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| What Do You Do With a Drunken Fiddler?; [P] Ahriman (FIN) | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sun Aug 21, 2011 10:33 pm (1,503 Views) | |
| Ahriman Lordimar | Sat Aug 27, 2011 3:38 am Post #16 |
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He had to admit that the bard had some impressive skills, especially for how thrown off he seemed to be from the ship flying. It wasn't uncommon for someone to be uncomfortable with flying if they weren't very used to it, though it still got difficult to deal with at times. The atmosphere changes alone made it hard to breathe at times, but he had to admit it made for great practice sessions with his crew. The difference in the air made it damn-near impressive for how good it was for him to train at the top height of the ship. He smiled, the song reminding him a bit of home. Bards were rather common in his homelands, his father even keeping a personal songster to keep him entertained during the court meetings. He had found that was one of his favorite parts of his official duties as prince, something that every day seemed to become better with. Now, he found himself smiling genuinely for the first time in a few months, a smile there from happiness and nothing such as lust for battle, or the desire to defeat someone who stood against him. He looked down at the paper, turning his head in fascination as the surface of it rippled, different pieces of a map appearing with each change of pitch and tone, each note that moved through to the next. As the song moved through, beautiful shimmers moved along the surface of the dark brown paper, rippling like water as it tried to form the image that was glamored upon it however many years ago. At the top left of the paper a wolf's head was imbedded, the end of the song causing the shimmer to end, and the piece of the map revealed to shift to brown once again. He almost didn't hear what the bard had asked him as he stared down at it, letting out a sigh as he finally realized that someone had asked him a question. He shook his head, realizing what was said as he looked up at Elnora, the thunder bird resting comfortably on top of the mast, occasionally twitching to pick pieces of dust and dirt out of her feathers. "Ah, yes. Elnora has been with me for quite a while. Saved her from a flock of Gwilikith hawks. They were picking at her while she was injured, dunno how she got herself so hurt. Mora and I picked that ol' bird up and she's been with me ever since." He smiled for a moment, his eyes moving down to the grate that was resting in the center of the ship's deck. Below in the hull of the ship rested his oldest companion of this crew, a yeti that he had named Mora. She was somewhat temperamental, but he found that she was the most reliable hand to have next to himself in a battle. "So.. what do ye know of this paper?" He picked it up off of the wooden surface he had pinned it to, his eyes looking up and down the brown surface of it, biting his lip lightly as he resisted the urge to have the bard held and had him play through the song as he had Allen copy down the map. It wasn't the map itself that truly fascinated him, however, but the symbol at the top. People who wrote maps - especially those that were so cleverly glamored - had a habit of leaving hints for themselves or anyone lucky enough to figure it out. He knew the seas well enough, and if he could find whatever it hid... The wolf head flashed in his mind again, followed by a small smile crossing over his face. "Or did ye not get a look at it with your first song?" He rose his brow and looked down towards the bard. It was hard for him to hide a rather sinister tone to his voice as he thought over what could be at the other end of this rainbow. |
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| Shan Orison | Sat Aug 27, 2011 4:01 am Post #17 |
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Shan watched Elnora preen herself. She was quite an amazing avian. Shan was wondering what her wingspan was when the Captain asked about the parchment. "Oh, um..." Shan said, thinking as fast as he could. What should he say? Being snarky and saying that, for example, it was square, made of treated animal skin, and was a faded brown wasn't going to do him well in the long run. He couldn't tell what he actually knew, since that would make him, once again, useful and stranded at sea. His best option was to plead ignorance, maybe say he saw the captain study it, but nothing more. "Or did ye not get a look at it with your first song?" The Captain added. "Oh...um..." Shan's careful plan fell into a fine dust and blew over the railing. "You, um, noticed that..." Shan began panicking, and that led to his usual response, the one besides running. "I honestly don't know anything about it. Those pirates drugged and kidnapped me and the captain would have me play for him and then he kept making me play "What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor" over and over again. I played that just now because I wanted to know what he was looking at, and I saw it and still don't know what it's supposed to be. I'm sure you can find someone to help you with it. I mean any bard can play that song and...hmm..." Shan's thoughts raced off ahead of him, and he worked to catch up to them with his mouth still moving. "Actually probably not. After my first escape attempt I got them really mad at me, and I'm sure they would have gutted me if the captain didn't stop them, but they still beat me up bad and kept me locked up and confiscated my fiddle. If I were bent of vengeance I would have found another bard too if they needed someone musically inclined, but they kept me alive instead of replacing me, which should have been easy to do... "Oh gods, I said that aloud, didn't I?" |
