16
The Lounge / Re: That Moment When...
« on: April 28, 2014, 11:08:45 pm »
That moment when you see a mine launch a pyra into a rock formation and it turn into scrap.
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17
The Pit / Re: Ban the User Above You
« on: April 08, 2014, 01:08:31 am »
I ban Pie for having a username which makes me want pie.
18
The Docks / Re: Zill's Merry Men
« on: April 08, 2014, 01:07:18 am »
Sadly, I'm not sure what our schedules are like anymore (of which I blame Shink for). Though I'm sure if I pestered the others enough they'll join.
Though the best chances you have at catching a few of us in game are probably between the times of 6pm - 9pm eastern standard time.
Though the best chances you have at catching a few of us in game are probably between the times of 6pm - 9pm eastern standard time.
19
The Cantina / Re: The Skies have no Limit
« on: April 08, 2014, 12:54:03 am »
--Streets of Chang-ning--
Roland could not sit still and found himself fidgeting within the carriage. On paper, it should take between 20-30 minutes to arrive at Zhao Manor by carriage. Then again it's on paper. In reality, given the massive amount of foot traffic and carriage traffic, the trip takes more than an hour.
All the time spent in the carriage thus far was spent by Roland thinking about his wife. Consequently, any attempt by Roland to get an uninterrupted stream of thought going was always cut off by the constant chattering going on outside, not to mention the low rumbling roar of the carriage's engine.
During these attempts, Roland failed to notice the fact the carriage driver had accidentally taken the wrong route. When Roland finally did take a look out the window, he realized he was on the outskirts of the commercial districts. The area was very much in the opposite direction of where the manor is and very much sparse of any potential witnesses.
Before Roland had the chance to say anything, the carriage door swung open. Roland was greeted by a man. The man was short in stature, had sliver hair, a well-trimmed beard. One feature which stood out was the man had a distinctive scar running in an angle across his left eye and nose.
The man grabbed Roland and threw him out of the carriage onto the ground. As Roland looked up, he saw five other figures surrounding him.
[??]
"Well, today really isn't your lucky."
[Figure 1]
"Confirmation this is the target?"
[??]
"His look fits the given description down to the letter."
[Figure 3]
"This seems too easy for the amount of pay we're getting."
[Figure 2]
"Does it matter? We're practically in the cl....." *Crack*
The sentence was cut abruptly. As the others took a look at what happened, they found the cause of the unfinished statement: A missing head and the appropriate amount of blood and brain matter splashed against the carriage.
As the figures scrambled for their weapons and faced the direction of the shot, the scar-faced man remained unusually calm.
[??]
"Interesting, I did not expect him so soon."
[Figure 4]
"By Icarus! You said this was going to be easy!" *Crack*
Another figure fell with a fist-sized hole in his chest. The remaining figures took cover behind the carriage, hoping to get some cover from the incoming fire.
While they hid, the man started to calmly walk towards a good distance where the incoming shots were fired. After a distance, he turned to called over to Roland.
[??]
"I believe you should come join me here. I believe you and I know what is coming next."
Roland still laid belly-down on the ground nearby the carriage, still caught off-guard by the whole scene. By the time Roland was out of his daze, Roland looked around and noticed the situation. He then saw the man, waving for him to join him.
[??]
"Hurry now. I am sure you do not want his opportunity wasted."
Roland turned his head and noticed the figures taking cover behind the carriage, he noticed the two dead figures, he then realized who was shooting and what was coming next. Roland jumped to his feet and ran towards the man to what seemed within a few seconds in his mind.
By the time Roland reached the man, the man saw a single shot slam into the carriage. One second later, the carriage and anything within a five meter radius was engulfed by an explosion. The blast wave knocked Roland down again and only caused the man to waiver a bit.
After the explosion, silence overtook the area. Roland slowly got back up and saw how close he was to the man. This startled Roland and caused him to jump back immediately. Before Roland had a chance to get any farther, the man pulled out his weapon and aimed it at him. Roland stood frozen in place. Roland opened his mouth to speak, but was preempted.
[??]
"While I am sure you have question, I think it best to wait a bit. I do hate having to repeat myself."
Roland's eyes widened when he noticed Yiski approaching the man from behind, his Blood Bolt held firmly in his hands and against his shoulder with a stare which could sink a pyra.
[??]
"Afternoon Yiski. I have to say I am impressed by your response time."
[Yiski]
"Funny how that seems to always be the case." Yiski looks glances over to Roland. "You alright?"
[??]
"He's fine... for now."
[Yiski]
"Too bad I can't say the same for you."
[??]
"Really? I can only assume you have your infamous rifle pointed for my back. Given the type of shots fired, you are manually loading each shot. Aside from your single explosive shot, you only have piercing bullets and to shoot me at this range would also catch your beloved son as well, especially when I do this."
The man slowly approached Roland while keeping his back toward Yiski.
[Yiski]
"I'd stop if I were you."
The man, ignoring Yiski, continued to approach until the barrel of his gun was mere inches away from Roland's face.
[??]
"Tell me. What do you think would happen during the negotiations when a certain girl learns her cherished husband has been murdered?"
Yiski did not want to think about it. His finger resting next to the trigger.
[??]
"In another twist, what would happen when she learns the ones responsible are the ones she is negotiating with."
Yiski pushed that thought out too. He kept his thoughts and concentration on keeping his rifle aimed.
A short moment of silence pass by.
[??]
"Nothing? Shame. Fortunately, my client wishes for your son alive, so I am afraid he and I will be going on a trip."
[Yiski]
"Can't say I'll allow it."
Yiski's tone was cold and hardened. The man gave a chuckle.
[??]
"You know the file they have on you really does not do you justice. You are far more fearsome than any individual I have met. Yet, I am afraid you are in little position to stop me. You simply have no shot."
