The Bloodoar War Ep.1 has started at Outside Arx - Lyceum near Nilanza - Small Islands off the East Coast of the Lyceum.

It was the modified Dromond called "The Light on the Water" which provided transport from Arx to the place where the Malespero fleet is gathering. Nothing seems to mark this particular piece of water out from any other except for the dominating presence of the Caravel "Beatrice." Pasquale left the Light on the Water some time ago so that he might join the Captains on the Beatrice leaving you all to prepare for your coming mission. The letter given to you by Captain Seawise reads like this: Depart with Captain Seawise on board the Covey to disable an island outpost held by the Bloodoar faction. This outpost provides an early warning system to the rest of the Mouth and it is imperative that no signal is sent during your action. Ignore those from the Blacksail and Galeheart faction unless your life is in danger.

The Covey turns out to be a single sailed vessel made out of dark timbers managed by a crew of six slightly shabby looking sailors. It is not a warship but it sails clean and quiet.

Dusk has well and truly fallen by the time your target is in sight and Captain Seawise calls for the crew to drop the sail and swap to the oars. As the crew work he looks back to the group. "Its a horse-shoe shaped enclosure with a narrow tower inside. I can go around the back or we can sail right in and deal with whatever happens when it happens. It all depends how you want to go in really." The Captain gestures towards the place. "That tower you can just make out has a beacon fire atop it. If that thing gets lit then the Bloodoars are going to know we're here. Don't let that happen aye? So." He looks around at you all. "How do you want to go in? Loud or Quiet?"

Terese is here among the others, since she is not much of a Sailor she is most likely trying her best not to get in the way of the crew. She might be settled somewhere she can see but feel safest at while she awaits any orders or till they land. She is looking around to the others. "I would say quiet, right," she asks

Sunaia finds herself in close enough quarters with the party gathered to 'disable' the Bloodoar clan's outpost. "I would suggest we go in quiet also," the lady says looking around to more strategic minds than herself.

"Loud!" Ariella says immediately, jutting an elbow toward Caspian with a grin. "Quiet sounds like it'll take too long." She doesn't speak with much authority, probably not expecting to be listened to, especially with this reasoning.

Caspian is very thankful for the long hours, and extreme patience, of wash and savio in teaching him to sail. where before he would have been stumbling around, he actually seemed fairly comfortable. he tightened a belt of his armor and nodded. he gives a laugh to Ariella and then be adds in "I thin we start quiet, but ready to go loud soon as there is any hint that are aware"

There's something a bit tragi-comic about Ian, a lifelong sailor from a house full of gifted sailors, having trouble with staying on his feet on a moving ship, probably as a result of whatever happened to him that screwed up his ability to walk and gave him such a unique fighting style. He's learned to work around the balance issues, but it's still noticeable, the way he tries to keep a hand on a line or a mast or a railing at all times. "What's the downside to sailing around?" He asks. Then, glancing at Ariella, he appends: "Other than it taking longer."

Zakhar stares at the map for a moment, while scratching at the snow-white beard. "Taking awhile isn't as bad as the children here make it sound. Sure, can charge right in but what's the downside?" He looks to Ian and nods for the same question. Though Ariella is given a glare as if he's judging her choice of simply charging in.

Raven looks to Ian, "Is it worth having a looksee before going in or are we reasonably confident we're not likely to walk into a horrific and nasty suprise, you reckon my lord?" she offers her good hand and it's gauntlet to Terese in wordless askance for the princess to help her strap it in since her left hand isn't up to the task.

Ariella flashes Zakhar her most charming (or what she clearly believes is a very charming) smile, eyebrows waggling up and down. She has no more audible input at this time, but she does take to making exaggeratedly bored faces at Caspian after his answer.

The Captain is little more than a flash of white teeth as he grins at the diverse opinions. "Can always drop half out you off before going in too. Just dont expect much from my girl." he gives the vessel a fond pat. "She's no warbird." He shifts his attention onto Ian. "It would be harder to abort and I reckon" he rubs at his jaw. "you're more likely to get split up." When Raven speaks he gives an earthy chuckle. "Place has been as scouted as we could manage. Ain't nothing in there but soldiers, gulls and rats."

