We're a little worried about us too - hope our GM is just considering? - or maybe sick?(hopefully not too sick) - or busy with work or school? - but hopefully not stood up... that would be sad.
Search Posts
Still hopeful...
Travis mostly tends to keep to himself and do his job aboard ship, but does gravitate to pockets of conversation. His own mixed blood is obvious to any onlookers... though the extent of his demonic gifts are not fully evident. He'd be open to any discussion, esp. of mixed bloodlines.
Tweaked the background to suit the campaign and the stat buy.... Let me know if there's anything else you want me to modify to make Travis more acceptable for the final cut... I'd be glad to work with you.
Character and background needs some tweaking for this campaign but proposing Travis... sounds like fun!
Congrats Alkyd - and thanks for some good rp from all of you... I enjoyed the entire thread and the interactions with you all. Hope to see you in other games :)
"PRetty much have, missy, I pretty much have." He glances over at Aizu and sighs... "or perhaps the ghost has seen me... ?"
Travis keeps his odd features as masked as he can in the dim tavern.
Travis narrows his eyes slightly at Aizu's words... I've kept well hidden... how did he know? And why did he have to tell everyone? He looks down behind him and shrugs his shoulders, . I have no intention of becoming anyone's slave... Chelaxian or otherwise... I'm a free man and intend to stay that way.
Travis lofts a brow unnoticed under his hood at Alkyd's tale. Perhaps my own background wasn't so horrid after all... it seems everyone has a tale to tell. "You were blessed to have escaped that fate, and found a new path for yourself."
"I've had little contact with Chelaxians, but from what I've heard, and the impression I get from the two of you, they are on the whole an unsavory lot. You two are exceptions to that, happily."
Travis chuckles softly. "You've got grand ideas, I'll grant you that, missy. I wish you nothing but success in your quest for greatness. Myself, I want nothing more than a secure berth on a ship. I'll settle for that for now. Perhaps in time, I'll want more, like yourself."
Travis eyes Aizu's fangs but says nothing, keeping his own features well-shadowed under the hood of his cloak. "Aizu here has the right of it... tenacity is indeed of great value, but tenacity alone isn't enough I fear... if it were, there would be far more successful folk out there. They say fortune favors the bold. I fear sitting in a tavern talking about success on the high seas isn't bold enough, eh, Aizu? Talk is cheap."
Travis grabs his mug of kaf and whips it out of the way of the falling elf. "Hey there, little girl... you fell down... gotta learn to tuck and roll when you do that." He gives Sunny a wry smile.
"You are probably right about survival... as I've had little training or experience in survival in the wild. As for beasts, I have little knowledge of what you have in your lands... I've heard tell fanciful stories of great dragons in the north... is that what you speak of?"
"Easy? How so, northerner?"
"I didn't know it was so popular there... might make it worth raiding Chelaxian ships at that, though they do tend to be better manned and better defended than simple merchant ships." Travis takes a sip of his hot kaf and sighs with satisfaction... "Now THAT's good."
"You're all very chipper for this early in the morning... I for one need a little kaf to greet the day... or tea if kaf isn't available..." Travis looks to the barkeep and orders a steaming glass of kaf. He pours in a little of his whiskey as well to 'sweeten' it. "Might as well enjoy it while I can... it's not something readily available at sea."
"Might be hard on your back, but it's worse on your face, Carious," Travis says as he sees the imprint of the wood grain of the bar on Carious' cheek and temple. "I like the idea of taking a ship from slavers." He looks about the place...as if trying to tell slavers from general pirates. "Sadly, they don't wear uniforms, nor fly 'slaver' flags... hard to tell them from any other legitimate merchant on the seas, til after you board them." Travis speaks as someone who's perhaps been there, done that. "Luckily, the bar hasn't run out of the stuff, even if you have, good man." He turns to the bartender and calls out, "Another round for my friend here." He pays for Carious' next drink, as it can't hurt to earn the favor of the god of drink by treating his servants.
"Something with adventure to it might just mean a ship coming in looking for hands. I'd dearly love a job right now! Experienced sailor AND cook here!" He says these last two sentences loudly enough to carry through the tavern in case there's any here looking for crew. He looks around the room hopefully to see if any one appears interested, but the other patrons seem to all be hopefuls like himself, not hirers. He softly sighs. "Can't blame a guy for trying."