[Yiski]
"Sure I do. Just stay still for a bit longer and keep yappin'."
[??]
"Really now. Even I know.... oh I see. That would explain all this."
The man used his free hand to reach into his pocket. As the hand exited the pocket, so did a small, rounded object.
[??]
"Well, my client will be unhappy with the result, but at least I can return with some renewed admiration for who you are Yiski."
Just before Yiski could respond, the man dropped the object. Upon impact with the ground, a large plume of tar smoke engulfed the area, including Yiski.
Yiski and Roland coughed and hacked as they attempted to wave their arms to clear out the tar, but to no avail. Roland then felt a hand grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the tar smoke. Still coughing and rubbing his eyes, Roland saw Yiski with a still firm grasp of his arm. Yiski coughed a few more times. When the tar cleared, the man had vanished.
[Yiski]
"You good?"
[Roland]
"Ugh... I can still feel the tar in my lungs."
[Yiski]
"Good enough."
[Roland]
*cough* "What just happened?"
[Yiski]
"That's what I want to know."
[Roland]
"How did you find me? I mean, I could not have been considered missing."
[Yiski]
"Look around."
Yiski made a hand gesture in the air and Roland caught a glance of a few figures before disappearing. Roland looked at Yiski with a confused expression.
[Yiski]
"Lance."
Roland simply blinked. While he wanted to inquire, he knew he would get little of any details of their dealings. At this point, Roland seemed to have calmed down and took a look around of their location.
[Roland]
"How are we getting back?"
Just as the question ended, three military vehicles pulled around and stopped at a distance from the charred explosion. About fifteen soldiers exited and formed a perimeter around the two. Roland turned to Yiski who had a smirk on his face.
[Sergeant]
"Area secured!"
[Lieutenant]
"Sir? Are you okay?"
[Yiski]
"We're fine. And don't call me 'sir'. I'm civilian."
[Lieutenant]
"All due respect, sir, we're aware of who you are and your affiliations."
[Yiski]
"Doesn't mean you call me sir."
[Lieutenant]
"By order, sir. Please allow us to escort you. We need a debrief of the situation.
Yiski sighed and Roland could help but internally laugh. The two entered a vehicle and headed off back inside the city.
-------
A/N: I'll be honest, I don't know where exactly I'm going with this. The scenario popped in my head and I kinda figured I needed to put it down. If this doesn't quite fit into the whole mesh of things, blame Shink.
Roland could not sit still and found himself fidgeting within the carriage. On paper, it should take between 20-30 minutes to arrive at Zhao Manor by carriage. Then again it's on paper. In reality, given the massive amount of foot traffic and carriage traffic, the trip takes more than an hour.
All the time spent in the carriage thus far was spent by Roland thinking about his wife. Consequently, any attempt by Roland to get an uninterrupted stream of thought going was always cut off by the constant chattering going on outside, not to mention the low rumbling roar of the carriage's engine.
During these attempts, Roland failed to notice the fact the carriage driver had accidentally taken the wrong route. When Roland finally did take a look out the window, he realized he was on the outskirts of the commercial districts. The area was very much in the opposite direction of where the manor is and very much sparse of any potential witnesses.
Before Roland had the chance to say anything, the carriage door swung open. Roland was greeted by a man. The man was short in stature, had sliver hair, a well-trimmed beard. One feature which stood out was the man had a distinctive scar running in an angle across his left eye and nose.
The man grabbed Roland and threw him out of the carriage onto the ground. As Roland looked up, he saw five other figures surrounding him.
[??]
"Well, today really isn't your lucky."
[Figure 1]
"Confirmation this is the target?"
[??]
"His look fits the given description down to the letter."
[Figure 3]
"This seems too easy for the amount of pay we're getting."
[Figure 2]
"Does it matter? We're practically in the cl....." *Crack*
The sentence was cut abruptly. As the others took a look at what happened, they found the cause of the unfinished statement: A missing head and the appropriate amount of blood and brain matter splashed against the carriage.
As the figures scrambled for their weapons and faced the direction of the shot, the scar-faced man remained unusually calm.
[??]
"Interesting, I did not expect him so soon."
[Figure 4]
"By Icarus! You said this was going to be easy!" *Crack*
Another figure fell with a fist-sized hole in his chest. The remaining figures took cover behind the carriage, hoping to get some cover from the incoming fire.
While they hid, the man started to calmly walk towards a good distance where the incoming shots were fired. After a distance, he turned to called over to Roland.
[??]
"I believe you should come join me here. I believe you and I know what is coming next."
Roland still laid belly-down on the ground nearby the carriage, still caught off-guard by the whole scene. By the time Roland was out of his daze, Roland looked around and noticed the situation. He then saw the man, waving for him to join him.
[??]
"Hurry now. I am sure you do not want his opportunity wasted."
Roland turned his head and noticed the figures taking cover behind the carriage, he noticed the two dead figures, he then realized who was shooting and what was coming next. Roland jumped to his feet and ran towards the man to what seemed within a few seconds in his mind.
By the time Roland reached the man, the man saw a single shot slam into the carriage. One second later, the carriage and anything within a five meter radius was engulfed by an explosion. The blast wave knocked Roland down again and only caused the man to waiver a bit.
After the explosion, silence overtook the area. Roland slowly got back up and saw how close he was to the man. This startled Roland and caused him to jump back immediately. Before Roland had a chance to get any farther, the man pulled out his weapon and aimed it at him. Roland stood frozen in place. Roland opened his mouth to speak, but was preempted.
[??]
"While I am sure you have question, I think it best to wait a bit. I do hate having to repeat myself."
Roland's eyes widened when he noticed Yiski approaching the man from behind, his Blood Bolt held firmly in his hands and against his shoulder with a stare which could sink a pyra.
[??]
"Afternoon Yiski. I have to say I am impressed by your response time."