Terese takes up the offer to assist Raven strap her gauntlet as she awaits an answer to the advantages and disadvantages, since she is not much of a sailor. "I would say if it is reasonable we might get some surprise element to our arrival quiet seems to make more sense but I am no Sailor so my tactics are better on Land," she states

Caspian catches Ariella's faces and raises his his hand to his mouth to stifle a snort of laughter. he looks to Ian and pasquale then, "That might work? could send a few in all quiet like to work on preventing that signal from being lit then hit the other side with the rest? i'm pretty handy at making distractions if thats a route we wish to go."

Zakhar stares at Ariella for a moment, about to speak to her then turning back to the Captain. "The Crimson Blades can be dropped off prior and we can seek to take out that tower. Just head straight for the thing and completely dismantle anyone that seeks to use it. Then the others, where ever they choose to go, that's up to them."

"Ooh, yes. I am on team distraction," Ariella declares, not waiting to find out if this is the direction they're heading. "Honestly, though, might be best to split into two groups just so. That way if one group gets into shit, the other is there to bail them out." Her gloves are off at the moment and she takes to examining her fingernails after she speaks, eventually pulling out a knife to clean beneath them while decisions are made.

Ian eyes Raven for a moment, but doesn't answer her question. Maybe because the captain answered it. "If it were me, I'd have the mouth of that bay defended on either side. The terrain's right for it. If they've got soldiers and an important outpost there, they'll probably have taken advantage. I'm not sure I'd want to sail this ship in there even if the signal weren't an issue." His vote, then is for the quiet way, less for the quiet and more out of concern for what resistance the direct approach may encounter.

Sunaia considers the idea about splitting up, and offers, "Might be a good idea to have a couple people working on getting to the signal, and a quiet-at-first approach from the others."

Raven nods her thanks, "Much obliged, Highness." She flexes her hand to make sure everything's good and snug then checks her belt, coat, and rest of her gear, "Reckon ain't nothing fancy, Ready when we land."

Captain Seawise offers Ian. "There should be less than ten of them." he smiles. "I like this idea of having some of you going in early and the rest making a ruckus with a more direct attack." He gestures towards his oarsmen "Take us around nice and quiet."

"You are welcome Raven," Terese replies also giving Raven's gear a once over as they finalize the plans. She awaits being told where she should be

After a slightly tense passage through often pitch black waters the Covey finally crunches against shale. "First stop." whispers the Captain.

Caspian looks around and grins, "right well... guess this is my stop. If uh you hear lots of screaming and frantic arm waving in the back of the camp dont worry its just me getting stabbed." he gives a smirk, pausing long enough to wonder why he would do this.. oh right..a adventure. he hopped onto the railing, and with a final smile to those on board, lept off, attempting to perform a majestic swan dive as he went

Zakhar nods to the captain and proceeds to pull a leather and wool face covering over his face. Only his eyes are visible in the slit. A quick pat down of all weapons being in place, including the frying pan and he nods again. "Just send the boats with my blades on it over and I'll find them there then." With that he's heading out of the captains quarters to call out to the dinghies to be lowered and head off to the island.

Caspian checks dexterity and athletics at normal. Caspian is successful.

Raven looks around and then pulls herself on the edge and swings legs over to ease into the water and offers a hand to Ian-ooor anyone who needs it as the waves roll in around her legs.

Terese having no sneaking skills she stays on the Boat for the team that is doing the attacking unless everyone leaves.

Ian digs his scarf up from below decks somewhere, because if he's going on an island adventure, he needs the scarf. He wears it looped at his belt where he had until a minute ago been wearing a sword, like the world's ugliest whip. He slips off the boat.

Ian gets ugly, singed, stained, multicolor scarf from Oiled leather bag.

Sunaia stays put for now on the Covey for now, waiting for the larger, and possibly louder, party to arrive at their drop point.

Ariella maintains her lean against the rail, checking the straps of her armor. She miraculously does not make any loud noises to give away their team of sneaky people, saving all that energy for being chaotic later.

Once the three volunteers have stepped onto the shingle the Covey pushes off and back out into the water. Its soon silent on the shoreline. Whilst the Covey is rowing around the small rocky island to find the perfect place to drop her heavily armed cargo the duo make their way around the wall until they find a spot where they can either climb over it or attempt to sneak through a tiny gate.

Caspian comes up, spitting a fine spray of water. as he spies all the others also joining for the sneaky part, his brow arches. he wipes the water from his eyes, as he kicks to stay afloat and does quick count.."nope.. wait.. im in the wrong group.. shit!" he frantically swam back toward the boat. he resisted the urge to call out 'wait for me' instead grabbing the boarding net and hoisting himself dripping back onto the deck

Ian checks strength and athletics at normal. Ian is successful.

