This role play was one of the first major battles of Charlotte’s Mother’s; Lorelei Rose Carrendar. Played out on the 7th of October, 2010, it was a major part of the Carrendar Dynasty history, where the fleet of Lorelei took on the might of Captain’s ship; the Indomitable. This role play took ten hours to do in real time. Live action writing online, and a moment I will never forget.
THE BATTLE OF THE WHARF OF ARACHNE.
Writers :
Captain277
LoreleiRoseCarrendar
MorshanTheForgotten
xZechariax
TheExacutioner
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MorshanTheForgotten: -Empty sockets scanned the land below, piercing the clouds that blanketed the wharf as the great beast flew overhead, tattered wings beating in flight. The beast took in a large breath of air, letting the scent fill his unholy body. Bloodshed, death, fire, gunpowder, fear. Ah yes, this would be the land of the Spider Lady, the land that he knew was bound to gain more than a few rather delicious creatures to crush. Turning to the right, his massive wings beat more fiercely, propelling him away from the wharf. He did not want to crush any people with his landing, no he preferred to crush them in his jaws. Angling himself downward he cut through the clouds, his body rapidly plummeting to the ground below, tail lashing out in anticipation. As he neared two hundred feet from the ground he spread his seventy foot wings, letting the air catch them and slow his descent to a manageable level. Bending legs to prepare for impact Ragnar landed rather roughly against the hills just beyond the wharf, turning in its direction. Slowly, carefully, he began to pad forward, each step bringing him closer and closer to the town. Cresting the hill that overlooked the wharf he leapt down, his wings spread to slow him yet again. Landing between two sets of houses, the ground shaking slightly in his area, he lifted his head, letting out an ear splitting roar.-
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LoreleiRoseCarrendar: -The fleet stationed in the cove all head straight for the outlet. Lorelei on board the Black Rose races up alongside Captain Crimson, who is madly barking orders at the crew- (Captain Crimson) “More sail…Smee…and hand me my telescope” (Smee) “Aye Aye Captain…here Sir” -Captain Crimson takes the eyeglass and extends it, pointed towards the great black blurr on the horizon as the last light from the setting sun starts to fade from the sky. (Captain Crimson) “Yee Gods….that ship is over half a kilometer across. Thats at least ten times the size of this ship!” -He hands the eyeglass to Lorelei and she closes her left eye and peers through the eye piece- (Lorelei)”Where the hell did it come from?…That’s not something built by normal docks.”- Captain Crimson, shouts out to the crew- “Load the GUNS!” – A flurry of activity happens on board the Black rose, while all the other ships, The Challenger, Revenge, Damnation and Sea Creeper are lined in formation to create a blockade, their guns raised and ready to fire broadsides as soon as they get close enough. From the crows nest, a boy calls out…(Cabin boy)”Captain…iron clads….five of them, its the AngaNámo,AngaMir, AngaAran,AngaGurth, and ArgaThalion” -Lorelei can barely hear the sound of Vlad’s voice across the waves. (Lorelei) “As soon as they act in aggression….open fire…ALL WEAPONS!”
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xZechariax: Rhezzo would spot the naval formation in the distance from his vantage point on land. His jet-black hues would widen at the display of sea-fairing war machines. His first reaction was to duck and cover, however he took this time to be foolish and observe. Straightening his posture, his right hand gripped the handle of the raven-hilted bastard sword -Ravenbrand. Whereareas these people were fighting for some patriotic reason. Rhezzo was just a fascinated observer. Black hair would sway from a coastal breeze, eyes would concentrate on the vessels. Noting they were in a blockade formation, Rhezzo knew that larger ships held no chance against smaller onesn. Thus he was pretty damned sure the smaller ships would prevail, it would prove an interesting excursion. Watching his assumption play out, subsequently he wouldn’t intrude in the locals home. Figuring his life safe, since these vessels weren’t focused on him. Though he kept his eyes wary of raiding parties, that could pop up.<E>
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Captain277: …*The Indomitable had been moving at full speed for several hours, having departed from the Southern Bay of the Isle at almost midday, the massive fortress was only now reaching the mouth of the Estus Delta. The Indomitable cut through the waves with all the grace of a sledgehammer, far too massive for the agility and speed of its cousins. Measuring approximately 750 meters from Bow to Stern, and roughly 250 meters from Port to Starboard, the Indomitable displaced several kilotons of water, causing the sea levels around the mouth of the delta to rise proportionally. Though all in all it was 80 meters tall, roughly half of the ship lay below the waves, leaving little more than the 45 to 50 meters of its upper half visible to any observers. Starting at the waterline, the sides of the ship slowly began to slope upwards, the gradual incline made even more treacherous by the slick layers of water which constantly lapped against its sides. Nearing the top of the ship, the slopes terminated abruptly, leveling off to form a flat plane some fifty meters across and 120 meters long. Along this plateau numerous rectangular panels were visible, most likely hatches which would open to reveal whatever storage bays lay directly below the armored hull. At the aft of the ship, a spire angled forwards at a forty-five degree angle with the plateau, stretching ten to fifteen meters into the air. Whether this barb was for decoration or served a more useful purpose was unclear. Deep within the ship’s artificially lit interior, various seamen scurried to and forth, moving with an almost robotic efficiency. The ship’s Captain stared out at the Delta via an electronic screen; whoever had built the Indomitable knew better than to leave its bridge exposed. Nestled in the heart of the beast, the command post was a beehive of activity. Comms officers passed orders to the other decks, maintaining a constant correspondence. Breaking his gaze off of his monitor, one of the crewmen turned to face the Indomitable’s Captain.* Sir, we’re detecting vessels further up the Delta. They’re advancing in an attack formation. *Seconds later, another crewman on the opposite side of the bridge chimed in.* Sir, we have also detected several more warships approaching from the South. They’re attempting to encircle us. *The Captain nodded, pulling up both of the crew member’s radar scans on the screen. Reviewing them for a moment, he cleared his throat.* Our orders are not to engage until our cargo has been delivered. Prepare the fore and aft batteries, but don’t load them until we see how the Lacardians will react. *Leaning over his command console, the Captain pressed one of the various buttons on the board. A small chime signaled he had connected to Engineering.* Bring the Indomitable to a halt. I repeat, full stop. *A red blip on his command screen indicated his command had been acknowledged. Almost instantly, the Captain felt a tug in his stomach as the Indomitable’s engines switched into reverse, attempting to decelarate the ship and rob it of its forward momentum. For a few tortuous seconds the ship groaned against the strain before finally slowing down, becoming dead in the water after a few more minutes. The sudden stopping motion translated directly to the waters surrounding the massive ship, the disruptive force sending out a shock wave across the water, forming a surge of water which spread out in every direction. Along the coast, small tsunamis crashed upon the shores, flooding the sandy beaches. Rippling down the Delta, the wave of water sped towards the Lacardian ships, not so much an endangering the ships as much as threatening to throw them off course.*
