Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Oceans on Fire (TM2: FINISHED)

The Exploding Sea was the most dangerous of all the oceans in the Open Blue, it had Islands with lush forest and jungle that exploded violently every four to five months, patches that were literally boiling and bubbling they were so hot from volcanic activity beneath, and because of him. Black Beard was the most notorious of all the pirates, and had the highest bounty of any in history. He had an assorting crew of Fish people, undead slaves, and even banished royalty. Everyone, even the Navy respected his sailing skills.

Around the world there were special pirates, people who's bounty exceeded Ten Million Silvers. There were only four of these pirates and they were known as the Four Pirate Lords of the Sea. Athens the Dragon Breather, Captain of the Candle Stick Pirates with a bounty of Thirteen Million Silvers. Clove the Ghost of the Sea, with Twelve Million Silvers she is a figure who has been said to be so mysterious anyone who finds out who she is she kills even if that person is on her crew. And Jolly Rro Rogers, also known as the Treasure Man with Seventeen Million Silvers.

But atop them sits him, Edward Thatch know as Black Beard. He is so feared he tells everyone where he is and dares that they come to contest him. Apart from his giant galley of a ship known as the Maynard's Spirit, he has a fortress on an Island called Shipwreck Island. It is a place where there is so much treasure only one other place in the world rivals it... The Garden of Dragons.

In myth and legend this is the graveyard for dragons since they have gone extinct. They say a single Dragon lives their guarding his ancestors scales, for once a dragon has been laid to rest on this island their scales turn to solid gold and the dragon soul ascends into the sky lands. This island is lost and only one crew has ever been there a crew that now rest at the bottom of the sea apart from their captain. Rro Rogers has the Treasure Map to this place tattooed on his chest, only he knows how to get there...

"Wake ya scabbers dogs!" Thatches voice rang threw the halls of his fortress, "We have a mark on the Treasure Man, he drinks at a pub on Fireball Island!" The seagulls crowed in the background hungry for any bread crumbs that may fall as the crew eats breakfast. "Prepare the Spirit for sailing, we capture Rogers alive, and take sail for the Garden of Dragons with him as our guide!!!" Men shout and rejoice, scouts had been searching for Rogers for almost a year now since he escaped from the Navy. It was time, time to truly cash in to the greatest treasure on the Open Blue!!!

Henry got up at the sound of his captains voice. Being his first mate he did as he was told if the captain said jump henry will say how high. If the captain say fight to the death henry will. He proved his worth to the captain many times in battle. Even Blacks first first mate had no chance in fighting henry now he is lying at the bottem of the sea with davey jones locker. The battle was good but henry suffered a long scar acrossed his face because of it but it didnt vothered him just reminded him not to let his victims get too close.. Henry was up on the deck in ten seconds and beside the captain."we will get him dont ye worry captain." henry said. He looked towards the island." may i have the honours of retreaiving him, captain."

Thatch laughed, "ye are exited I see." The pirate muttered, "but this is no regular Pirate... He is a pirate LORD..." As many knew each of the Pirate Lords had special powers, Athens could breathe and manipulate fire, and Rro could control people by bending the persons blood inside their body. "We both know Rogers could snap you neck in a split second if he saw you coming Henry." The captain looked out across his Island fortress, crew mates packed the ship swiftly for the voyage. "We need to be more clever then that if we are going to capture Rogers."

Smoke rolled off his beard, like all the Pirate Lords, he too had a power. Bullets passed right threw him, blades couldn't touch him. He was immortal and invincible all at once... That was, as long as he was dry. "I'm going to check on progress Henry, pack your things and meet me on deck in an hour!" The captains body became almost vapor like, as if he was just the smoke coming out of a freshly fired gun. Thatch in his smoke form drifted down towards the ship and re-materialized once on deck. "We cast at Noon! This ship isn't yet in order you wrecked land lubbers!!!"

Henry looked somewhat excited," how are we going to do that,captain" said henry. Henry was good at seeing into the far distance. And listening for traps and ambushes which saved the crew many times before. He also had great agility. He was train to be lile that from when he was a cub. "i dont like waiting for my pray to come into my hands. Its not wat i was taught by my mother. but i accept and understand your words captain. If we make nosies the pray will become wary and escape for awhile."

