The Sea Owl's Gambit (Inactive)

Game Master TheNine

OK, Malen and Stefan have worked out some mutual backstory -- they were both on a voyage down to Sargarva and got along reasonably well. Their Captain died down there (apparently of tropical fever), but otherwise the voyage was reasonably successful, with the two of them becoming occasional drinking buddies.

We will have to work Morrigyn in there somewhat more, of course.

So far, we have completed submissions

Aurilous - LN(?) demon spawn tiefling psychic searcher oracle - captain of The Penitence
Stefan Mathur - LE human cleric of Asmodeus (Asmodean Advocate) - brevet captain of Abrogail's Resolve
Malen Arturian - LN human swashbuckler - captain of The Impeccable
Morrigyn - LN human oracle - healer and morale officer on The Impeccable
Not really named Victor Cachat - LE devil-spawn tiefling inquisitor of Asmodeus 5

I'm sensing a definite trend here - then again, how often do people get to play Chelaxian characters in all their diabolical complexity?

Personnel files not yet reviewed by the Admiralty

Casarus the Kharijite - half-elf sorceror - alias of tomtesserae
Unnamed necromancer - human wizard (necromancer)? - alias of GoboHorde - undead marine captain on Abrogail's Resolve

Recruiting closes October 31

Dotting, thinking about being a Hellknight, using the armiger fighter archetype. Think Order of the Nail or Chain would be thematic, but it depends on what the goal of the navy is going to be. Aurilous is also a Hellknight, from the Order of the Godclaw, so I might go that route for a nice character connection.

Still mulling over things, and I definitely do not have a full submission at this point :)
My main idea is to create a human Wizard with the Undead Necromancy School, who is a skeleton summoner. A defining aspect of him is that he has raised a skeleton crew to man his ship, and the skeletons defend his ship for him. Away from his ship, he becomes a "normal" wizard, however I have not yet defined how he operates. Possibly summoning with the Skeleton Summoner feat? Possibly illusions. Not sure yet.

However, he cannot yet operate solely on his own, so he will most likely ride on Stefan Mathurs ship. The ship would likely be a large troop transport type of ship, with a large crew quarters and hold. At times that may be used to transport a large crew of conscripts to fight, or sometimes a large skeleton army. Or simply used to transport large quantities of goods :)
Probably a combination of all 3.

However, I am finding the necromancy idea a bit constraining, so I might come up with something else entirely, but for now that's my idea :)

Edit: I should also note, unlike a lot of the other submissions, my Wizard is not a Chelax fanatic. However it gets finalized, he owes them a debt, or has a trade agreement with them. He works in service to them and he gets freedom and autonomy in return. Its in his best interests to be a lackey of Chelax and so he does so, but he holds no real loyalty to them.
Besides, life can be difficult for a Necromancer/Litch-to-be and having a powerful backer willing to overlook your... questionable practices is very, very useful :)
Oh! He will probably aim for Litchdom! Just thought of that >:)

One doesnt have to have love for cheliax.. merely a love for the law and the ability to follow orders :P

There is still time to finalize things charector ideas, questions and the like. future lich eh? sounds fun

Wouldn't mind having a non-Chelaxian along -- the different viewpoints should make for some interesting conversation.

Having played a necromancer or two (albeit mostly of the hurt-my-enemies variety rather than the raise-lots-of-undead variety), there's a lot of room for good stuff in there with only a moderate selection of non-necromancy spells. Not sure yet what shape the campaign will take, but it seems like you could bring a bunch of undead away from the ship, and then use spells that boost allies on them, or spells that hurt or slow or hold your enemies so your undead can swarm over them. I do like the mindgame of "which undead are illusions, and which are real?"

(The really elegant spells for this purpose, like fear or cloudkill, that hurt enemies but which your undead are immune to, mostly come on line at later levels, but there are some lower-level ones too -- and there are comboes like resist energy (communal) combined with fireball.) Of course, creating an illusion of a huge choking cloud of poisonous green vapor might be effective too ;)

Stefan would be happy to help with the transition to lichdom, and even arrange to put your phylactery in a very safe place for security. ;)

Stefan would be happy to help with the transition to lichdom, and even arrange to put your phylactery in a very safe place for security. ;)

Though from reading what you've written, it wouldn't surprise me if he rigged some dead man's switch to it or something. -_-

My, how suspicious you are!

