except for that one man named Lujor. You're young so you may not know this, but take it from someone who's fought them face-to-face, the Crestrisen aren't this stupid."
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Post by Bannanachair on Sept 26, 2018 3:41:02 GMT -4
"Is it... I feel like a madman for even considering it, but Saffur is famous for having a Wyldun Shrine. Is there anything that they could want with that?"
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Post by Tikobe on Sept 26, 2018 4:22:06 GMT -4
"Frankly speaking, I'd like to think that no one wants to do anything at all with the Shrine, however that's the only thing that truly stands out about Saffur and..."
He looks around and pulls you over to where he's sure no one can overhear.
"I've been getting reports from a fellow guard captain, see, of a bandit group that was operating near Dreadmud. I heard that they fought like elite soldiers and acted far too differently from normal bandits. And then after that report came in about a large swarm of tocthani that practically appeared out of thin air terrorizing the roads to Royal Sight. It was eventually discovered that a mysterious group had caged the monsters from other areas and released them while observing Royal Sight itself. Even Hollon has been having problems. Until now it appeared that only Saffur and Backwater weren't encountering issues."
You had heard about Dreadmud, but Royal Sight and Hollon weren't mentioned at all to you. Granted, those areas were under the protection of the other fleet operating in Old Everwrath.
But one thing hasn't changed: Four groups of men have attacked four different towns. Each of these four towns had one thing in common: A Wyldun Shrine.
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Post by Bannanachair on Sept 26, 2018 5:03:53 GMT -4
"I heard of the peculiarities in Dreadmund from one of my ships. If we're right, then things can get very bad very quickly. How much security can you put on the Shrine? I'll try to send word to the Grand Admiral and the admiral of the Auge Aralours fleet about our fears and hope that they devote more resources to protecting the Shrines, but I have no idea what schedule we're on. We also need to get word to someone in Backwater, and to the Emperor. Where's Listene?"
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Post by Tikobe on Sept 26, 2018 21:26:38 GMT -4
"That girl? She's outside of the port with some of your other men, the ones that say they came representing other ships. I'll try to do what I can, but we don't have enough men to secure the Shrine and investigate Saffur for the Crestrisens," Captain Bayod expresses. While the Empire was the one who kept these guards here, it would make sense that after a century or few of silence they would put less men near the Shrine, especially when times of war seem likely.
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Post by Bannanachair on Sept 26, 2018 21:48:37 GMT -4
"Then the investigation takes priority in case we're wrong. I'll try to reinforce your guard with some of my own men, but they're operating throughout Old Everwrath. Some men might be able to be spared from my ship, but I don't want the Crestrisen to escape if they find that we're onto them or to get reinforcements, so I need men in the air." After Bayod and I say our farewells, I go to the port to search for Listene, who reports for the messengers, so that I can send the messages that I want to send.
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Post by Tikobe on Sept 26, 2018 23:34:43 GMT -4
As you leave you see the liaisons and Listene all in one group. Well, most of them, anyways.
"Sir!" Listene salutes you as she sees you. "All reports were provided to Captain Bayod. However, the liaison of the 3 left with Fraseco to try and route out anyone who looks Crestrisen. We tried to stop them, but they ignored us, claiming that there aren't many people who'd look Crestrisen in this part of the Empire. We don't know their present location."
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Post by Bannanachair on Sept 27, 2018 1:05:52 GMT -4
"Listene, I need you to send a lot of messages. I need a message sent to someone with military authority in Backwater warning of potential danger, I need messages to my fleet to patrol more heavily around Shrine Towns, I need another airship here in Saffur to help with a slight manpower shortage, I need to contact the Auge Arolaurs Origin with information that Shrine Towns may be in danger of being attacked and I need a similar message sent to the Grand Admiral."
I turn to someone else and then ask the inevitable follow-up question. "Where did Fraseco and our liaison from 3 go? Bayod is searching for the Crestrisen with his professional city-guards, and I don't want men under my command to tip them off as to the investigation. And I don't want to cause an unnecessary riot." The Crestrisen probably know that Bayod and I are looking for them because we took their ship, but I still don't want amateurs to mess anything up.
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Post by Tikobe on Sept 27, 2018 15:30:41 GMT -4
"I can inform Backwater," the liaison from the 1 explains, "and the rest of us can also inform our ships. Hell, the 3 is so close to where the 1 is operating that I can send a message to them as well, just to make up for the time we're going to the lose having to search for our two stray men."
Listene nods, "I'll try writing messages to the Auge Aralours fleet and to the Majors in Chasre, but I'll need your seal to make them official."
Your seal was in your pocket. It was an important item, since without it the messages wouldn't be considered official. For captains and city guards you were fine without it, but for Major and Minor Admirals, and especially the Grand Admiral, it would be ignored.
"As for those two," Listene continues, "They went northwards where we could see before turning right. However, from there I've got not clue."
