As you all approach the docked airship that you were told to meet at, you see a particularly short armored dwarf shouting orders at the crew of the airship. As he notices you approaching, he comes to greet you. "Ah, you must be the mercenaries we hired. Good, your just in time. We set sail in about 10 minutes. Here, take these." He hands you each a certificate of sorts. As he hands one to Nox, he looks at her strangely, before moving on. "Hand those to the first mate, he is the tall, black haired one at the edge of the ship, He wont let you on without those. Once your there, follow him, he will lead you to your quarters. I'll call you up after we've set out to explain a few things." He leaves, moving to guide the last of the supplies being loaded aboard before heading onto the ship itself to prepare for takeoff.
Hideaki noted the dwarf's look at Nox with the same mix of protectiveness, nervousness, and fear that she always engendered in him. He opened his beak to say something to her when something--or rather, someone--else caught his eye.
"Tharja!" he called out to the dwarf at the other end of their group. "I trust you have been well?"
The tall, slender dwarf glances at her certificate before nodding to the familiar faces.
"Aha! Hideaki! I thought I saw a familiar face. Well enough; two more journals filled and an inch of road dust on my boots! And yourself? Do you know any of our other associates?"
Hideaki gave Tarja a small bow. "Did you see a familiar face, Miss Steelcutter, or did you simply see a tengu with a katana and assume it was I?" he jokes.
"I have a few more poems written for places I had not seen before," he continues. "As for companions," he turns to Nox, "This is Miss Nox."
He hesitates a moment. How did one introduce someone like Nox? Realizing it would look odd to think too long on it, he finishes, "She is... life has not treated her kindly. But she has powerful magic."
Nox doesn't notice the dwarf's odd behavior around her- or she pretends to, at least. Instead, she takes the certificate with an eager, bright-eyed nod.
When introduced to Tarja, she greets the dwarf with an eager nod, "Hello Miss Steelcutter! I'm Nox. Nice to meet you!"
A young man who up, wearing a bit strange of dress, his cloths appear more at home in one of the offical offices of Nekorol than an airship, even wearing the standout top hat. On his back rests a large, strange looking metal device along with a large backpack filled with all kinds of random assorted tinkerings and devices.
Thirrion gives a smile with a nod. pleasure to be of service. Im also very good at repairing these things as well if the need arises. he pauses a moment.
ah, do I need one for him as well?
Thirrion asks pointing back a few yards to a hulking 8ft metal golem shaped like a man in plate armor.
The steam golem let's out a spray as it lifts it's arm for a crude wave.
His names Alfred. Been working on a way to give him a voice, but no luck there yet im afraid to say
[Ooc] sense I was unable to join the other chat, I'll assume I don't know anyone else ATM. [/B]
As Thirrion asks, the dwarf snarls quietly. "Nekorol scum.", he mutters under his breath, as he grudgingly hands Alfred a certificate.
Tarja's demeanor changes significantly as the half-elf and his clank approach the group. Her lips purse tightly, and she stands almost at rigid attention. A swift variety of emotions play across her face, and she releases a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.
Hideaki tilts his head to one side in avian curiosity as Thirrion approaches. "A fascinating construct," he says after a moment. "You introduced him, but not yourself. I am Yamauchi Hideaki."
The tengu gives Thirrion a slight bow.
Nox loses a lot of her enthusiasm as the mechanical construct approaches, and hides behind Yamauchi, peeking out around the tengu at the newcomer.
Finrik briefly examines his certificate before his attention is pulled away by Thirrion's approach. The halfling casts an incredulous glance over the half-elf and his metal companion; Much has changed since I retired, he thinks before stepping to Thirrion. That's quite the impressive creation," Finrik says, extending his hand; "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Finrik Overdale."
Thirrion Responds in Dwarven to the dwarf. It would do well not to insult or judge someone solely based on their nationality or area of birth good sir. And thank you my good man... er, dwarf.
