Colonizing the Dark Continent (For Weiss Ritter)

[Xatarias]

"Deserting ain't in my nature," Drail murmurs, eyes cast downwards. "But I was with that... That woman. People like you and her, they can just creep in and... Take whatever they want. Don't matter how handy you are with a blade because you're under their spell the moment you lock eyes with 'em."


"Nathanial's different!"


Everyone's attention is on Milly as the pirate steps forward.


"Prett-Nathanial can't help what's inside his head anymore than Shen'ri can having a tail or Drail being ugly. You said yourself he did by right you, well he's the same man, just with... Some unique qualities. Nathanial would never get inside your heads, like that psycho nun!"


There is a pause as everyone considers the pirates appeal. You can feel Telai's steady gaze drilling into your back as Milly whirls towards you.


"Right!?"

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel stared at Drail for a long moment. His expression betrayed little, but the lack of an immediate response might have hinted at just what was going on behind that reserved mask of his. Yet again one of his few allies feared him for the powers he'd been granted. Was this what it was going to be like the entire way through? Alestras debating whether or not to just kill him while Drails, Millies, and Telais looked at him suspiciously whenever he tried to defend them?


The young man actually tensed in surprise as Milly shouted.


"Correct. At least, not without your permission," It probably wasn't the absolute answer the soldiers, Telai likely included, wanted, but Nathaniel quickly raised his hand in a placating gesture. "There is much about these powers I don't know, but I intend to correct that as well as I can over the coming weeks. If there are ways I can help you train to resist individuals like Agatha, and only if you are willing, it would be in all our interests. Restraint is merely something they practice against their enemies and people like them won't cease to exist because you ignore them. Between her and the Lentani assassin, I am starting to wonder how rare these powers actually are back in Avalon..."

 

[Xatarias]

With that less-than reassuring promise, the crew disperses. You would like to believe that your well-reasoned diplomacy had secured their continued loyalty, but you suspect that the prospect of being stranded in a riotous Newport had more influence in the making of their ultimate decision. You have retained a half-dozen men from your original company, but morale is lower than ever. You would have to work hard to prevent your fort's walls from being unmanned... Not to mention avoiding a dismal reputation as an employer when hiring for future ventures.


A strong hand on your shoulder pulls you from your thoughts and you look up at Telai's calm face.


"You did a good thing, Nathanial. The more the men get acquainted with your... Talents, the less they'll feel alienated from you. We can get through this. You probably know more history than I do, but I'll wager that more leaders became great by overcoming adversity rather than yielding to it..."


The amazon carefully wraps you in an embrace that radiates a warm reassurance. Odd how the woman's presence always managed to reach in and quell the inner turmoil that threatened your very sanity.


"I'm right here, Nathanial," she murmurs into your ear. "Whenever you need me."


The moment slips by and Telai brushes past you, heading back into the fort. While she and Milly tend to immediate matters, you are left to contemplate the future of you and your party. Supplies will be a major issue if traffic to Newport slows, and even then, purchasing imported goods was not a sustainable solution. If Laughingwind intends to make good on her promise of barring the forest to you, starvation looms as a terrifying possibility. Either you needed to rekindle diplomatic relations with the furry leader, or find some alternate food source that didn't involve encroaching on their domain.


Of course you might not have to worry about food should the Forestfolk not favor a patient approach in removing the human scourge from their shores. Your fort was a good, defensible structure, but you have never seen a squirrel army fielded. Conventional fortifications might mean little to a race of people that can bound up vertical surfaces as easily as... Well, a squirrel.


Finally, there was those left behind in Newport. Abandoned by their self-appointed mayor, the citizens of the shantytown might turn on one another in the absence of law. Whatever faction emerged might pose a threat even more dangerous than the threat looming from the shadowy jungle. Of course with your established presence, it might not be impossible to insert yourself into the vacuum of power...

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel allowed himself to exhale a relieved breath only once he was sure none of his few remaining, dubiously loyal, soldiers were there to see or hear it. The negotiation with Laughingwind had been a failure and Cynthia's rebuke made him wonder if he really was more prideful brat best suited for a counting house than a worthy leader and diplomat. This latest ordeal wasn't exactly reassuring and even though the mercenaries grudgingly stayed, he had to wonder if his attempts to be honest and demystify the mental powers Drail so feared had done more harm than good.


His contemplative expression was strained and conflicted as Telai spoke. He...still wasn't sure if this was truly his victory, small as it may have been, but...gods, he could feel his bottom lip quivering as the amazon's strong arms wrapped around him. Nathaniel hugged her right back, his breath trembling a bit as well.


"Thank you," The two words couldn't begin to express the feelings churning inside the young man as he reluctantly let go and watched the two women he probably owed his sanity to re-enter the fort to begin restoring some semblance of working order to it. They all had a great deal they needed to get done if they were to have any hope of survival in the coming weeks and the challenges beyond that...


Nathaniel already had some thoughts on how to address at least some of the problems his expedition faced. It might have been a stretch, but perhaps the food problem could be alleviated by using his powers to psychically hunt in the forest? Agatha had turned one of the great beasts within it into a killing machine on little more than a whim. What was to stop him from puppetting meal-worthy creatures to the slaughter? It would allow him to practice with his powers, possibly make his followers more comfortable with them, and would almost certainly be safer than deploying hunting parties into the likely hostile forest. He doubted the Forestfolk would be pleased with his mental meanderings even if he did concentrate on hunting the hulking predators Shen'ri had so fearfully did a size comparison of him with not so long ago, but even Laughingwind had some understanding of the amount of time it would take to evacuate the coast even if that was his intention. Surely she and her people wouldn't expect he and the half-dozen remaining solders to starve in the meantime. Especially if he could spindoctor the desertions as complying with her demands.