... Of course, I never said whose security, now did I?

I'm having some PC problems. Can't really finish up the character backstory very well from my phone. Takes forever to type anything.

Name will be Nebdel Melfcane.

Did any of you decide if you want him as an officer? If not I will rig him up to crew a scout ship.

Reporting for duty, sire.

This is Pixels, submitting Elrox Rofain, an armiger that seeks to become full-fledged Hellknight. Took Aurilous' idea for what he wanted his first mate to be and sort of just ran with it from there.

Most of the crunch is in the alias, but I'll put the background here for ease of access.

Planning on really driving the lawful evil angle - while Elrox is a Hellknight through and through, he certainly comes on the cruel end of things.

Here’s an incomplete character sheet (needs skills and equipment) for Casarus the Kharijite. The early years of his background is done. A short outline gives the highlights from seventeen onwards. I’m definitely open to changing things around.

So far, we have...

Aurilous - LN(?) demon-spawn tiefling psychic searcher oracle - captain of The Penitence
Elrox Rofain - LE human fighter (armiger) - wants to be with fellow Hellknight

Stefan Mathur - LE human cleric of Asmodeus (Asmodean Advocate) - brevet captain of Abrogail's Resolve
Nameless necromancer - NE(?) human wizard (necromancer)? - alias of GoboHorde - undead marine captain on Abrogail's Resolve - personnel file not yet reviewable

Malen Arturian - LN human swashbuckler - captain of The Impeccable
Morrigyn - LN human oracle - healer and morale officer on The Impeccable

... and two with no ships assigned yet

Nebdel Melfcane (formerly known as Victor Cachat) - LE devil-spawn tiefling inquisitor of Asmodeus
Casarus the Kharijite- half-elf sorceror - alias of tomtesserae

Recruiting closes October 31

Thanks Stefan it does look like thats what we have so far.

Nebdel and Casarus care to join in on a ship? If nots thats cool just working up the background things and curious.

Abrogail's Resolve already has a significant divine caster presence.

I think Nebdele makes more sense as a first officer rather than captain.

So I would be glad to to join one of the other ships.

My PC should be fixed this weekend so I can finish up the background and post it.

Just a reminder that recruitment here closes on October 31...

Ok, here he is.

I haven't spent all his cash, in case we want to spend some on crew/ship upgrades.

Who wants to have me as an officer on their ship?

"I could use an aspiring and ambitious first lieutenant," Stefan says over the table in the harborside tavern. "But the Navy was talking about a fourth ship in the squadron, so maybe they have another assignment for you." He sips more of the wine, glancing across the table.

"Cards on the table. What are you hoping to get from this assignment? Promotion? Wealth? Social acceptance? A good reputation in the Navy? I can help with any of those, but it's nice to know how to direct my efforts to getting my subordinates promoted, and where they can best serve the Navy."

Well sir, as you can imagine, I do wish to eventually have my own ship. Don't we all. But I have no wish for the Commodore's hat. The politics get a bit too dicey for my taste.
Bringing back my family's name to good grace and a small nest-egg to begin the climb to family power will be enough for me.

rough weekend will have things up in the morning

"While we wait for orders to arrive," Stefan says diplomatically, pouring a cup of wine for the other, "we might consider the usefulness of having allies in the political game. Without much power of your own, would it help to join yourself to a larger base? You have certainly demonstrated valor and loyalty, which can raise a man to recognition, but building more than that requires one not to stand alone. What are you doing to develop a following among the sailors and the other officers?"

Ah well that's definitely part of it for certain true. Yet not only am disqualified as family heir I'm not even well liked by most of the family. Part of why my goals may seem modest on one such as yourself. From my station, they are still rather ambitious.
If I can raise the recognition and respect of the family name without making myself competition for the heir, well then it will help my acceptance within the family. So while it might be imprudent to ally myself with a larger organization. It could be helpful to broker a deal between such an organization and the family.
The sailors. {shrug} The sailors fear me as is proper. Yet they also know I tend to bring more back from boarding missions or shore parties than most other officers. I don't waste resources that may be needed again later. I've had few discipline problems. None a second time.
The other officers. {a chuckle this time} Well more than a few of them also fear me though they'd not wish to admit it. All know I find things out. Any hint of disloyalty or scheming that gets in the way of the mission will not be tolerated. That is as my superiors in both the church and navy demand.
They may not like me, however that is inconsequential. We work together. If one wishes to bring a problem up with me in our free time, I'm more than willing to have that 'discussion' with any of them.

