Danger on the high seas!

Medi arrives from the west.
Pure evil fills the room as a Baalzadeen emerges.

Taraus shoves clear the surface of a table, hoisting herself atop and settling in.

You say to Saeva in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Disreputable, indeed."

Melodie, riding a cyclopian seafoam nytrow, arrives from the west.

Taraus idly toys with her compass, pulling on its leather cord as she grins a bit.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "So we've got a... mmn, we'll call him a mutual friend. He washed ashore, and took up residence down in our cove some time ago."


You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Keeps an eye on things for me, and lets me know... well. If anything's going on that I need to know."

Saeva nods thoughtfully.

Medi leans against the table, his arms folded across his chest.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Sos one day, he calls me over the Pirates link, says I better come down, he's found something I ought to see."

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Wouldn't say what, just... well, I'd better hurry."

Taraus smirks a bit.

A flicker of a smirk crosses Watchman's lips for a moment.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "So I shuck down there, and he's in the bar in his usual place, eyes fixed fast on Melons -- she's our bartender."

Saeva snickers softly to herself.

Eminence Saeva Aristata, Lady Feral says in Mhaldorian, "Wonder why."

Melodie snorts briefly.

You say soberly to Saeva in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "She'd give me a run for my money in filling out a shirt, no question."

Watchman nods his head in agreement.

Saeva snorts in amusement, sending tiny wisps of dust scattering in all directions.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "So, he tells me he's got this map, right, and he hands it over. Says it fell out of the bottom of a Baarian shipping crate."

Taraus' brow furrows slightly as she recalls.

You say slowly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Now, I've seen my share of maps, right? This thing was..."

Taraus gestures vaguely.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Covered in weird squiggles, and bits -- sure as shit didn't look like anything -I'd- ever seen before."

You say defensively in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "And I've seen my share of maps!"

Borivoj chuckles quietly.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "And scribbled down at the bottom, in writing worse'n my own, in tiny little barely legible letters..."

Taraus holds her hand up, thumb and forefinger held just a hairsbreadth apart.


Melodie nods her head at Saeva, showing her acceptance.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "And it's this little couplet, right? And the last bit of it..."

Watchman snickers softly to himself.

You narrow your eyes at Watchman in an unnerving manner.

You say dourly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Essentially guarantees my certain death and doom if I sail."

Legate Medi Dracrotalus says, "So surely you boarded your ship at this point?"

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "So here I am, all excited 'cause I think there's treasure to be found, and... 'sacrifice is your future should you stand at the prow'."

You say to Medi in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Well, I was 'bout ready to anyhow, when Job -- our smuggler -- chimes in, and seconds the notion."


"Heh heh heh," Medi chuckles.

You say mincingly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "... 'No, no, that's a terrible idea! Should make someone else do it!'"

Watchman nods his head in agreement.

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "Wise man."


Taraus turns her eyes in a slow roll, settling on Watchman with a wry look, but not without affection.

You say blandly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "And Helpy Helperton over here chimes in, 'We can take mine!'"

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "I am Helpy."

The corners of Borivoj's mouth turn up as he grins mischievously.

Melodie grins slightly.

You say flatly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "I. Was. So. Mad."

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "I just wanted to help."

Eminence Saeva Aristata, Lady Feral whispers in Mhaldorian, "Wiseman Dracrotalus."

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "And see, as if that weren't enough..."

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "The map spoke."

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "And only -I- heard the voices!"

Borivoj blinks.

"Ooohhhhhhhhhh," says Saeva.

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "Very mysterious."

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "No one else I gave it to heard it -- so I couldn't just hand it off to someone else to do."

You say in Mhaldorian in an exasperated tone of voice, "I was gonna have to be relegated to a fucking passenger while I guided..."

You stare implacably at Watchman.

You say in Mhaldorian in an exasperated tone of voice, "Along."

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "Helpy."

The corners of Saeva's mouth turn up as she grins mischievously.

Taraus stifles a snort.

Melodie snickers quietly.

You say in Mhaldorian in an exasperated tone of voice, "And these voices were speaking in riddle -and- rhyme."

Borivoj raises an eyebrow questioningly.

You say in Mhaldorian in an exasperated tone of voice, "And the first bit revealed... 'Tick tock goes life that should not be.' So, we hauled back mainland, and boarded his..."

Taraus gestures vaguely at Watchman.

You say in Mhaldorian in an exasperated tone of voice, "And set off."

You say blandly in Mhaldorian in an exasperated tone of voice, "And when we got to Clockwork..."

Cynders performs a graceful curtsey.

You say blandly in Mhaldorian in an exasperated tone of voice, "... the godsdamned harbour was full."

You scowl miserably.

Melodie smiles and nods at Cynders.

Borivoj inclines his head politely at Cynders.

Taraus nods briefly at Cynders before she continues on with another gesture.

You say in Mhaldorian in an exasperated tone of voice, "So, we shuffle around a bit, find a place to just jump overboard -- soon as I set foot on the harbour, the map -shifts-. A whole new set of squiggly lines and weird land shapes."