...If that wasn't the case, or if fractured elements of the Forestfolk Confederation weren't quite so...diplomatic as their chieftain, he and his forces risked being put in dire straits. All but the smallest of attack forces would have a substantial, if not overwhelming, numerical advantage as things stood now. They couldn't rely on the fort's defenses in their current state to compensate for that either. Nathaniel wasn't inclined to underestimate the squirrelfolks' ability to climb or innovate tricks and tools to get over the walls if the branchless barriers could actually resist them. Hm...nails, grapeshot, and nails as improvised grapeshot might have been the solution to that. They'd need cannons to make use of that dreadfully efficient anti-personnel ammunition, but if they had some or could acquire any Cynthia had abandoned in Newport it might represent the best way to fortify their position without tipping the Forestfolk too much. Using nails to spike the wooden walls, on the other hand, would require a lot of nails and wouldn't exactly be subtle.


Nathaniel hadn't forgotten Thornpaw's counsel either. Those tactics might have been just as valid a way to defend Newport if he and his expedition were able to relocate there. That probably would have been the optimal outcome, actually. Leaving the fort for a port he controlled might lessen tensions with the Forestfolk, give him more than pool of half-dozen men to pull from, and nip whatever factions were starting to develop there in the bud. The last point was perhaps the most important of all. The best case scenario was that Newport's new masters folded to and joined the Patron's agent as soon as they arrived. In the worst case? The Brightland's already thin resources and manpower would be expended dealing with a thorn in his side before that happened anyway.


So, in short? Nathaniel would need to assess what supplies were left for his expedition to work with and how urgently they needed his personal intervention to restock them. Once that was done, a trip to Newport would be in order once the worst of the fighting had died down. He'd need to take at least one trustworthy bodyguard with him for that, just to be as close to safe as he could be in the currently lawless shantytown.

 

[Xatarias]

The supplies you had initially puchased for the  expedition were constrained by a relatively modest budget. What reserves of hard tack and canned preserves you had have were intended to be supplemented by foraging and continued commerce flowing through Newport's docks. As it stood now, you could sustain the company at full rations for two weeks. Of course no one would relish the prospect of subsisting on such bland, salty fair, but it was infinitely better than nothing. Still, with few victories achieved as of late, it couldn't hurt the men's morale to obtain red meat as soon as possible.


Another musket crack brings your attention to the crooked rooftops of Newport, trails of smoke rising above the makeshift city. Considering the limited number of ships docked, Cynthia could hardly make off with all of the supplies stashed in town. The citizenry that was currently rioting at the docks would no doubt turn to looting once escape became an impossibility. If you wanted to stake your claim- and authority- of what remained, you had to move fast.


"...You know, Shen'ri and his friends are practically a team of pack mules when it comes to hauling gear," Milly muses beside you. "The fort only came up as fast as it did because they hauled the lumber. I say we grab whatever isn't nailed down before those idiots burn it all to the ground."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

(Sorry for the delay! This week has been busy and I somehow missed seeing this post until this morning >.<; )


It was almost depraved, but Nathaniel felt something akin to relief by the time he finished taking stock of his expedition's supplies. The soldiers who had grudgingly remained with him would not be starving any time soon, and while mind-controlling an animal to be slaughtered and then butchered was not the most reassuring use of his powers he could think of, perhaps an injection of red meat into his followers' diet would make the soldiers more accepting of them. If Telai and Milly were willing to give him odd looks every time he used them for more than minor convenience, Nathaniel didn't want to take chances with the already embittered hired guns.


He stared thoughtfully at Newport for a few moments before Milly's voice shook him out of his private little cerebral realm. The young man looked at Milly with suppressed surprise before the rational part of his brain caught up with the gut instinct. Milly certainly had piratical inclinations even if she was firmly in his camp now, but what had his own instincts and perhaps even biases accomplished so far? The thought was enough to make Nathaniel pause and look back at the rioting port.


"...I'll consider it. I would rather not starve the people of Newport or turn them against us, but if things are as volatile there as you believe...well, better to save the resources and strengthen our bargaining position than see it all go to waste."


Nathaniel's eyes scanned over Milly and then the fort. "Let's not waste any time, then. We'll need to rally Telai, the remaining soldiers, and the Hillfolk. Whatever we decide once we enter Newport, I don't want it to be thwarted by the first gang to start taking shots at us from one of the buildings."


Though he left it unsaid, it would also be a good test to see just how far the remnants of his expedition's morale and loyalty went. If they proved unwilling to competently aid him in strengthening their position where a chaotic Newport was involved, he was going to have to make new plans to deal with the fresh and fully-supplied reinforcements the Patron was likely to deploy quickly.

 

[Xatarias]

The men seem to understand the sense of your plan, the need for additional supplies being paramount in such hectic circumstances. However, marshalling your entire forces would be ill-advised. You might secure a treasure-trove of goods but return only to find your fort had been overrun by Forestfolk or some opportunistic Newport citizenry. Telai volunteers to stay behind with half of your human soldiers. The rest, Drail included, will accompany you and Milly on your excursion. Armed for the mission, you prepare to set out for the town...


Only to encounter one last set back. The Hillfolk you had hoped to recruit for porters are utterly unresponsive to your attempts to communicate, psychic or otherwise. They pull away from you and slink off to far corners of the fort, leaving one very sullen-looking Shen'ri curled up in a sun patch. The massive wolf-man opens one eye and gives you an accusatory glare, leaving you in do doubt of the reason for his rebelliousness.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Things seemed to be going well, or as well as they could have under the circumstances. Nathaniel wasn't sure if Telai and the meager company that would be left to secure the fort would have qualified as even a skeleton crew, but it was the best they can do and hopefully it would be enough to dissuade any attempts at a raid. The force that would be going to Newport...well, they were motley crew, but unless the people of Newport had become far more organized than the distant sounds of gunfire implied, he and his team would probably be in a very strong position once they arrived.