"Now isn't the time to be indecisive," Sunaia jokes to Caspian, helping pull him back on board.

Raven checks dexterity and athletics at normal. Raven marginally fails.

Terese offers Caspian her hand to aid in helping hoist him back onto the boat. "You alright," she questions, inspecting him carefully

Ariella does not help Caspian, and instead cheerfully calls over, "You're an idiot!" once he is back aboard, dripping all over the deck.

Caspian shakes himself slightly, leaning over to poor the water from his armor. "oh yeah.. im fine. all good. just thought the salt water and dampness might make me more..err.. intimidating. like 'wow.. did this man swim all the way here? thats scary!'" he beams to the others, snickering and scratching his neck, "i might have miscounted who was doing what.."

Ian looks up the wall and touches it with a gloved hand for a moment, then wordlessly slips his cane into a loop at his belt clearly intended for that purpose. He climbs almost entirely through upper body strength, hauling himself up handholds while only really using his feet to secure himself from time to time. He keeps himself low as he goes over the wall, so as to avoid outlining himself against the sky.

Raven seems torn between the gate and the wall. There's a grimace and she kneels to offer a boost up, perhaps hoping someone will thing to offer her a hand up. When it comes her turn, hand or no hand she can't quite swing her foot up over the wall without her left arm helping to hold her weight.

Zakhar checks dexterity and stealth at normal. Zakhar is successful.

Raven makes several attempts and manages with a soft 'hrrk!' and a meaty thud as she tumbles over to the other side.

As the Covey circles the island the people on board can just make out Raven atop the surrounding wall for just a moment. Then she is gone again. Ian might as well be a ghost.

And whilst Ian and Raven are making their way inside the Covey lines herself up with the dock and the Captain looks back to check everyone is ready. He must believe so because he lifts his hand, holds it for a moment, and then drops it. The oarsmen suddenly dig in their oars and the boat surges forward toward the dock. "OFF OFF OFF." Calls the captain once the Covey is close enough for them to make the jump.

As the vessel comes in close a handful of guards within the yard turn with surprise written all over their faces. One of them fumbles with his bow before managing to get a shot off that leaves an arrow quivering in one of the benches but the other three draw swords and move to meet you.

Zakhar stares and watches Ian and Raven for a moment, then shaking his head slips a solid grip to the wall and lifts himself up and over the wall as if he's just a young lad, despite a few moments where he pauses upon the wall and holds his position.

Caspian wields Charm and Grace, alaricite chain knives.

Sunaia wields Moonflower, an alaricite shotel with wolf and lily motif.

Terese checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Terese is successful.

Raven wields Blackheart Halfmoon Blade.

Sunaia isn't much for waiting around when the urgency in the Captain's voice sounds. Pulling a long, curved blade from her swordbelt, the lady disembarks with her hood up to shield her head. With her boots on the ground, she watches a moment for the targets of those around her and moves towards the nearest.

Sunaia checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Sunaia is successful.

Terese draws her sword and readies to attack whatever guard is closest to charging her. Terese has a quiet focus, trying to act just she would on land.

Just before the dash begins, Ian unclips his scarf from his belt and tosses it to Raven. "If you need to smother the fire. Wool doesn't burn." He has no illusions about the speed of his own arrival.

Caspian rips both his daggers out, spinning each by the chain for a moment as a whistling sound fills the air. he breaks into a laughtr, "Come on you bastards is that the best you got!" a moment later he is vaulting over the ships wall, hitting the dock and barreling up towards the guards. he begins to bellow out as he does.

"Who are the addest pirates around?
Bloodoar Bloodoar!
Who cant cant sail out from a wide open sound?!
Bloodoar bloodoar!
Who will be dieing and feeding the ground?!
Bloodoar Bloodoar!" He broke into a yell as he closed with the guards. he had a knack for distraction...

Caspian checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Caspian is successful.

Ariella wields Revival, a rubicund saber.

Ariella checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Botch! Ariella fails badly.

Raven ssmiles wryly, "I'll be wielding my sword not a scarf when shit hits. " but she obediently accepts it and her head turns away, "Dear gods that's rank."

Raven checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Raven is successful.

Zakhar smirks to Ian, "Keep the ground which you know you can hold. Raven and I will fix the tea party for you."

Sunaia checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Sunaia marginally fails.

Ariella checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Ariella is successful.

Caspian checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Caspian is successful.

