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Post by Brennon on Aug 2, 2021 6:10:45 GMT
"Is he?" Brennon asks. Privately he counts the number of heavy warships, and doesn't plan to risk Celessia in any entanglement. "Did they say why or how? The family of Amber is often at odds, until there is an outside force. They really would be your fastest way to get to Amber." Since the signals have already been flown, it's up to the larger ships to decide if there is a response. Ruta may need to organize her force quickly if they want to prepare an ambush.
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Post by Admin on Aug 3, 2021 0:31:39 GMT
Brennon's force gratly outnumbers Calvera's and many of Cal's ships are lighter merchantmen not really built for great battles. However Calvera is well known as a great strategist and he is probably the source of the great windstorm that is confining Ruta's ships to the bay.
"The Elders are never wrong. Maybe not today but in the near future that man will doom Amber," Ruta says with religious certainty.
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Post by Brennon on Aug 4, 2021 2:58:47 GMT
Ruta's certainty troubles Brennon. She may very well be wrong, but she might be right, too- he doesn't have too much information about accuracy of prophecy between worlds, except that when they are right, it isn't pretty for those who disregarded the messages.
He crosses his arms and asks Ruta in a low voice, "Do you want to attack now?" He doesn't seem to take the contrary winds into his consideration. Regardless of her answer, he will excuse himself and go into his cabin "to consider things". From there, he will pull out Hammett's trump card and attempt to make contact.
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Post by Admin on Aug 4, 2021 18:48:05 GMT
"Yes! Yes! Lure him to us, and we can end the threat to Amber today. Glorious will be the battle, and great will be our rewards! With the evil one dead, all the sea lanes will be open to us, and none will threaten Amber any longer!"
Are you willing to lower the ship's defences to allow the use of the card?
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Post by Brennon on Aug 5, 2021 3:36:49 GMT
[OOC: Celessia left the shelter of the cove to signal the other ship. I haven't heard of a reply from the ships, so Brennon was planning to slip back into shelter/near shore and trump Hammett. Yes, that would mean lowering defences. If the other ships responded, Brennon would have a different plan.]]
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2021 5:30:47 GMT
[OOC: the other ship didn't respond. Now we need to wait on Hammett.]
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Post by Admin on Aug 5, 2021 18:54:11 GMT
[OOC: copied from Hamm's thread.]
Hammett opens himself to the connection, "Brennon! Good to hear from you. Everything going okay?"
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Post by Brennon on Aug 6, 2021 0:41:00 GMT
"Everything's fine so far, but I'm at a bit of an impasse." Briefly, he sketches the scenario for Hammett: "I'm anchored off the shores of the Duchy of Mon Pelliamor, letting the ships I'm escorting take on water and supplies and make some repairs. I'm watching Prince Calvera's flagship go by, with about a double dozen light merchantmen, headed for Amber. They didn't respond to my signals, so I pulled back."
"Issue is, I'm escorting a fleet of bloodthirsty Vikings who have an ancestral duty to serve High King Gerard, and all their ancient seers have said that the Prince with the tiger flag is Amber's current greatest danger, either now or very soon from now. I don't know crap about Amber politics, except who not to pick a fight with, and I know even less about mystical shit, other than omens and portents have a tendency to throw you over a barrel and have their way with you when you disregard them, whether they come from somewhere in a weird out-of-the-way shadow or not. We've got enough forces, even with the ships in repair, to take out the fleet. Except for Calvera, whom I don't know about at all. That makes me wary."
"I'm not really wanting to open hostile negotiations with Amber, and if I slip off, these guys can get to Amber along the open sea lanes in about a month, conventionally, so my contract is basically fulfilled. They may not like me for a while, but no real harm done there. They can sniff out the right lanes now that they've been put on the path. Do you happen to have any advice on or more recent news about your relatives, or anything else on this end of things? I've been running armaments from the other end of shadow since our ways parted, so I don't know what's current or not, aside from some big party Florimel is planning soon - unless I missed it."
[[OOC: I will double post this with Hammett.]]
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Post by Hammett on Aug 6, 2021 6:49:59 GMT
Aug 5, 2021 17:41:34 GMT -7 Brennon said:
Hammett listens to the situation, "Hmm.. Well I personally would prefer if you did not attack Calvera and his fleet. Calvera is a friend, or at least as close to being a friend as he will allow himself to be. I was in a situation recently and while I did not need his assistance to escape it, he still offered it, and then provide safety and company in the weeks that followed. I was not aware that he was commanding Amber's fleet until now, but I know that he also has, or maybe had, his own army under his command that he was bringing to Amber to aid in their defense. If you were to make an enemy of him, he is the sort to make it all or nothing. Either you would have to kill him, or he would keep trying to kill you. Neither option is one I am fond of. And if you did manage to kill him, you would become an enemy of Amber for life. The others would definitly want you dead to for it."