Nathaniel was almost disappointed with himself for getting his hopes up and thinking he just might have been able to salvage anything from this mess so easily.


The young man wasn't sure whether to be hurt or upset as the Hillfolk who once would have risked their lives to protect his life regarded him like a plague-bearing pariah. They couldn't even stand to be in presence, leaving only Shen'ri to glare at him.


Nathaniel silently stared back. The Hillfolk had suffered monstrously under Agatha's lash and psychic fetters. Whether Shen'ri was privy to his exact thoughts or not, whatever conclusions the wolf-man had jumped to were not wholly wrong.


"Shen'ri..." He wasn't sure what form of communication the golden-furred Hillfolk would have been most comfortable with, but he would have gone with it as soon as it was identified. At least assuming the wolf-man was willing to hear him out in the first place. "More from Agatha's clan will come to continue her mission. You just watched most of my soldiers and the Lentani leave us. This power is one of the few things I have left. If I can't use it gain some sort of advantage for us-"


Nathaniel glanced at Milly and Telai. The memories of Agatha's "generous" offer to take the gunslinging captain with them and what he'd seen of how the Patron treated his playthings sprang forth unbidden.


"...We'll be lucky if we're only killed. I'm never going to force you or your comrades to do anything, Shen'ri, but after everything that's happened I'm running out of options to deal with our enemies. If you have any better ideas...you know these lands much better than I."

 

[Xatarias]

Shen'ri rises from his position to loom over you. Your eyes lock with his, the golden orbs of his irises holding an almost hypnotic quality. What passes between you can't be described as speech, but it certainly is eloquent in its own right.


When you make the assertion "worse than death", Shen'ri lets out a contemptuous snort, the hot air ruffling your bangs. The justification rings utterly hollow to Shen'ri, someone who not only understands the threat of the Syndicate, but lived through untold suffering at the hands of its most deranged minion. He understands what it means to lose everything and he doesn't appreciate the lecture. To him, employing Agatha's methods was a grave breach of ethics and something of a personal betrayal. Better for you and everyone in the "pack" to die than become like the maddened nun. Your argument is further deflated when he recounts the pleasure you experienced when you exerted your psychic powers not simply to restrain or kill, but to dominate and enslave.


How are you to combat this growing threat while handicapped by moral constraints? Shen'ri doesn't have the foggiest, but he clearly expects you to figure something out.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel stiffened in the wake of Shen'ri's contemptuous snort. That wasn't what he meant at all! Shen'ri knew better than anyone else Nathaniel knew what the Syndicate was capable of. Yes, considering doing anything like what Agatha had done was terrible and basically tap-dancing on the trauma he and the other Hillfolk suffered. But if they did die or fall into the fetters of the Syndicate all over again, what did the golden-furred native think was going to happen after that? If the Syndicate came to dominate this continent, the suffering they would inflict would be almost incalculable. Agatha may have been killed, but the architect of her cruelty and his teachings lived on. They would be free to make much more than "just" a pack of savage Hillfolk to serve as a catspaw if it came to that.


It wasn't...


Nathaniel wanted to refute Shen'ri's accusations that he'd enjoyed making his attacker literally kneel before him, but thinking back...gods damn it. It had been like a puzzle at first. A fascinating mental diversion amidst a pitched battle while he was absorbed into a mental realm where the shackles that bound the Hillfolk were simply constructs to study and marvel at. But after the academic elation had passed and he realized what it all actually meant...no, he couldn't say that it hadn't felt good to see someone that wanted to murder him in the most sadistic way possible be humbled. That he hadn't savored a brief moment of power amidst a turbulent sea that seemed content to toss him about no matter what he did on this Dark Continent.


The young man did seem to subtly deflate before Shen'ri's eyes and turned to face Newport with sunken shoulders. He stood in silence for a few moments more. It felt terrible now but...how could he be worse than the Syndicate even if Shen'ri's worst fears came true?! They would kill or enslave all of them if he couldn't marshal the power to stop their advance! He knew what meant. He'd seen it. How could he not considering doing everything in his power to stop it...?


Nathaniel pressed a hand to his forehead and looked over his shoulder to Shen'ri. A few ideas were offered. Perhaps they could stop the Syndicate at Newport somehow? If the reinforcements had only one ship to their name, maybe their cannons could do the trick. If not, perhaps strategically placing and detonating gunpowder reserves in the emptied town could at least gut and expose the invasion force? If neither of those could end the threat before it began...maybe the Forestfolk would be more amenable to "these foreigners are evil, kill them and take your land back now!" in a negotiation, or at least willing to let him and what was left of his expedition join with Agatha's Hillfolk. There would be war if the last one came to pass, but perhaps it would give them the numbers they needed to not stoop to using the Syndicate's brainwashing tactics against them.


The first two absolutely required control and an evacuation of Newport, however. The last one would probably go smoother if they could manage that, which would mean less bloodshed. Would all that be enough to convince Shen'ri? Even if it did, was whatever bond he and the Hillfolk once enjoyed shattered forever? Did Shen'ri too only seem him as a potential threat or an unsavory tool that might be useful in protecting his people?

 

[Xatarias]

Whatever plans you concoct for the impending arrival of the Syndicate's agents, there is still the needs of the present to consider. Shen'ri eyes you with an air of expectation, clearly not hearing the assurances required to completely alleviate his suspicions. Still, he seems to grudgingly acknowledges the urgency of the situation and gathers his comrades to accompany you. You soon set off towards town to secure what provisions you can.


