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Post by Tug on Mar 16, 2017 23:19:01 GMT -5
Tuggington, ignoring the warning, proceeded on...
"There's something aboard that ship that has to be the reason why they fly that flag, and i'm going to find out what... Men! Gather the boarding ropes! Toss over some lines!" ordered tuggington as pirates dashed all over the upper deck of the Scrap Iron Dreadnought...
The next thing the Grey Eagle knew, there was a shake and the clanging of metal hitting the riggings, as well as a board being lowered onto the deck... The pirates had arrived...
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Mar 16, 2017 23:21:21 GMT -5
"HELLO UP THERE!" called Admiral Diesel. "I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA KICK YOUR ASSES TODAY!!"
"Sir, was that necessary?"
"Eh, felt like doing it for no reason."
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Mar 16, 2017 23:27:26 GMT -5
"Who is the captain of this ship?" Tuggington said as he boarded.
"That would be me" Captain Jones said as he came forward.
"All right then. Please be so kind as to tell me captain- why do you fly a plague flag when none of your crew appear sick?" Tuggington asked.
"We're just simple merchant sailors sir; all we want to do is our jobs, then go back to our families" Captain Jones answered honestly.
"And the flag?" Tuggington asked.
"We've no weapons beyond some knives for utility purposes, we wouldn't stand a chance in combat!" He said.
"Ah... a clever trick then" Tuggington said. Then he ordered his pirates to look around. 15 minutes later, he was rather disappointed.
"Their hold is filled with grain and lumber; nothing else. They've no treasure or weapons to speak of... nothing at all" the pirate said.
"Damn it all. Seems this was a waste of time. Men, back to the ship! We will not waste another second with this red herring" Tuggington said as they prepared to disembark and remove the ropes.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Mar 16, 2017 23:30:31 GMT -5
Suddenly, up from the masts above, with muskets blazing, Frank dropped upon the pirates.
"YOU WILL NOT TAKE MY SHIP!!" he yelled, before realizing his bullets had no affect on Tuggington, who broke into a smile.
"Well aren't you the tough one, eh?"
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Post by Toz76 on Mar 16, 2017 23:31:57 GMT -5
"We can't just leave them alive, sir!" Objected a crewman.
**** In the present Tiberius was grappling onto the side of the Queen Redicci III. No one saw him as he crawled up the side and reached the deck unseen.
"Now, just one thing I must do before I raise that flag... claim a treasure far more valuable then this entire ship." And Tiberius snuck belowdecks.
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Post by Tug on Mar 16, 2017 23:35:54 GMT -5
"Well, take some of the lumber at least, it will be useful for Pett, anyway, who was the one who came up with the idea to fly the Plague Flag, huh?" asked Tuggington
No one answered...
"You know, I am a pirate, and if no one tells me, I wil lsink this ship... So tell me, who came up with the idea to fly that flag!" shouted Tuggington
A lone man replied, "Aye Sir..."
"And what be your name then sir?" asked Tuggington
"Frank, Captain..."
"Well, Frank, want to join my crew?"
"Huh?"
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Mar 16, 2017 23:48:36 GMT -5
"Your intellect impresses me... a man like you would be a welcome addition to my crew."
Frank thought about it, but simply replied "a most generous offer indeed... but I must decline. You see, I have loyalties that lie elsewhere, and I must return to East Gartun within the month" Frank replied.
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Post by Biblically Accurate Angel on Mar 16, 2017 23:50:35 GMT -5
"Please join! It'll be fun."
"No."
"Join."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No.
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"CUT IT OUT AND JOIN MY CREW ALREADY!"
"NO!"
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Post by Tug on Mar 16, 2017 23:51:08 GMT -5
"East Gartun, hmm? I happen to travel the seas, you wouldn't know anything about the turmoil going on there right?" replied Tuggington smugly
Frank was now stuck, unsure, of what exactly to reply with exactly...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Mar 17, 2017 0:17:04 GMT -5
Then he calmed down and played it cool.
"You wouldn't know the half of it. Ever since the Crastvin family came to power, it's been a complete disaster. The fact the East Gartun Shipping Company is operate smoothly is nothing short of a miracle." Frank said.