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Post by Bannanachair on Sept 27, 2018 22:29:04 GMT -4
I barely know Listene. Could I trust her with my seal not to seal documents that I don't know about? Do I even have a choice right now? I take my seal out of my pocket and give it to her. "You two," I indicate two of the liaison who are more physically adept than average, "Are to accompany Listene for security. These letters are of the utmost importance and there are potentially Crestrisen agents in Saffur. Rendezavous back here when the letters are sent, and I'll be back either after I find the two I'm searching for or by nightfall."
After saying that, I head north, and then take a right.
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Post by Tikobe on Sept 28, 2018 1:04:48 GMT -4
"Yes, sir!" They shout as they go out for their official assignments.
As you walk around you reach the town square. You see no sign of a riot anywhere. Saffur isn't large, but it isn't small either. If they cause a problem it may take a few moments to hear about it.
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Post by Bannanachair on Sept 28, 2018 1:52:26 GMT -4
I keep my eyes and ears open and see if there's any sign at all of a disturbance, while also trying to keep moving in some generally "forward" direction. Damnit, I should have had Bayod help with this - his men are trained for this kind of thing.
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Post by Tikobe on Sept 28, 2018 2:24:21 GMT -4
As you walk around your foot accidentally kicks a loose stone. You lose your balance and fall flat on your face.
"Are you alright?" A man asks. He was an impressionable man with brown hair and dark blue eyes, with a somewhat august air and a straight back in contrast to everyone else with poor posture. Combined with how he spoke you could tell he stood at a high position.
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Post by Bannanachair on Sept 28, 2018 7:03:30 GMT -4
"I'm fine, it's just been a busy day," I say. "Say, you wouldn't have happened to see two men who were at the Moon Dance a few hours ago making any trouble, would you?" I ask. It was a long-shot, but with the amount of bad luck I've been getting lately, I'm overdue for some good luck.
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Post by Tikobe on Sept 28, 2018 14:33:24 GMT -4
"The ones you're looking for are over there," he points. "You may wish to hurry. Sun's about to set."
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Post by Bannanachair on Sept 29, 2018 0:49:31 GMT -4
"Thank you," I say, speed-walking to where the man was pointing.
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Post by Tikobe on Oct 3, 2018 22:29:07 GMT -4
As you head off in that direction you note that you were in the town square, a short distance away from the Shrine. In front of you, you could see your two stray crew members stopping random people and interrogating them. It was obvious they were making a lot of noise and a lot of upset people.
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Post by Bannanachair on Oct 4, 2018 5:08:04 GMT -4
I approach them. "I order the two of you to stop your foolishness immediately and to report back at the Moon Dance now."
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Post by Tikobe on Oct 19, 2018 17:55:24 GMT -4
Fraseco and the liaison he ran off with look at you impatiently.
"Sir! There are Crestrisens here in Saffur! The people aren't safe here! It's our responsibility to keep them from harm," Fraseco scowls.
You noticed that there's a bit of a stir going on in the surroundings, but considering that Fraseco yelled it loud enough that it you wouldn't be surprised to discover that it could be heard over in Centerpiece, it makes sense why the surroundings would move strangely.
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Post by Bannanachair on Oct 19, 2018 23:05:12 GMT -4
"You damned idiot!" I accidentally let out in frustration, before quickly regaining my composure. "You two are naval liaisons. You have no idea how to conduct an investigation of this type. You are doing nothing but making things more difficult for me right now. I do not care what you think your responsibility is, your orders are to report back to the Moon Dance, and if you do not do so, I will have you court-martialled for disobeying a direct order from your superior officer at the very least, and probably for disrupting an ongoing investigation as well."
A man willing to eschew his orders for what he believes to be right is unpredictable and dangerous, and there's no telling how these two will react. As such, I rest my hand on the hilt of my sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice.
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Post by Tikobe on Oct 20, 2018 14:07:38 GMT -4
The other liaison who was never named and now will never be named opened his mouth to speak, but all that comes out is a croaking noise as he falls over and reveals the dagger embedded in his back.
Standing behind him is a man in a cloak, or was in a cloak until her tears it off to reveal light armor and a tunic with a black and blue symbol of a sword stitched onto it. It was the insignia of the Crestrisen army. He takes out a sword and roars like a madman as he prepares his self to attack.
In the distance behind the attacker, you can see two other cloaked men tear off their cloak to reveal the same suit of armor as they charge to your position. Sudden screams behind you cause you to look over your shoulder to see another cloaked man kill off the only guard posted here after Bayod took most of his men to the Shrine and charge in as well.
Fraseco is caught off guard and clearly needs a moment to respond, but to you who was expecting to get into a brawl soon anyways, you had enough of a sense to counter the man in front of you and get the first attack in if you chose to do so.
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Post by Bannanachair on Oct 20, 2018 14:12:59 GMT -4
My first priority is saving my own life, with capturing and interrogating the Crestrisen men being a decent secondary objective. I'll have time to reprimand Fraseco later, if we both survive, but for now, skewering the Crestrisen soldier to make the fight two against two would be rather nice.
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