Morrigyn was on the docks near the Impeccable waiting for Master when she noticed Stefan across the way. She wasn't actually sure where Malen was just now and found herself slightly bored. Since he'd not told her how close she had to be while she waited at the ship she weighed her desire to go speak with her fried against whether she would violate her Master's orders. After a few moments she decided that it wouldn't be a violation and that it would serve his interests to renew old acquaintances while she waited.

She headed to where she saw Stefan speaking with someone she didn't know with obvious intent. She was fairly short at five four but was gorgeously curved and as she moved there was a seductive grace to the swish of her hips. Currently she was in clothing that would barely be described as acceptable in public, a play off of a Khatapeshi harem girl made of light silks that didn't hide much and wearing a pair of high-healed boots that made a tapping sound against the wharf as she walked. The whole thing was unsuitable for a ship but then she had other clothing for once she was embarked. A tinkling of coin like decorations on a chain belt emphasized her movements and when she reached the two she walked up to Stefan and said, "Hi Stefan," in a throaty voice, "it's been awhile." She leaned in to kiss him firmly on the lips but not to touch.

Refuse or not as you wish Stefan.

For those who might wonder where Nines is he has some IRL stuff going on at the moment that has cut into gaming some. He isn't gone and will be back as soon as he can.

Thanks for the update on Nines

Not sure if you're referring to Malen or Stefan in paragraph 2 above...

Whoopsie, meant you Steffan, corrected myself.

Stefan kisses back, lightly but with meaning, then looks up and down with frank admiration at the silk and the skin beneath it.

"What happens in harbor stays in harbor, is that it?" He smiles, glances across the table to Nebdel. "An old friend, Lieutenant. May I present Morrigyn to you? She has some ... very interesting ideas on discipline. Morrigyn, this is Lieutenant Nebdel Melfcane, who may be joining our voyage to wherever the Admiralty is sending us."

Morrigyn moaned slightly at the returned kiss and the looked over at Nebdel when it was broken. She curtsied to him and said, "Nice to meet you Lt Melfcane. I serve my Master aboard The Impeccable as Ships Doctor and Morale Officer." She held her hand out to Nebdel to shake if he so chose.

Stefan rises, swipes a chair for Morrigyn from another table, and beckons to the waitress for a glass of wine.

The handsome young man walked down the boardwalk, looking sharp in his glossy black leather boots polished to a sheen. His leather breeches were tucked into the high tops of the boots, his dark blue laced-up shirt tucked into that, accentuating his slim waistline while billowing at the arms allowing it to breath. Malen's dark blue eyes scanned the waterfront, searching for Morrigyn with a darkly amused glint in his blue eyes. It wasn't like her to wander...

Just then he caught a glimpse of her curvy figure through the window of a nearby tavern, the woman talking with some officers, it looked like. And some more, it seemed, Malen grinning as the redhead bent over and kissed one of the men. He looked familiar, and surely he knew him, since his pet wouldn't dare to touch someone he hadn't previously allowed her to contact.

The young captain walked into the dockside tavern with easy strides, his form one of flowing grace. Making his way to the table, Malen recognized Lieutenant Mathur. A quick glance at the man's insignia corrected that, brevet captain Mathur. It seemed Malen wasn't the only one moving up in the world. The blonde-haired man grinned at Morrigyn's statement, bowing shallowly to the two men at the table.

"And does a rather fine job in both capacities, don't you, my dear?" His eyes cut over to Morrigyn with a predatory gleam, his expression inscrutable. He toyed with making her stand there or kneel at his side as he sat down at the table, but with the newcomer there he gestured for Morrigyn to sit with them with a subtle nod of his head toward the remaining chair. No need for Nebdel to know of his and the beautiful woman's...arrangement.

"It's been a while, Stefan. I see you and Morrigyn have already caught up." Malen smirked at the other man as he waved at a waitress to bring him a drink. "And Lieutenant Melfcane, is it? No idea what all this is about, but welcome aboard, all the same." The blond man chuckled, shrugging as he quickly looked about to see if there were any movers and shakers about that he would need to speak to.