"Then why work for a simple shipping company? Come join us and sail the open seas with no rules or restrictions" Tuggington said.
"Let me put it like this..." Frank said. What happened next too the pirates completely by surprise.
"LIBERTE GARTUN!!" Frank screamed, and without warning, suddenly Tuggington was thrown into the sea!
"What the?" Said one of the only two pirates still on the Eagle; who were subsequently thrown overboard by other crewmen.
"Toss the rocks!" Frank yelled. A good two dozen or so crewmen suddenly took rocks out of their pockets, lit them on fire, and threw them onto the Pirate ship.
"You honestly think those rocks will stop us?!" A pirate screamed as they prepared to board.
"No, but that will" Frank said. The rocks suddenly began glowing with such a blinding flash the crew couldn't see anything
(Translation- the rocks were magnesium)
Blinded, the planks were dropped and the ropes were cut, and the Grey Eagle began sailing away, with the Serpent in tow.
"The acid jars!" Frank ordered. Another two dozen crew threw jars of what looked like oil over the side, littering the deck of the pirate ship. A couple even landed near the helm.
Some crew tried to go to the helm... but the smell of the acid was so strong and rancid they were knocked out cold. With no one at the helm, the ocean current forced the ship away from the Grey Eagle and Serpent.
And the last trick Frank had in store?
"Drop the barrels!" he called out.
Several barrels were dumped over the stern; when they came in contact with the water; huge amounts of fog were created; so much so they camouflaged the Grey Eagle's escape.
But the crew that were not blinded or dealing knocked out with rancid odors had more pressing concerns.
"Where is Tuggington?" They called out, scanning the ocean.
......
On the Grey Eagle, Captain Jones congratulated Frank for his efforts in defending the Grey Eagle.
"Frank, you style is most unorthodox, but it is pure brilliance" he complimented.
"I hope Tuggington will forgive me- but it is vitally important that I return to East Gartun." Frank said.
"Indeed" Captain Jones agreed.
"LIBERTE GARTUN!" Frank screamed.
"LIBERTE GARTUN!" Followed other crew members in unison.
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Post by Tug on Mar 17, 2017 0:27:29 GMT -5
"Cocky Frank... Makes me want you on my crew even more..." said a voice as a dripping man climbed over the side of the railing and stood on the deck of the Grey Eagle...
"How? We threw you overboard!" shouted Captain Jones
"I grabbed onto the ship and climbed my way up... Not hard for an esteemed pirate like me... Anyway, my offer still stands..." replied the soaking Tuggington
"I'm sorry Captain, even IF there was the slightest chance I wanted to join your crew, there is nothing offered to be that I'm willing to except..." responded Frank
Tuggington then got on his knees and answered, "Then I'll give you an offer you can't refuse... Aboard my ship are at least over 100 men who will do as their captain orders, and I have recruited a man with an information network that will greatly help your cause... If you allow me to return and collect him and his associates, i will take my crew directly to East Gartun and overthrow the Crastvin Family with my own hands! there's a reason they call me the 'Metal Monster', and I'll put my honor on the line as a pirate to recruit you into my band!"
Frank, contemplated the offer, this show of dedication had raised his opinion of the pirate captain, tenfold, but it still was hard to completely except this temptation...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Mar 17, 2017 1:11:51 GMT -5
So Frank offered the following.
"No doubt what you offer would be invaluable to our cause. But the Crastvin family is more powerful than you imagine. East Gartun is more built up and has more resources compared to the other islands in the Aderan Sea region... which is why the ruling family finds it so valuable. They put the Crastvin in charge to ensure everything "runs smoothly..." boy was that a backfire" Frank pointed out.
"So what is it you want?" Tuggington asked.
"We liberate East Gartun with your assistance, and I will do work for you as necessary. But let me be very clear- I will not raid every ship in sight- only those that have direct connection to the Aderan Empire" Frank explained.
(To be further explained when we get to East Gartun)
"So why not sail there now?" Tuggington asked.
"We raise money through our job with the shipping company to finance the rebellion. We stand to make a good deal from the Serpent Hulk, the timber and grain as soon as we get to Cetlin" Frank explained.