"When hunting elk, why use a puny pistol? Why not just burn the entire forest down and gather the meat from beneath your feet!!!" The bearded man laughed notoriously. "We burn Fireball island to the ground!!!" The island was a larger chunk of land and obviously couldn't all be burned away but the city could definitely be destroyed if a pirate such as Thatch wished it to be so. The City was on the western coast and with the size of Black Beard's brig it would take a week or two to sail that far and then around the island to the port view side.

The crew had just finished packing everything and the ship pushed out from the fortress that was Ship Wreck Island and headed for Fireball. At the helm Thatch looked over at his first mate, "did we load the barrels of Thatch Gas???" A special plant on the island let off these poisonous smoke like spores that on top of controlling his own smoke he could also manipulate this special poison gas. Thatch usually started off bigger battles by launching these barrels at his targets with large catapults on his ship. They he would launch himself over and kill everyone himself for the most part...

See pirates split into three main groups the people who loved treasure like Rro and Clove, the pirates who loved adventure like Athens, and then there were the pirates who loved to murder senselessly like Edward Thatch did. "Were going to smoke out the Red Dog and his crew of rats... Rogers doesn't stand a chance." Men worked as the sea sprayed across the deck, lights faded out of the sky and the earth was covered in the darkness that was night.

(OOC: Please, wait until Thatch posts again until you post Wayne. Thanks!))

Days later Rogers stood at the helm of his new ship, it sat in the port of Fireball Bay. He had sent Hiro to gather his two other crew members, "I can feel your heart beat..." He hadn't felt her blood patterns in such a long while. She had been his lover in the past and his first mate, but his greed had destroyed their love. He hadn't loved anyone since, no one. Rogers didn't even remember what it felt like to be loved of feel love for another, he only loved adventure... and gold. "I half expected you to save me from the hangman's noose that time, almost a years ago..."

The ironic truth was if she hadn't left when she did, her body would be at the bottom of Davy Jones locker like the rest of his crew that were slaughtered by that damn Navy Admiral. Not Admiral Thorne, he was just a pawn of sorts. Trained by Fleet Admiral Masterson, the only one who could have taken him down. But Rro had killed the admiral as soon as Masterson had given the order to sink the Cannonball Jack... Roger's previous pirate ship. The only thing good about all of that was that she hadn't been on it.

"I hear your working with Black Beard now, does he want the map?" Rogers asked. The Garden of Dragon's was the home to the single greatest treasure of all time. Golden statues of fallen dragons, scales of solid gold, and gems of a thousand kingdoms hoarded in one place. If you had stayed you would have gotten to see it, you would know where it is darling, you would have seen it..." His shirt opened revealing the tattoo of the map, but it faded before any details could be picked out, "but you'd also be dead."

But as he turned around the figure vanished into the port and thick clouds rolled over the sea. He could feel it in his lungs, Thatch was coming. He turned to greet his crew, five hard working ship writes walked on board, Pirro a small fuzzy man, Oslo a bearon, Lyle and Kingston two men and then Azos the shark man. "Now where are Icias, Hiro, Griffon, and the girl..." Of course he meant Iveth, but he was hoping she would stick to the Island, but it wasn't a big deal if she came along. She was a great pirate...

During the few months Clove stuck with Griffon though every second of it she wished to be on her ship, which was unfortunately destroyed. Nonetheless, the treasure they all were after would guarantee that she could afford another one along with some interests. If Griffon wasn't at least battle ready by now Iveth would have no complication leaving him behind. He was only a story teller, and she didn't care much for her story to be told. Her plan was to remain incognito until she retired from her action packed life with not a single trail leading up to her identity. Eventually all present stories of her would turn to myths or perhaps they already were. Despite that it hasn't been troublesome so far she had to be more cautious around Griffon. In case he wanted to indulge himself in her story. Rro may not like it, but if the storyteller found himself comfortable with questions she'd more than likely toss him overboard.

As of now Iveth was making her way back after checking up on the new ship every so often just to keep sharp eye on Rro. It was about time they leave. She was growing sick of the island day by day, each passing hour boring her into the ground. Everything was much more interesting out on sea where she'd much rather be that amongst the everyday people with their everyday duties. After having nearly been swallowed by a Rex she couldn't possibly revert back to this hackneyed way of living.