Elrox sat near the end of the bar, his ears directed towards the table behind him. A previous cautious glance had revealed one as a Captain, standing near a beautiful woman and a man with artistic wounds. Elrox would have thought little of it, if not for another man joining them. Malen? Elrox thought, recognizing the roguish fellow. He had seen the man from time to time, and, from what he had heard, had used less... savory methods to reach his status.

What reason could such a group meet, especially here? I had heard rumors of Malen becoming a captain, which no doubt are true seeing him now. But who are these others? Elrox shifted uncomfortably, feeling himself begin to sweat. I should not be eavesdropping, especially considering they are my superiors. Yet my curiosity gets the better of me. Is this group to join me on the seas? Elrox motioned to the bartender for another drink. He felt as if eyes were clawing at his back, but dared not turn around to see them. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, and began to wipe his sweat.

Nebdel take the proffered hand, Charmed to be sure, while attempting to watch and evaluate everyone and everything around him.

Shaking Melfcane's hand Morrigyn was about to sit when she saw Malen enter. She halted her motion as she watched him approach. She caught his due and, once Malen had sat, took the remaining chair. Now that he was here Morrigyn sat and looked pretty beside Malen, not speaking unless spoken to or given permission.

Stefan introduces everyone, makes sure there's enough wine, and launches into a couple of sea stories about the last voyage...

"So there we were, a week out from Sargava and homeward-bound at last, when Captain Doria came down with a loathsome case of jungle illness, I diagnosed -- alas, I was not yet advanced enough in my calling to banish the fever demons, though I could have helped had we found out some innkeeper had poisoned him. Doria lingered for a week despite all we could do, even with Morrigyn nursing him personally. That left a little confusion among the crew when Malen took over command, but he had enough time to shake them down and get them obeying orders when an Andoran privateer came out of the night north of the Eye of Abendego."

He takes a small sip of wine, encouraging the others to drink by passing the battle around the table. "Malen can tell you of the battle, since he was at the helm and deserves plenty of credit -- Morrigyn and I were doing our best to aid the crew and befuddle the Andorans, but his tactics were very good." He pauses to let Malen (or Morrigyn, if allowed), tell of their deeds, then continues.

"So we managed to board, and take them. I don't think the Eagle Knight in charge was expecting defeat, much less some of the things we came up with after he was in manacles. Nothing quite illegal, you understand, but you can sail awfully close to the wind of Regulations sometimes, especially with prisoners who have a price on their heads. We had quite a haul of slaves -- though we couldn't sell them, the Navy just took them most of them for the harbor galleys. Paid us head-money, though, and that Eagle Knight turned out to have quite a reward on his head. Nice spectacle of a public execution at the kiddy's matinee, and we all had places of honor in the arena."

He leans back in his chair, letting everyone get a glimpse of his neatly trimmed black and red uniform and a couple of discreet medals hanging from his breast pocket. For a minute there's a small twitch, and a snake's head slithers out of his extended sleeve at lap at some wine on the table. The snake is red and black, with a disturbing intelligence in its hooded eyes.

"So that voyage paid for this uniform, and more besides. Navy may not be the safest way to get rich, but I've found it more than worthwhile. Why not have another drink, and tell your stories." He sips lightly from his goblet, then sits there listening.

Yes, we're all meeting in a tavern...

Malen lifted his glass up in a toast after Stefan's words. "To Captain Doria! A damn shame he was taken from us before his time." The young captain tossed his head back, downing all the liquid in the glass before setting it gently on the table. And to fortuitous opportunities. His face was solemn, and only his eyes betrayed his amusement at the topic of the deceased captain.

He turned his attention to Morrigyn, a solicitous smile pasted on his features as he spoke, "You really should try the wine, Morrigyn. It's far nicer than I would have given this place credit for. I know the subject of losing the dear Captain while he was under your care still pains you deeply, but there is no need to abstain from enjoying a drink." He brings his right hand up, a swordsman's callouses on the palm and finger pads as he rubs her bare shoulder in a mock consoling manner.