He ponders for a moment, "I also am not one much for prophicies. So I can't say for sure what they portend, but I do know from stories that they can often be misleading. Maybe these seers you are with have seen Calvera attacking Amber, but maybe it is a future Amber that has been taken over by an enemy or despot? In which case Calvera would be fighting on the side of the just, but still attcking Amber. I just don't know. But I do know I do not like the idea of my friends fighting each other, so I hope you will try and avoid that."
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Post by Brennon on Aug 6, 2021 19:49:08 GMT
"Well, then, for your sake I'll avoid an attack. I can't say what he has looks like a fleet, but I won't fire the first shot. Are you doing okay? Need anything? You still owe me for passage to Begma, recall. A card of my ship. Or for my ship. I aim to get both out of you at some point, so take care of yourself, and if you need something from me, you know what I want already." Brennon will prepare to end the call, unless Hammett has more to add.
Once the trump call is over, Brennon will venture back on deck, and find Ruta again, on her ship or wherever she's gotten off to.
"I've consulted what I can. You can't save a man from his Wyrd, Ruta. If he's destined to be a danger to Amber, then nothing we do now can stop it. He's also not a man to forgive any slight, so we don't want to move early. At the moment, he hasn't yet betrayed Amber." Brennon holds up a hand to stop the words forming on Ruta's lips.
"I'm not saying we should do nothing. I'm saying that what we can do at the moment is to watch him, and be ready. We'll have to leave immediately to join up with his convoy. The ships still in repairs can take the longer, open sea-paths to Amber and meet up with us there. Can your men keep this watchfulness in their hearts, and not let it show in their hands or on their faces? It can be hard to watch a man sailing to his Wyrd." He fully expects to be called a coward and a number of other names as she expels her anger at his refusal to give chase, but he will take it. Right now, she has only the allies she brought, no resources, no extra people, and a long, dangerous trip home with little reward and an unfulfilled mission if she takes him down. Following the ships to Amber will at least let her people know where to find it later, and she is smart enough to see that there will be more opportunities on the way, if she is given time to think.
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Post by Hammett on Aug 6, 2021 23:47:09 GMT
"Well, then, for your sake I'll avoid an attack. I can't say what he has looks like a fleet, but I won't fire the first shot. Are you doing okay? Need anything? You still owe me for passage to Begma, recall. A card of my ship. Or for my ship. I aim to get both out of you at some point, so take care of yourself, and if you need something from me, you know what I want already." Brennon will prepare to end the call, unless Hammett has more to add. [[OCC: If I remember correctly I already made a trump for you when I spent that week or so sailing with you after we sold off the Conductor on our way to Begma. The one of your ship, so you could contact her and/or trump to her. I have one of you I can give you to give to your ship next time we have time.]] "I've been okay. Glad you are as well. Lots has happened. Kasaba is free again and I hope to get Wormwood's back up and running soon. But still trying to capture the person behind the whole mess and Gerard's death. I might need help soon if we can't handle her alone. If so, I'll be in touch."
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Post by Brennon on Aug 7, 2021 3:50:43 GMT
[[OOC: Oh! That's right! I didn't take the time to look through all the old posts on my lunch break. I assume we can retcon that part out, making it just a hint about what Brennon might do for Hammett in the future.]]
Brennon nods at Hammett and closes the connection.
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Post by Admin on Aug 8, 2021 0:35:47 GMT
"The Elders say that every wasted minute brings Amber closer to ruin. But you may be correct; this wind has us at a disadvantage, and Calvera has yet to unleash his wicked sorcery upon us." Ruta says coldly, vainly trying to tamp down her disappointment and fury.
Calvera's ship still sits just outside of the bay. By cunning steering and controlling the elements, he has the ship at full sail with the wind with wave and current pushing against his motion. Balanced out, he is stationary in the water, his eyes still on the Celessia.
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Post by Brennon on Aug 9, 2021 4:20:32 GMT
Brennon leave Ruta to her ships and takes Celessia out to where Calvera's ship is standing. If his ship is holding station against the odds, it should be easy for Celessia to catch up to speaking distance with him. Brennon keeps an eye out for signs of violence from the other ships, and waits, giving Calvera enough time to choose to speak first. If he doesn't, then Brennon will call out, "Hail, Amber! We wish to convoy with you. These people have an oath of protection to fulfil to Kolvir."
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Post by Admin on Aug 9, 2021 16:26:58 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/28Y9wNs/Calvera~jpg #s://storage~proboards~com/7074223/avatar/BwiFJuktlmjsdagarTtF~jpg "Captain Brennon, your fleet is armed for war with Amber. Return them to shadow, beyond the farthest reckoning of Amber or I will destroy them here in this bay," Calvera says, standing stock still as if the ship and the seas pitch around him.
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