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LoreleiRoseCarrendar: -On board the Challenger, the closest ship to the great black vessel, Captain Norse is the first to get a closer look. His jaw drops as his wooden pipe would hang from his bottom lip. Never before in all his sea faring days had he seen such a vessel, twas the type of ship that nightmares were made from. (Captain Norse)”Stone the Crows…”-his lips flapped as the rest of the crew went into mad panic, loading the guns. The massive ship would suddenly come to a grinding halt, the effect, a powerful surge that would send a massive wave towards them- (Captain Norse)”HOLD ON LADS….!!” The ship is sent up by the high wave, and it lurches over to its side, before righting itself, sending the crew sliding back and forth across the deck. On the other ships this would be repeated, breaking up the formation, with barrels of gunpowder, slamming together, and cannon balls rolling around the deck, tripping up sailors that try to stand. On the main land…great waves batter the coast line, flooding many of the shops and coastal homes. The towns across the delta go into panic, as the Black rose, lurches in the sea- (Lorelei)”Oh god….I am going to be sick” -and she reaches for the side of the ship and throws up her dinner- ~BLEAH!~<e>
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MorshanTheForgotten: -The sight of several small waves lapping against the land was not normally something that would gain the dracoliche’s attention, yet this time he was intrigued. Large constructs of wood, primitive and flimsy though they were, were accustomed to the waves of the waters. Yet this time they seemed genuinely surprised, even the spider lady seemed to vomit. Padding toward the sea he peered out, the massive outline of another beast on the waters. He did not know what it was, the distance to great to accurately tell. Moving with some haste to the shore he pushed off from the ground, wings beating to take the beast into the air, Quickly climbing in altitude the beast stabilized at around four hundred feet, his eyes following what appeared the be a large battle. Oh how this would be wonderful.-
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Captain277: That worked out pretty well, tripped the bastards up. *The Captain nodded, glad to see that the enemy fleet had been thrown into disarray early in. Punching another of the buttons, the Captain sent the order to both Engineering and what parts of the Bridge were out of the range of his voice.* Hard to Starboard, stay away from the shallows. Divert power from the aft and forward batteries to the Port Gunwales, load supressant and smoke canisters. Calculate a standard saturation pattern. We need our boarding party to get past the blockade unharmed. Tell the boarding barge to target the ship at the very back. They’ll have permission to disembark as soon as the batteries are ready. *A flurry of red icons flashed across his screen; the crimson blips of acknowledgement letting him know that across the ship, his orders were being carried out. The deck shuddered beneath his feet as the behemoth began to turn, the ponderously slow movement becoming something of an annoyance. It would take them a short while to get into position for a solid broadside, and the enemy would have plenty of time to get into firing range before they were prepared.*
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xZechariax: Rhezzo stood from his vantage point on land for a second, when the massive ship stopped. Rhezzo’s eyes widened in surprise, that turd on water stopped. “Oh frak, no!!” Running from the entrance to the town he hustled to higher ground. A nearby solitary hill nearby, when the waves came crashing onto the surface. The wave brought forth fish, dolphins, sharks, wales were washed ashore. Rhezzo had thought quickly and stabbed Ravenbrand to the ground, holding onto dear life. When the water crested, he’d been flattened but held on somehow. Coughing up water his eyes opened scornfully at that black ship. “To the abyss with you! You floating turd!”<E>
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Guest_TheExacutioner: (Vlad would slowly stare at the massive ship with slight awe and horror. He would slightly growl and he would say into the Mic over to the ships and say.-”Man the guns wheel your ships around.”-he would growl. He would softly feel the guns being loaded as they are prepared. He would softly ponder and he would softly wheel his ship and say over the mic.-”Load your incendenary rounds and turn to Port. Aim at the water line Angamir. AngaAran aim at the rudder. AngaGurth aim at the guns. ArgaThalion aim at the waterline as well. WE will aim at the bridge.”-Vlad would growl and watch his ships turn to the port and he would sit on starboard side of The Indomitable he would softly wait for the answer of all guns loaded.-/e
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LoreleiRoseCarrendar: -Angered by the near rolling of their ships by the tumultuous waves that broke across the coast line, each of the Captains of the blockade ships, the Challenger, Revenge, Damnation and Sea Creeper all started giving orders. (Captain Griggs) “Raise the guns…..Fire across their bow…FIRE!!” -The Renegade’s 43 cannons, all opened fire simultanously, blasting towards the great black ship. (Captain Albano) -On board the Sea Creeper gave out his orders- “Lower the guns…..Fire!” -the second ship, was also firing shots towards the great ship’s hull.<e>
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Guest_TheExacutioner: -Vlad would rhear his undead familiers rattle rasdpy voices through the intercome and he heard them say it is ready. he would grip the mic and he would yell into the mic.”Fire!”-he would hear the loud explosive power of the 12 large guns on the port sides of each Ironclad he made shoot there incendenary rounds at The Massive ship he would softly had the though that made his salivate if he could get his hands on the Massive ship to make into an ironclad.-/e
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Captain277: …*Nestled deep within the bowels of the ship, the Captain watched the ships on both sides fire upon the Indomitable. Looking up at the sterile white roof of the bridge, he waited to hear the detonations of the munitions against the hull. He had already been appraised of the sorts of weaponry the enemy would be fielding. He had little to worry about. It would take an extremely lucky shot to-his train of thought was disrupted for a moment as the ship pitched violently, throwing him off balance. Several other crewmen fell down onto the metallic floor, sliding into computer towers or support beams. Pulling himself back up onto his feet, the Captain immediately opened a channel with the Port Gun Decks.* What the fuck was that? They don’t have any weapons that are able to penetrate our armor! *The voice on the other end spoke with considerable trouble, taking long breaks to cough and retch.* We had the weapon slats opened sir. We were about to fire off our salvo when you gave the order. One of the Northern fleet’s cannon balls sailed right through the gunwale. Deck Two guns five through eight have suffered catastrophic damage, we don’t know how many casualties there are, but the suppressant gases are flooding the chamber. *The Captain cursed, pulling up a cross-section of the Ship on his datascreen. Gun Deck Two flashed red, the blinking ruby light illuminating the Captain’s face. Returning to the comms station, the Captain opened a link up with Gun Deck Two again.