Terese checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Terese marginally fails.

Ian shows no sign of drawing (or even having) a sword, but doesn't seem worried, and gives Zakhar a cheerful salute. Which is at least in part due to the fact, no doubt, that there's a very deadly sword inside his cane. He can follow them at a quick walk, but apparently running's out of the question. He'll hold Raven and Zakhar's backs so they can focus on disabling the signal.

Raven checks dexterity and athletics at normal. Raven marginally fails.

Ariella was perhaps a little /too/ enthusiastic for this, and she takes off running when the captain yells at them to go. Except this is a new hat, and it falls down into her eyes as she's trying to draw her saber. In the process, she stumbles over a rock and her hands go everywhere, trying to free her eyes and break what might be an impending fall. She drops her hat in one direction and her saber in the other and has to waste time running around to collect her stuff, chanting an oddly cheerful-sounding, "Shit, shit, shit," under her breath as she does. Fortunately, she is bent over and, if someone swung at her, she doesn't notice because it literally went over her head.

Zakhar checks stamina and athletics at normal. Zakhar is successful.

Terese misjudges her attempts to dodge or perry the attack from the guard and though she lands a blow herself, the guard manages to find an opening in her armor and barely cut her. She doesn't back down still facing her attacker with a quiet focus. Fighting on the boat takes a different skill she is trying to adjust to

Sunaia growls a bit at the slice a soldier managed. It wasn't much at all, barely red across a small section where the seasoned steel hadn't been mended entirely proper. That steel pauldron was going to have to be replaced now for lack of coverage. Yet, it didn't cost her as much as the soldier that she swung at, making her target pivot and open himself up for another strike.

The distance is made quickly by the old man, slipping through the entrance the watching the door shut just behind him. Looking at the space and realizing he's alone within the tower. A whispered mutter, "Fuck." Then looking around to find what can be done from inside, "fuck. fuck. fuck. Oooh. What are you?" He stares at something within the tower's base.

Raven runs forward following behind Zakhar but she opts for an attempt of stealth over speed, trying to keep her bootheels from announcing her prescence.

Caspian is in his own element now, the battlefield. The duelist danced across the sand toward his foe, weaving past attacks and unleashing a dizzying display of strikes, the blade whistling on chains as they whirled in the air. The pirate was loosing ground rapidly, the daggers carving bloody swathes in the air, only to be yanked back to Caspian's hands to deliver vicious attacks as Caspian closed the distance in an attempt to drive his victory home.

Ariella, Sunaia, Terese and Caspian are soon drawn into hurried one vs one skirmishes. They seem to be getting the better of their opponents but they are putting up a good fight.

Meanwhile Raven and Zakhar rush towards the tower whilst Ian brings up the rear with his presumably deadly cane. Almost the moment that Zakhar's fingers touch the door a trio of soldiers pour out of a side room. Two of them immediately charge towards the tower entrance, seeking to stop Zakhar and Raven from getting inside, whilst the other moves to intercept Ian. When Zakhar slips inside both of the soldiers that were aiming to block the door move between Raven and the doorway. She'll have to go through them both to pass.

Sunaia checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Sunaia fails.

Zakhar checks perception at easy. Zakhar is successful.

Raven checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Raven is successful.

Caspian checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Caspian is marginally successful.

Terese checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Terese is successful.

Ian checks command and intimidation at hard. Ian is successful.

Ariella checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Ariella is successful.

Ian is moving a little bit slower than both Raven and Zakhar, and so when the soldiers pour in just in time to catch her at the door, Ian actually comes up from behind them, advancing on them at an implacable walk. He starts to shift his grip on his cane. "I'm Lord Ian Kennex. Surrender now, and I don't do what you know I'm going to do, otherwise." His voice is flat, and the serenity on his face is eerie when combined with the ring of command in his voice as he invokes the name he's earned for himself with his brothers as the blademaster of the pirate hunting Brothers Kennex. He punctuates this by drawing a wicked-looking alaricite sword from within his cane, but true to his word, gives the soldier a chance to surrender before attacking.

Caspian checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Caspian is successful.

Sunaia checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Sunaia marginally fails.

Terese checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Terese is successful.

Raven doesn't give those closeing in an opportunity to surrender, she slashes open one's throat and the other she drives up through the armpit into the ribcage trying her best to do it before he can channel a lungful of air into a shout. This done she turns back and expedites the death of the first and possibly offering a visual aid to Ian's warning as she rips open the throad wider to hasten the bloodloss.

