forum "Bloodstained Gold" (Pirate Group RP) {Closed}

Started August 25, 2022 by @ScotchTapeWorm group

tune

A shriek rang out into the open air, a knife falling. Aria swore viciously, and- well, like a sailor (would "like a pirate" be more fitting?) Despite her knifing skills, which she'd prided herself in, Aria still managed to injure herself with the blade. Gripping her palm, luckily her left hand, she scrambled to find something to stop the bleeding. Quickly wrapping a cloth around the wound, she picked up the knife and washed it, biting the inside of her mouth. She reminded herself of her captain's snake-like nature and ability to pick up the metallic scent of blood, deciding to pretend it hadn't happened. She rinsed the cut and wrapped it with gauze, likely to leave yet another scar.
After fifty minutes, the time doubling at the fault of the discomfort, Aria had deemed the pots ready. Carrying them out, and deciding that it could be more of a buffet-style meal today, saving herself the strain.

(not gonna lie, current pet peeve is how much I'm gong to have to type the words 'poop deck' for the job I've given Kavo XD )
(Also, hope this is ok. Can edit if not, it's got a lot of scene setting)

The hissing-humming from the Captain was a noise Kavo wasn't ready for. He tuned it out as the man began giving orders. He noted direction and speed, and stored the sailing master's name away in his head. Isla. Got it.
The Captain seemed distracted, although what by, Kavo couldn't tell. But the man challenged him to have a report ready, and Kavo could already think of stuff to put on it. We need to restack the cargo, for one, the ship has a definite tilt which I'll have to compensate for.
Silver-tongue slapped his shoulder. Not his shell, his shoulder. Kavo kept his posture only by planting his 6 feet. Truth be told, he didn't particularly like being touched inside the shell, but. Captain was the Captain, he could Captain however Captain liked.
Kavo heard a splash and turned to see a sailor crossing himself by the rail. … Interesting. He hoped that wasn't his predecessor, but even if it was, he was here now.
The Deceit was of an interesting design, differing from most ships Kavo had been on. Rather than a main deck, with the Captain's cabin under the poop deck, and a forecastle deck, the Deceit had a gun deck and a quarter deck below the poop deck. The prow of the ship had a raised deck over the forecastle, where many of the regular sailors slept. Any of the new hires, or the ones the Captain had clearly been eyeing as cannon fodder, would bunk in there. The forecastle deck had a small bow gun, really more of a big crossbow, that pointed out across the bowsprit. A ladder down from that deck lead to the gun deck, or the main deck of the Deceit. It was where the masts sprouted from, and where several of the smaller cannons were mounted, where they could be shifted with the most maneuverability. The hatch to head below deck was midship, and the gun deck lead to the galley.

Usually, a captain had his cabin on the main deck, but the Deceit had used that space for the galley and dining space. It also served as the meeting place for the whole crew, as well as a makeshift surgery when the infirmary below decks overflowed. Above the galley was the quarter deck, from where a man could see over the bowsprit and out to sea easily, and still be shielded. It was a prime spot for a captain to stand and give orders when he needed to. It also served as a loading area, with an hatch down into the galley.
And from the quarter deck, the next level up was the poop deck. It was the far rear of the ship, as far aft as you could go, and it looked down over the quarter deck. This was where the helm was located, the great pegged wheel that controlled the rudder. This was Kavo's perch, and as he clambered up to it, he could see out over the quarter deck, the lower gun deck, the forecastle deck, past the bowsprit, and off to the horizon.

He loved this spot.

He gave the helm a spin, and was not surprised to find that the wheel was tight. The rudder leverage was cranked up way high, and Kavo had to wonder if the Captain had really trusted his last man. I'll need to lower that, I'll have to crank on this wheel to make quick changes. The Deceit was unique in another way. It had taken elements of sky-ships, the great flying ships that crisscrossed the land just as the sailing ships did the ocean. It had a set of levers along side of the helm, long brass levers with whale-bone handles, that would allow Kavo to make quick adjustments to the speed and angle of the ship. On a less sophisticated vessel, all of that would have had to have been done with the sails, a stiff wind, and short of that, a strong prayer. But the Deceit of Fortune was a marvel, a beautiful, innovative ship, and she was prepared for much more than that.

Kavo considered himself lucky to have landed such a job.

He ran his hands over the levers, setting the speed limits that SIlver-tongue had ordered, before orienting the wheel the right way to get going in the right direction. He checked the progress on the sails, watching the sailors do their jobs, and found himself excited, for the first time since Ravu had died.
He was ready for this.

The Captain paused in his reading, he'd been looking over the papers, but had gotten intensely, achingly, unforgivably bored. So he'd picked up one of the books from wherever it was nestled in the dragons hoard he called a room. He placed it face down on the desk, not too bothered with proper book etiquette or that he was probably breaking the spine of the paperback. This particular indignity to his books he'd picked up because one of his old cartographers was a massive nerd. It drove the man absolutely insane, so obviously the Captain did it even more.