It wasn't long before Hiro managed to catch up to Iveth on the island. He ran down the streets restlessly until he found her. With ever person he passed, he contemplated how his Blood Art techniques would work on them once Ro taught him to push his limits beyond control of only the smaller animals. Still, he did eventually meet Iveth.

"Hey!" he called to her. "Rogers Sensei say it time to go. Where story man? We have no time to waste!"

It only took a couple months before Griffon was in fighting shape. Except for some scarring he had healed just fine. On his spare time he had worked for some coin, telling stories at local taverns and inns. He made enough to pay off his medical expenses, giving the good doctor that had watched over him a little extra, and enough for some equipment for the crew. The equipment, however, was a surprise.

Whistling a jovial tune, Griffon walked next to the cart operated by a temporary hired hand. As he approached the ship he waved up to Rro. "I come bearing gifts!" Yelled the storyteller. The cart came to a stop on the docks and Griffon began to go through it. It wasn't much of anything special. Dried foods, EXTRA ammo and gunpowder,and some medical supplies. He decided that, after the last few encounters, a good medical stock was very important.

"I spent a few months living cheaply and used what I saved to buy this," he called up. Then Griffon turned to the hired hand, handing him a silver, and told him to fetch Ortho. Griffon wanted to wish him well and make sure he was well off.

Griffon looked back up again as the help ran off. "Want to help me get this on board?"

Ortho was an odd case. He was one of the few Scrauser who has daily interactions with humans, and is also said to be one of the best doctors on his island. However, very few have actually seen any part of him outside his eyes. He keeps his long nose and ears under a veil when working with humans, and he wears strange gloves on his hands to obscure the lack of appendages he has. Currently, he was finishing up on another patient: it was the son of a random family. He was now talking to his parents.

"Okay, here is my recommendation," Ortho said, taking out a few leaves of some type of herb. "Grind one leaf into his supper every day until the symptoms disappear. If he doesn't get better by the time you run out of leaves, call me. If there is nothing else you need, I should be on my way. I wish I could stay and chat but I am a very busy scra... *cough* man, and I have a lot of patients to work with."

"Suddenly he walked out the door to the house of the family and the first thing he saw was a big ship through the clearing of the street. It was a pirate ship which used to belong to Admiral Sam Thorne, but was now owned by one of the pirate lords. Ortho has heard rumors that one of the members of their crew was a Scrauser he had worked on in the past. To add to that, another member was a recent patient of his: Griffon Pardoner.

Eventually, some man ran up to him. He seemed to want to talk to Ortho.

"Mr. Tusqor I presume?" the man said. "Griffon asked me to retrieve your time for a few. If you wish to oblige, would you come with me?"

Actually, Ortho didn't have any patients to work on today. With that in mind, he decided to accept.

"Very well," Ortho said. "I might as well on my free time, since I have no one to work on at the moment. However, I would appreciate it if he made my time worthwhile."

Ortho followed the man to find Griffon. As luck would have it, he was near the ship which wasn't far away. Ortho saw him and decided to make the first greeting.

"You requested my presence?" Ortho asked Griffon.

Rogers smiled, "good man Griffon," he approached the story teller and embraced the man for a hug. "have your men load these supplies quickly, a dark storm is coming..." Smoke clouds billowed from far away. Black beard was most definitely on his way. Rro watched Hiro and Iveth approach from the south, "welcome back to the crew miss Iveth," he nodded to Hiro for fetching her for him. But quickly shifted his attention elsewhere, to his new crew boarding the ship.

They were his old friend Icias's shipwrights, men who knew every in and out of not only ship maintenance, but ship repair as well. This way the ship could be repaired from a furious battle without having to make birth in a port. Forty crew members boarded the ship and the merchants scurried off as the men, wabbaloqs, bearons, and other species of crew took the supplies and began to stock the ship. "Icias still hasn't changed his mind about staying here??"