You say in Mhaldorian in an exasperated tone of voice, "And the voices revealed a bit more."


Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "She was very thrilled about this development."

You smirk at Watchman.

You say in Mhaldorian in an exasperated tone of voice, "... 'pon frozen wastes doth worship he."

Your accent has been set to 'throaty, lyrical'.

You ask in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "And by now, I was anxious. And sail to Suliel?"

You snort arrogantly.

Saeva glares angrily at Watchman.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "So I suggested the orb. I really, really wanted to orb."

Watchman wrinkles his nose and sniffs.

Melodie wrinkles her nose distinctly.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "... 'Let's use the orb!'"

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "No."

You say tartly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "But noooooo."

You cross your eyes and make a face at Watchman.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Helpy -insisted- we sail."

Watchman nods his head emphatically.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "... 'it's not that long! It'll be fine!'"

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Now, I hate the north more'n anything anyhow. Bitter cold, nothing to see -- the only enjoyment I can ever have out of that sail is captaining."

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "But no, not this time!"

Taraus shakes her head, struggling to subdue a slight grin.

You say amusedly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "By now, I was fuming."

Watchman grins smugly.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "I was -so- mad, I finally just threw the map on the floor, and stormed off into the cabin to nap for a day or so."

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "Like a petulant child."

Eminence Saeva Aristata, Lady Feral says sadly in Mhaldorian, "I know those urges."

You say to Watchman in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Yes, well, you're a bastard."

Watchman says to you in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "Aye, I am that."

Borivoj snickers briefly, then coughs.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "So, when I finally came to, we were on Suliel. I

You say cheerfully in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "New voices!"

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "She was -very- thrilled about that."

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "... 'dark eyes in caves beneath the quay'."

You laughingly say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Anyone care to take a shot where the next harbour was?"

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "Clockwork to Suliel to.."

You stare implacably at Watchman.

Melodie says helpfully in Mhaldorian with a flowing, cultured accent, "Karbaz?"

You whisper hoarsely in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Further."

Melodie looks surprised and says in Mhaldorian with a flowing, cultured accent, "Orilla?"

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "No, Tuar. So from Clockwork, to Suliel, and all the way around."

Melodie winces in pain.

Taraus slowly shakes her head, fiddling with the compass.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Bout halfway through the trip down, I'd given in to
being scarce more than a prisoner, and was just..."

Taraus gestures vaguely.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Going through the motions."

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "So we get to Tuar... and I got my last, and final, clue."

Taraus lowers her face, pinching the bridge of her nose.

The corners of Watchman's mouth turn up as he grins mischievously.

Saeva glances sceptically at Watchman's grin.

You whisper in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "... 'Refuge for scoundrels of the sea'. All the way back to the god.. damned... cove."

Saeva attempts to stifle her amusement but cannot help laughing aloud.

Melodie looks thoughtful and says in Mhaldorian with a flowing, cultured accent, "World trip."

You allow yourself a half smile.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "So, we finish at Tuar, and head back mainland -- and by now, I've fair washed my hands of my own vested interest in it."

You smirk at Watchman.

Watchman wrinkles his nose and sniffs.

You say significantly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "And he bore a little of his own suffering for that!"

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "Went to check her fucking mine."

You grin smugly.

Watchman rolls his eyes.

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "Years in the planning."

Taraus presses her lips together, stifling a snicker.

Borivoj grins slightly.

Watchman waves his hand dismissively.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "So yes, I saw to the mines because I figured, what the fuck, just gonna roll down for another round of jerk-my-chain."

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "So we get to the harbour... I set foot on the port... and..."

A robed alchemist tilts his head and listens intently.

Watchman's eyes sparkle with amusement.

Taraus throws her hands up as if scattering two fistfuls of dust.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Pfffffft! The fucking map disintegrates!"

Medi attempts to stifle his amusement but cannot help laughing aloud.

Saeva purses her lips, deep in thought.

Melodie lets out a snort into laughter.

You say flatly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "I was done. I was so done."

Watchman shakes his head.

Legate Medi Dracrotalus says to Watchman, "How are you alive?"

Borivoj snickers softly to himself.

Borivoj nods his head at Medi, showing his acceptance.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "I was -so- beyond-words angry that it didn't even occur to me what you were supposed to do at the end of a treasure hunt."

You say exaggeratedly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "But here's Helpy... 'Where's your shovel, dear?'"

The corners of Watchman's mouth turn up as he grins mischievously.

Saeva rumbles as she shakes her head.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "And I figured, may as well, right? So I gave a few half-hearted digs with the shovel..."

Saeva attempts to stifle her amusement but cannot help laughing aloud.

Melodie snickers softly to herself.

You clear your throat.

Borivoj chews on his lower lip, eye wide.

Taraus' voice slows as she lifts her eyes to rest on Watchman.

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "She dug something up."

You say softly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "And there in the sand was this... battered ring box."

You take a scuffed ring box from a bag of stasis.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "And I saw this..."

You nod your head at a scuffed ring box.

Watchman's mouth turns up as his face breaks into a smile.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "And was so... so taken aback, so shocked, stunned, I just stood there and..."