[Yiski]
"Funny how that seems to always be the case." Yiski looks glances over to Roland. "You alright?"
[??]
"He's fine... for now."
[Yiski]
"Too bad I can't say the same for you."
[??]
"Really? I can only assume you have your infamous rifle pointed for my back. Given the type of shots fired, you are manually loading each shot. Aside from your single explosive shot, you only have piercing bullets and to shoot me at this range would also catch your beloved son as well, especially when I do this."
The man slowly approached Roland while keeping his back toward Yiski.
[Yiski]
"I'd stop if I were you."
The man, ignoring Yiski, continued to approach until the barrel of his gun was mere inches away from Roland's face.
[??]
"Tell me. What do you think would happen during the negotiations when a certain girl learns her cherished husband has been murdered?"
Yiski did not want to think about it. His finger resting next to the trigger.
[??]
"In another twist, what would happen when she learns the ones responsible are the ones she is negotiating with."
Yiski pushed that thought out too. He kept his thoughts and concentration on keeping his rifle aimed.
A short moment of silence pass by.
[??]
"Nothing? Shame. Fortunately, my client wishes for your son alive, so I am afraid he and I will be going on a trip."
[Yiski]
"Can't say I'll allow it."
Yiski's tone was cold and hardened. The man gave a chuckle.
[??]
"You know the file they have on you really does not do you justice. You are far more fearsome than any individual I have met. Yet, I am afraid you are in little position to stop me. You simply have no shot."
[Yiski]
"Sure I do. Just stay still for a bit longer and keep yappin'."
[??]
"Really now. Even I know.... oh I see. That would explain all this."
The man used his free hand to reach into his pocket. As the hand exited the pocket, so did a small, rounded object.
[??]
"Well, my client will be unhappy with the result, but at least I can return with some renewed admiration for who you are Yiski."
Just before Yiski could respond, the man dropped the object. Upon impact with the ground, a large plume of tar smoke engulfed the area, including Yiski.
Yiski and Roland coughed and hacked as they attempted to wave their arms to clear out the tar, but to no avail. Roland then felt a hand grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the tar smoke. Still coughing and rubbing his eyes, Roland saw Yiski with a still firm grasp of his arm. Yiski coughed a few more times. When the tar cleared, the man had vanished.
[Yiski]
"You good?"
[Roland]
"Ugh... I can still feel the tar in my lungs."
[Yiski]
"Good enough."
[Roland]
*cough* "What just happened?"
[Yiski]
"That's what I want to know."
[Roland]
"How did you find me? I mean, I could not have been considered missing."
[Yiski]
"Look around."
Yiski made a hand gesture in the air and Roland caught a glance of a few figures before disappearing. Roland looked at Yiski with a confused expression.
[Yiski]
"Lance."
Roland simply blinked. While he wanted to inquire, he knew he would get little of any details of their dealings. At this point, Roland seemed to have calmed down and took a look around of their location.
[Roland]
"How are we getting back?"
Just as the question ended, three military vehicles pulled around and stopped at a distance from the charred explosion. About fifteen soldiers exited and formed a perimeter around the two. Roland turned to Yiski who had a smirk on his face.
[Sergeant]
"Area secured!"
[Lieutenant]
"Sir? Are you okay?"
[Yiski]
"We're fine. And don't call me 'sir'. I'm civilian."
[Lieutenant]
"All due respect, sir, we're aware of who you are and your affiliations."
[Yiski]
"Doesn't mean you call me sir."
[Lieutenant]
"By order, sir. Please allow us to escort you. We need a debrief of the situation.
Yiski sighed and Roland could help but internally laugh. The two entered a vehicle and headed off back inside the city.
-------
A/N: I'll be honest, I don't know where exactly I'm going with this. The scenario popped in my head and I kinda figured I needed to put it down. If this doesn't quite fit into the whole mesh of things, blame Shink.
20
The Pit / Re: What do you blame Shinkurex for?
« on: April 07, 2014, 09:42:32 am »
I blame Shink for teaching his son to blame me.
21
The Pit / Re: What do you blame Shinkurex for?
« on: March 24, 2014, 02:35:06 pm »
I blame Shink for the one-year anniversary of this thread.
Happy Blame Shink Day everyone!
Happy Blame Shink Day everyone!
22
The Pit / Re: What do you blame Shinkurex for?
« on: March 10, 2014, 11:30:23 pm »
I blame Shink for getting featured on the newsletter.
23
The Cantina / Re: The Skies have no Limit
« on: March 07, 2014, 11:54:33 pm »
--Crimson Skies Saloon--
Lauren and Yiski were busy operating the saloon. Even though the sun was at high noon, there never seemed to be a point where the saloon was not always filled to capacity. Surprisingly, the location of the saloon did very little to attract the constant river of pedestrians, guards, merchants, blue collars, and tourists. Like all new businesses, it had to get patrons by the old word of mouth. Initially, nothing made the Crimson Skies stand out from the many other bars and saloons in the giant capital. That all changed once Roland decided to take after his second father and brew whatever did not blow up (which were rare).
At first, those that passed by the saloon were frightened and those who regularly passed took extra steps to go different routes. Then came the brave patrons who did speak of the variety of brews. Soon, more curious souls ventured in just to see what new and strange brews were on tap. Eventually, the saloon's popularity grew and those who lived on the outskirts of the capital went out of their way to visit.
Since Yiski's return from his 'vacation', the saloon's popularity hit another spike. Those who once frequented Anvala felt a shiver of joy run down when word the Hellfire had been revived in Chang-ning. Now the Crimson Skies Saloon boast (and rightfully so) the largest varieties of custom created rums, whiskies, bourbons, ales, beers, ciders, and a few brews which are impossible to categorize.
Because of the saloon's popularity, Roland, Lauren, and Yiski had to hire full-time staff, something which still baffled Yiski to this day.