Zakhar's new find is half way up the tower. A find of cages, "dead. dead..." he pokes at one, "dead?" then they stir, "ooh. not dead." Crouching down and opening the cage a little as he reaches in towards the mostly skeletal man.

Zakhar checks intellect and medicine at normal. Zakhar is successful.

Ariella checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Ariella is successful.

The prisoner that Zakhar found on his way up the tower is barely able to move after being shoved into a cave and starved for so long but Zakhar knows how best to help him with that. A bit of water. A bit of food. Some limb manipulation.. and eventually the man is shakily standing and whispering "Thank you" over and over to the mercenary.{

Raven is trading blows between the two that intercepted her, there's some blood-none of it hers-but they keep her blade too busy to do the carnage she's REALLY trying to do!

Caspian continues to press the attack, trying to keep his momentum going. The pirate seemed to find his own footing a bit, managing to block the flashing blades more and more. The pirate was still unable to land a blow on Caspian, and so he kept pressing, finally sneaking a blow past the pirates defense to strike a glancing blow, sending blood spilling into the sand.

Terese is more in her element as she dodges the next attack from the person attacking her and lands another blow, badly injuring them. She does not falter, looking to see if they continue to fight or flee. Terese is more defensive the aggressive, still quietly focusing on the battle

Her foot suddenly finds a rock under it, and the thin leather sole isn't enough to stop her from ignoring it. Sunaia turns and gives the same sort of opening that the solider exploits again, but her own swing was rendered easily parried on account of her poor stance. Blood trickles down her arm, but she's taken worse blows. It wouldn't stop her from trying to come at her target from a slightly better angle and with both feet firmly planted beneath her.

"There you are, love," Ariella says, straightening as her would-be opponent narrowly misses her again. She kisses the flat of her blade, whirling it in a few limb-loosening moulinets before bending again to retrieve her hat and plant it on her head. This bend causes her attacker to, again, swing over her head, right after which she snaps back to straight and turns to face the pirate. "Stop fucking about and get over here, ugly," she tells them with a grin, finally ready to fight.

The two men that Raven is fighting prove to be rather more resilient than she expects. Her blade whispers along the throat of one of them but is blunted by the armor the man is wearing beneath his high necked shirt. He looks shaken, and blood is trickling over the collar, but he's still very much alive. His friend ducks entirely out of the way, taking advantage of his friends bulk to avoid the damage.

Meanwhile the most heavily armed of them all faces off against Ian but something has stayed his blade. He half circles the crippled cane wielding swordsman as if expecting there to be some sort of trap before flatly stating. "You're not Galeheart."

The other melee sees the group continue to steadily beat down their opponents.

Caspian checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Caspian is successful.

Ariella checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Ariella is successful.

Terese checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Terese is successful.

Raven checks dexterity and medium wpn at hard. Botch! Raven fails completely.

Sunaia checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Sunaia is successful.

Ariella checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Ariella is successful.

Raven checks dexterity and dodge at hard. Critical Success! Raven is spectacularly successful.

Zakhar checks luck and woodworking at easy. Zakhar is successful.

Sunaia checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Sunaia marginally fails.

Terese's opponent charges one last time and Terese delivers the final blow, offering a prayer to Gloria as she prepare to defend against any other attackers and looks to see if anyone in her group might need some help.

Caspian begins to laugh, "i thought the bloodoars were supposed to be fearsome! all i see here is a milkmaid waving a sword about!" he laughs merrily, then lashes out with his daggers. it flies through the air, the chain wrapping around the man's leg before the dagger bites deep into his calf. with a vicious rank the man is ripped from his feat and falls onto the ground. the other dagger hurls like an arrow to drive into his chest, ending the man's cries. with a yank of the chains, caspian retrieves his blades and spins around. they seemed to have this handled. "I'll check the others, finish this lot!" with that, he bolts farther in, heading toward the watchtower.

Zakhar looks to the man he's pulled from the cages, "You good to make it down? As I'm going up to make some havok and bring this place down." As he waits for a moment of the man's response Zakhar simply turns and heads further up the tower. Taking a quick look around at where the signaling is and how the tower is held together, a small cowbone chisle is slipped out of a spot upon his belts and he begins to dismantle the tower from the top then following stairs down, continues all the way down. Not just simply pull things apart so it cannot be used right now. But Zakhar is literally taking the entire tower apart. One. Board. At. A. Time.