It is worse than you had feared. Many buildings, the Skittering Crab among them, are fast becoming burnt out skeletons as the scattered fires of arsonists and looters consolidate and spread. Walking in the wake of the blaze seems safe enough, but the outbreak of a fight or even the turn of a breeze could result in the painful demise of you and your company. You need to hurry.


The docks are your ultimate goal. The various storehouses are sure to have some useful contents... Common knowledge which is sure to be exploited by others. It occurs to you that a frontal approach might result fevered brawl or even an ambush. A plan is in order.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Well, Nathaniel certainly wasn't planning to use even a sanitized form of Agatha's techniques against the people of Newport. That probably wouldn't be enough to put Shen'ri at ease either, but if the Hillfolk was expecting Nathaniel to assure him that he would let the entire continent burn and the Syndicate do as it pleased with his loved ones before using his power like that again, Shen'ri was going to be disappointed.


The fact that the golden-furred native who had once marked him as some sort of packmate was reluctantly willing to aid him now was a very thin silver-lining, but coming fresh off of Laughingwind's underhanded way of giving her ultimatum, Cynthia's withdrawal and dismissal of the Syndicate, and the core of his already modest expedition deserting outright...well, the young Brightland would just have to appreciate what advantages he did have all the more now.


Nathaniel's jaw tightened as soon as his team entered Newport itself. It was beyond anarchy. This was madness. What did these people hope to accomplish by burning their own shelters and making the ramshackle settlement even more vulnerable to the Forestfolk offensive that had driven them to this? Were these sailors, frontiersmen, and dregs simply hell-bent on murdering each other through whatever means they could until just enough remained to squeeze onto the last of the boats?


The young man crouched behind one of the few bits of cover that wasn't likely to collapse on top of him as he stared down the crude streets towards the docks and did his best to recall the layout of the port. They'd have to strike a balance between speed and caution if they wanted to acquire the provisions and some semblance of order again without this devolving into a bloodbath. Especially if the expedition members who deserted had succumbed to this insanity as well.


He turned back to the others and began to outline his plan, leaving enough pauses in for the career soldiers to weigh in with their own experience. Nathaniel could scout ahead with his powers to try and sniff out any ambushes, but no matter what he uncovered there it would probably be best if they split up. Approaching the docks from multiple angles would prevent them all from getting caught up in any one killing field or pinned and flanked while allowing the other fire-teams to reposition to assist as needed. It would probably be best if the teams were composed of mixed units of mercenaries and Hillfolk as well. Not only would it offer them greater tactical flexibility, but whatever intimidation factor the husky wolf-men possessed would have been wasted without at least one person who could demand a surrender and assure their enemies that throwing down their weapons wouldn't just get them mauled and devoured by natives they might not have even viewed as sapient.

 

[Xatarias]

You extend your consciousness out to the rows of warehouses, searching for any large groups seeking to waylay your company. You don't have time to sift through the mind of every looter in the docks district, but a cursory examination leaves you confident that no one is lying in wait for you. Still, it wouldn't hurt to assume that the scattered individuals you do detect are armed and unlikely to comply with any demands you make. Hopefully their interests wouldn't come into conflict with yours.


"See you on the other side, pretty boy." Milly rises on her toes to give you a quick peck on the cheek. "Try not to get shot."


The buxom pirate quickly rounds the corner with her two Hillfolk escorts. Drail and the others do likewise, giving you a curt nod before departing. You are about to explain to Shen'ri why Drail didn't also kiss you goodbye, when seeing the sly gleem in the dogman's eye, you realize his mental query was meant as a joke.


Breaking into the warehouses is a simple process, Shen'ri's strong claws working as efficiently as two men armed with crow bars. After searching several buildings filled with only empty barrels and crates intended for repackaging, you finally reach a room filled with canned preserves and what appears to be barreled flour. You aren't the first person here as several containers have been broken into, the remainder of their contents scattered about on the floor.


You are just about to take inventory when the racket of several dropping cans draws your attention. A woman cowers in the corner, pushing a small child behind her. She likely is here for the same reason you are, although with a child in tow, you seriously doubt her ability to secure and keep safe any food in the lawless city outside.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"And you don't get yourself stabbed," Nathaniel offered a ghost of a grin as Milly departed. Shen'ri's question earned the Hillfolk a cocked head and a raised brow. He'd seen what females of Shen'ri's species looked like, and Ruan certainly had no trouble identifying Telai as a female. Was the culture Shen'ri had been born into so different or did Agatha's influence-Oh. It was a joke.


The young man scoffed, but in truth he was daring to feel cautiously optimistic. He'd come up with a plan that, at the very least, was not criticized by professional mercenaries whose morale was probably too shot to care about who was nominally signing their checks now, Shen'ri wasn't so far gone as to be completely humorless, and a peck on the cheek from Milly would have made anyone attracted to women feel a little better about themselves. He was making good time on his part of the operation as well, thanks to Shen'ri, and presumably the others were as well.


Naturally, Nathaniel's gut was twisting in anticipation of something going horribly wrong.


His pistol was drawn and readied the moment the cans hit the floor. One eye closed and the other narrowed as the young Brightland aimed down his flintlock's sights in a practiced manner at...a child and their apparent guardian. Nathaniel froze, both of his eyes widening. It took a moment for him to lower his weapon. His encounters with Laughingwind and Alestra had made him warier of trusting even helpful, seemingly harmless individuals even when their interests had the potential to align.