Yiski was taking a small breather in the back. He was leaning back in a chair with his eyes staring into the ceiling. Yiski closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
[Lauren]
"Tired?"
Yiski opens an eye to see Lauren standing over his. He smiles and tries to lean up to get a kiss in... only to have the chair slip out from under him and having his back slam into the ground. Lauren holds her hand up to her mouth to stifle a laugh.
[Yiski]
*sigh* "Damn.... can't catch a break can I?"
Just before Lauren can answer, Hiro, one of the saloon's full time bartenders, enters.
[Hiro]
"Um... boss? Do we have any more Hellfire barrels?"
[Yiski]
"You know we always have an extra supply of five barrels."
[Hiro]
"I know that boss, but... um.... we've seemed to have gone through those.... since yesterday."
[Yiski]
"Did you and the others remind me to re-brew?"
Hiro started scrambling for words and before Yiski could start yelling at him, Lauren jumped in to rescue Hiro.
[Lauren]
"Just head back out and tell everyone it's out. We'll deal with that later."
[Hiro]
"Um... right.... I'll go do that... Uh... sorry to bother you boss."
Hiro exits the back, leaving Yiski to let out another heavy sigh.
[Lauren]
"You plan on getting up?"
[Yiski]
"Dunno. Kinda got comfortable now."
Lauren rolls her eyes and Yiski, reluctantly, decides to get up. He pats himself off and looks to the clock. It's been two hours since Roland left. A brief moment of worry came over Yiski's face which caught Lauren's attention.
[Lauren]
"You worried about our son?"
[Yiski]
"Can you blame me, knowing those bastards are still operatin'?"
Lauren then notices an idea struck Yiski. He looks to her with a smug expression. Lauren simply wore an expression of worry and confusion. Lauren knew Yiski would do one of two things: Grab his rifle and head out, or make a radio call and then grab his rifle and head out.
First thing Yiski does is grabs his rifle which get a sigh out of Lauren.
[Lauren]
'Looks like we doing this ourselves.... wait.... what's that?'
Yiski then grabs a knife off a nearby table and jams it into the stock of his rifle. After a little fidgeting with the knife, a cover comes off the side stock to reveal a small note. Yiski takes the note out, replaces the cover, and places his rifle back.
[Lauren]
"What do you have there?"
Yiski answered as he walked toward the radio room.
[Yiski]
"Something just in case I lived this long. Dear, would you mind and shut the door behind you? Don't need any curious employee wandering in here."
Lauren nodded and shut the door behind them. Once at the radio, Yiski unfolded the note and started changing the frequency nobs. A few moments passed when Yiski did not do anything. Then Yiski starts tapping the microphone in what seemed to be Morse code. Then....
[??]
"I was wondering if I was going to hear from you again."
[Yiski]
"Yeah, really didn't want to make this call, but you know."
[??]
"Am I to assume you'll be coming by?"
At first, Lauren thought she knew the voice. Then it hit her. It was Lance.
[Yiski]
"No, not this time. I need you to look into something and watch over some of my family."
[Lance]
"It wouldn't happen to be your son and daughter-in-law, would it?"
[Yiski]
"Always ahead of current, aren't you?"
[Lance]
"It's now I survive and make a living. So what is it you need to know?"
[Yiski]
"Ny-Lee's deployment."
[Lance]
"Ah... now that is an interesting piece of information. While I'll charge my old rate to watch your kids, this info will come at a higher price."
[Yiski]
"If your account's still the same, you'll see the payment sooner given my location."
[Lance]
"Very good. Well, it seem your daughter had been tasked with a negotiation with the Guild."
[Yiski]
"What?! You have anything else?"
[Lance]
"Consequently, no. Since their main base of operations were taken out, the groups been quiet. Well, that is until these recent events."
[Yiski]
"You're tellin' me. Anyways, I need you to provide overwatch on Ny and trackers on Roland."
[Lance]
"Understood. Those assets will be in place within my usual time frame. And for the record, it's good to see you're still alive."
At the end of the sentence, the signal goes bad and static fills the room. Yiski scrambles the frequency nobs before shutting of the radio.
[Lauren]
"Overwatch and trackers?"
[Yiski]
"Overwatch will provide eyes on Ny and intervene when necessary. Tracker will only keep tabs on Roland."
[Lauren]
"Why not put overwatch on Roland too?"
[Yiski]
"Because, if they try to mess with my son, I'm gonna beat the life out of them."
Yiski stands up and opens the door, and the murmurs of the room are filled with the roars coming from the main floor.
[Lauren]
"You think it'll be enough."
[Yiski]
"It'll have to. I'm gettin' too old for this."
Lauren and Yiski were busy operating the saloon. Even though the sun was at high noon, there never seemed to be a point where the saloon was not always filled to capacity. Surprisingly, the location of the saloon did very little to attract the constant river of pedestrians, guards, merchants, blue collars, and tourists. Like all new businesses, it had to get patrons by the old word of mouth. Initially, nothing made the Crimson Skies stand out from the many other bars and saloons in the giant capital. That all changed once Roland decided to take after his second father and brew whatever did not blow up (which were rare).
At first, those that passed by the saloon were frightened and those who regularly passed took extra steps to go different routes. Then came the brave patrons who did speak of the variety of brews. Soon, more curious souls ventured in just to see what new and strange brews were on tap. Eventually, the saloon's popularity grew and those who lived on the outskirts of the capital went out of their way to visit.
Since Yiski's return from his 'vacation', the saloon's popularity hit another spike. Those who once frequented Anvala felt a shiver of joy run down when word the Hellfire had been revived in Chang-ning. Now the Crimson Skies Saloon boast (and rightfully so) the largest varieties of custom created rums, whiskies, bourbons, ales, beers, ciders, and a few brews which are impossible to categorize.