Thirrion pats the side of his head. Ah, yes, silly me. My name is Thirrion, Thirrion velding, of the Clockwork Captains. He says, to both Finrik and Hideaki. And I am glad you find him so interesting. He is one of, if not the most prominent achievement of my life to date. Not long ago I managed to program a minor intelligence into him. No more than that of an animal really, but it brings me one step closer to final goal. Its truly fascinating what one can do with if they set themselves to it. He turns and beckons the Mechanus. Alfred come say hello to our new... shipmates. With cranks, whirs, and a gush of steam the golem walks to the group and gives a bow. Its movements, while not fluid, possess an agility you would not expect from its appearance. After bowing, it will wave a hand at Nox.
Now Now Alfred, don't scare the child. Thirrion gives Nox a small tip of his top hat as the golem falls back a step.
Reflexively Hideaki puts an arm around Nox. Do nightmares fear that which does not dream? is his startled thought.
"Mister Overdale, Mister Velding, greetings. It seems we bring a diverse set of skills to this job," he says, then swiftly turns his head to Nox. "It is all right, Miss Nox. He is a friend."
Nox slowly creeps out from behind Yamauchi, and hesitantly reaches out and touches the golem. After a moment, she seems content that nothing is going to happen, and returns to her usual self (if still a bit hesitant around the construct), "Nice to meetya, mister Thirrion! And... mister Alfred," she gives a (perhaps slightly reluctant) beaming grin to them, before turning her attention to the latest newcomer, "Hi, mister Finrik. Nice to meet you!"
(You get the sense she says that a lot)
Tarja touches her beaded braids by way of greeting to each, and nods a brief apology. "Would you all excuse me for a moment?" She barely waits for a reply before going to speak quietly to her dwarven employer.
"Luud," she says. "I'k mus rovvae obuis rek baems rara aesrar, bis sros'k sra kerks omd roks uk kae vurdk um sra kibiacs ok rums ok I'k rurdems srek. Wa'ra kivvukad su ba vrukakkeumor dvorqak rara, vesr iubk su sas duma. I, os raoks, ok vrommems um ocsems sros voae, omd I dum's kaa omae raokum aeui kruirdm's aesrar. Wa du roqa o ravisoseum su koemsoem...su koae musrems uk raroseumk vesr usrar moseumk."
Her voice is quiet and her face neutral, but an acute observer can pick up on an air of someone's mother chiding a young one for bad behavior.
The halfing smiles. "Indeed, Mr. Velding; this "Alfred" of yours appears to be quite the marvel. I can tell that I'll have many more questions once our voyage is underway."
Finrik then turns to address Hideaki, Nox, and Tarja's now-empty space. "How terribly rude of me," he says, bowing slightly, "As you probably heard, I am Finrik Overdale, and it is my pleasure to meet you all. Would you mind telling me your names?"
"I am Yamauchi Hideaki," Hideaki replies, returing Finrik's bow with one of his own.
While he did not try to eavesdrop, the tengu noted Tarja's attitude towards the other dwarf. Hopefully she would be able to keep the peace.
He gestured towards the gangplank. "If we all now have our certificates, perhaps we should get situated? We shall have a long journey to become acquainted, or reacquainted, as the case may be."
A perceptive observer can detect a slight glimmer of fear in Finrik's eyes as Hideaki introduces himself, but the halfling quickly suppresses it and assumes a cheerful disposition.
Finrik nods in response to Hideaki's statement; "True," he says, "It would be best if we started this journey sometime soon. I'll see you onboard." Excusing himself, Finrik makes his way to the first mate and hands in his certificate.
"Here you go, my good man," Finrik says. "Now, I believe you have quarters to show me?"
Tarja glances over at the halfling boarding the ship. "If you want to continue this conversation later, we'll likely have the opportunity. Thank you for your business." She turns briskly, beads and mail clattering and jingling, and sets off at a brisk pace towards the first mate.
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The neatly armored middle aged man nodded as the dwarf, which he figured was the bosun, handed them their papers.
"Much appreciated, master dwarf." he said, slightly bowing as he pronounced the words master dwarf.
Yet Reinhardt didn't immediately embark. The professor had the intention to see the others pass by, possibly even overheard chit chat and small talk, the better to understand those who he would spend the following weeks... but it was his eyes nor his ears the ones who caught his attention.