Nathaniel pressed a finger to his lips to signal the importance of quiet to the woman and the child and waved his hand at the cans they'd knocked to the floor. They were welcome to take what they needed, but the concerned expression Nathaniel observed them with spoke volumes. There were hardened criminals who probably wouldn't like their chances in Newport's current state. If this woman and the child really were all they appeared to be...


He hesitated again before making another gesture to indicate that the two could accompany them if they wished. This wasn't just supposed to be a raid, but a step towards saving Newport from itself. Maybe he risked letting principle and perhaps even pride guide him into making another mistake, but how could he even think he was doing this to save lives if he simply ignored this plight?

 

[Xatarias]

The woman doesn't move from her corner initially, but after you and Shen'ri scrounge what you can from the surrounding containers, she quickly hurries after you into the streets, child in tow.


Strong as Shen'ri is, he couldn't carry everything in the warehouse. Depending on how well the other groups' scavenging went, you might want to return and clear out the rest of-


A musket discharging draws your attention to a far street. Your supernatural senses detect a handful of individuals, Drail and his Hillfolk escort among them. Rounding the corner, you find the grizzled soldier with his rifle discarded on the ground and his pistol drawn, pointed at a band of youths armed with improvised cudgels. One of the vagrants lies prone moaning and clutching a mangled arm.


"Y-you shot Freddy, you bastard!" One of them exclaims.


"Lad, when you say money or your life, what in hells do you think I'm going to do?" Drail's voice is firm, but from the way he licks his lips, you can tell he's nervous. He doesn't want to kill any of these kids.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

It might take some adjusting, but Nathaniel was reasonably confident things would work out for the woman the child so long as neither betrayed his trust. Thanks to the bulk of his expedition's desertion, living space in and around the fort probably wasn't in short supply.


Nathaniel tensed as soon as the sound of a musket discharging filled the air. It was too far to have been aimed at his party, but it was still close enough for him to worry about the others. His mind reached out to scan through the gutted buildings and streets in a way that was quickly becoming practiced. Drail and the others...!


"This way!" The young man hissed, dashing off as quickly as he could without leaving the others behind or throwing caution to the wind. The damage was done by the time he arrived, but thankfully it was not his people who had suffered.


"I'm not sure how much good money would do you in Newport's current state, anyway," Nathaniel assumed a position at Drail's side with his pistol raised. More importantly, his mind was primed to subdue the first of the gang who was foolish enough to charge or throw anything. It'd spare them a bullet to a limb and prevent more formidable opponents from homing in on their position.


"If it's food you need, we can cooperate. We're here to save lives and restore what order we can, not rob and gun down anyone we happen across," Nathaniel gestured toward the woman and the child with his head, though he never took his eyes off the cudgel-wielding youths for even an instant. Those two were living proof of his idealistic claim, but he have pragmatic reasons to want to recruit this poorly armed gang as well. There was at least one warehouse of supplies within reach and it would take a few extra hands to clean it out. Having these people do it would free up trained mercenaries and Hillfolk who would be much more capable of dealing with any arising threats without arms occupied with crates and cans.

 

[Xatarias]

"Pox on that!" One exclaims. "You think we're just going to start taking orders cause you say so? Well how about you-"


"Shut it, Branch."


The wounded youth Freddy spits the words around a bandage he is tightening around his limp arm. Being overridden by the source of conflict does wonders for calming down the troop of young men. The massive presence of two growling beatmen doesn't hurt either. From the wide-eyed looks they cast towards Shen'ri and his sister, they don't fancy their chances at a melee.


"You run the fort inland, right?" Freddy asks, clearly the leader of the bunch. "I saw you in the market with that hot piece, the one with all the pistols. If we haul for you, we'll get a place behind your walls right?"


How much hauling the wounded teenager will be doing is questionable, but you doubt his friends would go along with your compromise if Freddy wasn't included in the deal.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel's heart beat a bit quicker as one of the impetuous youths rejected his offer right off the bat. Would the others follow his lead? In his experience, people had a much easier time doing just about anything as soon as someone else did it first.


Mercifully, Freddy spoke up and the growling Hillfolk helped argue his case nicely as well.


"That's correct..." There was the faintest pause in Nathaniel's reply. 'hot piece'...? It wasn't exactly unexpected or unreasonable for someone else to notice Milly's...features, but...it was strange to hear someone actually comment about them.No matter, he would deal with the not-jealousy-or-insecurity later. "And yes. It should be a simple enough matter to accommodate you all. Not that Newport is providing much competition where shelter is concerned anymore."


One wounded young man tagging along would hardly have been a terrible price to pay for the cooperation of his entire band even if Nathaniel was willing to consider just leaving him behind. And he wasn't. Not now, anyway.

 

[Xatarias]

With Freddy's crew enlisted, you are able to backtrack and secure much more provisions. The wounded lad proves to be much more than dead weight when he suggests jerry-rigging a handcart by knocking off the broken axle of a wrecked wagon. The unwieldy vehicle would be utterly useless for even a dozen men, but not so for your burly furry cohorts. You load up the barrels of flour and canned preserves and set off towards the prearranged rendezvous point with Milly- the shipyard.


You find your pirate lover and the rest of your crew standing watch over a sizable pile of loot. Milly, you notice, is sporting a comical amount of jewelry- the origins of which is no doubt dubious.


Her expression doesn't reflect that of a gleeful day of thievery, though. Watching her stare mournfully at the vacant dockyard, you know Milly is thinking of her lost ship.


"There's a few cannons over on the wharf," She says as you approach. "Heavy suckers though, which is probably why Cynthia left them behind to begin with. It won't be easy getting them back to base."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel was on edge as the group and their improvised handcart moved towards the shipyard. Once again things were going well enough for him to dread some sort of sadistic karmic backlash. For now, though, none seemed forthcoming. The Hillfolk aided he and his band dutifully despite their earlier misgivings and Freddy came up with an innovation that even he might not have thought of amid the chaos.