Because of the saloon's popularity, Roland, Lauren, and Yiski had to hire full-time staff, something which still baffled Yiski to this day.
Yiski was taking a small breather in the back. He was leaning back in a chair with his eyes staring into the ceiling. Yiski closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
[Lauren]
"Tired?"
Yiski opens an eye to see Lauren standing over his. He smiles and tries to lean up to get a kiss in... only to have the chair slip out from under him and having his back slam into the ground. Lauren holds her hand up to her mouth to stifle a laugh.
[Yiski]
*sigh* "Damn.... can't catch a break can I?"
Just before Lauren can answer, Hiro, one of the saloon's full time bartenders, enters.
[Hiro]
"Um... boss? Do we have any more Hellfire barrels?"
[Yiski]
"You know we always have an extra supply of five barrels."
[Hiro]
"I know that boss, but... um.... we've seemed to have gone through those.... since yesterday."
[Yiski]
"Did you and the others remind me to re-brew?"
Hiro started scrambling for words and before Yiski could start yelling at him, Lauren jumped in to rescue Hiro.
[Lauren]
"Just head back out and tell everyone it's out. We'll deal with that later."
[Hiro]
"Um... right.... I'll go do that... Uh... sorry to bother you boss."
Hiro exits the back, leaving Yiski to let out another heavy sigh.
[Lauren]
"You plan on getting up?"
[Yiski]
"Dunno. Kinda got comfortable now."
Lauren rolls her eyes and Yiski, reluctantly, decides to get up. He pats himself off and looks to the clock. It's been two hours since Roland left. A brief moment of worry came over Yiski's face which caught Lauren's attention.
[Lauren]
"You worried about our son?"
[Yiski]
"Can you blame me, knowing those bastards are still operatin'?"
Lauren then notices an idea struck Yiski. He looks to her with a smug expression. Lauren simply wore an expression of worry and confusion. Lauren knew Yiski would do one of two things: Grab his rifle and head out, or make a radio call and then grab his rifle and head out.
First thing Yiski does is grabs his rifle which get a sigh out of Lauren.
[Lauren]
'Looks like we doing this ourselves.... wait.... what's that?'
Yiski then grabs a knife off a nearby table and jams it into the stock of his rifle. After a little fidgeting with the knife, a cover comes off the side stock to reveal a small note. Yiski takes the note out, replaces the cover, and places his rifle back.
[Lauren]
"What do you have there?"
Yiski answered as he walked toward the radio room.
[Yiski]
"Something just in case I lived this long. Dear, would you mind and shut the door behind you? Don't need any curious employee wandering in here."
Lauren nodded and shut the door behind them. Once at the radio, Yiski unfolded the note and started changing the frequency nobs. A few moments passed when Yiski did not do anything. Then Yiski starts tapping the microphone in what seemed to be Morse code. Then....
[??]
"I was wondering if I was going to hear from you again."
[Yiski]
"Yeah, really didn't want to make this call, but you know."
[??]
"Am I to assume you'll be coming by?"
At first, Lauren thought she knew the voice. Then it hit her. It was Lance.
[Yiski]
"No, not this time. I need you to look into something and watch over some of my family."
[Lance]
"It wouldn't happen to be your son and daughter-in-law, would it?"
[Yiski]
"Always ahead of current, aren't you?"
[Lance]
"It's now I survive and make a living. So what is it you need to know?"
[Yiski]
"Ny-Lee's deployment."
[Lance]
"Ah... now that is an interesting piece of information. While I'll charge my old rate to watch your kids, this info will come at a higher price."
[Yiski]
"If your account's still the same, you'll see the payment sooner given my location."
[Lance]
"Very good. Well, it seem your daughter had been tasked with a negotiation with the Guild."
[Yiski]
"What?! You have anything else?"
[Lance]
"Consequently, no. Since their main base of operations were taken out, the groups been quiet. Well, that is until these recent events."
[Yiski]
"You're tellin' me. Anyways, I need you to provide overwatch on Ny and trackers on Roland."
[Lance]
"Understood. Those assets will be in place within my usual time frame. And for the record, it's good to see you're still alive."
At the end of the sentence, the signal goes bad and static fills the room. Yiski scrambles the frequency nobs before shutting of the radio.
[Lauren]
"Overwatch and trackers?"
[Yiski]
"Overwatch will provide eyes on Ny and intervene when necessary. Tracker will only keep tabs on Roland."
[Lauren]
"Why not put overwatch on Roland too?"
[Yiski]
"Because, if they try to mess with my son, I'm gonna beat the life out of them."
Yiski stands up and opens the door, and the murmurs of the room are filled with the roars coming from the main floor.
[Lauren]
"You think it'll be enough."
[Yiski]
"It'll have to. I'm gettin' too old for this."
24
The Pit / Re: What do you blame Shinkurex for?
« on: March 07, 2014, 10:50:44 pm »
I blame Shink for not finding something to blame him for since the last post.
25
The Cantina / Re: The Skies have no Limit
« on: March 05, 2014, 11:57:34 pm »
--Crimson Skies Saloon--
The day started just as it has always done. Roland was unusually slow to rise and rubbed his eyes in a vain effort to fight off the early light. He quickly took in his surroundings and realized two things: First, he was in the saloon. Second, his wife wasn't with him.
[Roland]
'Where is Ny? Wait.... she did say she had to ship out again today. Or was it yesterday?'
Not remembering his wife had already departed, Roland splashed some water on his face at the nearby water basin and headed downstairs in the vain hope to see the Comet still docked.
[Yiski]
"Look who's awake now, huh?"
[Roland]
"Father, you cannot blame me for being tired from my trip and to what I came back to, do you?"
[Yiski]
"Heh, I guess things did get a bit out of hand right before closing?"
[Lauren]
"That's an understatement. You just had to triple the reward. You're lucky the authorities didn't haul you off as well with all along with half of the patrons passed out and the other half wandering around drunk off their arse."
