Firiona Vie Everquest

" Oh, Aye! A finer ship hath never sailed, she is as foam on the waves, fleat as the kestrel that cling to the contours of the sea and strong as the great White Mountains from whence she was quarried."

Clearly overjoyed at the prospect of setting sail, he quickly set about clearing the lines that held the White Sybil to the dock. Then after giving her bow a nudge into the receading tides he leapt back onto the starbard hull and drew in her sealskin floats. Once at the tiller he set about hoisting the sail up the thin white mast, which once fully unfurrled revealed the emblem of the Nothron Tribal Alliance, a golden sun slung low above a featurless horizon. The emblem nearly mimiked the rising sun before them as they headed out into the more turbulent tidal flows beyond the busy docks of Qenyos .

"To Odus!"

And suddenly a great gust of wind snapped the sail full and the swift ship sprang into flight.

Tortha had no qualms about travelling by boat. He had fished enough times with the Northern tribes to be at ease on the water. He noticed Alsurin's plight and couldnt help but chuckle at his friends unease. The great magician, master of the elements, could not handle sea travel.

He stood on the deck, holding onto the rigging with one hand, the other outstretched as he closed his eyes to feel the sea winds buffeting against his body, his red hair whipping back from his face revealing the subtle draconic markings along his hair line, testamant to his mixed bloodline. It was not that he chose to hide it, his wild hair simply covered it normally. He grinned into the wind, his spirit soaring with the gulls above. How sweet life was.

The stone felt good under his fingers, firm and unyielding. At one point the bars of fate had felt like that, cold and uncaring iron. That was until he had learned how easily they could be bent. Now it seemed that some hand had warped the lattice in his favor for once. Albeit the path was uncertain and fraught with foreseen complications, yet today they were swiftly moving towards his goal. It was today he clung to. The iron cage had become a guardrail, and Rallos Zek would hire diplomats before the magus let go.

Alsurin felt the sea winds ruffle his hair gently, the hand of an old friend. How long had been since its whisper had first guided him along the path of an elementalist? Wizardry, enchantments, necromancy, all these arts had paled before the words of his ever-present companion. They said Xegony assigned the wind to guide those whose emerging destiny she found interest in. To feel this caress brought hope in his purpose to life like a kindled flame.

"It seems strange does it not," the drakkin inquired of the wind in a soft voice, "all this planning and enduring all this doubting, and yet ... here I am? It all feels so vivid. Everything I have ever done seems a meek shadow!" He laughed, euphoria filling him like wine. "Surely all was merely preparation for this! Oh silent one, what a fool you must have thought me, wasting my time dabbling with meaningless dibble!"

As always the wind did not speak. Yet, Alsurin frowned. There was no response, no whisper within the hidden recesses of his soul. What could he possibly be doing wrong?

"Well most certainly I have you and she who commands the ethers to thank for this," he continued uncertainly "This victory is more accomplished by your power then my own." The conjurer sighed. "Just tell me how I may better my journey for this end. Please, surely you will not abandon me now, on the path that you surely set my feet upon!" There was a stirring, like a man pausing in the act of turning away. Suddenly the feeling of presence was around him, the space around the magus practically buzzing with an almost desperate longing for an awaited question. Yet, there was no hint to what this expectation was. The young man reached out a hand to grasp at the air running through his fingers like gossamer. "Guardian, what have I forgotten?"

The following silence deafened him.

~,~,~

Hours later a scowling magus stared a the map spread out on the stone floor of the ships hold. Careful notation ticking the leagues way as Odus slowly drew closer.

Up on deck the northron shaman tended the rigging and made carefull corrections to the heavy tiller. Guiding the vessel through the waters by way of the stars he sang low and melodically.