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| Ahriman Lordimar | Sat Aug 27, 2011 5:00 am Post #18 |
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The pirate couldn't help but smile when he left the bard mildly speechless, feeling slightly bad about it. He had caught him in a lie that he had obviously thought was rather clever, though he could somewhat understand it. Any other crew of pirates would have him locked up playing a song over and over again until he couldn't physically pluck at the strings and the map was carefully written out.He considered it at least twice, though he knew that he couldn't forgive himself if he left did that to someone, knowing he'd end up being haunted by Luka and cast into some sort of iron clad grave where he'd live forever in an ironic twist. It was the sort of ending Luka favored when he was reading, at least. "Let's say I have you help me.... what do you think it'd require for you to do that without me needing to force you to play a song over and over again? i'd rather not do it against your will." He let go of the wheel of the ship, a small creak of wood resounding as Dimitri took the helm, the ship flying itself comfortably. To most people it would seem productive but Ahriman was aware that the ship was just going to fly in circles, passing over land at times to make it seem like they were passing over the shores. It was simply circling around carefully to avoid the pirate's cove, but remain close to it. It would be an important place for him to use as a center to guide himself using the map. He sat at the stairs that led up to the helm of the ship, the place that he usually remained for the bulk of travel. He was trying to remain nonthreatening, but even to someone that was near his height he knew he'd cast a rather dark shadow. His entire body was specifically crafted for his art - war. Nothing on the grand scale, nothing of beauty that he knew he would have had to face were he to remain in his home, but clear and pure battle that he fought on a day-to-day basis. "Perhaps I can have a few of me mates write down the map as fast as they can, you playin' slow, and we can get ourselves a general idea of it. We find this treasure, you get a cut. We don't, no skin off either of our noses. Aye?" He rose his brow, leaning his head forward. He was quite sure that it was a nice offer, especially if the man had a fondness for gold and baubles like the pirate's he was currently on board of a ship with. Ahriman's crew especially would enjoy the prospect of some extra treasure, though he was quite sure that he'd have to grab some supplies before their little adventure. Then again, they were down two heads and only gained one, they may just be able to pull off another day or two if it came down to it. Somehow, the pirate found the prospect of a gamble like that enticing. He was never much of a fan of gambling, but if it meant he would get to figure out that little puzzle box that passed itself off as a map, he felt that it would be an interesting and worthwhile trade. If it came down to it he could always have Mora start punting people off of the ship, at least. Or they could find a port for supplies, though he felt that the former would prove more comedy over-all. And even pirates needed a good chuckle. |
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| Shan Orison | Sat Aug 27, 2011 2:04 pm Post #19 |
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The captain left the helm to sit on the stairs leading to the upper deck. He wasn't more than an inch or two taller than Shan, but while he'd been perfecting the art of cowering, the captain loomed. He was a master of it. He was sitting on the steps and he still loomed. Shan normally would be weighing his options and wondering when the man would have him locked up again or if he'd go back on his word, but his curiosity had awakened in wide eyed wonder. Treasure? it said. "Treasure?" Shan said, echoing his thoughts. "That's a treasure map?" Treasure map! his curiosity squealed in glee. Treasure map, treasure map, treasure map, treasure map- Ancient memories long thought put to rest blossomed into perennials of nostalgia. Childhood games with his friends of searching for booty with a freshly scribbled map, sword fights with sticks against sea monster bushes and trees, and tossing each other off the plank - an old board over the swimming hole. Shan had, in truth, never grown up and out of the phase of wonder, and those two words stirred it into life. Treasure map, treasure map, treasure map, treasure map- By the gods, SHUT UP, his second thoughts screamed. Well, Logic dictates that your best bet and the path of least resistance is to help these guys out , especially since that guy is actually asking for cooperation. He's not going to stop until he's got