* Close off any gunwales that haven’t been breached and vent the deck’s air. Decks One, Three, and Four will continue on as planned. *Without waiting for confirmation, the Captain sent the Fire at Will command to the remaining Port Gun Decks. At the same time, the dull crump of detonating artillery alerted him to the fact that the Southern Fleet had fired off its own salvo. Great plumes of fire licked against the metal of the ship, burning for a few seconds before extinguishing to reveal large dents where the shells had impacted along the starboard side. Opening up a link to the Starboard Gun Deck, the Captain approved the requests to return fire. Passing on the order to only open the weapon slats immediately after each salvo, the Captain authorized the use of live ammunition. Turning his attention back to the Port side, he sent the boarding barge the order to commence. On the Port hull, pillars of yellow and black smoke drifted up from the rent gunwales. Near the waterline, two rectangular plates retracted, opening up to reveal a small holding bay. In the center of the bay, a squat, rectangular barge bobbed up and down. A cable protruded from both ends, apparently running through the ship. On the front of the barge, the cable snaked upwards, leading to a vicious looking grappling hook recessed in the bay wall. The cable issuing from the rear of the barge was anchored securely to the wall of the bay. With a faint hiss, the hook streaked through the air, trailing cable behind it as it hurtled down the middle of the blockade, passing the formation before embedding itself deep in the Black Rose’s mast. The cable went taut immediately as the barge’s winch system started pulling it towards the ship. As the barge left the relative safety of the recessed bay, the operational Port Batteries fired simultaneously; the thunderclap of concussive force sending out little waves. Scores of metallic canisters hurtled through the air, splashing in the midst of the ships. With a sharp, collective hiss, the cylinders released their payload; thick masses of obscuring smoke began to slowly expand outwards, creating an artificial fog to help cover the barge’s advance.*
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MorshanTheForgotten: -Finally a challenge at last. No longer would he be picking apart the corpse of some foolish dragon hunter who stumbled across him resting, nor some fool thief attempting to steal that what was his. No, this would be a glorious battle, this was no mere ship like what the spider lady employed, this was something different. The trading of projectiles was indeed impressive, yet it seemed a little one sided. This suspicion was confirmed by the presence of the gas the massive beast was summoning in the other ships lines. This would never do, never ever. Angling his body downward he would be a veritable arrow toward the gargantuan ship, his jaw lowering as he neared the ship. A loud roar left his jaws, his battle cry as he targeted the deck of the ship, his horn aimed to strike the base of the central mast. He did not care that the battle was being waged, or that he might possibly be attacked by the other ships, this was the largest, and he would deal with it first.-
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LoreleiRoseCarrendar: -On board the Renegade the crew all cheered to see that at least one of their shots had made its mark, causing considerable damage to the mystery vessel’s port gun decks. (Captain Griggs) “Cop that ya big bastard!” -but it would be a victory celebrated all too quickly, as the great black ship would return fire. The Renegade would be hit by multiple fire, tearing holes through the sails and knocking off one of the masts. The crew scurried to reload the guns to return fire, while on board the Sea Creeper, Captain Albano was issuing the same orders- (Captain Albano)”Return fire….all guns!….FIRE! Just then, more freak waves would toss the blockade ships about like toys in a bathtub. Cannonballs flew through the air off course (sp)…landing in the water with a great splash, as white water rose into the air. On board the Black Rose, Lorelei and Captain Crimson, are both issuing orders to the crew when suddenly, a hook with a cable attached, hits the main mast of the Black Rose, as a fog seems to be rolling in out of nowhere…(Lorelei)-She tries to look up to see what has hit the ship, but the vision becomes obscured by the thick fog. She tries to climb the mast and detach the hook to free her ship-<e>
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Guest_TheExacutioner: -Vlad would stare in horror seeing all of the starboard side of the ships gun pointed at his fleet and he would growl and rip the mic form it’s holders and yell in to it.-”Everyone start sailing full speed ahead then fire at there rudder so they can’t escape. Use the explosive rounds then reload those and fire at the bridge and then if that doesn’t distract them fire into there gun ports!”-Vlad would be seen his eye getting abit crazed as he would grin from ear to ear. he would set about walking into the supply closet and he would pick up a a water proof chest and set about filling an explosive material into it and he would growl loud. He would set some gun powder into it. He would then slowly walk up to bridge again and slowly prepare as he slung the small chest onto his back and prepare to dive under the water if his ship exploded. He would slightly watch and he would get the signal that everything is loaded and he would feel the deep hum of his ship and he would watch all his ships sailing forward then he yelled into the mic.-”Fire the port side. Everyone go by orders only.”/e
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Captain277: …*Even a midst the chaos that must have been occurring outside, the Captain nodded quietly to himself with pride at the composure of the crew as they worked to maintain the upper hand. All of them had recovered from the earlier violent pitching. Most of the gas had been vented from Gun Deck 2, but the majority of the crew stationed there were incapacitated, either injured in the chain of blasts or rendered unconscious by the yellow irritant fog. The view on his display screen immediately cut to the Starboard side, revealing that the Southern fleet had discharged another salvo. The Captain watched the detonations ripple across his hull, and for a moment felt genuine confusion. It was like these sailors were treating the Indomitable as little more than a larger version of theirs. The last of the shot from the Southern fleet’s guns thundered against the hull, cratering the thick metal plating with deep, charred pits. Not bothering to use the comm unit, the Captain sent each of the Starboard Gun Decks the order to fire immediately before the Southern fleet could reload or turn to fire their other side’s cannons. The Indomitable’s Gunwales parted and the gun batteries rolled forward. On each of the five decks floating above the water’s surface, twenty gun emplacements rolled forwards, turning the Starboard side of the ship into a bristling forest of artillery barrels. With a simultaneous thunderclap that knocked birds from the sky overhead, the decks fired one after the other, sending a hail of explosive shells out at the Ironclads. Rolling back along their tracks immediately after discharging, the Gunwales sealed over the emplacements, ensuring there would be no catastrophes like those experienced on the Port side. Flicking over to check the barge’s progress, the Captain noted that it was halfway to its objective, currently gliding between two of the Lacardian warships. Preparing to order the Port batteries to fire tear gas into the fog, the Captain’s order was cut short as something massive slammed into the Indomitable’s upper deck. Switching over to a view of the flight deck, the Captain’s face went pale as he saw a dragon tearing into the plating, apparently attempting to get to the storage decks below. Opening the comm channel to the fighter hangars, the sense of urgency in his voice betrayed the threat the creature posed.* Scramble fighters! Harass that bastard and get him off of my ship before he breaches the upper hull!