Silver-Tongue could smell that dinner was ready long before the bell was rung, alerting the crew that if you weren't on pressing active duty or had someone who could cover for you. It was time to eat. The tall man stood languidly from his desk, stretching his arms above his head. Taking his time, he even poured himself a drink, he had a small liquor cabinet tucked away in the corner, with several glasses laid out. He'd just finished writing a letter to the old helmsman's family. The older man had a wife and two grown children, who he often talked about at length before he died. After he died, he didn't talk about them nearly as much.

The Captain didn't have to write letters, but sometimes he felt like it, especially for a man who spoke about home so much. The man had even opted into some form of life insurance, his share of the loot that he didn't get to spend being sent to his wife, so the Captain felt obliged. Leaving out some of the more.. Gruesome details, it was really just a short letter. Explaining the man was dead, how he died, and that they were receiving compensation. Feeling especially generous, the Captain even threw in a condolence.

Non-pressing business done, he placed the letter in a little stack with other mail he needed to post next time they got to a port with working postal. Or next time they accidentally ran down a ship carrying letters rather than actual cargo. Though.. That ship hadn't been a complete waste of time and energy. Axel smiled, scratching his stubble again, he didn't like having a beard, but didn't like being completely clean-shaven either. So he settled for the most uncomfortable middle ground.

Finishing his drink, he put the cup back on its rack, enjoying the clink the glass made against other materials. It was the little things. Getting food seemed like a good idea now, so he left his cabin, watching his men jostle each other out of the way to get a bowl first. Rather than cutting the line, the Captain waited patiently behind some of his men. It earned him a few confused looks, and more than a few wary ones, deckhands wondering if this was a test, or the Captain just decided he had a patient bone in his body today.

He gave them no answer, the line he was in moved quicker than the others, the now slightly nervous pirates getting their food faster than their peers. The tall man looked amused, but ladled himself a bowl just like the rest. If the Captain really wanted to freak the men out, he'd take the bowl to dining commons and eat among them. Changing his mind at the last minute, he instead went to eat in his own cabin, like he usually did. He grinned at Aria as he passed her, nodding his thanks.

On occasion he joined the crew after dinner, a few of them could play instruments and cards were never in short supply. Gambling with real money wasn't allowed, it caused fights and those gave the Captain headaches, but the men could instead use their rations of alcohol instead. Each man did have a maximum number of rations they could own though, and to ensure no one got the bright idea of hoarding their chits and using them all at once, they had a certain window of use. It was a use them now rather than later system, or give it away to someone who would use it. It gave the ship a thriving mini-economy, and made the men easier to regulate on times of short rations, you'd just slowly wean them of their allotment. No one was happy when that happened of course, but it made things infinitely more manageable.

Back in the comfort and privacy of his own room, the Captain began to eat, pleasantly surprised with the stew. It really was good, he'd have to- Silver-Tongue chuckled, shaking his head, poor girl had cut herself making it again. It was really just the faintest waft, from the food, but he could still pick up on it. The Captain wouldn't mention it, but now that he noticed it the tang was hard to ignore. So he just dumped some brandy in it, which masked it reasonably well. He wondered idly if the girl would take offense to him altering the food, but couldn't muster up the effort to care.

At the sound of the bell, footsteps accumulated in the salty air, and Inez backed up as the men ran. She walked away and decided to return to the room she'd been staying in, adjacent to the kitchen for convenience. There were three beds other than hers, unoccupied by anyone as of recent. She opened a window, and almost told herself to savor the feeling since she might have roommates at one point- but didn't see the point in asking them anyway. The Deceit Rocked gently, and Inez thanked herself for restraining the urge to attempt the liquor. It didn't take much to get her drunk, which she'd experienced one too many times- once. However, her drunken state was what landed her on the ship- not that she didn't want to be there, but having known that in any other case, any other setting, she would have tripped off the dock.

Inez watched the sky grow slightly darker, then grew bored. It was a miracle that the overcast sky had kept her attention for longer than two minutes. Dinner was over by now, for sure, so it was likely safe to say the deck would be a bit less chaotic. She aimed to change that, as a grin spread across her face.

Kavo was busy checking his heading against the compass in his arm and a couple other instruments, when the bell rang. He watched as the crew cleared the decks, headed for the galley. The food, whatever it was, smelled good, and he prepped to go get some.
Leaving the helm was always a risky business, especially if you were the only one who knew what you were doing. But Kavo had come up with a solution years ago. He locked the levers in place, set so the ship was on an even keel, and then pulled a small circle of metal out of his vest. He flattened the steel in his pincer, pulling it out into a long piece. He curled one end around the bottom peg of the wheel, before wrapping the other end around the stand. The wheel wouldn't spin, or move at all, really, until he undid the metal, or something broke the wooden peg. But by the time the wind or the waves were pulling hard enough to break pegs, he'd had noticed and come back. It had worked many times before, and it allowed Kavo to run errands and do other things, as long as they were headed in a straight direction for a while.

He noted the Captain come out from his cabin below deck. The man looked like som primordial beast, emerging from its lair, and Kavo was impressed again with how much the man seemed at home here, as if he knew this was his domain, and nothing here could challenge him.
Kavo was climbing down the narrow steps from the poop deck, which were clearly not built for someone of his proportions, when the Captain made his way back down to his cabin, a slight smirk on his face.