"Ah, sure 'our fates flow in a ocean of souls where a known face is a welcome visage', as Xeriontes once wrote." he said, a deep voice he had practice to lecture others for years, before returning to his soft and low usual tone as he made his way to the halfling he knew as Finrik. "Master Finrik, joyous be mine eyes! I couldn't have ever hope to find you here of all places, but my unvoiced prayers seem to have been answered."
Reinhardt offered his papers to the First Mate before turning to Finrik and extending his hand with a wide sincere smile "I take your past bussiness isn't as profitable as used to... or perhaps it isn't the pay that brought you to this trip, my friend?"
Hideaki notes the interaction between Reinhardt and Finrik with interest, but misses the hint of nervousness in the halfing's gaze.
"Come, Nox, let us board," he says gently, waving her ahead of him onto the airship.
Nox bounds ahead, eager to see this new place, with a sinewy grace and a quickness that just seems... wrong for a creature of her size.
The look of disbelief spread across Finrik's face quickly yields to one of gladness as he sees a familiar face approach him. The halfling eagerly takes Reinhardt's hand and gives it a firm shake. "Professor Von Brandt! What a pleasant surprise," Finrik says, grinning cheerfully. "I cannot believe I didn't notice you among our small group; I must have been caught up by this frankly unusual scene"—he makes a grand, sweeping motion with his arm to emphasize his point.
The halfling's demeanor slowly shifts to one of seriousness. "Ah, yes; my motivation. Well, my friend, I'm sure you heard a few of the especially persistent rumors about my past, which had a pronounced effect on my business." Finrik sighs. "Sales dwindled, and I eventually slid into debt. This expedition seemed like the quickest way to pay it off, so...here I am."
Finrik is silent for a moment, then speaks up once more. "That is my story, but I am much more interested in yours. Now, what brings you to this dock, Professor?"
As Tarja chides him, he grumbles and walks off, clearly annoyed.
As some of you board the ship, the first mate directs you to your rooms. "Down those stairs," he says, pointing towards the back of the ship. "and yours is the first room on the left." , he says to whoever is first. As more of you board, he continues with, first room on the right, second room on the left, and so on, while he stays there and waits patiently for the rest of you.
"My thanks," Hideaki says to the first mate, giving him a slight bow.
He does, however, wait for Nox to go to her room before going to his own.
thirrion tips his ate to the first mate as he hands him the two passes.
I think my fellow here is a bit big to be cramped down in the cabin rooms. I'll leave him up here in case you need any extra assistance in moving around heavy objects. he pauses halfway through the door, then adds as an afterthought. Just be sure to be very specific. It takes things literally, and isn't any smarter than a dog.
Nox opens her door and checks out her room, seeing what's inside, then turns back to the first mate, "Thank you, mister!" before entering.
Hideaki doesn't spend long in his room. Mostly he just quickly looks it over and sets down his pack, then leaves again.
He hesitates a moment in the corridor, reminding himself again that Nox, in spite of appearances, is more than capable of taking care of herself, much less just for long enough to come back up on deck. Though he wonders if that isn't part of his nervousness about her...
Pushing the thought aside, he heads back up on deck and looks around, his observant eyes noting the crew and the ship itself.
Tarja is more than happy to take the room next to the stairs; however, she offers a polite nod to everyone and firmly shuts the door, spending a few good hours with journals, spellbooks, and crystal research before the ship truly gets underway.
"Much obliged," Finrik says, nodding to the first mate as he boards the ship. The halfling politely excuses himself, enters his room, and begins to unload his bags, setting up his lab in the center of the area.
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As the others and himself board the ship, the professor smiles to Finrik "That is quite a philosofical question, my friend. Who i am? What do I seek? Why am I here? Such a question deserves a proper beverage, red wine nonetheless..."
Reinhardt stops at his door with hand extended to open it "But the short version is: boredom. I'll let you get comfortable, how about we meet later? I'm sure you have seen, read and tasted many an interesting thing since the last time we talked."