"Surely you could take some time to sail me back to my ship" Tuggington said.
"As much as we want to... by now, we couldn't tell you where your ship was... it would be a goose chase without some sort of reference" Frank explained.
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Post by Tug on Mar 17, 2017 1:17:47 GMT -5
"One second then..." replied Tuggington as he withdrew a pistol and aimed it at the sky, shooting it, and what followed was a explosion of light...
"I call it a 'flare gun', let's my ship know where I am, surprising, i get stuck on enemy ships more often then not..." laughed Tuggington
"So, once you return to your ship, what do you plan on doing?' asked Frank
"Well, I have to help out a crew mate of mine back in Vortun, and once his task is complete, I will head straight to East Gartun, maybe gather resources for your cause along the way, but no matter what, I will dethrone your enemies and make you apart of my crew..." answered tuggington
A short while later, the Scrap Iron Dreadnought came into view as Tuggington hopped across...
"We'll part ways here Frank, but we will meet again in the port of East Gartun, where the literal heads of the Crestvin will be awaiting you..." laughed Tuggington as the pirates sailed back towards Vortun...
"What a strange contraption... And what an even stranger man..." said Frank to himself
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Mar 17, 2017 1:25:09 GMT -5
Frank had come up with ideas for "flares" in the past, but he never could figure out a practical way to use them. Perhaps he could shed some insight with the design if asked nicely.
The remainder of the voyage was rather uneventful. After dropping of the cargo and the Serpent in Cetlin, The Grey Eagle Prepared to return to East Gartun.
"Are your designs safe?" Captain Jones asked.
"Of course... once I return to the "think tank" I'm sure that together, we can figure out our various designs" Frank assured.
And the Grey Eagle sailed home... only this time, Frank knew that now, the movement actually stood a chance.
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Post by Tug on Mar 17, 2017 1:27:25 GMT -5
Anyway, the Scrap Iron Dreadnought on the night before Tiberius' planned attack, so after informing tiberius of the Pirates' return, the waited for the signal outside of Vortun...
"Alright, let's get this party started, yeah..." laughed Tuggington in his cabin...
Meanwhile, Tiberius...
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Post by Toz76 on Mar 17, 2017 23:24:16 GMT -5
Was sneaking through the belowdecks of the ship. There were eight levels of the hold, full of cabins, storage, and all kinds of administrative centers. But the room he broke into after killing seven guards was on the sixth deck down, and belonged to one Rileius Ambiguous.
Meanwhile...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Mar 18, 2017 2:11:32 GMT -5
A few days later, Frank had returned to East Gartun. His home island since he was a boy, it was now a ghost of it's former glory.
One of the larger islands, East Gartun boasted a population of 250,000 and had a wide variety of resources. Resources were so plentiful on this island, that despite its relatively large population, it did not need to import much to sustain itself.
But in recent years, the island fell into decay. Ever since East Gartun and the other islands came under the single authority of the Aderan Empire, it had been turmoil. The ruling family of the empire, the Sandici family, placed other noble families in charge of each individual island to oversee the "day-to-day" of each island. In the case of East Gartun, it was the Crastvin Family- a power hungry family that sought to bleed East Gartun dry. They had used every dirty trick in the book to make them and a select few prosper, while the vast majority of the population just barely got by. Infrastructure suffered, disease ran rampant and some areas and the island was one blight away from having a famine. Pleas for help fell on deaf ears and the Crastvin oversaw the island from their luxurious estate that lay on "the hill"- a high point on the island from which they could see everything.
Frank was part of a movement that aimed to change all of that. Once docking, he retrieved his plans and made way to the headquarters of the "Sons of Freedom" which he was a part of, but sworn to secrecy. If the Crastvins got word of his involvement, no doubt he would be hanged publicly.
Reporting before the commanders of the Sons of Freedom, Frank reported for duty.
"Hello my friends- I hope you will forgive me for running late- we had poor winds towards the end of our voyage" Frank explained.
"We understand; nature is something we cannot control. Now, the plans you have been coming up with, are they complete?" They asked.