whatever's at the X, and you've set yourself up as the only one who can work the stupid map, and no, Paranoia, it is not a map leading to a Pit of Doom. If the cartographer really did want to lead people to a Pit of Doom, he wouldn't have made the damn thing so bloody difficult to use. It's reverse psychology, his paranoia explained. Treasure map, treasure map, treasure map, treasure map- Shan's second thoughts groaned. Curiosity seems too busy to ponder why you're the only bard that the map listens to, so we'll put that aside for now. Just play it calm, and navigate your acceptance in a way that won't leave you sinking to the bottom of the sea. "Well, Captain, sir, to be honest I really just want to get back to shore, but since it seems I'm the only one that can help you out, I'll do my best. I don't really need the treasure, though. The story should be enough. Um, and a bit of money for a few days supplies." Shan tried to keep his face as steady as possible, but in the backdrop of his mind... Treasure map, treasure map, treasure map, treasure map! |
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| Ahriman Lordimar | Sun Aug 28, 2011 9:51 pm Post #20 |
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He could sense the excitement from the lad as he heard the words of a treasure map. Deep down he felt that every child had some sort of fantasy of following some cliched map back to a treasure and getting the girl while suddenly becoming rich. The first wouldn't be happening, but he could sure as hell make the people on his crew - including the bard - just a little bit richer. If possible, himself as well, though he tried not to be greedy about it. "Good, good.. we got plenty o' supplies, though I wouldn't go down to get 'em yerself. Mora gets a might upset around strangers. Now... about that map..." He whistled over Allen and Loda, two of his favorites amongst the crew. Allen looked to be about in his late twenties, a bow strapped to his back with a quiver strapped to his thigh, the leather matching well with black hair and dark eyes. Loda looked to be more of a farm bumpkin then a pirate, the cutlass on his hip being the most piratey part of him. "Lads, I want ye to help this one out. He's gonna play you some music, and this papers gonna shimmer. One of ye hold it down, the other try to copy down the details. I want it done in one play-through of the song, but a few more then that will be acceptable. We can't circle here in the sky for days so I'd like to have our destination soon. If the lad asks for somethin', treat it like he's my guest." They both nodded, Loda shooting the bard an odd glance as he went forward and took the paper from his captain, going below deck before the other two. Allen smiled to the lad, nodding his head, "I'll make sure everything stays cordial then. Loda is a bit pissy about the lad sittin' here like hes negotiating with you. Oh, and ye might wanna check in now and again, be sure we're doing it well enough." The captain nodded, the pirate passing into the below decks. He turned to watch them go. He had a feeling theyd' be using his personal quarters for this little venture, it being the largest of them in the below decks. "If ye'd like, I can escort ye to the room then. Dimitri more or less guides himself, usually." He nodded towards the door, standing onto his full height and moving towards it, waiting for the bard's response. He couldn't help but feel a little excited about the whole thing. Most of his life involved life-threatening battles, and fightin' just to secure a few gold coins. It wasn't the sort of life one thought would be conducive to good luck, but here he goes and finds a treasure map. Then something deep down inside of him wondered if there wasn't really going to be anything else protecting it. Something protected by a glamor likely wouldn't be simply left at that. Someone that paranoid leaves traps, the kind that you try to avoid for fear of ending up dead in a pit of spikes. It was the sorta end that the pirate frowned upon, not liking the idea of being lost in a pit of spikes rotting away as the world passed by. His smile visibly faded as the thoughts passed through his head, dancing at the edges of his rational thought. Suddenly, he realized today was going to be a long day. |
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| Shan Orison | Mon Aug 29, 2011 2:28 am Post #21 |
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"Oh, okay," Shan said, stepping lightly down the steps after the Captain. That's two mentions of Mora now. his second thoughts said. Besides being tough enough to care for Elnora, irritable, and down with the supplies, who are they? "I can play the song as many times as needed, Captain, sir," Shan said, loud enough for the one called Loda to hear. He was one of the few that wasn't surprised by the flying ship, and so he must have at least some of the Captain's confidence, and the last thing he wanted was for him to stir up the idea of locking Shan up again. "I'm used to performing for long periods of time. Since you saved me from those pirates, helping you with the map is the least I can do to repay you." He thought about throwing in a bow, but decided that would be over the top. "Um, the only thing I could really think of needing is maybe a glass of water, and maybe some way to wash up when we get done with the map. I didn't really get a chance to when I was held prisoner. "Um, there's also the issue that I think that one song won't be enough. It only seemed to uncover part of the map. I can try playing what songs I know, but I think I exhausted most of my repertoire on the other ship, and none of them made it work. I mean, I can play any other song I can think of, and hopefully that would work... "So, should we get started, Captain?" |