You attempt to stifle your amusement but cannot help laughing aloud.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Did nothing."

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "Years."


Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "Years of careful planning."


Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "Every possibility accounted for."

Your eyes sparkle with amusement.

Watchman says blandly in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "Except the possibility of nothing."

Saeva's massive eyes soften as she rumbles with approval.

You smirk at Watchman.

Borivoj chuckles quietly.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "So Helpy couldn't wait for my doing-nothing anymore, and he scooped it up himself."

You say in Mhaldorian in a Watchman-like voice, "... Hey! Hey, what's this! There's nothing in it! It's empty!"

Watchman says defensively in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "I did not say that."

Borivoj gives Watchman the once-over, eyeing him suspiciously.

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "I opened it, and proclaimed."

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "Nothing!"

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "After all this way.."

Saeva shakes her head sadly from side to side.

Melodie's eyes sparkle with amusement.

You say tartly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Yes. I almost took the proverbial short-pier long-walk myself in that moment."

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "All of that, all of the frustration, irritation, anger."

Watchman says in Mhaldorian in an indomitable, patrician voice, "The Suffering."

You say quietly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "And then I turn around, and he's there."

You say quietly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "One knee, holding it aloft."

Taraus glances down, twisting a stolen silver sovereign ring about her finger.

Melodie's lips curl up into a soft smile.

A razor-beaked falcon wings into the room with an angry cry.
Ainly arrives from the west.

Ainly says in Mhaldorian in a deep voice, "What's going on here."

You say softly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "... 'I have sailed around the world for you, Taraus. Imagine how much further we might go, together.'"

A robed alchemist places a finger on his lips and hisses, "Shhh!"

Saeva puts her hand to her forehead and swoons.

You nod your head at Saeva.

Medi's cracked lips pull back into a smile, revealing a lonely tooth.

Melodie grins widely.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "I was... overwhelmed, astounded, shocked, surprised."

You laughingly say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "And oh my gosh, I felt like the world's biggest -ass-."

The corners of Watchman's mouth turn up as he grins mischievously.

Taraus laughs as she shakes her head.

The corners of Saeva's mouth turn up as she grins mischievously.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "A proposal spanning nearly five days start to finish, -I- was fit to be tied through the duration, and he just..."

You say admiringly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "Didn't give it away at all, not a slip. He
managed to pull one over on me, and goddamn if it didn't work."

Taraus tilts her hand, ensuring the light falls on the skull and crossed bones highlighted on the flat of the sovereign.

You say in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "He even managed to convince the Heraldry people to recognise that symbol as my personal mark."


a stolen silver sovereign ring

The rictus grin of a bandana bound skull gleams audaciously from the stolen sovereign turned signet clutched
within the toothy prongs of this tarnished silver ring. Hammered, tooled, and polished to a bold shine, the
skeletal visage smirks atop a pair of crossed bones, intricate work with blacking ensuring the semblance
remains stark against the lustreless band. Stippling in a minutely precise hand sunders the jauntily tied
headscarf from the pate's brilliance, and even fashions a tiny bell, a decorative fastener in delicate argence.
 To snugly clasp the finger and secure the snatched piece of scratch, broad shanks barely taper as they fall
from the shoulders and flow to encircle a feminine sizing. Within the dark band's interior etching picks out
the delineated meander of a map, a suggested path bright against the sombre hue as it races between a trio of
inset basalt chips. Sourced at the loop's nadir, the stuttered trail first heads east up the shank, then turns
north to pass beneath the broad coin, and finally returns down the westerly aspect to culminate in a deeply
cut pairing of initials.
Engraved on it are the words:

W.D.+T.B.

It bears the arms of Taraus: Sable, a skull Argent and a pair of bones in saltire in base Argent.
It weighs 1 ounce(s).
It bears the distinctive mark of Taraus.
It will reset to you.


Eminence Saeva Aristata, Lady Feral says to Watchman in Mhaldorian, "Oh I approve."


You clear your throat.

You say soberly in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "And I -did- say yes."

Eminence Saeva Aristata, Lady Feral says to you in Mhaldorian, "That is an -awesome- tale."

You grin mischievously at Saeva.

Melodie nods her head in agreement.

You say to Saeva in Mhaldorian with a throaty, lyrical accent, "He's something else."

Melodie says to Watchman in Mhaldorian with a flowing, cultured accent, "I can't say I've ever heard a better proposal in all my years. Well done."

Watchman inclines his head politely.

Legate Medi Dracrotalus whispers rhetorically to Watchman, "Seriously, how are you alive?"

Harmonia smiles softly.

You snicker softly to yourself.

Melodie snickers at Medi.

Borivoj grins slightly, eye glancing at Watchman.

Borivoj bows respectfully to Harmonia.

Harmonia strokes the gibbon's fur tenderly.

Harmonia curtseys respectfully before Borivoj.

Saeva cringes away in terror from Harmonia.

As a stray ray of light reflects off of a stolen silver sovereign ring, it momentarily shines with a warm glow.

[ I have my suspicions on Who did that last bit, and that was the perf. end to the story. Thank you <3 ]