"I was hoping the think tank could help me- I almost got it figured out except for this one last part" and Frank showed them the plans for a warship like no other. No masts or wooden hull; just a metal ship, with two giant cylinder's sticking up from it
(THINK: USS Monitor from the Civil War, but two turrets instead of one)
"It is the culmination of all my ideas- steam powered ships, breech loading cannons, self contained cartridges. But I just can't figure out the steam engine" Frank explained.
"Then the think tank will figure out the rest. In the mean time, we need you in the assembly room now- an important briefing is about to begin"
The Sons of Freedom assembled, and their leader began speaking.
"My friends! Today we hide in the shadows as we plan our attack against the vile Crastvin regime that has plagued us for so long! For too many years, East Gartun has suffered under their leadership, as they bled us dry just so they could prosper. But their time will come, and when it does, we will be ready!"
"LIBERTE GARTUN!" The crowd cheered.
"Now, we must understand though, it is not as simple as overthrowing them and establishing a new government. As unfortunate as it is, there are other revolutionary groups out there with different views than ours. Some of them, we might be able to ally with. Others, it is overthrowing one tyranny and replacing with another" the leader said. "Our intel suggests that we are one of eight major factions determined to overthrow the Crastvins, plus numerous smaller ones. Here is what we know:
FACTIONS:
Name: The Crastvin Family Miltary size: 50,000 Government Ideaology: Authoritarian Plutocracy Information: the established power- this family must be toppled to Free East Gartun
REVOLUTIONARY GROUPS:
1) Sons of Freedom Membership: 10,000 Government Ideology: Representative, Constitutional Democracy Information: We fight to free the people, and establish a government for the people, with liberty and justice for all.
2) Order of the New Republic Membership: 9,600 Government Ideology: Constitutional Republic Information: We do not agree on some issues, but what we agree on far outnumbers such petty points; perhaps we can come to an agreement to fight together.
3) Fellowship of the King Membership: 8,800 Government Ideology: Constitutional Monarchy Information: This movement is lead by a man named William Augustus, who believes the time has come for a "new monarchy" to rise and claim power. We know from experience that the Crastvin Family's authority is more or less a monarchy, but without the fancy traditions and adoration of the people. This movement must be stopped to ensure that the new government we raise remains stable
4) The Soviet Brotherhood Membership: 9,300 Government Ideology: Communism Information: This group is headed by a sect of men who call themselves the "Council" and seek to eliminate everything that divides us. Class, money, religion and the like. We saw what happened on East Deminoli, and would not wish that upon anyone. We do have word that they seek to "purge the undesirables" after they take power, so we must stop them before they come to power.
5) The Order of New Gartun Membership: 7,600 Government Ideology: Autocracy Information: This sect is lead by a man named Austin Kingston, who believes that the power should belong to him. Now he may make his case sound convincing, but do not be fooled- it is simply a case of replacing one tyrant with another, and he is building a Cult of Personality around him as we speak. If he is not stopped, it could spell disaster for us if he gains enough followers
6) The East Gartun Liberation Army Membership: 8,000 Government Ideology: Military Dictatorship Information: This sect is led by disgraced former generals who teamed up to use their knowledge of warfare to ultimately bring the Crastvins down. However, their end goal is not pretty- they seek to make no difference between government and military. Martial law will become the law, and the military will control everything. While they would make valuable allies in the fight, it is unlikely that we can convince them to join our cause; thus, they must be stopped if we are ensure a constitutional democracy survives
7) The Order of Holy Gartun Membership: 7,100 Government Ideology: Theocracy Information: Guy in charge of this one is Bishop Frederick Donovan; he was a good man, but seeing his church burned by the Crastvin's "police" enforcers drove him insane. He now seeks to Unite East Gartun under one power- his church. In other words, no religious freedom of any kind, that we at least have here. He seeks to "unite" us, but his ideas of "unity" are rather muddled. If he is not stopped, I fear what could happen if he seizes power
8 ) Sons of Chaos Membership: 12,400 Government Ideology: Anarchy Information: These guys are arguably the worst of the major factions. Their goal is to ensure no government comes to power. They may believe the Crastvins should be overthrown, but they also believe no government should take it's place. We saw what happened when Hodria's government collapsed from bankruptcy, so we must ensure that they are stopped, should we come to power.