Travis slips back into the tavern from his nightly digs. He walks steadily again and now carries an almost empty whiskey bottle. His cloak billows about him, and the hood still guards his features from general view. A hint of a smile is visible though when he spots Alkyd and Sunny. He walks over to them and pulls up a chair. "Mmm.. morning ladies. Alkyd.. Sunny... hope you rested well. Something is in the air, I think. I feel... regenerated, awake and alert."
Travis looks down at his whiskey bottle and shrugs... quietly answers Sunny.. "Perhaps..." He doesn't sound thrilled at the idea.
Travis laughs aloud, the first time he's done so since arriving in Port Peril, at Carious' pun. "Aye, your religion does indeed honor spirits in a real sense."
"I believe there are spirits in everything around us, ghosts and spectres and such are only one aspect of the spirit world. All sorts of things have spirit energy - rocks and trees and elements and places and sometimes people... I have been told such beliefs are blasphemous to some religions..." He shrugs, not sure what else to say...
"I never thought of my training in that way... perhaps you are right in an indirect way, though I'm not aware of any actual interaction with spirits in my meditations. Perhaps with further training and experience...?"
Travis nods and listens to Ri'el's words carefully and with intense consideration. "I'm glad to hear others believe in such spirits... but you speak as one who has had direct contact with the spirit world. You talk as if you KNOW... and that passion is strong in you." He speaks with a degree of admiration and respect and not a little awe as well.
Travis looks at his bottle of whiskey, now down to about a 1/3 of a bottle and examines his empty glass... tips the bottle as if he intends to fill the glass again, then thinks better of it, caps the bottle and sets the glass on the bar. "Perhaps more would be a bad idea right now... All things in moderation."
"Speak with the spirits? No, I've never had such an honor... when I say spiritual arts, I refer to knowledge of the self, and connection to one's own essence. With experience and training, such connection can be quite powerful. Though I have met those who claim to commune with spirits -- such abilities amaze and intrigue, but are quite beyond my meager skills. I am told that some who claim such are but charlatans, but I believe that spirits are real and there must be those who can see and speak with them. Perhaps I am too gullible, eh?"
"It was here in the Shackles, on a small island, mostly forgotten or ignored on most maps... though the occasional ship did moor off shore for trading at the village. I think the presence of the monastery and the small size of the village protected it from raiders. I have never been to Tian Xia, though my master spoke of it from time to time, and as I recall, his own master came from that far eastern land."
"Perhaps another time... this would not be a good place for a display of such arts.. and I have been drinking. But you would be right, I did train in both martial and spiritual arts. Perhaps a demonstration at a later date when I am not so impaired as tonight."
Travis shrugs away from Alkyd's pat on the back, but the noticable hunch on his back under the cloak is definitely something sort of solid she can feel as he shies away from her touch. "If they still live, I would love to find my family. I never stopped missing them. Perhaps it is just the longing of a child that still feels the need to seek them." He turns to Ri'el and feels the piercing look that attempts to see under the hood and lowers his head slightly, further hiding his features. He nods at the assessment of the correlation of their lives. "Aye, we seem to have histories with strong similarities and odd oppositions... How suiting in a way. The gods are indeed laughing, I think." "My father died at sea, and I felt it was time I put to shore after his death. I found myself on an island with a small village and a remote monastery. I sought refuge in the monastery and they recognized a shattered soul seeking solace. The master of the monastery took me in as his personal student. I lived there for some time, learning about life and myself. Those were good days, I must say."
"More about me?... What's to say? ...Let's see..." He pauses, musing a moment, considering what to say... "I was born on a remote island, during a torrential storm, by my mother's account. I was raised with my twin sister there, but taken to sea by my father when I was twelve. By a twist of fate, I left the life of a sailor behind me to learn more of the world and myself through self-perfection in a monastery. When my master passed away, I took to the seas again, and find myself here in Port Peril seeking a new berth. While that leaves out much detail, that's the gist of my life... My father is dead. I know nothing of the fate of my sister or my mother since I saw them last when I was but twelve years old... " He shrugs under his cloak and hood. "That's my life in a nutshell. What else would you like to know?"