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LoreleiRoseCarrendar: -The sheer scale of fire power that this mystery ship was capable of deploying was simply beyond measure. Captain Albano and Captain Griggs, were both barking orders to their respective crews on the Renegade and the Sea Creeper. While as undetected the Challenger was coming up from beyond the artificial fog and would lower floating mines into the choppy waters. Captain Norse.. was a bit of a renegade, and he was crazy enough to play a different hand in this game. The mines, floated into the fog…and god help whatever they hit. Captain Norse chuckled under his breath as his crew all stood back a few feet, one winding his finger in a circle at his temple. Meanwhile on board the Black Rose, Lorelei was now at the top of the mast and had reached the hook that had held her ship in place. She struggled to free the hook, but it was stuck fast in the wood of the mast. <e>
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Guest_TheExacutioner: -Vlad would watch in horrow at Volly of rounds shooting out at his ship. Vlad would quickly grab a hand ful of more explosives he hand made and stuck in the chest and quickly made his way out on top of the ship and he would bellow into the bridge and yelled.-”If any of the ships survive fire non stop use every weapon your got I don’t care if you all suiscide bomd the side of the ship. Just sink that DAMNED SHIP!”-Vlad would quickly prepare to be launched at the ship as he felt the first explosive round cut through the first layer of armor has given way to the rounds and he felt the warmth heat give off the thundering boom as the massive amount of ammunition ignited and he was propelled forward by the shockwave and he bellowed all the way and he had enough sence to reach into his robes and pull out two daggers and he felt the massive ship rocket toward at emince speed and he felt the such force as he collided into the ship. He felt the ribs in his torso crack enough and he felt the air knock out of him but the ships thick arm gave way for his daggers blade to pierce enough for him to get stuck on the side of it. He would notice he is beside of 16 gunport on the starboard side and he would growl low enough not to be noticed. He turn his head and noticed about 2 of his ships held up but were not moving and he noticed the gut plasterered in the bridge and he knew that they where dead ghost ships now. He would softly hang there waiting to see if the Captain order them to scuttle the ships by firing another volley of rounds. At which this point he would be preparing to throw a grenade into the ship that is made to explode on impact. He would hold the grenade on his right hand and softly wait for it to happen.-/e
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MorshanTheForgotten: -Blind with rage of what he thought was the back of the beast he closed his mind from any and all threats that might appear, the sounds of the ships cannons no longer factoring in. Ancient glands began to produce sulfur trioxide, the gas remaining in a small portion of the beasts mouth, slowly picking up the H2O molecules in the air, each individual sulfer trioxide molecule bonding to produce a molecule of sulfuric acid. This would take time to ready into a formidable attack, and while he could not do that yet it did not stop him from lashing out in other ways. The one hundred foot long beast was truly a threat to many creatures, as shown by this most violent and unusual display of dominance. His forty foot tail began to lash out, striking any object in range, occasionally slamming into the deck. His front claws began to tear into the mark he had already made, intent on hollowing out his foe and scattering his entrails across the land.-
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Captain277: …*The Captain of the ship cared little for whatever remained of the Southern fleet. The Ironsides had fallen under the sheer weight of the Indomitable’s firepower. Even though one threat had been apparently neutralized, another had gladly jumped into the fray. The loading platforms at the end farthest away from the assaulting dragon began to part, opening up like sliding doors. As the platform shields retracted into the hull, the craft which had only hours earlier been loaded into the hangars rose from the interior of the ship, slowly ascending out of the belly of the beast. The short, stubby wings of the craft terminated in powerful jet turbines. Afterburners mounted on the rear of the fuselage of each fighter ignited, spouting gout’s of blue flame as the pilots inside the heavy support craft prepared to assault the dragon. The two heavy fighters performed a VTOL takeoff, hovering backwards, away from the beast to ensure there was enough room between them and the legendary monster. The shrill whine of their turbines was almost lost a midst the roar of the battle, a whisper in the midst of a hurricane. Hovering a ways off of the deck now, the support craft were given the authorization to open fire. Small slug-throwing turrets slung under the cockpit of the hovering war machines opened fire, sending out a hail of small-caliber projectiles. The little bullets pattered along the hardened metal of the flight deck as the gunners inside the craft walked up on the target. Simultaneously, the two airborne vehicles unleashed a salvo of missile fire upon the dragon. The small rockets were designed to disrupt infantry formations, but the Indomitable would have to make do with what was most readily available to them. Scores of tiny fireballs blossomed on the hull of the ship as the wave of missiles impacted around the dragon, the fate of many of the projectiles obscured by the clouds of smoke which continued to billow occasionally from Gun Deck 2. In the midst of the fog, the barge neared its target, cutting silently through the waters, dragged along via the well-anchored cable. Suddenly, without any prior warning, a nautical mine brushed against the rear of the barge. The mine detonated, setting off a chain reaction that unleashed a massive firestorm of shrapnel and concussive force in the midst of the fleet. The cable connecting the barge to the ship was severed almost instantly, and the craft itself was hurtled into the air, its forward momentum and the location of the blast sending it careening wildly towards the Black Rose. Falling back down to earth, the boarding craft slammed into the Black Rose’s deck, breaking through and embedding itself in the ship, jutting out diagonally, but most definitely upside down.*
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Guest_TheExacutioner: -Vlad would be stuck on the side of the ship with slight amusement on his face and he would growl low and he would slowly swing and try to kick open the gun port enough to throw a impact grenade into the gundeck. He would growling low and wanted to make sure the damage was server. He wanted to throw the impact grenade on the ammo pile beside the gun and wanted to atleast blow the gun port off. He would growl slightly and he would hear the explosion on the other side of the ship. He would wonder what happened but he would continue to try and kick open the port gun covering with as much strength as possible he was slightly annoyed for the damage of the ship. He would hear a loud explosion as he heard whistling cannon rounds shoot toward the rudder of this massive ship. he knew they would use what ever explosive rounds they had left.-/e