Milly and her party seemed not only unharmed but wildly successful as well! The jewelry Milly wore have Nathaniel pause and his lips parted to comment on the dubious value of such treasures under the current circumstances. Then his gaze followed her's and all Nathaniel could do was wince. If Milly begrudged him for the way things had turned out, she hadn't expressed it yet...but if she hadn't gotten involved with him or hadn't been so charitable as to simply let him go while he was bound in her bed, what would she have now? Probably a ship and a valuable prize of one kind or another.


"I see..." Nathaniel tried not to let to those feelings creep into his tone or expression as he glanced towards the wharf. The cannons could be used against them if the remainder of Newport decided to take issue with his little raid an attempts to assert authority over them. On the other hand, such heavy and cumbersome prizes would almost certainly mean giving up manpower that would be needed to carry and secure the supplies they'd already taken, and there were the Forestfolk to consider as well. Laiughingwind made it clear she would act if he appeared to be fortifying his position.


"Hm..." Nathaniel glanced back over his expedition's spoils and the manpower they had to work with. Riflemen would probably be best suited to covering their withdrawal, and he couldn't be certain that Freddy and his band would be eager to go deeper into Newport or would remain cool under fire if someone else made a move on the wharf. Still, if they had a free Hillfolk or two left, or could reassign them from food-carrying duty...well, the fort had been stocked with rations enough to keep a full expedition going for some time. The desertions had freed up a good chunk of those reserves even without taking into account these supplements.


"I'd rather have them and not need them than need them and not have them. Especially if the rest of Newport isn't so open to negotiation-" He gestured to Freddy and his band. " Or settles enough to look beyond the town for targets to raid. I doubt we'll have a better chance to acquire them outside of a giving or receiving a siege either."

 

[Xatarias]

(Intellect roll: 14)


Even with retasking some of your Hillfolk, you only have enough manpower to transport one cannon in a reasonable amount of time. Emptying the cart would make moving an additional artillery piece a possibility, but it would come at the sacrifice of several weeks of provisions. Your stores were in good supply, but Freddy's crew alone doubled your company's numbers. Considering the escalating violence that surrounds you, making a return trip seems a dangerous proposition. You are faced with the tough decision of drastically increasing your fort's firepower, securing a stable food source, or finding some middle ground between the two.


There is a roar of flames in the distance followed by a series of shouts- and even laughter. Another building must have been caught in the inferno. Milly frowns at the source, hands straying towards her weapons.


"Well we can't take all of them." She says gesturing at the four cannons. "And some maniac had to have started this madness. I don't like the idea of leaving them new dangerous toys to play with... Maybe we should pitch what we don't take into the harbor and save us some headaches down the road." (Milly turning down a cannon!? )

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel's jaw was tight as he contemplated how to maximize his team's manpower, but the laughter made his eyes narrow outright in its direction. Those weren't the sounds of desperate men and women just trying to find food and huddle somewhere safe in a world gone mad. Whoever was lurking nearby, it seemed they were the sort to revel and thrive in such a twisted environment. His expedition had been right to come here while they had the chance.


"Agreed..." Nathaniel made no effort to conceal his reluctance as his gaze flickered over the canons. A small broadside of such heavy guns would have been invaluable in another life if the Syndicate reinforcements were half as imposing as he feared, but having them fall into the hands of a Newport ruled by these bandits simply wasn't an option.


"Take the one canon we have room for. Dump the rest..." The young man turned towards the laughing, shooting men in the distance. His mind continued its scanning for any signs of immediate danger.


If it came down to a siege, he was confident his expedition could endure it. The food would ensure starving them out wasn't an option and a single canon coupled with his powers would probably be enough to hold the fort in a pitched battle.

 

[Xatarias]

(I'm thinking you'll like this )


Pitching the surpluss cannons is a simple task, but still physically taxing. It takes more effort than you would have thought to push them off the pier, gurgling into the depths. The last remaining artillery piece is hauled up unto your carriage, resting on the back wheels of its carriage. The Hillfolk working together are just strong enough to move the apparatus at a slow walk. The rest of the group busy themselves keeping guard or clearing debris for the cart's passage.


You make it about halfway through town when you mentally sense the presence of several humans converging upon your position. You have time to prepare for their approach, and your party hastened to heed whatever commands you give them before the inevitable confrontation. The seething, prickly, signature encroaching on your extranormal senses makes you suspect that you will soon meet the individual responsible for Newport's recent woes.


Men start to appear from the ruins of surrounding buildings, their hunched silhouettes made all the more menacing by melee weaponry and firearms clutched in hand.  There must be a dozen or so, and while they don't rush your position, they don't seem eager to let you pass, forming a distending circle around your party. You grit your teeth as the disturbing consciousness nears, registering as a cacophony of voices echoing in a discordant choir. It's similar to when you lose control of the voice and several threads of memory bubble to the surface- except this person exists wholly in that miserable condition.


A cackle from the rooftops draws your attention. More ruffians come into view, perched atop the ruined roof of the Skittering Crab. The mad laughter floats towards you again, this time accompanied by rustling of iron chain.


The gang's leader bounds into view, cresting the sloping rooftop with a lurching athletic grace. She stands barefoot, her legs spread at an impossible angle, made all the more indecent by the shreds of tattered clothing barely covering her lean, muscular form. Her flesh is strewn in a mosiac of multicolored tattoos, the most prevalent being an eastern-style dragon curling from ankle to neck.