The Professor leaves his things at his room, keeping his armor and his sword strapped to his belt "A gentleman must be always able to defend himself." he mutters.
As you all come above deck, you see that the ship is about to launch. At the front of the ship, the dwarf from earlier is barking orders at the crew. He glances over his shoulder and sees you there. "Brace yourselves, we're setting sail!" He shouts, and as he does, the ship lurches forward, pulling out of the docks. He comes over to you. "I'm going to go make sure were on course. If ye have any questions, feel free to ask me or my first mate. We should be arriving at the empire in about 2 weeks. Make yourselves comfortable, if we need you, you'll know."
Hideaki easily keeps his feet as the ship lurches, swaying smoothly with the motion of the ship.
"Thank you," is all he says to the dwarf for the moment.
Nox sits on the edge railing, watching the clouds pass by, humming a merry tune. She seems completely unafraid of the height as she swings her legs carelessly over the edge.
Tarja finds her way up on deck after an hour or so. She doesn't seem particularly moved by the sight of clouds or wind in her hair - it is not very long, in fact, before she pulls out a length of cloth and ties it down. The bruise forming on her forehead speaks to a practicality she had not foreseen. Brief flashes of light can still be seen shining through the cloth every now and again. Even so soon after setting off, she carries her an axe almost as large as she strapped to her back, and a spell component pouch is not far from her hand.
Hideaki comes up beside Nox as she sits on the railing. He is comfortable on the deck of an airship, but not that comfortable. Seeing her precarious perch makes him nervous, but he knows Nox has magic...
"Good afternoon, Miss Nox," he says. "You seem in good spirits today."
********************
Hideaki is standing near the prow when Tarja comes up on deck. He enjoys airships--sometimes he wonders if it is a personal thing or a part of his avian nature as a tengu. He hears the heavy steps of someone behind him and swiftly turns his head, and sees Tarja walking the deck.
After a few more moments of staring out into the open air he walks over to her.
"Miss Steelcutter," he begins, bobbing his head in the slightest of bows, "We did not have much time to speak as we boarded. Where have you traveled since last we spoke?"
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The professor walks around the deck with a book, looking for a place to sit and read some dwarven poetry until he spots Nox.
Intrigued by her and more importantly the way she seems oblivious to the height, he approaches the kitsune's position calmly.
"An elven scholar once wrote that those that do not fear harm do so either because they are already familiar with it or they wish to receive it. But he probably was angry that his lover left him for a human minstrel, so feel free to ignore his words." he says as he rests his arms on the railing "I think we haven't been presented, my name is Reinhardt, and unless I am wrong you must be part of the group. A pleasure to meet you, miss...?"
When Yamauchi comes up, she greets him enthusiastically, "Hiya mister! Yes, it is a lovely day, isn't it? I love watching the clouds go by. So fluffy and white. The scenery is amazing, and I love catching the occasional glimpse of the surface."
Later, when Reinhardt stops by, she has the same childlike boundless energy, "Hi mister Reinhardt!" she puts extra emphasis on the t, doing her bets not to mispronounce the name. For a split second after, she seems to be in intense concentration before nodding, "Yeah. That sounded right. Anyway! Nice to meet you! I'm Nox. Are you a scholar yourself, or do you just like reading their works? As for why I'm not scared of harm... Hmmm... Well, it just doesn't bother me. Hasn't for a very long time. It's only the Dark Ones that I last feared, and since then the Nightmares. Injuries... just isn't an issue anymore. Unless you have silver. Do you have silver? Because that still hurts."
"Indeed, for all its troubles, the world is beautiful," Hideaki agrees. He pauses a moment, then adds, "Some philosophers even say that hardship and beauty are inseparably intertwined, that one cannot have one without the other."
Nox winces for a second at Yamauchi's statment, "I don't know... no hardship is this beautiful." then she turns wistful, "They say that Heaven is impossibly beautiful, a mountain as tall as the entire world. I want to go there someday, you know? To see the angels and infinite skies. Would it really all go away if the Nightmares vanished? I would hope not. That would mean that the only way good could exist is if it was built on suffering. I hope that's not the case, because how could that be Good? But then again, the evil must suffer. It is their price that needs to be repaid. The good, the young, and the innocent would only be better off if all evil in the world was killed. So why must good and hardship depend on each other?"