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LoreleiRoseCarrendar: -One by one, the nautical mines that floated in the waters of Arachnea, would explode, due to the debris that was raining down from the explosion of the barge. Each of the fleet’s ships were blown left and right, shrapnel going in all directions as the sea itself was on fire. The scene was apocalyptic as on the shore lines, thousands of survivors from the tsunami waves, were watching on in a muted silence. Multiple fire balls roared up into the sky, as the night sky was lit up. The fog changed to orange and red hues, as screams from the crews on board the Revenge, Sea Creeper and Challenger could be heard. Captain Norse, who was all to eager to release the mines in the first place, was impaled by a large splinter of one of the other ships masts, hurling him back into the side of the ship, blood pouring out of his mouth, his eyes held no life. The crews on the Renegade, bravely tried to reload the cannons, and open fire once again, against the massive ship. Captain Griggs, who was battered and bloody, shook his fist at the ship- (Captain Griggs)”We will never surrender……Never…..FIRE THE GUNS!” -Again, the Renegade would launch another assault as forty nine cannons discharged. On board the Black Rose, the effect of the blast causing the cable to snap instantly, sent Lorelei hurtling backwards from the mast, tumbling through the air, as another blast, blew her even further away, as the craft would blast into the deck of the Black rose. Lorelei would land in the sea and dissapear under the waves, as the Black Rose caught fire. As Lorelei sank, the black and red pendant she wore around her neck, sent out a massive pulse wave, that would be felt by the ships, but no one would realize…..what this meant-<e>
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MorshanTheForgotten: -The sound of the whirring turbines did little to capture the beast attention, his mindset so deeply rooted in the mentality that the creature must die, that he did not notice anything going on, he did not see them preparing for an attack. A good solid amount of Sulfuric Acid built up in his mouth was all that he needed, and as he lifted his head he fired the ball of the acid for the scratches he had made in the “skin” of his foe. The ball would fly out and strike the area, sending a small splatter in several directions. While this would be of no damage to the ship itself, should Ragnar have been able to breach the hull then the acid would drip down, possibly landing on something it could cause damage to, be it a person or an electrical system, he did not care which. As the missiles impacted around him Ragnar turned in the direction of the attackers, his mind turning to them now. He did not care who they were, or what side they were on. All he cared about was that they had targeted him, a fact that was unacceptable. As the missiles finished impacting he turned his head and roared, several of his bones chipped and scratched with shrapnel, two of his ribs completely broken free from the attacks. Unfolding his wings, which had been thankfully against his back, the Dracoliche turned to face the foes, his wings beating as he pushed off of the ground, his body taking off from the starboard side, his head keeping on the flying creatures.-
*
Captain277: …*The Indomitable’s Captain scowled as he watched the yellow flashes of light flicker through the fog. Various reports scrolled across the screen instantly, alerting him that the boarding barge had been completely separated from the Indomitable and most likely destroyed. Meanwhile his only two gunships armed and ready to fly were busy harrying the dragon. Putting all of this aside, the Captain cut to the view of the Southern fleet. The few remaining ships were apparently still firing off the occasional salvo at his ship. Frustrated that he had ignored them earlier, the Captain transmitted the order to utterly annihilate whatever was still floating to the south of the Indomitable. The Starboard Gun Decks opened up once more, the massive artillery barrels angling in the direction of the few remaining ships. Unleashing pure hell on the craft, the volume and magnitude of the Indomitable’s response almost guaranteed that nothing would be left intact. The sheer power of the discharge of so many artillery weapons simultaneously caused the starboard hull to shudder and vibrate violently, sending cascades of debris rolling down the sloped side of the ship from the flight deck. The barrels withdrew, and the gunwales sealed shut again, and at last the Captain felt he could turn his attention to other matters. Monitoring the conflict occurring atop the Indomitable, the Captain grinned as he saw the two support craft had captured the dragon’s attention. Opening a comm link to both of them, he quickly issued his orders before turning his attention once more to the Northern fleet.* Continue to harass the target. Split up and harry him from both sides, force him to divide his attention, draw him away from the Indomitable. If you can stay airborne long enough, I might be able to get fast attack fighters out to support you. *Flicking the screen over to the Portside view, the Captain noticed that the smoke had began to disperse, most likely forced away by the chain of blasts that had detonated in their midst. This puzzled the Captain for a moment, because he had not ordered any live-ammunition bombardment of the Northern fleet. Ordering the Port Gun Decks to switch to live ammunition, the Captain prepared to bring the sky down upon the ragged remnants of the Lacardian fleet. Several alerts flashed across the screen as he scanned the thinning fog for any sign of the barge. The urgently flashing notifications warned him of a corrosive leak in one of the main hangars. Several of the flight deck’s elevators, which had already been severely damaged by the dragon, were now completely out of commission, limiting how quickly he could deploy more fighters to support his men in the air. Meanwhile, the explosive shot of the Lacardian fleet continued to hurl into the side of the Indomitable, generally doing little more than pitting its surface and rendering it into a hellish moonscape. However, the volume of the shots meant that many explosive rounds did breach the great tears in Port Gun Deck 2, further increasing the number of casualties incurred. The Captain froze for a moment as he caught a glimpse of the Black Rose through the smoke; the metallic gray corner of the barge was visible for the slightest of seconds. The Captain immediately ordered the Port Gun Batteries to hold their fire, intent on not damaging the barge nor its precious cargo. Across the waters, embedded in the Black Rose, the boarding barge vented columns of smoke suddenly as the end jutting into the air suddenly shot off, into the air, blown away by emergency release bolts. A single hand reached out from the interior of the barge, grasping the edge of the nearly vertical vehicle. As whatever was inside began hauling itself out, the smoke obscured the deck of the Black Rose once more.*
*