Even more striking are the chains. They wrap tightly around the woman's limbs and waist, dragging behind her like a perverted bridal train. She handles them like a weapon an accessory, snapping like a whip one moment, and dragging theatrically the next.


"M-Milly, Milly, Milly!," She trills ecstatically. "I knew we'd meet again! Didn't I say so when you kicked me off decks!? I guess It've been hard to here as there was a bit of water between us! I'm ssssoooo happy to see you, hon."


"Fuck," Milly breaths wide-eyed, taking an involuntary step back. "Mauve!?" 

 

[Weiss Ritter]

(*Swoons*...I mean, egad! The villain behind this mess! )


Nathaniel exhaled a weary breath as much from the physical tole as the mental of his and his expedition's daring, canon-thieving raid into Newport. They had their supplies, a canon, and had successfully sabotages the efforts of whatever madman sought to burn the town to the ground just so they could dance in its ashes, but none of that would matter if they couldn't escape the fortified port. Without the Hillfolk, they probably wouldn't have been able to carry half as much as hid band had now, but even the husky natives of the Dark Continent were only able to push the heavy gun at a glacial pace.


His eyes and mind alike flickered about the burning town as the party pulled back out. Every shadow and flicker of an unknown consciousness was scrutinized for fear of an ambush lying in way. Nathaniel needn't have bothered. Their potential enemies were all too willing to walk right up to him and his.


The young man's jaw tightened at the sight of the armed men moving to surround them. He didn't have the experience of the career soldiers of fortune that formed the core of his remaining forces, but but the brigands blocking their way seemed at least comfortable with the weapons they brandished. Nathaniel gestured and quietly commanded his forces to take whatever cover they could in the burnt out husk of a port. At they very least, they could use the cart and cannon for cover if nothing else was available. It would be a disaster if either drew enough musket fire to be damaged into uselessness, but it would be better than bleeding even more soldiers.


Nathaniel tried to position himself behind the sturdiest bit of cover he could find as well. Perhaps none of that would matter. As long as he could reach out to his enemy's minds, his powers were the expedition's ace in the hole. All they had to was outlast this exchange and prevent the enemy from flanking him he concentrated, and the psychic attacks could very well dominate this battle!


"Ngh...!" He grunted and visibly flinched, one hand reflexively shooting up to his forehead. One moment Nathaniel had been picking out targets, the next...dear gods what was that?! He hadn't felt a mind quite so unpleasant to even "feel" since Agatha and her "pets"! It was...different, though. Less raw, sadistic malice and more...brokeness. Like what he feared might happen to him if the Song raged out of control.


The young man chanced a peek out from behind his cover. His eyes widened a bit as he stared, first at the ample amount of lean and feminine muscle the shreds of the woman's clothing did more to flaunt than conceal, then at the exotic tattoos that would have put most hardened sailors to shame and the collection of chains Mauve wielded with a distressing amount of skill and playfulness.


"Milly, who is that?" There was a note of unease in Nathaniel's voice. His gaze remained locked on the gang's leader while his hand reached down to grip his pistol. If this woman had a crazed personal grudge against Milly, then rational negotiation was off the table. He wasn't eager to grapple with the likes of her mentally either, but that wouldn't be necessary as long as Mauve's footmen could be dominated instead...unless the distressingly familiar "feel" of the chain-wielding acrobat's mind meant she could do more than merely ward off his mental probes.

 

[Xatarias]

(Crazy hot... Or maybe just crazy )


Milly hunkers down behind the crumbled wall you have chosen as cover. When you ask your question, she closes her eyes briefly and clenches her trembling hands. Exhaling slowly, she goes to her bandoleers and begins checking and rechecking her arms. Somehow you suspect that this impromptu maintenance has more to do with calming Milly's nerves that actually servicing her weaponry.


"That is Mauve, craziest bitch I've ever run across. We were partners of a sort. She and I... Acquired my sloop from its previous owner together. I was the sergeant at arms at the time and Mauve was first mate. I erm, persuaded her that I'd make the better captain and she agreed."


Your lover peeks over at the tattooed hellion, as if taking a second look might confirm Mauve to be nothing more than a phantasm. Dissapointed, Milly retreats with groan.


"She's bad news Nathanial. I wasn't eager to have a basket case for a first mate, so I got rid of her. What I can't fathom is-"


"Bet you're wondering how I'm still alive, huh Milly?" Mauve's voice drifts over to you, melodious in its mocking tone. "You think that was the first anchor I had been tied to? I'm a contortionist deary! Of course you might have figured that out if you had just played nice and accepted my offer. But that's all in the past and fate has given us a second chance to be together! Come on Milly, what do you say?"

 

[Weiss Ritter]

(They're hardly mutually exclusive! Well, at least so long as the latter doesn't out weigh the former by too vast a margin )


Nathaniel's eyes flickered over Milly's trembling hands. His expression tightened even further. This Mauve frightened her, the best sharpshooter he'd ever seen, this badly?


A frown tugged at Nathaniel's lips as Milly shared her story and it only deepened when Mauve chipped in with her bit about the anchor and some sort of offer. How could he not be uncomfortable imagining his beloved buxom buccaneer turning on a comrade and leaving them to die in one of the less merciful ways out there? Yes, she had been a smuggler and perhaps an outright pirate before coming to the Dark Continent, and they'd met while she trying to take Laughingwind at a sex slave,but...gods, it hard to think of that as being the same woman who fretted over her "pretty boy" even after he'd gained his "woo woo powers".


One glance around at the gutted Newport kept his expression from growing judgemental, though. Maybe there had been a good reason for why Milly couldn't have just put a bullet in her head instead too.