"When I was a lad in a fishing town
My old man said to me:
"You can spend your life, your jolly life
Sailing on the sea.
You can search the world for pretty girls
Til your eyes grow weak and dim,
But don't go fishing for a mermaid, son
If you don't know how to swim"


'Cause her hair was green as seaweed
Her skin was blue and pale
I loved that girl with all my heart, but I only liked the upper part
I did not like the tail


So I signed aboard of a whaling ship
And my first very day at sea
There I spied in the waves,
Reaching out for me
"Come live with me in the sea said she,
Down on the ocean floor
And I'll show you many's a wonderous thing
That you've never seen before


So over I jumped and she pulled me down,
Down to her seaweed bed
A pillow made of tortoise-shell
She placed beneath my head
She fed me shrimp and caviar
Upon a silver dish
From her head to her waist was just to my taste
But the rest of her was a fish


'Cause ...her hair was green as seaweed
Her skin was blue and pale
I loved that girl with all my heart, but I only liked the upper part
I did not like the tail



Then one day, she swam away
So I sang to the clams and the whales
"Oh, how I miss her seagreen hair
And the silvery shine of her scales
Then her sister, she swam by
And set my heart awhirl
From her head to her waste was an ugly fish
But the rest of her was a girl


'Cause her hair was green as seaweed
Her skin was blue and pale
I loved that girl with all my heart
I did not like the upper part
And that's how I get my ...

Whats this?"
His keen eye had spotted a ship for off on the horizon ahead and he shouted to those below deck.
"Sail on the morrows horizon! Five degrees to port and bearin`pon us fast !"

Alsurin staggered up to the top deck, having still not adapted to the motions of the sea. "What business would a merchant have with us? Yes, and the king's navy would never come this far out." Clinging to the side with a deathlike grip, he peered at the black dot now plowing towards them with obvious intent. "Storm...please tell me that is in fact a merchant's vessel....."

Tortha looked where Alsurin was looking and grinned wide and spoke in a teasing voice. "Maybe.....maybe its a Pirate ship!"

"That be no mearchant ship Alsurin."
He looked to Tortha. "Pirates it be Tortha, and juging by the size of thier ship...they be successfull ones at that."

Pulling hard on the tiller Stormfollower turned the White Sybil to a bearing more in line with that of the approaching pirates.

Alsurin sighed, a plan that had seemed so tightly woven in his mind apparently had holes enough for quite a few unforeseen circumstances. Perhaps he should have spent less time on what would occur after they reached the destination and more examining the actual process of getting there. Yet, the conjurer had never been accused of common sense and it would be a shame to deviate during his greatest undertaking.

A weathered book materialized in the drakkin's hand, opening itself to the desired pages. Alsurin reached his hand into a small pouch and retrieved a pinch of black feathers and malachite dust. Steadying himself after his stomach was subjected to a particularly violent lurch from the ship, he made his wobbling way across the deck, scanning the text feverishly as he searched for a better vantage point.

An arrow whizzed past Alsurin's shoulder to shatter against the stone of the deck. "It would seem that a warning shot will not be needed." grumbled the mage. A quick series of gestures sent a sphere of flame streaking toward the attackers in a deadly retort. The pirate ship seemed like a hive of insects as it quickly closed the distance, swarming with men scrambling across its deck.

Whistling filled the air as another hail of arrows sailed through the air, ropes trailing from them. With a pathetic clatter they splintered against the ship, finding no purchase. "They shall have to try harder then that." Alsurin began trace a shining symbol in the air, scattering malachite dust around him. "Prepare yourselves, they are trying to baord."
There was a ominous click as a volley of hooks grabbed the White Sybil's side, the cords connected to them pulling taut.

"Hmm..apparently they took my advice.."

Tortha was immediatly on guard, running towards the boarders with Sidhaeg snarling savagely at his side, snapping at heels. He swung with his huge staff that only one of his size could weild comfortably, knocking the first man into the swirling waters below. But there were many of them, many dangerous and trained men, and while Tortha was brave and strong, he was inexperienced with open warfare.