LoreleiRoseCarrendar: -As Lorelei sank further a great shadow would rise up from beneath the sea, and the water at the surface would bubble and lift as Lorelei’s body would be dwarfed by the size of what was rising from the deep. The sea would release its most vile secret ….The Imperitus…the Ghoul ship of Arachnea. It would breach the surface, rising up with fury, as at the helm a Pirate King, would be at the wheel, as Lorelei’s unconscious and sodden body would lay on the deck. With a crew of undead barnacle covered skeletons, they raised the flag of Lacardis, as Captain Barnabus, let out a roar of anger. (Captain Barnabus)”Who comes to take over my sea?…..Lacardis belongs to me!” Blackened sails were raised and the winds blew them to life, as the black death ship, headed for the Indomitable.<e>
*
MorshanTheForgotten: -Ragnar kept his attention on the two pests that had dared to attack him, his wings beating to try and keep up with the formidable challenges. Their speed, maneuverability, and firepower was indeed impressive. But he was not one to give in easily, no he wanted to make them suffer. His mind clicked over to the sound of so many explosions, his wings stopping him in midair as he hovered in place, swaying to and fro with each pulse. The other ships were taking a rather large beating, one that he did not appreciate. It was then that he turned, a devilish idea forming in his head, his eyes turning as he flew round the ship. The hole that was billowing smoke, a constant sign of weakness. His dark vision picked up that there was more to that area than he noticed before, as his idea grew darker and darker with every moment. Beating his wings he flew toward the hole, not caring if he injured himself on the “fangs” of the beast, all he cared about was destroying it. He would deal with the “creatures” minions once the “creature” was no more.-
*
Captain277: …*The Captain of the Indomitable continued to watch the battle going on from his view screen. For a moment he felt a sharp stab of guilt as he realized that the two air support vehicles he had deployed most likely wouldn’t survive the confrontation. He scowled for a moment as he realized he had been holding back due to the nature of the task he had been given. He had been overconfident, and now the mighty Indomitable had been severely damaged, to the point that he knew it would not only have to be towed back to base, but for the most part dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up. As the camera displays focused on the bone dragon preparing to fire another ball of the acid into the exposed space of Gun Deck 2, he wondered if he would be around to see the Indomitable’s rebirth. He had never been one to believe that “Going Down With the Ship” was an option, but as he saw the dragon preparing to systematically destroy his vessel, he realized he did believe in going down for the ship. Fleeing wordlessly from the bridge, the Captain abandoned his crew, leaving them to watch on in something between desperation and confusion as the dragon filled Gun Deck 2 with the acidic fluid. Any survivors who had been trying to find shelter on the deck were now undoubtedly dead, and soon the Gun Decks below Platform 2 would begin to dissolve. Left without a Captain, it seemed the Indomitable had met its end. The support craft had long since run out of ammunition, trying in vain to grab the creature’s attention by grazing along its surface and hovering dangerously close to its form. With a dismissive backhand, the dragon finally addressed the two hovering aircraft, swatting them both from the sky with primal contempt. As the two support vehicles lost stability and plummeted into the sea below, the heavy bay doors on the flight deck exploded outwards. Tearing through one of the corroded elevator platforms, the Captain of the ship shot upwards towards the dragon, sitting behind the controls of one of the Indomitable’s two bombers. The wings of the plane were laden with high explosives and extra fuel tanks. The dragon snarled and responded before the bomber could get in range. Spitting a vicious stream of acid at the bomber, the dragon watched with something close to dawning comprehension as the Captain barreled through the stream. Even as the cockpit glass warped and broke, and even as his skin melted away, he kept the throttle jammed forward. Seconds before colliding with the massive dragon, the Captain unleashed his payload. The forward momentum caused both his craft and the powerful explosives to slam into the massive dragon, detonating in a brilliant fireball that lit up the sky, rivaling the setting sun. The great creature fell, stunned and grievously wounded, into the deep, murky waters of the Delta. As the crew watched on in stunned silence, the sudden harsh chiming of an impending threat drew their attention to the ghost ship set to ram them. As the prow of the monstrous vessel broke through the smoke, the crew attempted to communicate with the Prow Gun Decks, but most of the communications systems, and the batteries themselves, had been rendered inoperable by the dragon’s assault. Just as the wheel of the ship began to clear the could of obscuring smoke, a voice echoed through the air, so powerful that it overcame the thunderous rapport of the Northern fleet’s defiant cannon fire.* God damn it! This is no way to treat a guest! *If there were any question as to the origin of the voice, the mystery was resolved seconds later as a massive form soared through the smoke, crouched as he sailed towards the ghost ship. Landing on the deck with enough force to splinter the water-soaked wood, Captain drew up to his full height. A long gash ran from his hairline, around the curve of his mask, before terminating below his cheekbone. His snow white hair was stained crimson by the amount of blood that had already gushed forth from the wound. In a fit of rage, Captain acted less like the cunning warrior he usually was, and instead tore across the ghost ship with a savage fury. The host of skeletons and ghouls that accosted him were rent to pieces as he swung Cancer in deadly, precise arcs, most of the time not even looking as he cleaved heads from shoulders, and then bisected the still mobile bodies. Cutting a swath through the ranks of undead seafarers, Captain fought his way to Lore’s unconscious body.* It’s always a struggle with you. *Leaning over, Captain wrapped one hand around her throat; the time for delicacy had long since passed. Throwing her up into the air like a sack of grain, Captain caught the Prime Minister on his shoulder, still slicing the enemies that accosted him into several pieces with each pass of the weapon. Now that he had something to protect, Captain adopted a more balanced style. The massive horde of creatures attempted to overwhelm him. Instead of trying to cut his way through, Captain spun the staff in his hand, sweeping the head of the staff through the air. Using the stave to channel his psychic power, Captain cast scores of the beasts off of the deck and into the waters. More concerned with getting to the prow of the ship than he was with slaying the summoned monsters, Captain pushed, pulled, and occasionally cut his way through the mass. As the ghost ship reached the Indomitable, Captain hurled Lore up the slope. Her body bounced on the wrecked flight deck with a faint thud. Content that Lore had been secured, Captain turned back to face the mass of Undead. Twirling Cancer in one hand, he flexed his other wrist, releasing a concealed syringe.* So much for your stiches.