Crew mates shook their heads, their big boss, a polar bearon was going to stay behind with the other shipwrites and try to fight off Thatch. "Thats his choice I guess..." As everyone boarded Rogers noticed a doctor approach Griffon. For one thing they could use a doctor with as much fame as Dr. Tusqor, and secondly if he stayed and Thatch ripped threw the town, he would die. "Were casting off any moment, all hands on deck!!!"

Iveth boarded the new ship, her eyes tracing all the railings and the towering mast. If anything the ship looked durable, more durable than hers that was more equip for speed or stunts. Sadly, it was no more which leaves Rro captain of this new ship, not something she really favored, but it the entire point of this trip was for the treasure. Not for the sake of gold, but so she could purchase all the needed.

She was becoming used Rro's words being feigned. He'd might as well speak his mind and say 'Oh. You're back'. Nonetheless, she was back, replenished and was able to make a few tweeks to her crossbow. Alongside that she made a weapon that would come in handy no matter what the issue, however she only made one. If she were to use it it'd better be worth the use. It would've been nice to have it when she was trapped in the jaws of that damned Rex that planned on making a meal out of her.

Glancing over she caught sight of another Scrauser, one that wasn't Skyra though in the back if her mind she nearly hoped it was. Had it not been for the clothes she wouldn't have been able to tell them apart.

A new ship, a new adventure, and a new master to teach him new powers. Everything seemed too good to be true here, and of course it was.

If this new adventure was to be anything like the last, Hiro would have to face challenges that could very easily break him if he let them. He couldn't let that happen. He needed to be strong.

Strength. On the one hand, it sounded like a comforting word, something that would solve whatever he needed it to, and yet there was something else about it that began to feel meaningless. His lack of skill in common speak meant he couldn't talk about this to anyone on the ship. He grew to missed that Navy officer's official from the Blade Lands. Even if he was the enemy, he was someone he talk to without having to put forth great effort simply to be understood or to understand.

The dark storm comment rang a warning bell in Griffon's mind. "Of course, Captain Rro." With the runner returning, he gave him some more silvers and told him to get the supplies on the ship. Then he turned to Ortho, who had just arrived. "It's good to see you again. I wanted to wish you well before I departed on my next journey, but I wanted to wish you well. Now, however, I feel there may be a danger coming here. You went beyond what you were paid to do in your treatment of me, so join the crew and avoid this coming evil." He looked up at Rro, "I'm sure we could use a doctor on such a voyage."

Ortho doesn't usually get people to go to the lengths of calling them to their location. Still, this Griffon character seemed to have been especially grateful. Ortho did not mind that so much as he minded being told that they wanted him to join his crew.

"Huh? Join your crew?" Ortho asked. "Now what kind of reason would I have for that? If you have not noticed I am a very busy scrau... *ahem* man. Why do I keep thinking "scrauser?" Something is wrong with me today."

Still, Ortho thought about the Scrauser who was said to have belonged to this band of pirates. Deep down, he did want to know more about the Scrauser who used to belong to their crew. ...Of course he still wanted something in return. And unlike most Scrauser, Ortho actually valued money. He was not only a doctor, but he loved collecting old trinkets and eating exotic food. Maybe joining their crew wasn't a bad idea.

"Hmmmm... now I remember," Ortho mentioned. "I keep thinking "scrauser" because I've heard tails of one being aboard your ship. I suppose I wished to know more about this creature. As well, I do have a fancy for exotic food and artifacts. ...I might consider your offer after all."

It had been a week or so and the Maynard's Spirit let out its first wave of cannon blasts on the South Port of Fireball Island, though this was quite a ways away from Rro and his crew the smoke began to drift upward. "No prisoners ye sea swine!!!" An arrow was shot through the captains head, passing between his smokey complexion. "Someone has a death wish!" He looked over at his first mate and held up a single hand for him to stay, his time would come. The man then vanished into a shroom of thick black smoke filling the air with vapor tar.

The cloud quickly focused and headed straight for the archer and the smoke filled his lungs through his mouth and nose. Just then suddenly a sword torn out of the mans body in a spinning motion and the mans separated limbs flew in all sorts of directions. Smoke oozed from out of the bloodied body and formed Thatch once more, "So who here doesn't fear Black Beard???" The man laughed wiping blood from his sword. Because he was in smoke from inside the mans body he didn't get wet from the mans blood and there for wasn't weakened by his own attack.