Yiski turned to Lauren and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck before turning back to Roland. The events of last night are in large part as to why Roland has forgotten his wife's immediate departure. Take Yiski's brews, add patrons, add stupid challenges and bets for stupid amounts of gold and you get... well... imagination is a wonderful tool now is it not?
[Yiski]
"Now that I think about it, where's my daughter-in-law? Kinda figured she'd of shown up by now."
[Roland]
"Well, Ny said she had to leave today for another trip of sorts, though I do not know the purpose. I was going to head down to the docks to see whether or not she had left yet."
[Lauren]
"Ah, then you'd better hurry. Don't let your father hold you up any longer."
[Roland]
"Right. I will return soon father... mo.. er... Lauren."
Before Yiski could say anything on the slip, Roland quickly made his way out and into the ever busy capital. Yiski turned to his wife who wore a concerned expression. He walked over and gave her a hug and light peck on her cheek.
[Yiski]
"You're just gonna have to give him a little more time. You know?"
[Lauren]
*sigh* "I know..."
--En route--
Even in the early hours, Chang-ning always seemed to be packed and busy with all sorts of activity. Even after living in the city for some time now, Roland still could not get over how rapidly the daily scene could change. One day, there are open markets selling an assortment of merchandise and goods, and within hours the same space could be used to hold open auctions, from selling scrap to galleons.
In his haste, however, Roland neglects some lessons which Yiski had taught him over the years while in Anvala. One of the most important lessons: Noticing when you are being followed.
[Saull]
"Report. Where is the secondary moving?"
[Agent]
"Toward the docks currently. Nothing noticeable in his behavior."
[Saull]
"Continue surveillance."
--Docks--
It took Roland a good few minutes to reach the docks where he knew the Comet was docked. Upon reaching where the Comet had made port, Roland noticed another ship had taken its spot. Confused, Roland found a dockhand.
[Roland]
"Pardon. Did the Comet get relocated or has it already departed?
[Worker]
"Comet? Sorry pal, we get a lot of orders and right now we're dealing with a large unloading order."
[Roland]
"I understand. Sorry to bother you."
Roland gave a polite wave to the deckhand before exiting port. Unsure of the situation, Roland decides to hail a carriage.
Destination: Zhao Manor.
The day started just as it has always done. Roland was unusually slow to rise and rubbed his eyes in a vain effort to fight off the early light. He quickly took in his surroundings and realized two things: First, he was in the saloon. Second, his wife wasn't with him.
[Roland]
'Where is Ny? Wait.... she did say she had to ship out again today. Or was it yesterday?'
Not remembering his wife had already departed, Roland splashed some water on his face at the nearby water basin and headed downstairs in the vain hope to see the Comet still docked.
[Yiski]
"Look who's awake now, huh?"
[Roland]
"Father, you cannot blame me for being tired from my trip and to what I came back to, do you?"
[Yiski]
"Heh, I guess things did get a bit out of hand right before closing?"
[Lauren]
"That's an understatement. You just had to triple the reward. You're lucky the authorities didn't haul you off as well with all along with half of the patrons passed out and the other half wandering around drunk off their arse."
Yiski turned to Lauren and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck before turning back to Roland. The events of last night are in large part as to why Roland has forgotten his wife's immediate departure. Take Yiski's brews, add patrons, add stupid challenges and bets for stupid amounts of gold and you get... well... imagination is a wonderful tool now is it not?
[Yiski]
"Now that I think about it, where's my daughter-in-law? Kinda figured she'd of shown up by now."
[Roland]
"Well, Ny said she had to leave today for another trip of sorts, though I do not know the purpose. I was going to head down to the docks to see whether or not she had left yet."
[Lauren]
"Ah, then you'd better hurry. Don't let your father hold you up any longer."
[Roland]
"Right. I will return soon father... mo.. er... Lauren."
Before Yiski could say anything on the slip, Roland quickly made his way out and into the ever busy capital. Yiski turned to his wife who wore a concerned expression. He walked over and gave her a hug and light peck on her cheek.
[Yiski]
"You're just gonna have to give him a little more time. You know?"
[Lauren]
*sigh* "I know..."
--En route--
Even in the early hours, Chang-ning always seemed to be packed and busy with all sorts of activity. Even after living in the city for some time now, Roland still could not get over how rapidly the daily scene could change. One day, there are open markets selling an assortment of merchandise and goods, and within hours the same space could be used to hold open auctions, from selling scrap to galleons.
In his haste, however, Roland neglects some lessons which Yiski had taught him over the years while in Anvala. One of the most important lessons: Noticing when you are being followed.
[Saull]
"Report. Where is the secondary moving?"
[Agent]
"Toward the docks currently. Nothing noticeable in his behavior."
[Saull]
"Continue surveillance."
--Docks--
It took Roland a good few minutes to reach the docks where he knew the Comet was docked. Upon reaching where the Comet had made port, Roland noticed another ship had taken its spot. Confused, Roland found a dockhand.
[Roland]
"Pardon. Did the Comet get relocated or has it already departed?
[Worker]
"Comet? Sorry pal, we get a lot of orders and right now we're dealing with a large unloading order."
[Roland]
"I understand. Sorry to bother you."
Roland gave a polite wave to the deckhand before exiting port. Unsure of the situation, Roland decides to hail a carriage.
Destination: Zhao Manor.
26
The Pit / Re: The Skies have no Limit Discussion
« on: March 05, 2014, 11:28:09 pm »
Fair enough. I can still work with that.
27
The Pit / Re: The Skies have no Limit Discussion
« on: March 05, 2014, 11:14:43 pm »
Question: Does Roland know Ny-Lee left for Guild negotiations?
If not, then I have a post in mind.
If not, then I have a post in mind.
