06-06-2017, 02:52 AM
The Sage and the imperial officer exploded into action at almost the exact same moment. The Officer barked a series of rapid commands and his forces quickly and competently made to disembark from the relatively defenseless trading ship for their own Galleon. The Sage began climbing the rigging, forcing his stiffened muscles to respond. If he was too slow, then he would die. He knew who was behind this, and the Imperial Galleon was the least of his worries right now.
The monstrosity of naval engineering began to turn broadside, its side bristling with cannons. The Sage wondered how many men were in the vessel, and whether they knew just what they were getting into with this employment. The Sage reached the crow’s nest of the vessel, eyes straining to catch a glimpse of the bow of the warship as it swung starboard. The crow’s nest swung alarmingly as the Sage stared, and he nearly fell from the rigging. He managed to tangle one arm into several loops and stay suspended as the leaderless crew of the trading vessel attempted to flee without direction. Like a fish flopping feebly on a shoreline, this vessel is clamped firmly in its predator’s jaws. He took some small satisfaction that his guess about the ship had been correct. The wake of the vessel was far too choppy, even considering the ship’s size. It must have some engine propelling it, a very dwarven design. He knew all the players of this game, but their arrangement still confused him considerably. Why would Daedlin be working with her? Perhaps he had misjudged the dwarf considerably?
The air was split with a cacophony of cannonfire, then again by the cannonballs themselves, as nearly 100 of the metal spheres peppered the water and the stunned vessels. The warship had focused the majority of its fire on the Imperial Galleon, and the proud three-master had been all but obliterated in the hailstorm of metal. Only one of its masts remained standing, and the sails it contained looked comically similar to a slice of swiss cheese The sides of the vessel were honestly little better, and the ship was taking on water fast. Of the three boarding ships the Imperial’s had sent over only one was still intact, and the Sage could see the Imperial officer being helped out of the water by his men. They weren’t even half way back, by the time they reached the imperial Galleon it would be all but sunk. The Trading vessel had fared much better, taking several hits to the hull and sails, but nothing that looked immediately dangerous. There was a cheer of relief from the crew below him, but the Sage had a feeling this was only because it was no actually threatening to their opponent. After all, what could it do to a ship that large.
As he looked the imperial rowboat started to turn around making back for the trading ship. The Sage scrambled down the rigging as quickly as possible, there was no time to waste. The warship had idiotically fired all of its cannons in a single volley, but without any sort of returning fire it would take them little time to reload and finish the job. Reaching the deck, the Sage grabbed hold of the nearest crewmember, hoping he wasn’t in the middle of something too important.
“Quickly, does this ship have any sort of weaponry, at all?” The terrified youth could not have been more than 15, why had he even been selected for the crew because the less experienced the sailors that go missing, the less questions are asked. The Sage realized with a grimace.
“Only two sir! And one of them’s been taken out of commission during the bombardment!” the boy yelled immediately, more out of panic than any attempt at following orders.
“Below deck or on top?” the Sage asked, glancing around him quickly.
“The forcastle!” the boy shouted, pointing towards the front of the ship. The Sage turned and ran towards it, clambering up the short steps and reached the single working gun. The warship had veered back around, and seemed now intent on ramming the crippled imperial Galleon. For the moment it seemed to be completely ignoring the trading ship. Daedlin wasn’t expecting the Galleon was he… the Sage mused, as he pulled the cannon back slightly from its position. His plan would hopefully buy them some time, but they needed to get in close to the Warship, out of the arc of the cannons, otherwise they would only be delaying the inevitable.
A commotion from behind him meant that the Imperial boat had made it back. The Sage turned and jogged over to the officer, as he and his men started to take command of the ship. He turned abruptly as the Sage approached, clearly seconds away from some proclamation of commandeering the vessel. They didn’t have time for that kind of posturing.
“The Ship is yours officer, I need this crew organized, and I am no sea captain. But if you want any of us to live to touch land again, you will need to listen to me.” The Officer’s eyes were wrothful but he did not immediately start shouting. A good sign. The Sage thought. “We need to attack now while they’re distracted by finishing off the Galleon. Daedlin’s taking this ship for a test drive, and he wants to use all of his new toys. This is our only chance to…”
“To run.” The Officer cut him off simply, without anger or emotion. It seemed not all of the Empire’s dogs could be discounted as simple fools. “We don’t stand a chance in hell of taking on something that large in a civilian vessel? We’re hoping to outrun it while its busy gloating over its dishonorable ambush.”
“A respectable choice, but you won’t make it!” The Sage argued back, he was tired of how frequently he was questioned in moments like this, “The ship is powered by an internal engine, and I can promise you they have at least one prime onboard. We run, and even if we can make it out of range before they give chase, even if they don’t outpace us, the moment our wind dies we will die with it. This is our only chance to take down that monstrosity. If we don’t do it here, then its only a matter of time before it finds your fleet. Will you defeat it? Yes, you’re the Imperial navy. But can you imagine the damage a ship that size could do in a large-scale battle? It’s a ramming vessel, if it made it into your midst the collateral damage would be horrifying. And it wouldn’t stop there. The story would get out, and every malcontent with a prime would be making these behemoths. You need this idea to die in obscurity, a tall tale of the sea. Otherwise you can go ahead and abandon the Deeps.” He turned, shouting at the nearest crew member. “We’ll need lantern oil!”