*
LoreleiRoseCarrendar: -Her body would bounce as she hit the slope of the wrecked flight deck, Lorelei would cough up a lung full of seawater, as her head hit the metal. The shock of the sudden intake of oxygen would rouse her fully, not to mention the toxic smoke that was mixed in with it. She struggled to get to her feet, but slipped back down again, only to see Captain, with his stave of Cancer, twirling it at the evil Ghoul ship Pirate king. Captain Barnabus was thundering up the deck towards him- (Captain Barnabus)”I be sending the likes of you to Davy Jones Locker, you lily livered codfish.” -he would unsheath a barnacle encrusted cutlass, spinning the handle in his right skeletal hand. But what Captain Barnabus failed to realise, was that the Imperitus was heading straight for the Indomitable. Just at that precise moment, one of the rogue nautical bombs would brush the side of the Ghoul ship and …you guessed it…it would explode with such force, it would send a wall of water up to where the Captain and Captain Barnabus faced off. The ships, Revenge, and Sea Creeper had alread tried to turn their ships back around, as it was clear that the Indomitable was almost defeated, and nothing more could be gained from their ships languishing there only to be sucked down with it. Captain Barnabus would be thrown forwards toward the Captain, but as he did so, he would attempt to slash through the Captain’s chest with a downward diagonal slash-<e>
*
Captain277: …*Captain grinned behind his mask as the ancient pirate lunged towards him. Yes, the decrepit creature might have launched the first strike, and he might have had something akin to the element of surprise, but Captain had reach. As Barnabus committed to his slash, Captain countered. Instead of blocking the cutlass as would have usually been expected, Captain went straight to the source. Pressing the three claws of Cancer’s head against Barnabus as the creature came within range. In the instant it took the tips of the metal stave to connect, Captain focused a pulse of kinetic energy down the staff. As the wall of force discharged, Captain activated the recessed mechanism built into Cancer’s haft. As the ghoul shot backwards, a jet of acid arced out after him, hissing as it smacked against the pirate’s skin. Stray drops blown about by the wind pattered onto the deck, discoloring the wood and digging tiny pits into the surface with numerous, faint whispers. The Pirate Captain attempted to draw back to his feet, even as one of his already malformed and ancient legs started to give. Captain didn’t give the acid time to finish its job. With a fluid backhand, he swept Cancer’s blade out in a low arc, shearing through Barnabus’ dessicated thighs. As the creature began to fall forward, Captain struck it with an underhanded swing, Cancer’s crown sending it flying back, landing supine on the deck of the ghost ship with a wet thud. Spearing Barnabus to the deck with Cancer’s haft, Captain kneeled down, hovering over the ghoul. Slowly he brought his face down until the cold metal of his mask was just a few inches from the creature’s own decayed features. The recessed jets in his mouthpiece sprayed a fine mist of the same corrosive agent, dissolving the undead pirate’s skull. Standing back up, Captain jerked Cancer clean of the beast and stared at it, watching as the skin bubbled and peeled away, watching as the urchin and anemone alike melted away, liquefying, leaving little more than a skull, upon which several strips of frying flesh remained attached. With a fluid swing, Captain severed the creature’s head from its body. Kicking the mushy skull of the edge of the ship, Captain chuckled.* Back to the locker for you.
*
LoreleiRoseCarrendar: -With the head of Captain Barnabus, taken from his body, the curse of the Ghoul ship began to lift, and so to, the ship itself would start to break apart. The pendant around Lore’s neck would start to lose its vibrant colour, fading to black, and on the deck of the Imperitus, the crew all started to disintegrate their ash like forms, blowing away in the wind. The ancient ship began to lurch as the sea would truly reclaim it. The groaning and splintering, as the mast started to collapse, heading straight towards where Captain was standing. Lorelei on the slope shouted out- “Captain….LOOK OUT!”<e>
*
Captain277: …*Captain cursed as the ship began to collapse on top of him. Looking up at the mast, Captain instinctively ran across the deck, headed to the fore of the vessel. He had to get to the Indomitable before the ground went out from underneath him. Slowly, holes began to tear in the deck, as if the ship were a piece of cloth being unraveled. Captain knew he couldn’t keep the mast from crashing down, so instead, he rotated without breaking stride. Running backwards towards the fore, Captain struck out with a vicious sideswipe, sending the crown of Cancer cleaving through nothing but air. Even though his staff did not touch the mast, the telekinetic force behind the blow did, slamming into the mast with enough force to divert it. As the mast began to fall along its new path, Captain realized he was almost out of deck. Without turning back around to face the ship, Captain kicked against the deck, tapping the rapidly dissolving wood with the tip of his staff as he did so, propelling himself meters into the air. Performing a rather impressive backflip, Captain landed on the flight deck beside Lorelei. At a loss for what exactly to say, Captain cleared his throat.* Ta-daaa!