The Karcaon wound up just jumping, trying very carefully not to leave deep scar marks in the decking. His chitin feet were very hard and very pointy, and he knew the wood around the helm would need to be replaced soon, but he hoped not to damage much else.
The thud of his body hitting the deck startled several sailors, who were walking out of the galley.
In fact, the galley seemed mostly empty, as he stepped down the few steps into it. He'd waited long enough for the room to clear out, and the crew to go back about their business.
The galley was a big room, with several long tables running the length of it, benches on both sides of each table. There was a bar with some stools against the far wall, and behind that, a kitchen where he could see the remains of Inez cooking supper. The girl was a whirlwind of energy at all times, and the mess she left behind was evidence of that.
In the kitchen, there was a ladder, up to a set of rooms over the galley. Kavo figured Inez probably stayed up there. He grabbed 2 large bowls, and ladeled out what looked like a delicious stew. It smelled really good, and he smiled to himself. The energetic cook really did have talent.
"My compliments to the chef!" he called up the ladder, before turning and going to sit at one of the benches. He grabbed a clean-looking fork (one could always hope), and began eating, fishing for the solid chunks in the stew, before tipping the bowls back and drinking down the tasty broth.
He set the bowls back by the stack of used dishes on the bar, and made his way back up to the helm. The climb from the main deck, where the galley was, to the quarter deck, to the poop deck, was a bit of a hassle, same as getting down. He'd need to get some rigging set up, or reinforce the wall boards so he could ust stick his feet into the wood and cimb that way. It wouldn't look gorgeous, but he could do it tastefully.
Things to add to that report for the Captain.
The helm hadn't moved, and Kavo released the metal binding with a small smile. There was a bit of trepidation every time he used that method, but it had never failed.
The overcast sky was a bit worrying, but it didn't look like storm clouds, just thick ones. He was beginning to wonder where they were heading, but knew that someone like Silver-tongue would consider patience a virtue.
So Kavo held their course.

( Also- @Davadio Thats like- Ten times better than what I can draw (Just trust me on that one-) It's very helpful! Thank you :D )

(You're very kind. You too, lemonwitch.)
(Ask me to write stuff? Great. Do music? Great. Act in a play or musical? Great. But draw? Nah, man, I'm good. That's an art I don't do XD XD )

(Ask me to write stuff? Great. Do music? Great. Act in a play or musical? Great. But draw? Nah, man, I'm good. That's an art I don't do XD XD )

( THIS A million times this. Art just eludes the brain, never understood it. But hats off to the talented people who do! )

( @Celeste_X0X0_ We'd love to have you, if you're willing! Just post a character sheet whenever and we'll do our best to work you into the story :DD )

(AH THANK YOU!! ill get it up soon!!)

Name: Orion Chazz (Siren)
Job: carpenter
Age: 25
Gender: male
Sexuality: pan
Looks: Orion in his human form stands probably at about 6'2" and weighs about 180lbs. His body has a good bit of muscle and he isnt afraid to show it off ;)
He has a dark skin tone (idk how to describe it but i have pics) and he has dirty blonde, thick hair. His eyelashes and eyebrows are blonde as well. Orion has hazelnut eyes with horizontal pupils. Like a goat or a horses.
When in his siren form, his face is slightly flattened, the bridge of his nose basically non-existent except for two slits. He has gill like holes on the sides of his face and sharp teeth. (like a sharks)
His tail is basically the same color as his hair with green hues blending into his dark skin. His tail shape is that of a thrasher sharks. He has a large dorsal fin on his back the color of his skin with small brown greenish scales blending into his skin.
He's basically a shark dude honestly. He has sharp brownish nails and all of his scales are that of a sharks.
In both forms he has gauged ears with carved rocks in the shape of like a spiral seashell.
Here are some paintings i did for yall last night in case you let me join!
https://pin.it/1ZM3Xvo
https://pin.it/32ekXWM
https://pin.it/2zEXPSy
And here is his buddy Liyas in his human form :D) https://pin.it/eL0Wml0
im working on a bigger-better piece for the first painting so ill let yall know when i get done with that.
Likes: eating fish, being on ships, singing and the fog. And most importantly, gold. (or anything shiny haha)
Dislikes: mud or dirt. mops. they weird him out. Fishermen, man-made weapons.
Hobbies: he spends most of his time in the water but when he's out of the water he's either looking for prey (he does that in water as well obviously) or collecting trinkets. He favors watches.
He doesn't come out of water a whole lot though. So he's just like mad chillin
Backstory: tbd
Additional Information:
He can change willingly to a siren or man. Though always has to be in salt water.
In addition to being a siren, he has a beautiful voice. Singing or not, his voice is soft and captivating.
He tends to keep the fact that hes a siren to himself unless he couldnt help it.

i think that's all! i hope yall like him!
i was thinking that maybe how he could come aboard it if he's caught in the ships nets and they find him? idk hahah