"Offer?" Nathaniel asked with an inquisitive glance in Milly's direction but little more. The positioning and disposition of small army surrounding them definitely took priority.


"What exactly is she after?" He peeked up over the side of the wall again, his eyes shifting from Mauve to her nearby footmen. "...And what are they after? If they just want to get away from these lands..."


It might be possible to get Mauve's gang to stand down. Maybe. At the very least, Nathaniel wasn't eager to risk what little manpower he had left on an almost pointless conflict before his Patron-dispatched "replacement" even arrived.


"I can...try talking to her, Milly?" The young man shifted as if to stand, glancing over Milly's shaking hands once more. Mauve seemed to have a bit of a one track mind when it came to the gunslinging pirate, but if Milly was too shaken to even look her former first mate in the eye, deferring to her in this negotiation wasn't going to end well.Plus he'd seen what Milly's past attempts to make any kind of deal had worked out.

 

[Xatarias]

"She grew an erm... Unhealthy attachment during our partnership," Milly mumbles, drawing an excessive amount of clicking noises from her weapons. "She's crazy, Nat. Like over the moon and back crazy. One time, there was this shark and-"


"Milly!? Who are you talking to? Is that your new beau? You always did like the pretty ones with the big dicks. It's alright, I'm the forgiving sort. I'll give you as much time as you need to realize I'm the one for you."


Milly grits her teeth and eyes her pistol... Then swaps it out for one of a significantly larger caliber.


It's pretty clear what line of action Milly would prefer, but you don't fancy your encumbered group's odds against Mauve's significantly larger force. Not to mention, the two noncombatants you had in tow. Attempting negotiations might at least delay hostilities for your to get a read on this strange newcomer. It also might provide an opening for you to use your powers. Mauve's mental signature was unique, but you hadn't sensed her employing it in a Gifted manner...

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"Oh...well...that's..." Nathaniel took one more glance at Mauve from over the wall and cleared his throat awkwardly. From the way Milly was fiddling with her pistols and switching to what he guessed was the largest caliber she had short of that blunderbass or beastly sharp-shooting rifle, he honestly wasn't sure if the pirate lass would have been far more comfortable if the chain-wielding contortionist "merely" wanted to kill her in revenge.


He tensed and glanced down almost self-consciously at his package after Mauve shouted. Whether or not Milly commented, she would have received another awkward glance from the young man before he raised one hand and then another to show he was unarmed before partially emerging from behind the grumbling wall. If the worst happened, Nathaniel wasn't going to risk presenting himself as an utterly exposed target too far from cover to duck back into it.


"I am the leader of this expedition and Milly's nominal employer," Nathaniel said with a raised voice. He and the good captain hadn't had time to negotiate a new business arrangement since...well, everything fell apart all at once, but confirming the actual reasons why she had remained with probably wasn't the best idea. Especially where Mauve was concerned. "Why are you and your men so eager to burn Newport to the ground? You realize that may drive what vessels might still come here away as soon as they see the smoldering ruins and weaken, and embolden the Forestfolk even further?"


Nathaniel's eyes and mind alike flickered across Mauve and her gang. He was trying to take as much stock of them as he could without tipping any of them off to his powers. Perhaps the contortionist had been able to whip these men into line through sheer prowess and crazed force of personality, but unless staying on this hostile continent for the sake Mauve's obsession was an appealing notion there was a chance running into a force that could challenge their own would make them re-think their loyalties. If not, Nathaniel would at least have a good idea of his enemies' positions and which rifleman to seize control over if Mauve's mind was deranged enough to ward him off even without the Gift.


"I expected there would be chaos and looting that would need to be dealt with to ensure an orderly evacuation, but I'm not sure if I understand how torching what shelter you have left has to do with that or making the good captain swoon..."

 

[Xatarias]

When you come into view, Mauve cocks her head inquisitively. Some of her underlings shift uneasily, but a motion from their leader quiets them. You barely get out your first sentence when Milly audibly groans and Mauve's eyes narrow.


The mentally unstable gang leader, flips onto her back in a flurry of legs and slides down the slope of the Skittering Crab's roof. Catching herself just before the drop off, she dangles her legs over the side, leans forward, and gives you a too-wide smile.


"Employer? Is that what the kids are calling it these days? Listen sport, if you've impugned the honor of my sweet darling, I'm just going to have to-"


"Wait!"


Milly scrambles from her position, discarding her massive pistol and raising her hands.


"See? I'm here now. No need for you to jump to conclusions. Nat just wants you to stop burning stuff, alright? He talks a lot, but it makes sense, right? You don't make a point by sinking the ship, let's be reasonable."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Nathaniel blinked in faint surprise when Mauve seemed to take offense at the way he characterized his and Milly's relationship. Wasn't she the one implying he was her cabin boy just a few seconds ago? He thought he'd cleaned it up rather nicely!


Mauve's acrobatic display down the side of the Skittering Crab gave him a moment of pause, as much from amazement at the display as seeing every muscle and sinew in her barely-clad body tense into action. It didn't stop one of his hands from subtly inching closer to his pistol.


Milly's shout made Nathaniel jump and he fought to suppress a flinch as Milly sprang from the safety of her cover without even that pistol of her's as a precaution. There wasn't a self-control technique taught in Avalon that could have done much for his widened eyes or quickened beating of his heart, though.


"Yes," The young man said quickly, forcing himself to look back up at Mauve. He couldn't show weakness here, nor let his mind contemplate what might happen if the former first mate decided to try and seize her prize while the scarlet haired pirate was exposed. "If you're all trying to flee to avoid a war with the Forestfolk, it makes no sense to burn your homes, war with your neighbors instead, and drive away the only vessels that can save you. We don't have to fight to get through this."