*
LoreleiRoseCarrendar: “Ta daaa?….TA DAAA?!” -She would roar at him as all around them was wreck and ruin, bodies floating in the sea, plumes of smoke rising from all directions. On the shore line, thousand of very wet and seriously pissed off locals. “TA DAAA!?….” -she was literally seething as she watched three of her ships limp back to the shattered remains of the wharf. “Please…..please don’t tell me you did all this to …make an impression!” -she would then aim to slap his mask right off his face-<e>
*
Captain277: …*Captain remained perfectly still, allowing the hit to connect. Secretly, he was impressed that the woman had been able to reach.* It’s nice to see you too Lore after so long.
*
LoreleiRoseCarrendar: -As her hand would slap his mask, it actually hurt and she drew her hand back, nursing it. “I wish I could say the same about you, Captain” -and with that she rose to her feet, looking down her nose at the Captain in disgust. “Do you realise the amount of damage you have done with your little “visit?” -Lorelei must have looked a sight, as she reached into her fight suit and pulled out a small octopus and threw it over her shoulder- “I should have known when all the mad changes happened at Sylvan Isle, that you would somehow be behind it. How am I going to explain all this to the Parliment?…You destroyed the ironclads, not to mention two of the fleet…..*she folded her arms over she chest and scowled*…what do you have to say for yourself?”<e>
*
Captain277: Lore…I’m…strangely disappointed. You act like you had no idea what I was doing on the Sylvan Isle. It was made perfectly clear to you that I intended to take that particular area for myself. When I charted out this nation, it was part of the arrangement that I receive the Sylvan Isle. How could my work be anything of a mystery to you? Not a day ago you and I stood on a mountain ridge overlooking the Quarry. I told you I had been working on this. I told you that I would be aiding in countering Nicholas’ work. Your overreaction is on no one’s head but your own. The Indomitable was to bring me to the Delta, so I could visit the Capitol personally, and show you what our combined might could do. I was going to propose heavier security for your trade routes, security outposts and more durable fortifications, I brought an entire military down to within a few hundred miles of Lacardis to ensure I could lend aid when you faced a foe that outmatched you. The Indomitable did its best to keep from firing upon you, and when it was left with no other alternative, it bombarded only the ships housing undead. Those were my orders Lore. If I couldn’t get to the Capitol, I would have to board your bridge under cover of the smoke to enlighten you as to the nature of the massive ship. Everything that occurred here could have been averted if you had only paid attention and remembered what I was doing.
*
LoreleiRoseCarrendar: -Lorelei was seething…he was pinning all this mess on her. “Why you….how dare you? You could have bloody well used a megaphone, and shouted out “Here’s Cap!…. What did you expect?…we are on a war footing and you roll up in this this this….oversized…overpowered…floating city….with more guns than imaginable.” -She turned away from him, as the huge pang of guilt tore threw her. She would never let him see that she now felt the full weight of responsiblity for what had occured this day. It was going to be her head on the block for this, especially after the failure to apprehend Nicholas, the loss of the cargo ship at Talus Quarry…..now this. She began to realise, that maybe, she had made great errors of judgement, which had cost the nation, both lives and the loss of ships needed to sustain the Lacardian people for years to come. “I need to get back to the mainland….and…I can’t swim.” -She looked back at Captain.<e> ..
*
Captain277: …*Captain paused for a moment as she turned away. He knew that he had spoken the truth, but Lorelei deserved more than that.* I have a solution. We’ll chalk it up as a misunderstanding. You’ll go before the House of Lords, and you’ll beat your chest and speak of how these brave men and women sacrificed themselves for Lacardis. You won’t be speaking anything less than the truth. The Lords will be made to understand that the Sylvan Isle was militarized to bolster the defenses of Lacardis, but unfortunately there was a failure to communicate, and the envoy sent to discuss the alliance with Lacardis unwittingly pushed the Lacardian fleet to act. These men died defending their country, standing up for what they believed this nation was about. The nature of the damage incurred by the Indomitable will serve as a moral high point for the speech. They will be shown what you did with but a handful of ships and a few brave souls. While your fleet may be bloodied, you’ve shown that entire mountains can be conquered, so what is one little vampire in the face of such overwhelming might.
*
LoreleiRoseCarrendar: -Maybe, Captain was right…maybe the parliament could see it from that angle, that for all the weaponry and the massive ship’s capability, that Lacardis was capable of defending itself in the face of adversity. Even if it was a mis-communication between what should be their ally. The thoughts of the punk Vampire running around with his big hand held cannon, was now insignificant in terms of what they faced as of now. “I will do as you say, and face the firing squad, that is my peers in the great Hall, and hope they see it the way you do.” A small tug boat that hadn’t been washed ashore was in the process of rescuing the dragon just off where the Indomitable languished in the water. Lorelei leapt from the slope and landed with a thud on the back of the sleeping dragon, and looked back up at where Captain would be- “Do me a favor .Leave the big ship at home next time you call by?” -and with that, the tug took Lore and the dragon back to wharf-<e>
*
Captain277: …*Captain chuckled quietly to himself as Lorelei sped back to the wharf. Captain picked up the distant sound of the support fleet, coming to tow the massive hulk back to the Isle. Staring off at Lorelei long after she disappeared along the bends in the Delta, Captain eventually turned away from the Lacardian shore. Looking down at a shattered computer module which lay upon the splintered and cracked command deck, most likely a remnant of the Indomitable’s Captain’s suicide bombing. Kicking the little chunk of metal off into the waters as the fleet of tugboats began to drag the ship away from the site of the battle, Captain chuckled.* We’re going to have to make some big changes to you girl.