Ian checks command and intimidation at hard. Ian is successful.

Ariella cackles as the combo of her ducking around to collect her things and that taunt seem to enrage her pirate into giving her an opening, and she lunges, slicing him across the belly and then whirling back out of dodge. Her movements are showy and deft, betraying her duelist background and putting her cocky demeanor on full display. "You are a terrible dancer. You'll never find a husband this way."

Ian gave the man he's facing the chance to surrender, and even held his attack for a moment, to give him a chance to accept said offer. And with the fight raging around them, he holds his sword at a deceptively lazy guard, and is just fine with talking, like he's met this man at a bar rather than in the middle of an armed encampment. Only the intensity in his electric blue eyes and the confidence with which he holds his weapon betray that he's not going to be fussed if his offer to accept his opponent's surrender is rejected. "I'm a Kennex," he repeats; his accent is unmistakably from the Isles. "You're not in the middle of some pissant skirmish over territory, soldier. Put down your weapon, and maybe you walk away from it."

Raven makes a frantic lunge and misses hitting either of her foes and worse, winds up on the wrong side of them AND her blade's knocked out of her hand wih a clatter but she spots Sunia's wide motions signalling a shift if balance and opts to pivot and grip the woman's hip from around her back-not stopping but twisting with the last of her momentum to carry the woman out of blade's reach, "Mind your step, M'lady." And then she's turning back around to seek out her blade.

A hop back to give her enough room to arc a swing and Sunaia's alaricite blade works its way through the soldier's armour. The soldier wavers and lunges at her with a small blade in his off-hand. It nearly finds a weak point at her side as she recovers from the swing of the long sword, but Raven parts the two in their awkward dance of cuts and seems to spare Sunaia further injury.

The tower makes some rather ominous sounds as Zakhar does /something/ inside it. A short time later the door to the tower opens and a rather tattered and fragile looking man looks out at the ongoing battle before slamming the door shut again. By the time Zakhar makes it down the steps he's curled into a ball besides the door and is rocking back and forth in distress.

The probably officer risks glancing away from Ian to look at what exactly is happening around them. Theres a furrow on his brow once he looks back. "What terms?"

And whilst Zakhar is demolishing a timber tower and Ian is talking his way out of a fight the six Bloodoar soldiers become four. Two by the tower door trying to decide if they should chase Raven or head inside and Two on the docks trying to survive. Ariella's foe stares at her when she makes the quip before declaring "Neither will you."

Zakhar checks luck and woodworking at normal. Botch! Zakhar fails completely.

Sunaia checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Sunaia is successful.

Ariella checks dexterity and medium wpn at normal. Critical Success! Ariella is spectacularly successful.

Ian takes a quick look around him as well, taking in the developing state of the fight, and then looks back at his not-quite-opponent. "Honor would dictate I demand you surrender yourself to House Malespero to face justice. Realistically, if you drop that weapon and run, I'm not going to strike an unarmed man, and I'm not going to be able to chase you."

Ian takes a quick look around him as well, taking in the developing state of the fight, and then looks back at his not-quite-opponent. "Honor would dictate I demand you surrender yourself to House Malespero to face justice. Realistically, commander to commander, if you drop that weapon and run, I'm not going to strike an unarmed man, and I'm not going to be able to chase you." (slight repose, hopefully fitting a leadership roll)

Ian checks command and leadership at easy. Ian is successful.

Zakhar is busy working half way through the tower, making sure that each piece is in as best of condition before kicking it out or pulling it aside and slipping down to the floor of the tower's base. Then as luck would have it, he comes across that one piece. It's perfect. If he can just get it out in one complete piece it could be used to make the most fantastical shelf. The knots in it are perfectly aligned, the old man is stuck in a world of his own, muttering about which stain would look best over these knots and how to cut it to perfection. Then the inevitable occurs, he's pulled enough of the tower apart, this slate is the the keypin to the whole tower. A rumbling starts at the top as anyone from outside might think the tower just simply lurched at thirty-degrees, then waited almost comically before collapsing down into a large cloud. Anyone listening closely would only hear Zakhar mutter to himself. "Well. Fuck."

Terese checks dexterity and medium wpn at easy. Terese is successful.

Raven checks dexterity and medium wpn at easy. Raven is successful.

Zakhar checks 'permanent wound save' at hard. Zakhar is successful.

Despite the terrible damage, Zakhar does not take a permanent wound.

Zakhar checks 'unconsciousness save' at easy. Zakhar is successful.