Secretly, Hideaki was pleased at Nox's words. In spite of her sometimes unsettling statements, he felt certain there was still good in her, and certainly her stated wishes seemed to confirm that.
Aloud he says, "And yet, would we recognize beauty if it was all we ever saw?"
He stops suddenly. He did not know what Nox had suffered to make her what she was. It might well be unwise to continue this train of thought.
"Or perhaps those philosophers simply spent too much time thinking, yes?" he suggests, a hint of humor in his avian gaze.
Nox's eyes glaze over slightly at Yamauchi's first statement, but they begin to shine again when he corrects his statement, "Yeah. I guess so. Why would you want to think about the Nightmares?" her eyes go wide, and she starts to curl up, legs being drawn from over the edge. However, she catches herself, and after a moment, the carefree attitude returns, "I just love watching the clouds go by. Why think of evil when there is good to still enjoy? Even if the- Nightmares- never leave, they only come at night. Why bring them into the day as well?"
"Because they are easier to defeat in the light of day," is Hideaki's instant response. He pauses, as if to consider what he had just said. "But it is never that easy, is it? While the occasional evil can be fought and slain, far more often it is only with long, hard work that it is diminished."
He pauses again, then adds, "If it is possible, I would help you fight the Nightmares."
One morning, contrary to his usual routine, Hideaki decides to meditate on the deck instead of in his room. He finds an out-of-the-way spot and sits down, taloned feet pressed together, and closes his eyes, slowing his breathing, letting the wind and the sounds of the ship and crew pass over and through him.
**********************
About midday, Hideaki begins his usual combat practice. He bows to an imaginary opponent, then swiftly draws Kujirosou and begins a long and complicated kata involving strikes and blocks with both his blade and his feet, fists, and elbows.
**********************
One fine afternoon, Hideaki emerges from his room with his calligraphy set. He politely asks if he can borrow a barrel as a writing desk for a while, then takes it and his tools over to a place he had noticed earlier that was sheltered from the wind. He sets his tools on the barrel and a sheet of paper on the deck itself, and begins to grind some ink.
"Ah, Master Yamauchi! I've mostly been traipsing across the Alliance's deserts. I've had some insights into the connection between heat and the way that Talium Crystals cause things to float, and suspected I'd find some further information there. Alas, all I found was strife and gold. Still, both are useful things, in certain amounts. So tell me, did anything in particular bring you out this way?
Nox gives Yamauchi a sad smile, "But the Nightmares can never be defeated. No, I've fought them long and hard to get them where they are now. They follow me, and no matter what I do, they never go away. The Nightmares always go after whoever I'm with, too. If I stay too long, someone is hit by the Nightmares, so I have to keep moving." she sighs, and a thoughtful expression comes to her, "But if you're careful, you might be able to help me. But be ready for the Nightmares to attack you too. Okay, Mister?" a small grin spreads across her muzzle.
Hideaki nods to Nox. "Whatever I may honorably do to aid you, I shall, in spite of the danger," he states. "One of the callings of a samurai is to defeat evil and undo injustice. I know not what happened to make these Nightmares pursue you, but I see neither good nor justice in it."
*********************
Hideaki cocks his head slightly as he listens to Tarja. "I have spent little time in the Alliance's lands. As for myself..."
He trails off and glances over to Nox, then back to Tarja. "This job sounded more honorable than many. The advancement of knowledge is a worthy goal, and I had been in the general area anyway."
As the next week and a half pass, everything seems calm, to the point where some of you may be beginning to wonder why they wanted mercenaries with this shipment. About 4 days before the shipment would make it to the Empire, the Captain asks you to have at least 2 pepole on watch at any given time. If anyone asks why, he says "Don't want any surprises like last time." If anyone asks what happened last time, he simply says, "The riders.", before walking away.