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| Ahriman Lordimar | Tue Aug 30, 2011 5:06 am Post #22 |
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The captain was glad for the bard's enthusiasm, hoping that they could be done with this business of deciphering the map as quickly as possible. He wanted to be on the other end of it, delving into whatever darkness it lead to to reach the treasure at the end of it all. He couldn't help but chuckle thinking of how much of a story the bard would get out of this, it was near-mythical in it's cliched style. In a way, that made it all the better. One doesn't often get to live through one of those. It feels good. "Let's hope we can find whatever songs we need quickly then, I find me curiosity peakin to a rather interestin' degree." The captain waited until the two pirates and the bards were comfortably into his quarters before entering, finding a comfortable silk seat in the back. There was a bed that had quite a bit of cushion, along with a table that held a rather large map pinned to it, some quills and paper detailing some rather interesting paths that he wished to attempt at one point. Beyond that, there were a few chairs and a bookshelf. His cabin was by far the largest, and for good reason. Being captain had it's perks. "Well gents, clear off that desk, get the map down on it and a fresh piece of paper. See if we can't find ourselves some gold in music." The two pirates nodded, Allen chuckling a bit. He wasn't as cultured as some would expect of a pirate of his standing, but he got the joke that his master was throwing out there. They set out the map carefully, making sure to use books to hold it's corners down, pinning down the sheet of paper they would use to script out the duplicate that wouldn't contain the irritating glamor that kept them from their goal. In a way, it was because of that blockade that this was so exciting. He waited in the back of the room with his hands curled over his lap, somewhat enjoying the music while waiting for the map to finish. He wasn't remarkably fond of music on a good day but he had to admit the nostalgia of sea music brought him to a place that reminded him of home. It was the sort of thing that made a man smile and remember a time when he used a stick as a blade and proclaimed he would save the imaginary princess. It was difficult for the grizzled pirate to think back to those days. Allen and Loda went about their work quite easily when the bard began to play, Allen paying attention to the map and Loda's drawing to ensure that every detail was correct. If a single thing was out of order that could throw them into a very wrong part of the sea, and that would mean days lost at sea that could mean the death of them. Not something pirates enjoyed going through, as it were. |
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| Shan Orison | Tue Aug 30, 2011 9:25 pm Post #23 |
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Shan felt a bit better once the globe of sky became an idea rather than an all-encompassing reality he could stumble over the railing and fall into to his eventual death. He waited for Ahriman's men to set up their scribing tools and the treasure map before he began to play that song. He'd even liked it once. It was fun, easy to learn, had a catchy tune that would never leave his head, and had, at least to the ears of a group of young boys, some rather naughty lyrics, like putting a lobster down someone's pants and belly hairs. Loda and Allen worked on the map, Ahriman occasionally walking over to check their work. It seemed as long as Shan kept playing the song, the map remained revealed on that fourth of the map. A problem, however, began to occur when they thought they were nearly done. They forgot the edge of the map. They put a section of the map in the wrong place. They'd drawn details the map didn't show. Just like the other captain, irritation began to grow, at least for Shan. The constant droning of that tune began to dig in his mind, drilling deeper and deeper until it hit rage even his natural caution and deference to edge weaponry could contain. "That's it," he said, ceasing his playing. "I can't do this anymore! I hate this song! I used to love this song, and now I hate it! It used to mean everything to me about the high seas and sailing and all that adventurous stuff, and now that's all ruined because of those bloody pirates! "I'm sorry," he said, in a tone that didn't sound all that sincere, "I thought this would be quick, but the stupid map keeps changing on us, and there are still three more songs and I cannot stand playing that bloody song again!" I wonder how long it takes to reach the ocean from this height, his second thoughts mused. I guess you'll find out soon enough Edited by Shan Orison, Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:07 pm.