28
The Cantina / Re: The Skies have no Limit
« on: February 20, 2014, 09:34:42 am »
-Chang-ning, Yesha-
After Shen's departure to the capital and his wife's follow up meetings with military officials, Roland decided to head off towards the saloon. Part of him wondered how worried Yiski had been since he and the others went off without so much a word. Another part wondered if the saloon was even still standing. Roland was more worried about the latter rather than the former.
After having one of the maids at the manor handle transportation, Roland soon found himself at the familiar sight of the Crimson Skies Saloon. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the place still stood.
[Roland]
'At least dad, didn't blow this place up.... yet.'
Roland entered the saloon and immediately noticed two things. First, the saloon was insanely packed. Sure, the saloon had a healthy number of patrons when the it first opened and grew steadily over the years, but never did he see the place nearly crowded like sardines. Second, the saloon had gone quite and all patrons eyes were on him. The only sounds Roland could hear was the city outside.
[Familiar Voice]
"Well, if it isn't the prodigal son!"
The voice was instantly recognizable as Yiski's as he made his way towards the entrance and gave Roland a long-awaited, body crushing hug. Once Yiski released, Roland was met by another, equally crushing, hug from Lauren.
[Roland]
"Good to be home dad and Lau... er... mom."
[Lauren]
*kisses Roland's cheek* "We missed you."
[Yiski]
"Good to see you're back in one piece. Where's my daughter at?"
[Roland]
"She's in a meeting with military officials. I think it is a debriefing of what we went through."
[Yiski]
"Huh.... I guess that's to be expected. Well, come on. I hope you didn't forget how to run a saloon."
[Lauren]
"And don't forget to tell us what happened while you were gone."
Over the next few hours, between handling all the patrons and making sure none of the stills were going to erupt, Roland recounted the adventure of rescuing Shen and Liu from the further remains of the Birdmen. Hearing that name again....
[Yiski]
"You're shittin' me? Them again?! These bastards keep poppin' up like roaches."
[Roland]
"Yes, it actually came to a surprise to all of us."
[Lauren]
"Good thing your father didn't know this, or he would have taken off after you immediately."
[Yiski]
"Damn right I would've. Which reminds me... why didn't you ever contact us about the incident?"
[Roland]
"I suppose the panic the kidnappings caused just made us react instinctively."
[Lauren]
*smirking* "Come on dear, be easy on him. After all he does take after both of his fathers."
Yiski sheepishly rubs the back of his neck.
[Yiski]
"Heh, I suppose he does."
The three share a small chuckle. Roland takes a short breath and looks back out towards the sea of patrons.
[Roland]
"Father."
[Yiski]
"Son."
[Roland]
"Why is the saloon so packed? I have never seen this."
[Yiski]
"Well.... I might've started re-brewin' White Steam Whiskey. And I might've started a bet that those who can resist its effect that they would get twenty gold coins."
Roland just stared at his father for a few moments.
[Yiski]
"Good news. Nobody's won yet and we're makin' lots of coin."
Roland sighed and gave a chuckle knowing full well nobody was ever going to win that bet. Even after some time away, it seems like nothing has changed.
After Shen's departure to the capital and his wife's follow up meetings with military officials, Roland decided to head off towards the saloon. Part of him wondered how worried Yiski had been since he and the others went off without so much a word. Another part wondered if the saloon was even still standing. Roland was more worried about the latter rather than the former.
After having one of the maids at the manor handle transportation, Roland soon found himself at the familiar sight of the Crimson Skies Saloon. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the place still stood.
[Roland]
'At least dad, didn't blow this place up.... yet.'
Roland entered the saloon and immediately noticed two things. First, the saloon was insanely packed. Sure, the saloon had a healthy number of patrons when the it first opened and grew steadily over the years, but never did he see the place nearly crowded like sardines. Second, the saloon had gone quite and all patrons eyes were on him. The only sounds Roland could hear was the city outside.
[Familiar Voice]
"Well, if it isn't the prodigal son!"
The voice was instantly recognizable as Yiski's as he made his way towards the entrance and gave Roland a long-awaited, body crushing hug. Once Yiski released, Roland was met by another, equally crushing, hug from Lauren.
[Roland]
"Good to be home dad and Lau... er... mom."
[Lauren]
*kisses Roland's cheek* "We missed you."
[Yiski]
"Good to see you're back in one piece. Where's my daughter at?"
[Roland]
"She's in a meeting with military officials. I think it is a debriefing of what we went through."
[Yiski]
"Huh.... I guess that's to be expected. Well, come on. I hope you didn't forget how to run a saloon."
[Lauren]
"And don't forget to tell us what happened while you were gone."
Over the next few hours, between handling all the patrons and making sure none of the stills were going to erupt, Roland recounted the adventure of rescuing Shen and Liu from the further remains of the Birdmen. Hearing that name again....
[Yiski]
"You're shittin' me? Them again?! These bastards keep poppin' up like roaches."
[Roland]
"Yes, it actually came to a surprise to all of us."
[Lauren]
"Good thing your father didn't know this, or he would have taken off after you immediately."
[Yiski]
"Damn right I would've. Which reminds me... why didn't you ever contact us about the incident?"
[Roland]
"I suppose the panic the kidnappings caused just made us react instinctively."
[Lauren]
*smirking* "Come on dear, be easy on him. After all he does take after both of his fathers."
Yiski sheepishly rubs the back of his neck.
[Yiski]
"Heh, I suppose he does."
The three share a small chuckle. Roland takes a short breath and looks back out towards the sea of patrons.
[Roland]
"Father."
[Yiski]
"Son."
[Roland]
"Why is the saloon so packed? I have never seen this."
[Yiski]
"Well.... I might've started re-brewin' White Steam Whiskey. And I might've started a bet that those who can resist its effect that they would get twenty gold coins."
Roland just stared at his father for a few moments.