"And then there are the minor factions; 20 are confirmed to exist. The ones we know of are:
1) The Huntsmen Membership: 4 Information: Not sure of their endgoal, but we do know they are four men, who are really good with rifles. They snipe and kill anyone and everyone; regardless of faction affiliation. For every Crastvin loyalist or enforcer they kill, they also seem to kill a freedom fighter. We must look into them further.
2) The Amazons Membership: 1,200 Information: An all female movement of freedom fighters. We don't know too much about them, but we're hoping that our ideologies are similar enough to ensure cooperation
3) The Sons of Kratos Membership: 900 Information: They want to establish a Kraterocracy, a government where the physically strong rule. Again, replacing one tyrant with another.
4) The Warriors of Pluto Membership: 700 Information: They want to establish a Plutocracy, where the rich rule- and we all see how that turned out.
5) Servants of Myron Membership: 1,200 Information: Lead by some guy named Myron Brooks- believes himself the true king of East Gartun, though he wants to establish an Absolute Monarchy... so yea, basically an autocrat
6) Cult of Aderlos Membership: 18 Information: They seem to be based on an old tribe that once lived on this island thousands of years ago. They see the Crastvins as "encroaching on Aderlos' land and will purge them so Aderlos can rule again" or something like that- they're a small movement though, so whatever they want to do isn't going over well with the population
7) The Freedom Riders Membership: 1,000 Information: Despite their name, they are a mercenary group. You pay them, they attack any Crastvin related target of your choosing. If they are not truly passionate in this fight for freedom, then they are no allies of ours.
8 ) The Knights of East Gartun Membership: 1,500 Information: again, despite their name, another mercenary faction. Same conclusions apply
9) The People's Liberation Army Membership: 1,800 Information: Yet another mercenary group, despite the name
10) Sean Dexter's Army Membership: 1,500 Information: Basically, sons of Chaos, but isolated to the Northern half of the island and not as many resources. Probably more of an annoyance for the time being
11) The Inferno Syndicate Membership: 300 Information: They aim to take down the Crastvin family by setting fire to anything and everything they own and operate directly. Frankly, our infrastructure has suffered enough, and they must be stopped
12) The Four Horsemen Membership: 4 Information: They only appear at night, and on the western half of the island. We have only fragmented information on them- basically, they appear, they attack whoever they come across, and leave no one alive. They mostly attack Crastvin associated targets, but have also attacked freedom fighters and revolutionaries. they could represent a threat in the future, and must be looked into.
13) The Barlow Clan Membership: 63 Information: An extended family based down south in their compound- call themselves a family of "warriors of freedom" but intelligence seems to indicate they favor coming to power in the same way as the Crastvins... so again, one tyranny being replaced with another.
14) Iron Fist Syndicate Membership: 200 Information: Seek to overthrow the Crastvin family... and replace them with their own autocracy. They must be stopped if they get too powerful
15) Army of the Forgotten Membership: 2,000 Information: Composed of about former soldiers of the Aderan Empire, who feel that their empire has forsaken them; we might be able to get them to join us if they passionately believe in fighting for a free East Gartun
16) Knights of Liberty Membership: 80 Information: They are few, but they have been making a lot of moves in the Eastern part of the island against the Crastvin. If their ideologies are compatible with ours, we might be able to work with them
17) Order of the People of East Gartun Membership: 300 Information: We have looked into them, and it's confirmed- they want to create a communist state on East Gartun- though they are a small faction, we must ensure they are stopped.
18) The Garillo Syndicate Membership: 400 Information: Man in charge of this group is one Sebastian Garillo. He does make frequent public speeches about his ideology, and he does have a small following. But its confirmed- he wants to create an economy on East Gartun that revolves around slavery, and we cannot allow that.