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| Ahriman Lordimar | Wed Aug 31, 2011 1:51 am Post #24 |
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Ahriman felt kind of bad when the bard went off, but he remained silent as the bard went through his frustrations. He had to admit even he was at the ends of his love for the song when it reached it's third or fourth play through, he couldn't imagine what sort of thing it would do to him were he to have to play it over and over again for days and then up to now, when he was doing it by choice. The action alone would drive the pirate himself nuts, he thought. He had watched the map every time, and he recalled the time that he had played the other song when they flew through the air. The map had reacted differently, that wolf symbol on the top left of the map being the most prominent part that appeared in that song. This one, however, had nothing of the sort. It had a different animal at the bottom, one he couldn't actually identify as the glamor played it's course through the song. It was an impressive spell, he had to admit. He looked towards Shan, his fingers running over the surface of the map a few times, "Mind playin' it one more time, and this time without stoppin' start up the song you played on the deck when we took to air." He looked at the confused faces of his crew-mates and shrugged them away. He would openly admit that what he was thinking of was pure intuition, a thought that just mildly occurred to him.If the map would react different to just those two songs, he had to wonder what litany of other things could be thrown at it to try and crack through the glamor, and if that was possible how many millions of other things could be used to open whatever it kept secret. He frowned at the thought of it, tracing his fingers along the lines he remembered as the last piece of the map that had shown at the end of the song. If his hunch was right, then they just found another piece of the puzzle. If it was right, they would also open up a thousand more questions that they would have to answer. Part of it was simply to be answered by the bard, what other lyrics and song would unlock the next parts of the map, and how they would go about using it. Ahriman had seen the map every time, it shifted. It only became one they had drawn before when they were in a similar spot to where they were before. It was intelligent. For some reason that made the pirate uneasy. The map itself was difficult, so that made him wonder what exactly they were getting themselves into. He ground his teeth slightly as he looked down at it, running his tongue along the back of his teeth. Whatever the hell was about to happen, he had a sinking feeling that before the end his blade would find a few creatures to find a hold in, and they would face dangers that he would really rather avoid in his day to day life. Cheery. And exciting. Somehow the combination brought a smile to the Captain's face. |
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| Shan Orison | Wed Aug 31, 2011 2:50 am Post #25 |
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"What?...Fine," Shan said. His voice still held an irate edge to it. Even if he refused and decided to fight his way out for whatever reason, there was nowhere to go but down. One more bloody time, his rage seethed. Then I'm hitting myself with a Blast so I can enjoy some peace and quiet for a time. "I'll play them both, and why don't I also play 'John Barleycorn' if we're juxtaposing songs? I haven't heard that one in awhile. A good old harvest song will go perfect with that duo, eh?" Really need to tone down the angry sarcasm there, his second thoughts said. They aren't blind to sarcasm. Shan began to play, running through that song as fast as his fingers allowed. The top left of the map seared into life at the furious tempo. He switched his fingering to play the second song, which was technically a love song, and the top right of the map blurred into life. The strange thing, however, was even though he'd cease playing that song, the first section of the map remained in place. He stopped, and the top half of the map faded from view once more. "Well, that was different," Shan said. Just for kicks, he played the love song, and then that song. The sections came to life again, though in the opposite order. Just for the fun of it, Shan did start playing "John Barleycorn." The bottom left quadrant stirred to life and joined the top two. By this time, his fingers really were starting to cramp, and he ceased. The near completed map turned to plain parchment once more. "Well, um, that's surprising....Um, Captain? I'm being totally honest when I say I need a break, and I have no clue what that final song could be. I mean, I just guessed with 'John Barleycorn,' and I need a few minutes to let my fingers relax." That's weird, his curiosity said. "John Barleycorn is old and has hundreds of variations. What are the odds that it's the version from your teeny village would be the one used to bind this map? That's coincidence to no end. It was a horrendous coincidence. First off, how old was this map? Even if it was only a few decades old, styles of music change over time. If it was tuned to a precise series of pitches and rhythms, then they were simply having amazing luck matching both. Styles of music change over time. Songs rise and fall and fade away or are changed to match the current era. Hell, even the song "John Barleycorn" has major variations between villages only a day's walk away. That the mapmaker would have it tuned to the version he knew best and had grown up with was too large a coincidence to ignore. Besides, Shan's luck was never that good. "I think the map's looking for a song pattern, not just particular songs," Shan said. "I don't really know what the connection between a sea chanty, a love song, and a harvest song are, but there's no way that I'm just stumbling upon the exact songs and patterns that the mapmaker had in mind. "Also, um, if it's not to much trouble, could I get some water? Fiddling is thirsty work."