"Arrow Crew, finish this pety village and make your way over the mountain to Fireball City," The captain yelled floating back over too his ship. "Barrel Crew and Catfish Crew return to the Maynard and sail to the other side of the island to flank Rro, I know he is still here!!!" Black beards crew was so large that he had four teams of thirty to forty men on each. Arrow Crew were archers mostly, Barrel Crew were the gunners, Catfish Crew were the swordsmen, and Doorman Crew were the defenders of the Shipwreck fortress.

Thatch usually only had two crews with him for attacks or raids like this, but when hunting a pirate lord, he wasn't going to underestimate the man with the second highest bounty on the seas. "Sail forward ladies," Thatch let out a malicious laugh and looked over at his wolf man mate, "ready to fight a real blood hound?"

The crew of ship writes and the four crew mates were the only people left on the ship, "we really could use a doctor, are you familiar with bullet removal and cut sewing?" He knew the answers before the small creature man even began to speak. More pressing matters were at hand, smoke began to billow on the other side of the island. A crew mate through him a bottle of Rum, "thanks mate," he took a sip and gestured to raise the anchor and push off.

"Open the sails and secure the top mast ropes above us," words from the blade country echoed from his voice. He hadn't used that language for a while, not since he left the blade lands but it seemed to comfort his apprentice so he decided to make Hiro a little more comfortable. Not only had he taught Hiro how to swim extremely well and manipulate blood of animals and weaker willed men, he had also tried to teach him about sailing and how to use his head in battle and not just his fists. It had been a long few months of training, but the boy was a fresh Dragon ready to adventure a new half of the world.

"I'd come aboard now doctor, it's now or never if you wish to venture to far off lands and the riches of said lands!" He smiled trying to convince the man with gold and glory instead of fear of death. "Doc Tusq was it?" The captain took another sip, "Your last chance is now..." Men hollered orders to one another and sails dropped turning the masts, wind filled the fabric and a nice warm breeze filled the ship like a rush of good energy. The gangplank began to waver a bit, the doctor had moments to decide."

Henry was on the railing of black beards ship awaiting his order from the captain. When it finally came he was ready." aye captain," he said then saluted to his captain. Henry always hunted on his own for the pirates that his captain wainted but this time black beard told him to take the best of the crew cause this pirate i wont be able to take on himself. "alright ye barnicals time to go hunting,"

Iveth inwardly frowned in hearing that the new member was indeed a doctor when they could've used one ages ago. One to aid her leg and one to take care of the bleeding after she cut out Rro's tongue. A doctor would've been of great use, and now that they had one they could afford a few injuries along the remaining journey. Oddly, she felt as though this one would be longer than the last and she was surprised that they were no longer being followed despite that there were two pirate lords on board, unbeknownst to the crew. If not after her, which she doubted anyone was, there had to be someone trailing Rro. There was always someone. Of course she hardly cared if by some chance they were held up because of his bounty. She wouldn't burden herself with the conflict.

As the sails began to rise and bloom Iveth took it upon herself to climb her way up to the crow's nest where she her sight had no limits. Has she not had the habit of climbing it would've left her arms with a strain, but all that was bothered was her knee, the very one she had injured months before. Because of it she didn't reach the zenith as quick as she would have liked, nevertheless in the end the crow's nest is where she ended up. Glancing down, everyone else looked nothing more than pesky little vermin with their constant motion across the deck. While everyone else was doing they're part Iveth would avoid taking any tasks from Rro and trouble herself with nothing more than scrutinizing over the area.

Hiro had cornered a rat on a distant corner of the ship. The boy used full arm motions to manipulate the rat's movements, making it step awkwardly here and there.

Once he got bored of the rat, he instead moved his attentions to some of the larger bodies on the ship, in particular Iveth. She was familiar, she had some of the weaker muscles, she would have the least power to resist should Hiro lift his hand and pull her blood this way and that.

Hiro did lift his hand to the woman, and ever from across the ship, he could feel her moisture, the droplets he had the power to manipulate. But no matter how hard he tried, no matter how hard he concentrated, he couldn't get as much as a finger to twitch the way he wanted it.

He dropped his concentration. Perhaps more training would get him to where he needed to be.