19) Cult of Timeria Membership: 14 Information: They haven't made too many moves and they a really small faction; all we know is that they are determined to overthrow the Crastvin and replace it with Theorcatic rule that revolves around worship of a pagan God. We will need to look into them further
20) The Coastal Raiders Membership: 800 Information: They are sea-based; living and operating out of a fleet of 1/2 dozen ships that circle the island; they rarely dock except to get supplies... which they steal from Crastvin storehouses. They mostly attack Crastvin owned targets... but they have also attacked other freedom fighters. We must find out more about them to determine if they are truly allies.
"And those are the ones we know about right now. We hope that as more information comes in, we can make sense of these factions; that is all for now, meeting is adjourned" the leader finished.
"LIBERTE GARTUN!" Everyone cheered.
But Frank couldn't think about this now; it was time to go discuss his ideas with the think tank...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Mar 18, 2017 14:48:51 GMT -5
ADERAN EMPIRE
160 years prior to the present, the islands of the Greater Islands Region of the Aderan Sea existed as separate entities, connected only by trade and commerce relations.
Everything changed when the Sandici family rose in prominence and power; in less than a decade the Aderan Empire was formed, with the Sandici becoming the "royal family" of sorts that ruled the Empire. They ruled from Vaximus Mothmaar and each island of the Greater Islands Region being overseen by another noble family- in the case of East Gartun, it was the Crastvin Family.
The empire itself formed 150 years prior to the present
But for the government itself, the Sandici were in charge, with different officials overseeing different aspects, like the treasury or military.
The military is overseen by a staff of generals and admirals, with an individual general in charge of the army, and an individual admiral in charge of the Navy
Admiral David "1,000 Eyes" Diesel is the man in charge of the Empire's Navy.
.....
Throughout the world, there lies a faction of revolutionaries called "The Allies of the Aderan People" who have positions across most the sea, trying to overthrow the Sandici Family at every opportunity. This group of rogues is led by the mysterious beauty 'Lorelei' and her 'siren's call' to the people have convinced many to dedicate their lives to the fight. Little is known about this woman and her reasons for fighting such a fight, but where the people are stressed across the sea, the Allies of the Aderan People are due to arrive no matter what.
.....
Barcelo Tuggington founded his crew in secret, seemingly out of nowhere, which he started by gathering strong crewmates and a study ship, he and his crew of 'Mechanized Pirates' became a terror on the Aderan Sea when they began to openly target Navy Ships, forcing Admiral Diesel to personally start pursuing them. Tuggington earned his nickname, the 'Metal Monster', after descriptions of him, his ship, and his crew when in battle, a dangerous lot no normal people could stand against. Tuggington is known to be rash and stubborn, and on many occasion has destroy entire armies, mercenaries, or bounty hunters after his head. One thing is for sure regarding this vicious, you don't want to face him on the opposite side of the battlefield.
(How's that so far? Rather than reply though, feel free to edit this comment so we don't interrupt the story flow)
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Post by Tug on Mar 18, 2017 23:05:22 GMT -5
Meanwhile, on the small island of Uppreisn, many a men were scurrying about, loading and unloading ships, all moving cargo and weaponry...
"Alright! Move that! Miss Lorelei needs these weapons examined, stat! the faster we find their manufacturer, the faster our revolution can get off without a hitch!" shouted a woman as a bunch of men and horses were busy unloading crates fulled with weaponry...
Inside the base...
"Miss Lorelei, our agents in East Gartun say a few factions there ready to begin their attacks, should we send help?" asked an agent to his leader
"We would have sent help by now, but there are so many factions there, we haven't been able to find which would be the best to send help for, plus the Navy's been finding our ships easier lately, and I want to solve that problem first before we free anymore islands, or else all our efforts will be for waste... I pity their plights, and wish we could help them, but currently, we don't have the time to send aid... We can only hope that some sort of lucky event will come their way, and then maybe we'll be able to lend a hand..." answered Lorelei as she looked out her window...
"So Leader, about those weapons..."
.....
Anyway...
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Post by Toz76 on Mar 18, 2017 23:21:26 GMT -5
Tiberius quickly and unceremoniously tied up Rileius Ambiguous and lowered her out the window to the Saltash below. Then he ran to the deck, dodged gunfire, climbed the rigging, and raised his flag.
"Alright, Tuggington, your move." He declared.
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