Edited by Shan Orison, Sat Sep 17, 2011 5:14 am.
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| Ahriman Lordimar | Thu Sep 1, 2011 3:25 am Post #26 |
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Ahriman watched the map with some interest as each song went through their paces, sides of it lighting up and different parts coming together as each song was strung together. He bit his lip, his curiosity and the heartless sides of him were coming together, competing against his compassion and code of ethics in an attempt to whip the lad into shape and onto his work. He thought, however, that if he couldn't play correctly that the map may not respond. The response he gave was a simple nod, running his fingers over the map. He nodded to Allen and Loda, "Loda, back on the deck and help steer us into a port, we're gonna need some things. Allen, go grab the lad a drink, then back to work. I think I got a plan that might help us with this rather... er... difficult situation." He looked over the corners of the mouth, trying to figure out what exactly each symbol on the map meant, trying to put the pieces of how it worked together. More then once his gaze looked towards the bard curiously, trying to hide a bit of suspicion behind white eyes. There was a certain degree of it to his look as well, wondering if the lad was closer to the map then he let on. Stranger things have happened, hell, he'd seen some things in the time that he came to this country that would have floored the average man of his homeland. Some things just aren't normal, not at all. "So what are your intuitions about this? I've got me brains all over the place but..." He looked at the map again and arched his brow, his mouth thinning as he looked over it. There were connections between the songs, he was sure of it. If there wasn't, then the map wouldn't be truly decipherable. It had to be something about each that connected them to the parchment, and perhaps their player, and made them unlock whatever secrets were hidden beneath a veil of magic. He arched his brow once again and looked at the map, then Shan, then the map again. His suspicion wasn't helpfully, usually, but it seemed to be onto something. Perhaps nothing rational, but there had to be a string there somewhere, something that connected the player and the map so that they worked together in harmony. He bit at his lip for a moment as he formulated his thoughts, setting the map down on the table and setting it flat once again. "I have two questions, one may be a bit convoluted, the other straight forward. First, how long could you play if you had a break... and second, What do each of those songs mean to you?" He looked to the door as Allen came in with the glass of water that Shan had asked for, the captain waving his hand to dismiss the first mate, the pirate not staying to argue. Seems after a thousand times he was getting irritated at the song as well. Now he just had to wait for the answers, and see if his hunch was onto something once again. |
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| Shan Orison | Thu Sep 1, 2011 1:28 pm Post #27 |
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The Captain dismissed the two crew members. It made the bard relax a bit more since that meant there was only one person in the room instead of three, but it also made him worry that the captain was preparing to pound seven different kinds of pain in him and didn't want his underlings to see. Thankfully, the man seemed more interested in the map than him, thought the occasional glance was swung in the bard's direction. As the Captain's gazed at the map, and at Shan, and at the map again, Shan began to grow more and more nervous. Did the man think he was being difficult on purpose? Well, he was when it came to that song, but he was certainly asking for less than if he was playing at an inn. No pay, for instance, although he usually spent any gold he got right away since the thing it gave him most was trouble. He truly was trying to help as much as he could, but it wasn't as though it was his map. He'd only found out earlier today it was a map, after all, unless the captain didn't believe that either. He shook and massaged his fingers to relieve the muscle cramps. Perhaps we should make our escape, said his paranoia. To where? his common sense countered. We couldn't manage to lower a lifeboat in ten minutes with no distractions before, and we can't knock everyone out at once here. Even if we managed to disable the captain, we'd have to deal with his crew, that bird outside, and whoever Mora is. After that is the simple fact we are several hundred feet in the air with no means of flight. We are stuck, and our usual escape plans are useless in the face of that. Right! And we have to solve the treasure map! his curiosity added. Paranoia and Common Sense just stared. Pit of Doom, Paranoia said. You mark my words. Absorbed in the conversation in his own head, Shan was slow to notice the Captain had said something to him. "What?" he asked even as he rerolled the last few moments to recall what was said. "Oh, well," The man called Allen came with a glass of water. The captain sent him out of the room again. "Not very long, sir. It's just like