After Stefan speaks of the battle, Malen grinned widely as he remembered the battle. "Aye! We played like we were running from the Andorans, so they were completely unsurprised when we swung about and blasted them with a broadside. Captain Mathur is to thank for that, as his work with the sailors on the mainmast were what allowed such a sharp maneuver. That pompous Eagle Knight probably still thought he could salvage things when I landed in front of him, a supposed weak target ripe for the pickings. Stefan and Morrigyn here had all they could handle putting the man's guts back inside him." The young man gave a fond, sadistic chuckle at the memory.

Malen's eyes widen slightly as the snake makes an appearance, but he said nothing. In Cheliax where devils supposedly ruled through Abrogail something like this was not out of the ordinary. The young Captain waved at a server for another drink, moving his hand down to Morrigyn's thigh and giving a gentle squeeze. His blue eyes met hers, a minuscule smile on his face. She knew this look of course...he was pleased she had taken the initiative to engage with old acquaintances.

With Malen's suggestion of trying the wine Morrigyn looked at the barmaid and nodded her head as she pointed at what Malen had. She blinked back tears slightly at the mention of the late Captain Doria. It wasn't that she felt sadness at his loss, more that she knew from his words that Malen expected the behavior and what Malen wanted from her he got. She leaned ever so slightly into his psuedo-consoling touch and accepted the wine that was brought to her, sipping it slowly as she savored the taste.

Where as the story of Captain Doria brought no real emotions to her the story of the Andoran captain did. She wasn't particularly squeamish, but she was a healer, and she was trained to end suffering, not continue it. The whole thing was somewhat traumatic and she shuddered slightly at the memory. When she felt Malen's hand squeeze her thigh Morrigyn stifled a slight moan, she was very sensitive to his touch and this one always pleased her. She let her legs part slightly and leaned a little closer to him as she sipped some more of her wine.

Stefan watches Nebdel watch everyone else, while also keeping an eye on the young officer over at the bar. He listens, encouraging people to talk and tell their stories.

Elox hasn't been introduced yet.

Sorry, I've been a bit busy and did not have time to post after the initial one.

Elrox suddenly stood from his stool, and marched toward the table. Taking a swig of his ale, he spoke. "Not a bad tale, and I can see in your eyes the grit to back such claims.

"I am Elrox, a Hellknight Armiger. Although, I hope to be a true one soon." He says, with a light chuckle. "From how it sounds, you will be with me on this next voyage."

Elrox continued to speak: "If you wish for a story, I have one to give. It was on a voyage to put down some thieves that enjoyed marauding the seas only north of here - mostly a predator to merchants who ventured outside of the normal trade routes. Still, orders were orders, as likely some noble was tired of his trade goods being stolen.

"Finding them was quite easy - divination magic goes a long way, and there were plenty of victims that were able to disclose where they had met them." Elrox grins, and paused for a drink before he continued. "We met them in the middle of a storm, and while the thieves felt more inclined to flee due to the weather, we persevered through it. It was funny, actually. You could tell that morale on the ship, despite the storm, was at an all time high. The crew did not fear the thunder or the waves. There was only the rising tension of battle. Despite each man's silence, there seemed to be a mob of battle cries and shouts."

Elrox waved his hand, and looked to the side. "The combat itself was paltry, at best. Rather, that feeling right before that was the most exquisite I had ever felt. Years of discipline came to fruition at that moment. Shame it was squandered on so weak a foe."

Returning his field of vision back to those at the table, he spoke once again. "That's all I have to say. Perhaps not so glorious, but it amused me."

Elrox pointed his finger at Malen and Morrigyn. "You two... seem close. May I ask what that is about?"

Elrox viewed Mathur's snake in somewhat disgust, then embarrassment."I will ask you to put that creature away. I am not too fond of snakes, both the animals and the people."

He turned toward Nebdel, and seemed to stare in appreciation towards him. "A man who has seen battle and is not afraid to show it. I hope you will trust me, for you have already earned mine."

Alright, if you folk would like to continue this in the discussion thread feel free, you can dot the gameplay thread as well
Elrox, Stefan,Morrigyn,Malen,Nebdel,Casarus the Kharijite, and well Gobbo horde do you have your necromancer ready?

Alright, if you folk would like to continue this in the discussion thread feel free, you can dot the gameplay thread as well

Elrox, Stefan,Morrigyn,Malen,Nebdel,Casarus the Kharijite, and well Gobbo horde do you have your necromancer ready?

Nope. Sorry, I do not. I wont be able to get the submission up soon either, so, sorry but I am bowing out.