"They have engaged another victim Cap'n!" Yelled the Lookout.
The White Tiger clan Vah Shir growled his order to the Gnome engineer.
"Give me more Speed!" The Gnome went below to carry out the order. Soon the Sea Cat was gaining speed.

The Captain then turned to the Helmsman.

"Twenty Degrees Right Rudder! Bring her about to course 164 and hold her steady there."

"Aye Cap'n!" Came the reply. The Vah Shir picked up his spyglass and watched the scene between the pirate vessel and the strange white vessel.

The Sea Cat was the first and only vessel on the seas of Norrath to use a new clockwork engine. Shinu Swiftpaw had bought her with part of his share from killing Lord Nagafen and Lady Vox. The Dragonslayer decided there would be plenty of food and profit in hunting pirates on the seas.


The Sea Cat closed in quickly on pirates and Shinu ordered the Elementalists to fire at will.

The first firebolt from the Elementalist incinerated the Pirate vessel's main sail.

Into the chaotic frey Stormfollower threw himself wholeheartedly. A grim smile crept across his face as his barbarian spiritualists hammer crushed against bone and sinew of many a would be boarder. Seeing his son in immenent danger he hurled a splintering throwing hammer at the sneaking assailant.
"Tortha! Gurd thy rear! these be pirates and will offord thee no fair fight!"
But his great voice was drown by the explosion of sail and mast of the attacking vessel. Its charred remnants slowly fell to one side sending many of the pirate archers into the sea.
Seeing thier ship in danger a new surge of attackers swung and lept onto the White Sybil. The embattled alliance members fought on valiantly and Stormfollower did his best to sling heals and harms as best he could. On the battle raged and through the smoke he saw the tall ship aproaching smashing through the waves and bearing down on the pirates vessel.
It was unlike anything he had seen before. Its twin hull raising her deck high above the sea. No sail or mast could be seen above her decks and its speed spoke of a huge wind that as yet had not reached the battle. And through the din he could hear the whir and click of its great clockwork engines.
"Seek thy treasures at sea bottom ye dred currs for this ships crew seeks the better prize of glory and is thus the better rewarded!" Stormfollower yelled from a barrel top. One hand on the mast he swung his heafty two handed hammer with one hand sending one pirate after anouther flat on the deck.

Shinu watched the embattled members of the White vessel as he drew close enough to join in the fray. The Elementalists incinerated more of the Pirate vessel, completely disabling it before they got close enough to board her.

Shinu saw one of the pirates come up behind the Barbarian Shaman and lept from his ship onto the deck of the white one bringing his glowing blade down through the body of the pirate, spitting him from crown to crotch in one swing.

Shinu let out a loud roar as another pirate came within his reach. The Vah Shir's blade deftly severed that one's head from his body. Other members of Shinu's crew joined in the fight to help dispatch the pirates.

Alsurin ducked as a beast of water swung a massive limb, sending a cluster of attackers reeling. Another command sent the elemental surging skyward with a gaping maw to snatch a pirate crossing the ropes, dragging him down into the cold depths. In the midst of his puppeteering, the summoner found himself caught unaware as sudden aid streamed across the deck. In a matter of minutes, though each felt like hours, what had once seemed a noble last stand was turning into a route.

Averting his eyes in distaste for the gore around him, the magus turned his gaze these unexpected reinforcements. They did not seem to be pirates, though battles between rival crews were far from unknown. This was no coast patrol, they were to efficient. He then caught sight of their leader, a pale predator finishing off the last of the brigands.

"Stars call me a fool," mused Alsurin, "it would seem that storybooks and bard's tales have come to save us."

Shinu grinned wide as the last of the pirates fell to his blade.

"The two best things in life, a good fight and a good meal!" Said the Vah Shir. "Katayana! Check the stores on that pirate ship and see if there is any meat on board. I smell dragon blood and it makes me hungry though I know Drakkin are not to be eaten." Shinu turned toward the Barbarian. "We have been tailing that ship for the last three days. If your ship has sustained any damage I can have my engineer fix it for you."