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The Cantina / Re: Random Steampunk, RP or GoIO-inspired writing
« on: June 28, 2014, 06:37:53 pm »
Tucked away in the city of Kinforth there is a run-down bar called The Burning Rope. In that bar there is a large corner booth. Nestled in that booth is “Greasy” Stavros Orlenko. He is the eleven year captain of the independent trader Happy Dustman, an ancient Junker wanted by Chaladon and Yesha officials for several counts of theft and smuggling. Orlenko is a short, portly man with black oiled hair and a small mustache waxed to fine points. While his clothes are ornate and well made, they are so worn and fit so poorly it is a good guess they once belonged to someone else. Whenever he is in town The Burning Rope gets unusually busy. Docks and machine shops empty as people pack themselves into the dilapidated establishment to hear one of Orkenko’s stories. Everyone leaves having spent more money on drinks then they intended, but it’s worth it. Let’s go have a listen.
“What? Don’t say you haven’t even heard of her. Here, get us another drink. No, no, none of that, the Altwood Cognac. That’s my man. Now, settle in close friends and I’ll tell you all I knows about Captain Verna Marones. She captains the Force of Valor, as fine a Squid as was ever built. Who does this woman work for, says you? What does she do? Anything under the clouds she wants. Gun runner, bounty hunter, government agent, poetry critic, no one knows what she’s up too. During the Bastianelli Uprising she turned her ship into a floatin’ hospital. Stripped her guns and took on any poor flyer with a hole in his body. Now there’s plenty of captains in these rough times that will take advantage of charity like that. I saw what happened with these here eyes. Two ships limp in close, leakin’ smoke and cryin’ for help. Force of Valor slows and starts throwing ropes to them when both ships open up with all guns. Never seen the like of it, enough fire and shell to blind a man. Out of the smoke comes Verna, sinks the Mobula and chases off the Galleon like it were nothing. You remember the Sparrow Sneak? Cleaned out most every big house in Lord’s Leap he did. Well she nabs him, right tough to do but it don’t end there. The trip across town to the guard station makes her miss this opera, Lightning and Love. So she takes him along. Verna drags the best thief and escape artist in the fjords to four hours of singin’ fit to burst your ears. My mate Aalem, a true and honest deckhand as you ever did know, swears by all he holds dear he saw her chasin’ a bandit fleet, FLEET mind you, across the Abermar Valley the very same day she gets paid a bounty in Alleron. Air Marshal Tacitus Jiao-long his self asks her to go with him to one of them rich dinners. More fresh food in the first course than me and you seen in a month. Verna replies no, nice and kindly as you like, saying he is “not the most engaging man”. I’ve lost two cargos to that woman, and you know, Greasy Stavros don’t get caught nor fooled by no one. She’s got a collection of fine aged scotch, all put up fancy in a cellar like, and no one knows where it is. There’s a live Lumberjack round stored in the hold of her ship. “It keeps the crew sharp” says she. Ever seen a Typhoon Heavy Flak on a Squid? Nor I neither, but Verna’s got one! No, no, this won’t do shipmates. Getting downright hysterical I am, with hands shakin’ fit to fall off the stumps. Let’s talk of something else. Typhoons, or Arashi birdmen, or that one stinking fella in Chang-ning what says he owns half my ship. Ahh, another round. That will do my nerves nicely. Now where was I ..."
“What? Don’t say you haven’t even heard of her. Here, get us another drink. No, no, none of that, the Altwood Cognac. That’s my man. Now, settle in close friends and I’ll tell you all I knows about Captain Verna Marones. She captains the Force of Valor, as fine a Squid as was ever built. Who does this woman work for, says you? What does she do? Anything under the clouds she wants. Gun runner, bounty hunter, government agent, poetry critic, no one knows what she’s up too. During the Bastianelli Uprising she turned her ship into a floatin’ hospital. Stripped her guns and took on any poor flyer with a hole in his body. Now there’s plenty of captains in these rough times that will take advantage of charity like that. I saw what happened with these here eyes. Two ships limp in close, leakin’ smoke and cryin’ for help. Force of Valor slows and starts throwing ropes to them when both ships open up with all guns. Never seen the like of it, enough fire and shell to blind a man. Out of the smoke comes Verna, sinks the Mobula and chases off the Galleon like it were nothing. You remember the Sparrow Sneak? Cleaned out most every big house in Lord’s Leap he did. Well she nabs him, right tough to do but it don’t end there. The trip across town to the guard station makes her miss this opera, Lightning and Love. So she takes him along. Verna drags the best thief and escape artist in the fjords to four hours of singin’ fit to burst your ears. My mate Aalem, a true and honest deckhand as you ever did know, swears by all he holds dear he saw her chasin’ a bandit fleet, FLEET mind you, across the Abermar Valley the very same day she gets paid a bounty in Alleron. Air Marshal Tacitus Jiao-long his self asks her to go with him to one of them rich dinners. More fresh food in the first course than me and you seen in a month. Verna replies no, nice and kindly as you like, saying he is “not the most engaging man”. I’ve lost two cargos to that woman, and you know, Greasy Stavros don’t get caught nor fooled by no one. She’s got a collection of fine aged scotch, all put up fancy in a cellar like, and no one knows where it is. There’s a live Lumberjack round stored in the hold of her ship. “It keeps the crew sharp” says she. Ever seen a Typhoon Heavy Flak on a Squid? Nor I neither, but Verna’s got one! No, no, this won’t do shipmates. Getting downright hysterical I am, with hands shakin’ fit to fall off the stumps. Let’s talk of something else. Typhoons, or Arashi birdmen, or that one stinking fella in Chang-ning what says he owns half my ship. Ahh, another round. That will do my nerves nicely. Now where was I ..."