"Born and raised in the Shackles, spent most of my life here... still I've heard of Cheliax and House Thrune... who hasn't -- What with Chelaxian warships and slaver ships plying the waters of the Shackles regularly. I can see how coming from such a place can lend you a strong predilection towards either good or evil... glad to see you favored the good. It seems to suit you well. Of course, to be honest, I've only met a couple of evil bards in my days, and I wouldn't consider either of them good company, nor good captain material. Though good with a song, thoroughly unlikable fellows both of 'em." Travis trails off as the memories of old days return for a moment... He shakes his head, the hood swaying back and forth as he does so, shaking off the old thoughts. "Sorry, getting maudlin... forget my musings, they are inconsequential."
When Sven is done and cheers go around for his song Travis lifts his half full glass and toasts the singer "Thankee, young skald.. well sung!" ... then when all grows quiet again and Alkyd fills the silence with her cadenced recital, he listens raptly... receding further into his hood as she speaks of the unspeakable things of distant lore. He nods to her when her performance is done. He fills his now-empty glass and lifts it in her honor. "An interesting choice of poesy this eve. Thank you for an inspired performance."
When Sven breaks into song, Travis taps his feet along and joins in with a soft humming once he's sure of the tune.
"I seek neither glory nor greatness... but neither will I shed them needlessly if they find their way to me. I heard a blessing from Tian Xia told to me by one of my Masters once, 'May you live in interesting times.' It was as much a curse as a blessing I think, but I wish it for each and every one of us, for interesting times lead to adventure and for those who seek it, glory and greatness." He looks over at Alkyd and gives his typical little half-smile. "How about another song?"
"Attacking pirates or even Chelaxian warships is a grand goal, but sometimes a bit softer target might be warranted, especially when first starting out... maybe slavers or unscrupulous merchanters and smugglers? just have to be pragmatic... getting a charter usually means you've got some notoriety already, you know? To be honest, my own scruples are not as meticulous as your own, but I don't mind sticking to deserving targets either."
"In a sense, a captain and his officers are like a leader with a ruling council. Ultimately though the captain gets the credit for success and the blame for failure. Ah, the joys of leadership! I applaud you your intent to be such a leader." He nods to Sven. "Aye, you've the right of it there... We didn't really get a chance to meet last night - you were just entering as I was preparing to skedaddle. Name's Travis."
"Being captain of your own ship is a grand plan to be sure, but they say that 'heavy is the head that bears a crown'. Being 'in charge' is a great burden. Myself, I'm just as happy to let others bear such a burden and working with and for the one in charge. Besides, my skill with people isn't so great, a fact I've learned well over the years, and while a captain doesn't NEED to be popular, it doesn't hurt now does it?" He gives a half smile to the lovely bard. "I think your goal may be noble to be sure, but too much diplomacy aboard a ship leads to anarchy. Sometimes a guiding hand needs to be a stern one as well... " he shrugs.
"I'm sure as long as you spend yer coin and entertain the folks, they'll not tax you as well. Tis said a bard is worth his or her weight in gold, as music can both incite and soothe... handy skills in a place like this." He returns Alkyd's smile with his own. When she starts to sing and play, he taps his foot in time with the music. Once the tune is established, he hums along a bit.
Travis walks back into the Formidably Maid after a night of restful sleep. He carries with him the half bottle of whiskey he bought the night before. As yesterday, he is heavily cloaked and hooded, and does nothing to reveal himself once inside the tavern. He heads back over to the group he was with the night before - Carious and Alkyd, plus any who have joined them since he last departed. "It seems there have been a few changes in clientele since I left. Have you two been here all night? Don't you tire?" He chuckles softly. Hearing Alkyd's last words just as he settles in, he nods to her. "Aye, each of us has a heritage. Whether we strive to live up to it... or live it down... it is equally boon and burden and goes far in shaping who we become."
Travis stands and gives a nod to all present. "Gotta run... see you tomorrow I hope." He takes his bottle and heads out into the night.
Travis turns to look at the newcomer, the Ulfen fellow, the direction of his gaze obvious with the the turn of his cloaked head. "Now HE's far from home... I wonder what brings him here."
"I am island born myself, though not from so far south. Sorry I don't have a map, as I'd love to see where you're from... It must have been wonderful growing up with so much kinfolk around." When Sunny tries to hug him he shrugs away, as if afraid of being embraced... "Not a hugger, sorry. I'd like to see my sister and mother again... but I don't know if they travel, and I no longer recall where our island home is... I haven't been there in many many years. You are lucky your kin travel about, perhaps you'll meet some of them here in Port Peril even."
|