[Yiski]
"Good news. Nobody's won yet and we're makin' lots of coin."
Roland sighed and gave a chuckle knowing full well nobody was ever going to win that bet. Even after some time away, it seems like nothing has changed.
29
The Pit / Re: The Skies have no Limit Discussion
« on: February 19, 2014, 04:55:35 pm »
Bdrline, where's Roland during this return? Thinking about making the rare, once-in-a-blue-moon post.
30
The Cantina / Reunion
« on: February 17, 2014, 08:26:27 pm »- ONE YEAR AFTER DYNASTY -
Since the start of the Age of Dynasty, guilds are now the main driving force for much of the world’s economy. Some guilds deal solely with trade. Others may provide protection to those traveling through areas once guarded by the major factions, but now overrun with bandits and their ilk. Others still make a living organizing raids on towns or well-traveled trade routes, or lend their services to the major factions for jobs of a low key nature. Whatever needs one could come up with, there is always a guild willing to fill that need. However, not all guilds are prosperous and fall victim to various circumstances. Those members lucky enough to survive are able to find a living elsewhere. The not-so-lucky are a part of a growing number of airship graveyards scattered across the world. This is a tale of a lucky one.
The Northern Air Fleet (NAF) has had a nice reputation since before the Age of Dynasty. Operating within the Anglean Republic, NAF enjoyed the work provided by the Republic’s government and by the local governances, mostly in the form of mercenary work. Despite being considered one of the smaller guilds, its size allowed for efficient management. Add to it their veteran crew aboard a wide assortment of airships under their flag, and would-be bandits are soon cursing NAF’s name.
All of this changed when entering the Age of Dynasty. The Republic was now concentrating its military forces for the purpose of raiding other factions’ ships far beyond the Republic’s grasp. This in turn made most of the contracts given out by the Republic, and local towns, raid missions. While NAF could easily take on the common bandits, hitting foreign faction trade ships called for more power than the clan had available. In addition, with the sudden drop of the Republic’s fleet, there were increased raids within the Republic’s borders which also threatened NAF.
With the ever increasing worry of dissolution, or worse, destruction by a large bandit raid, Lehran calls for a meeting with his closest officers to discuss the future of the guild aboard the NAF’s goldfish Flagship Razgriz docked in Tamblair. Aboard the Leviathan, the men meet within the commander’s quarters. They are seated at a spacious table with papers ranging from the local news, to finance reports and bandit sightings.
[Lehran]
“I assume you know why I called this meeting today?”
The question is met by unanimous nods around the table. Starting from Lehran’s left is Metal Man, Norwegian Wolf, and Null.
[Lehran]
“Good. As we all know, recent events have put a strain on our operations. We’re in danger of going into the red or worse. I’ve called this meeting in order to find out how you feel about our situation.”
[Metal]
“Frankly, I’m surprised we lasted this long. Would have thought by now those bandits would’ve done us in.”
[Null]
“Good thing for you that I managed to keep us alive.”
[Wolf]
“Lehran, why can’t we just become a part of the Republic’s fleet? Sure, they’re a bit thick-headed, but wouldn’t that solve our problems?”
[Lehran]
“Short-term yes. Long-term no. Joining the Republic would help, but then we’d pick up the Republic’s reputation of being aggressive raiders and would probably be shot at immediately if we ever leave Republic airspace.”
[Wolf]
“Right…”
[Metal]
“Then I suppose you have a solution in mind?”
[Lehran]
“I do. I suggest we incorporate ourselves into Zill’s Merry Men.”
Lehran’s suggestion is met with silence. At first, Lehran was expecting the worst, but noticed that each of their expressions meant that they were seriously considering the option. A year ago, Lehran would have never dreamed of giving up his clan to another, but those were different times. Lehran and NAF in general were also on good terms with many of the Merry Men’s higher ups, occasionally teaming up for joint missions or being loaned a few members. Though initially wary of MM’s reputation for pirating, Lehran eventually saw MM as a jack-of-all-trades type of guild. Lehran’s train of thought broke when Wolf spoke.
[Wolf]
“I’m not too fond of the idea, but given their resources and connections, I don’t have much reason to oppose it either.”
[Metal]
“I’m okay with this.”
[Null]
“Same here.”
The group looked at one another before all giving a nod as to reaffirm their decision. The three looked to Lehran who nodded back.
[Lehran]
“Well, it looks like that’s settled. All we need to do now is…..”
*KNOCK KNOCK*
[Lehran]
*Chuckling* “I swear his timing seems almost impeccable.”
The door to the commander’s quarter was opened and within the doorway stood Zill. He was flanked by Shinkurex and Yiski. Suffice it to say, everyone, except for Lehran, was surprised those three would make their way across the world to see them. Zill took a look at their confused faces and smirked underneath his eternal mask.
[Zill]
“Hope we’re not late.”
[Lehran]
“You’re a little early actually.”
[Yiski]
“Kinda surprised. Thought all the extra ice we gained was going to slow us down.”
[Zill]
“Probably didn’t help that Shink’s spire caught the attention of every single murder-loving bandit.”
[Shink]
“Not my fault.”
[Everyone]
“Yeah it is.”
[Zill]
“So did you guys decide already?”
[Lehran]
“We did. Here’s hoping you’ll have us.”
[Zill]
“Of course. Having a few extra ships and men always helps. Even better when they’re friends.”
[Yiski]
“I suppose celebrations are in order then? We brought some of my brews with us. And before I forget, I’ve got some gifts for your ships.”
[Metal]
“What kind of gifts?”
Yiski didn’t reply. All he gave was a wide grin from ear to ear. While the new members of the Merry Men had confused expressions, Shinkurex and Zill knew full well what “gifts” Yiski brought.
All across the Republic, Anglean bandits were used to the extreme cold of Anglea, but they all suddenly felt a shiver of dread go down their spines.