Zakhar remains capable of fighting.

Caspian checks dexterity and small wpn at normal. Caspian is successful.

Caspian checks dexterity and dodge at normal. Caspian is successful.

Sunaia finally does her soldier in, and the last blow is swift, fierce, and impatient. With her energy still high, her pale eyes shifted around to survey. Seeing Caspian still engaged, Sunaia moved to flank his target should that help.

"I have found plenty of husbands," Ariella tuts at her dock guard. "They just belonged to other women." She sighs, rolling her vibrant amber eyes and spreading her arms like an invitation, and when the guard lunches, she grins wolfishly and twirls to the side at the last moment, using the momentum to knock his weapon aside and open him to a nasty slash across the throat that takes him down. "It's always best when you can send them home when you're done, you know?" She doesn't seem bothered that the man has collapsed at her feet and can't hear the rest of her banter, giving her saber a hard flick to splatter some of the blood from its red metal to the ground before bending to wipe it on the fallen foe's clothes. "If you get another turn on the Wheel, try not to be such a fucking disappointment," she mutters before rising to bound off and catch up with the rest of the party.

Terese teams up with Raven on one of the guard by the door, she is mainly focused on protecting and defending Raven as she helps take down the target then looks to see if anyone else may need assistance.

Caspian comes charging up toward Raven as she battles off the pair of men. he hurls himself into one of them, sending him and caspian both spinning and scrambling to get their footing again. "Oh thank you raven! you saved one for me! such a good friend." he grinned broadly to the man, as he circled him, blades whistling. "i'd suggest starting piss your pants now.. will make it less embarrassing when you do it later" with that he launched his attack, blades flashing as the duelist unleashed a typhoon of blows toward the pirate, dancing in and out of weapon reach, spatters of blood slicing across the sand as blow after blwo snuck through the man's guard.

Raven twists her blade and flicks her twist to send the blade out of her foe's grip and steps a bit forward, green eyes bright with predatory focus, "My lord, please tell me there's more blood to spill." it's somewhere between a growl and a whine, nostrils flared and her lanky frame taut like a bowstring as she practices restraint.

The man facing Ian grimaces "Just swear you won't send me to Bloodoar." Distaste crosses his features and he tosses his sword aside. As the weapon clatters into the brickwork he calls out a few words in Lycene shav before sinking down onto his knees with a bitter. "Where would I run anyway?"

Its at about this moment that Zakhar's handiwork in the tower bears fruit and the entire structure lurches thirty-degrees, waits almost comically, and then collapses down into a large cloud. Raven, Caspian and Terese all vanish into the dust cloud for several long moments before it clears enough to reveal a pile of remarkably undamaged timber with three feet sticking out the bottom.

The man that Raven has just disarmed is so absorbed with open-mouthed staring at the remains of the tower that he doesn't even scramble to re-arm. Caspian's foe stumbles "I surrender!" before going down on his knees.

Caspian frowns slightly as the pirate surrenders, "oh damn.. are letting them surrender? you know they never let their victims surrender and walk..oh shit ZAHAKR!"

Terese checks strength and athletics at normal. Terese is successful.

Caspian checks strength and athletics at normal. Caspian is successful.

"Oh, great," Sunaia says as the tower comes down but it isn't particularly clear if its out of a feeling of amusement, excitement, or worry for Zahakr. She as already moving towards Caspian, and so follows him and Terese towards looking for the Tower Tumbler lost in the dust.

Zakhar mutters, "Are ... fucking ... me!? OOOh, hello. you survived. ... will ... the best shelf. Wait. ... is tugging on my feet?? ... ... ... ... Give it ... ... my ... I claim ... ... Eswynd. You're all ... to have to fight ... for the ... It's ..."

Caspian glances back to the surrendering man, "dont you move." with that he is rushing to the tower, grabbing at timbr and heaving it away from the legs. "Hold on Zahkar we are coming. dont you go back to the wheel yet old man, we got to much turnipcello to drink and gods knows you are the only one to drink it!" another piece of wood goes flying as he dig for the man.

Sunaia checks strength and athletics at normal. Sunaia marginally fails.

"We're killing the rest of these fucking pirates, yeah?" assumes Ariella as she trots over to where Ian and Raven are.