running a long distance. You occasionally need to stop or slow down to give your legs a breather. And as for you second question..." Shan paused, wondering what he meant. He'd already expressed his feelings about how he felt on the subject of that song, but those feelings were relatively new, certainly not the feelings he had when he first played it. Hmmm, perhaps we need to step out of scared survivor mode and think about this like a bard, his second thoughts said. Whoever made this seemed to have that turn of thought in mind. Shan took a deep breath and relaxed, trying to think in terms of symbols and feelings and stories. "That first song," he said, avoiding its name, "Reminded me of the more romantic notions of sailing and the sea, the adventure and fun it promises. The second one, that I played on deck, I was drawing on..." how to word it, "past experiences with flying, one that I actually enjoyed, and that song seemed to have the best...soaring quality to match that feeling. The third is what got me thinking there can't be a set song, since everyone has their own version they grew up with. That was the one from my village. It was played every year at the harvest festival, usually toasted with the first batch of the new year from the brewer." His mind forgot about the pirates, about the height, about the last few days. He took a sip of water as his subconscious presented a properly fabled answer. "A magical map," he said to himself, "answering only to music, heeding to a song of the sea, a song inspired by flight, a song tied to harvesting the bounties of the earth...." He brought his violin to position again. "Water, Air, Earth...." He played again. First, the sea chanty, then the love song inspired to the fore by dragon flight, the harvest song, and then... There were no childhood songs to match the final corner, but he'd traveled a bit since then, and there was an old blessing to a minor god he heard once, a god that offered the simple promise of light in the darkness and warmth in the cold. He played that simple short melody, and the final corner sprang to life. He finished the song, and the map stayed. "....and Fire." He took another sip of water, and ruined any hope of smoothness he had when his excitement overcame him. "Oh my goodness, did you see that! It worked! I can't believe it worked! This is bloody brilliant! Look at that! It's a real treasure map! I mean...um..."Shan coughed. "I'm not recovering from that with grace, am I?"
Edited by Shan Orison, Thu Sep 1, 2011 4:47 pm.
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| Ahriman Lordimar | Mon Sep 5, 2011 6:44 pm Post #28 |
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There are a few things that cause the captain's jaw to drop open, but he'd openly admit that the map had done it. His hunch had been right, and the bard had caught on quick enough that they had cracked the puzzle. The songs had to be played back to back, stringing together beautifully to craft the map into a perfect map, shining and glittering like a wave washing over the surface of the map. As the music stopped and the map faded away to nothing, he felt a flutter in his chest as if his very soul was telling the lad to continue playing, the treasure was near! His face curled into a very wicked grin, "It seems you and I are going to have little rest. I don't know about you but I don't think I'd be able to get it after this. Willing to go above deck and play us a little ditty?" The grin on his face was half painted in an attempt to make it the question it was, but he couldn't hide the part of him below that wanted to drag the lad up to the deck by force and make him play until every last gold coin was in his possession. Oh how he wanted to do that, but he knew that'd be as good as ensuring that they never got what they needed. The captain smiled at the bard and got up from his seat, moving with the map in hand to the door. He peaked a glanced at the bard for a moment before moving out into the hall. He would need to enter port to grab the supplies they need before anything. So before he got too excited, he had to remember that they would be setting into port very soon. As he stepped out onto the deck, the ship was setting back into water and preparing to move into the port of Taras. From there they could get enough supplies to last them a week or two with the money they had on board. It would have to be good enough. His mouth twitched for a moment, passing by a few of his men and giving orders here and there. They would skip on getting mercenaries to replace the two they had lost in the attack of the pirate ship, Ahriman somewhat worried that with the extra baggage of the bard they wouldn't have room anyway. He was comfortable with his four veterans that he knew they wouldn't need anyone. Or, at least hoped so very dearly. It would have to be enough, as far as that was concerned. He smiled to his faithful pirate underling as he approached the wheel of the ship, taking over once again to guide the ship into port. He preferred to not land in his ports, the sight of it causing too much attention when the port wasn't built for such things. There wasn't a lot of ships like his, but Cascadia was the only port that accommodated the few of them. The other places tended to view it in an odd, mixed manner that disturbed him greatly. It was the sort of thing the captain enjoyed avoiding. And he would also enjoy avoiding manual labor, as it were, resting comfortably as his crew moved in supplies and moved them to the below-decks. |