The Imperial Officer stared him down, mental gears clearly working. To his credit, the man took less time to listen to reason than some Astronomers he had met. “Fine, if we’re going to fight, then what are you proposing?”
The Sage cracked a desperate grin. “That we dive into the mouth of the dragon.”
The monstrosity of naval engineering began to turn broadside, its side bristling with cannons. The Sage wondered how many men were in the vessel, and whether they knew just what they were getting into with this employment. The Sage reached the crow’s nest of the vessel, eyes straining to catch a glimpse of the bow of the warship as it swung starboard. The crow’s nest swung alarmingly as the Sage stared, and he nearly fell from the rigging. He managed to tangle one arm into several loops and stay suspended as the leaderless crew of the trading vessel attempted to flee without direction. Like a fish flopping feebly on a shoreline, this vessel is clamped firmly in its predator’s jaws. He took some small satisfaction that his guess about the ship had been correct. The wake of the vessel was far too choppy, even considering the ship’s size. It must have some engine propelling it, a very dwarven design. He knew all the players of this game, but their arrangement still confused him considerably. Why would Daedlin be working with her? Perhaps he had misjudged the dwarf considerably?
The air was split with a cacophony of cannonfire, then again by the cannonballs themselves, as nearly 100 of the metal spheres peppered the water and the stunned vessels. The warship had focused the majority of its fire on the Imperial Galleon, and the proud three-master had been all but obliterated in the hailstorm of metal. Only one of its masts remained standing, and the sails it contained looked comically similar to a slice of swiss cheese The sides of the vessel were honestly little better, and the ship was taking on water fast. Of the three boarding ships the Imperial’s had sent over only one was still intact, and the Sage could see the Imperial officer being helped out of the water by his men. They weren’t even half way back, by the time they reached the imperial Galleon it would be all but sunk. The Trading vessel had fared much better, taking several hits to the hull and sails, but nothing that looked immediately dangerous. There was a cheer of relief from the crew below him, but the Sage had a feeling this was only because it was no actually threatening to their opponent. After all, what could it do to a ship that large.
As he looked the imperial rowboat started to turn around making back for the trading ship. The Sage scrambled down the rigging as quickly as possible, there was no time to waste. The warship had idiotically fired all of its cannons in a single volley, but without any sort of returning fire it would take them little time to reload and finish the job. Reaching the deck, the Sage grabbed hold of the nearest crewmember, hoping he wasn’t in the middle of something too important.
“Quickly, does this ship have any sort of weaponry, at all?” The terrified youth could not have been more than 15, why had he even been selected for the crew because the less experienced the sailors that go missing, the less questions are asked. The Sage realized with a grimace.
“Only two sir! And one of them’s been taken out of commission during the bombardment!” the boy yelled immediately, more out of panic than any attempt at following orders.
“Below deck or on top?” the Sage asked, glancing around him quickly.
“The forcastle!” the boy shouted, pointing towards the front of the ship. The Sage turned and ran towards it, clambering up the short steps and reached the single working gun. The warship had veered back around, and seemed now intent on ramming the crippled imperial Galleon. For the moment it seemed to be completely ignoring the trading ship. Daedlin wasn’t expecting the Galleon was he… the Sage mused, as he pulled the cannon back slightly from its position. His plan would hopefully buy them some time, but they needed to get in close to the Warship, out of the arc of the cannons, otherwise they would only be delaying the inevitable.
A commotion from behind him meant that the Imperial boat had made it back. The Sage turned and jogged over to the officer, as he and his men started to take command of the ship. He turned abruptly as the Sage approached, clearly seconds away from some proclamation of commandeering the vessel. They didn’t have time for that kind of posturing.
“The Ship is yours officer, I need this crew organized, and I am no sea captain. But if you want any of us to live to touch land again, you will need to listen to me.” The Officer’s eyes were wrothful but he did not immediately start shouting. A good sign. The Sage thought. “We need to attack now while they’re distracted by finishing off the Galleon. Daedlin’s taking this ship for a test drive, and he wants to use all of his new toys. This is our only chance to…”
“To run.” The Officer cut him off simply, without anger or emotion. It seemed not all of the Empire’s dogs could be discounted as simple fools. “We don’t stand a chance in hell of taking on something that large in a civilian vessel? We’re hoping to outrun it while its busy gloating over its dishonorable ambush.”
“A respectable choice, but you won’t make it!” The Sage argued back, he was tired of how frequently he was questioned in moments like this, “The ship is powered by an internal engine, and I can promise you they have at least one prime onboard. We run, and even if we can make it out of range before they give chase, even if they don’t outpace us, the moment our wind dies we will die with it. This is our only chance to take down that monstrosity. If we don’t do it here, then its only a matter of time before it finds your fleet. Will you defeat it? Yes, you’re the Imperial navy. But can you imagine the damage a ship that size could do in a large-scale battle? It’s a ramming vessel, if it made it into your midst the collateral damage would be horrifying. And it wouldn’t stop there. The story would get out, and every malcontent with a prime would be making these behemoths. You need this idea to die in obscurity, a tall tale of the sea. Otherwise you can go ahead and abandon the Deeps.” He turned, shouting at the nearest crew member. “We’ll need lantern oil!”
The Imperial Officer stared him down, mental gears clearly working. To his credit, the man took less time to listen to reason than some Astronomers he had met. “Fine, if we’re going to fight, then what are you proposing?”
The Sage cracked a desperate grin. “That we dive into the mouth of the dragon.”
If history is to become legend, it first must be recorded.