"You have my word that you won't be put into Bloodoar's hands." Ian jams the cane end of his swordcane into the soft ground and, in a practiced move, uses the tip of his sword to flip the dropped blade up so he can catch it by the hilt in his now freed hand. And this is about when the tower starts to tilt. It takes a lot to get much of a reaction out of him, but 'giant tower about to collapse just about where I'm standing' qualifies. He takes a couple of steps back, quick enough that he's left a little bit off balance, and wrinkles his nose as a wave of stirred up dust washes over him. "I'm pretty sure that smell isn't my scarf." He ticks the retrieved sword into his belt, absent a scabbard to secure it with. "Was Zakhar still in there?" The way people go scrambling towards the tower probably should answer his question, but he doesn't jump in to help. He saw the look in Raven's eye, and he was serious about honorable surrender, so he's going to make sure nobody decides to engage in prisoner killing.

Raven checks strength and athletics at normal. Raven is successful.

Ian saw the look in Raven AND ARIELLA'S eyes. And his own when he looks at her are cold, implacable. "They've surrendered honorably. We're worse than pirates if we kill them unarmed, on their knees."

Terese startes helping digging to help recover Zakhar, calling out to anyone else, "If they are surrendering, don't kill them!" She is focusing mainly on attempting to dig out Zakhar

Raven's head whips around and there's an alarm, "Zak!!!" Forgetting about her bloodlust and the fact she only has one functutional arm she sheathes her blade and hastily begins shifting rubble away, "Zak! Damnit!You BETTER not be DEAD!" distress naked on her face as she frantically uses her arm and legs to shift rubble.

Ariella lets her eyes roll again, though she doesn't seem ready to argue the point. "I was /going/ to suggest giving their weapons back, silly," she lilts at Ian, giving what she clearly believes to be her most irreproachable smile. "Look, I don't care, long as they'll never be released to resume their fuckery. Is that a certainty?"

Terese sighs as she realizes Zakhar is not to badly harmed. "You have to be the most unlucky, luck man I know," she tells Zakhar, shaking her head as she ensures he is fully freed and lets others fuss over him more, joining Ian to ensure no one takes to prisoner killing

Sunaia doesn't give any orders for death or mercy, but she uses her focus on the rubble. A leg. Raven yells, and Sunaia uses her hands to pull at the leg. It's a thin leg, and not the attire she thought Zakhar was in, but with another tug, some plaster and thin board give way to her strength. Not that she needed it. "Ugh," she groaned as the frail, nearly starved-looking corpse came free. Her head shook in disappointment.

"They'll be turned over to House Malespero to face their justice," Ian answers Ariella. "You'll have to take that up with them."

"Alright, alright," Ariella says, sounding SO PUT UPON, but sheathing her weapon as if to prove she's going to behave.

Zakhar is far too disgruntled and pissed to be dead. He does however clutch onto a specific board, it has such a lovely grain and three little knots causing the grains to spiral in just /such a way./ The old man has a grin upon his lips as the last piece is pulled away from him. Holding the board and staring at anyone that tries to take the board away from him. "MINE." He will growl at anyone that tries to take it away from him.

Raven checks composure at hard. Raven is successful.

Caspian tosses the last piece of timber away, "Gods man... what they hell are you made of!" he paused, thinking back to what he saw the man drink, "no wait.. nevermind.. dont want to know. Glad you are ok!" he offers a hand down to help only to get swatted . "oy! watch it...." he gives a playful growl and tries to help him up again. "come on.. up you go!"

Raven sucks in a sharp breath and swallows a wave of emotion, "Damnit all you crusty ratbastard you SCARED me." She offers a hand and growls, "No one wants your nappy ass board@

Ian doesn't sheathe his alaricite sword, but that's probably got more to do with him wanting to keep the prisoners under control than him thinking he's going to have to fight off attempts to kill them. Whatever's going on over at the tower, it's pretty clear he wants no part of it.


*** Caspian has called for an opposing check with Zakhar. ***
Caspian checks strength and athletics at easy. Caspian is successful.
Zakhar checks dexterity and small wpn at easy. Zakhar is successful.
*** Zakhar is the winner. ***

"Just let him stand on his own, he seems fine," Terese replies, shaking her head as she moves to join Ian

Caspian stumbles back, his head ringing from the blow "Gods damn it! that hurts!" he rubs furiously at his bruised scalp. "im trying to help you up!"

Zakhar appears to be perfectly fine, never mind a trickle of blood running down the side of his head and staining his beard into a crimson close to one of the names he's know for. As long as no one notices he's limping, he'll start pickup up pieces of the tower as if he's organizing the pieces for someone else to package up and ship back to the city.