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| Shan Orison | Tue Sep 6, 2011 2:55 am Post #29 |
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Shan followed the Captain to the upper deck. Wonderously, the sphere of sky surrounding them had shifted to a dome edged with the sea. The reassuring rocking of the waves assured him he wasn't going to free fall forever if he went overboard, even if it meant he had other things to worry about, such as hypothermia and sharks. He still felt filthy from not bathing and wearing the same clothing for days, but the Captain was a man who expected to be obeyed, and Shan wasn't about to disappoint him now. He stood beside the captain as the man surveyed his crew and studied the map. Shan watched the crew as well. Most seemed as relieved as he was to be out of the sky, and weren't as comfortable with the ship than someone who'd been on the structure for months or years. More and more, Shan began to suspect the crew was, for the Captain, a temporary fixture except for the few he seemed to trust. And Mora. Seriously, who is Mora? his curiosity asked, its focused fixed on a new star. Shan turned his gaze to the horizon, and saw they were approaching land, or at least a dent in the cliff side that most likely held some sort of port. He wondered if they were getting supplies, or... Ask to get off, his common sense said. What...No! What about the treasure? his curiosity protested. The map is complete. We discovered its secrets, and now it's time to get away from flying dragon ships and giant birds and pirates. Even if it's a port just for pirates, we will at least be on land, which is synonymous with solid footing. We don't want whatever treasure trove is at the end, anyway, so ask to be let off! But...but...treasure map.... Curiosity, we are getting back onto land. That was the deal. Ask him. "Um, Captain..." Shan said when the captain didn't seem obviously busy with some other business, "Since we've uncovered the map, I'm guessing you don't need me anymore. I would hate to be a strain on your supplies when you seek out the treasure, so you can just drop me off at this port. I can find my way from there." |
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| Ahriman Lordimar | Sat Sep 10, 2011 9:55 pm Post #30 |
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They pulled into the Taras ports and worked about gathering supplies, people moving off of the ship with steady grace and practiced ease. They were mercenaries that were new to the ship, sure, but they were used to supplying one. You don't accept a job at sea without having some experience in it, generally. If you did you were either lucky or you were dead. The captain smiled at the thought of that. He'd rather have a crew of lucky half-wits, really. They'd have kept their wits when they went airborne. He frowned as the bard asked him about leaving the ship, leaning against the wheel with a sigh at the thought of it. It wasn't like it was the sort of thing he was against, he just considered that this wouldn't be the final step in the entire puzzle. When people were that paranoid about their treasure escaping the grasps of the world, they tended to put a few dummy plans in to ensure only the best found it, or they did. His smile was lacking any mirth, the captain struggling to resist grinding his teeth as he spoke, "I'll understand if ye wanna get off, but you gotta know this ain't the end of it, not by a long shot. I promised ye passage to shore and you can hold me to that... or," he held up the map, waving the paper through the air with some enthusiasm, "You can help me track this down, and sure as my names Ahriman Lordimar, we'll find treasure that is hard to imagine." He nodded his head, any semblence of the accent he used around his pirate crew, and many other folks really, long gone from his voice, "But I'll understand if you'd like to get off here. I'm a smart enough lad, we'll get to it eventually." He winked, looking back to the map as a bit of warmth entered his smile. Ahriman Lordimar was never a heartless man, but he always found thinking of others a rather alien thing, especially with an upbringing that gave him pretty much whatever he wanted. It may be why pirate life called to him so well. When his life became about others, he couldn't take it, bringing him out to the seas where he could live how he wanted, without consequences that he couldn't face down clearly. Now he had to face one down, and it involved dealing with what was best for someone else. Something he'd have to get over before long, he was quite sure. So he simply smiled, tapping his finger methodically against the wood of the wheel. For Luka at least, he would hear the lad out and let him be on his way. He didn't know how long he could justify that as an excuse to himself, but for now it was more then enough. |
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7:33 PM Jul 11

