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Kwatchi

[SR-FB1] - May '18 - Meanwhile in Bastion...

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May 29, 618: Red Bloom Public House, Bastion

Captain Rajput! It has been an age since the Golden Calf put into Bastion.  The last I heard, you had been working the East Prio Sea.  What brings you back here?

Willard my good man, it has been a long time.  I must confess I had not planned on making port here at all.  But I have been at sea far too long and needed to slake my thirst.  Take my coin and pour some of the good brandy and I'll tell you a tale that still has me perplexed.

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Ahhhh.  We ran out of rum not a week ago, so this soothing drink was a long time in coming.  But to my story...

First off, let me state that I have been making my berth in Charlatan Bay these last few months.  It lies close to the shipping lanes out of the eastern colonies, and even with the Mad Bishop dead and the city under marshal law by the occupying Mardieran Navy, us enterprising buccaneers were given free rein.  The Mardieran officer in charge knew full well he could not counter a rebellion by all the black flag captains, so he turned a blind eye as long as their shipping was safe and the odd coin found its way into his pocket.   While it was not as easy as things were before (it is hard to make a go of piracy these days), we still managed to pull in enough to get by. 

Then the volcano erupted.

The rumbling started as we left port on the first of the month and we could see the smoke and ash rising still after being a day out to sea.  Now Charlatan Bay is on the far side of the island, so while I was sure the quaking would loosen some clay roof tiles, I doubted the lava flows would reach it. Some of the crew were concerned for favourite wenches left behind, so we were a bit apprehensive on what we'd encounter on our return.  We all would have guessed wrong.

As we made our way down the northwestern coast line, it was a scene like hell itself had risen from the depths.  The ash was as thick as fog, and rivers of flame flowed into the ocean were it spat and boiled like a thrashing beast.  About a league before we were to make our turn into the bay, we came across the Tiger Shark; Captain Redgrave's ship.  They had been shot to ribbons and were so holed I thought it a miracle they were still afloat.  We hailed them and came in close for news.  Redgrave was dead.  His first mate was wild eyed and panicked, but in exchange for a barrel of salt beef he agreed to tell me what had occurred.

The Tiger Shark must have arrived in Charlatan Bay a week or so after we had left, and when they made port the populace had been understandably nervous about the volcano but no more than that.  Redgrave set about replenishing his stores and making repairs.  For the first week all was as normal as possible, thought the smoke and ash was a nuisance to be dealt with and required a fire watch be kept on the ship.  Then things started to go queer.  Some Mardieran marines were found floating face down in the harbour.  Then a trader out of Carno caught fire and burned down lightning quick with all hands lost.  The sloop-of-war Pride of Dortanis exploded at anchor, when her powder stores apparently caught a descending ember.  Finally, the very night before we made landfall, there was an event.  The first mate was too terrified to even explain what had occurred - all I could get out him "drums" and "blood".  As they fled, he claimed he saw a harbour full of burning ships and the forts fired on them mercilessly until they made there way clear.

I of course thought him unhinged and likely guilty of deserting his captain.  We gave them short shrift and quickly disengaged, only to make our way round to the lip of the bay to see what what we could.  I have always been a curious sort.  We never got close enough though, as we were fired upon us before we could get a good look through the smoke.  I put it down to some madness lingering from bishop's rule and were putting Charlatan Bay to our rudder, when the oddest thing happened.

A Free Traders Association boat came up upon us suddenly, and we could see it intended to make port.  We did our best to hail them and warn them of impeding attack but they ignored us and sailed into the bay WITHOUT DRAWING ANY RESPONSE FROM THE SHORE BATTERIES.

With our own stores low, I decided to head here rather than investigate further.  The whole incident has me curious, though not enough to brave those waters until he smoke clears mind you.

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What say you to that Willard?

Captain, it has been years since I walked a deck and carried a cutlass, but I was a brave man in my day and pillaged enough to buy this here tavern.  I am no stranger to death.

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So understand that I am no craven when I say: there is not enough gold on this earth that would make me visit Charlatan Bay right now.

===x===x===x===

IMPORTANT NOTICE: As of this moment, Charlatan Bay is a closed port to all but FTA shipping (and the personal ships of Roadmonkeytj, Gulagurag and myself of course, but that doesn't dovetail nicely into the story yet).  I will be asking @Capt Wolf to treat any ship, other than the exceptions stated, that make port during the TMRCA to be denied trading rights, and have immediate attempts made for captured and subsequently destruction.

 

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Edited by Kwatchi

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Neat Build @Kwatchi, and great story as well. Can't wait to see where you bring this :pir-blush:

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That is an interesting development, and I am interested to see where it goes. 

The build is simple, but has some nice features. I like the potted flower and the front of the bar, though I do wonder why the back wall disappeared in the last picture.

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26 minutes ago, Captain Genaro said:

The build is simple, but has some nice features. I like the potted flower and the front of the bar, though I do wonder why the back wall disappeared in the last picture.

Creative license. :wink:

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