An Bord der Nexus//On board of the Nexus ((open, bilingual))

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Hugrún
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An Bord der Nexus//On board of the Nexus ((open, bilingual))

Post by Hugrún »

Hugrún bellte Befehle, während sie über das Oberdeck schritt. Zeit, mehr Zeit - Zeit war das Einzige, was sie nicht hatten. Zeit und anständige Matrosen. Die Norodaj war alles andere als glücklich mit ihrer Situation, aber sie war zu sehr Anführerin, als deswegen den Kopf hängen zu lassen. "Hey, Matrose," blaffte sie eine der Landratten an, "jaaa genau, du da! Was machst du da grade?" Sie nahm ihm das Tau aus der Hand und zeigte ihm möglichst geduldig, wie zur Hölle man Ladung RICHTIG vertäute. Ihre Aufgabe war völlig unmöglich zu schaffen!

Tja, dann würde sie es eben möglich machen. Sie sah in die Augen der Flüchtlinge, sah die Hoffnungslosigkeit, sah ihre Trauer um ihre Heimat. Nein, sie brauchte sie mutig, sie brauchte sie handlungswillig und vor allem kämpferisch!

Mit einigen raschen, weiten Schritten war sie auf dem Achterdeck und pfiff schrill auf zwei Fingern. Sofort wandten sich ihr alle Augen zu. "Hört mich an, Landratten wie Seeleute!" Sie stützte sich auf die Reling des Achterdecks und sah auf sie alle runter, sah jeden einzelnen kurz an. "Ich weiß, ihr habt in den letzten Tagen alles verloren - Besitz, Heimat - Familienmitglieder und Freunde. Wir alle teilen diesen Verlust, ob wir nun ein Schiff, Ladung und Kameraden verloren haben oder ein Haus, Möbelstücke und Wesen, die uns wichtig waren - es spielt keine Rolle. Wichtig ist, dass wir alle hier sind. Wir sind alle hier, und noch sind wir alle am Leben. Die Götter haben uns hart getroffen, aber sie können uns nicht brechen, wenn wir es nicht zulassen!" Bei dem Wort 'brechen' traf ihre Faust auf die Reling, dann ging sie langsam hinüber zur Treppe vom Achterdeck. "Manch einer würde euch jetzt sagen, wir haben nichts mehr zu verlieren. Ich sage das nicht. Ich sage, wir haben immer noch alles zu verlieren! Wir haben unsre Leben, wir haben einander! Und wir haben dieses Schiff, wir haben eine echte Gelegenheit, lebendig hier rauszukommen! Doch das wird nur unter einer Voraussetzung klappen, wenn wir alle zusammenarbeiten, Hand in Hand!" Sie kam auf dem Oberdeck an und begann, durch die Reihen der Männer zu laufen, jeden anzusehen, und sie konnte spüren, dass sie wenigstens den einen oder anderen mitriss.
"Ihr seid noch nie in die Wanten hochgestiegen? Dann werdet ihr es eben jetzt tun! Ich habt noch nie Ladung vertäut, ein Deck geschrubbt, seid nie zur See gefahren? Dann werdet ihr es jetzt eben lernen! Noch vor Ende dieser Reise mache ich aus jedem hier einen Seemann, der etwas auf sich halten kann! Ich gebe mein Wort niemals leichtfertig, aber ihr habt hiermit mein Wort: Wenn ihr euer Bestes gebt, wenn wir alle unser Bestes geben, dann werden wir es auch schaffen!"

Hugrún war bei ihren letzten Worten am Bug angekommen und hatte sich auf den Bugspriet gestellt, sie hielt sich nur an einer Leine fest und genoß den Seewind in ihrem schulterlangen, roten Haar. "Wer segelt mit mir?" Jetzt galt es. Entweder sie hatte sie begeistert, hatte sie mitgerissen - oder sie würden alle draufgehen. Fatalistisch dachte die junge Frau noch, dass sie selten eine so dämliche Ansprache gehalten hatte. Doch mit etwas Glück war es genau die dämliche Ansprache gewesen, die alle gebraucht hatten.
Last edited by Hugrún on Sun Dec 23, 2012 11:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Rhianna Morgan
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Re: An Bord der Nexus ((open))

Post by Rhianna Morgan »

((this topic evolved from a German RP about the last ship leaving Gobaith, when the Bearers of the Fire took another ships from pirates and declared it to be used to bring refugees from Gobaith to the mainland. Unfortunatelly, there was no crew to sail that ship, so the captain of the "original" last ship, who works for Banduk, got a Norodaj woman to take over the pirateship, called "Nexus". That woman, Hugrún Hrimnisdottir, managed to get three of her former deck hands from her former ship (destroyed in the gigantic flood wave) to help her sail the Nexus, also she got two men from Banduk's ship. But she desperately needs more help and turns to the refugees now, hoping that they will be able to help her sail the ship to the main land without everyone dying on the way...
Anyone who wants to be on board and rp as we sail towards the mainland is welcome!))

On board of the Nexus

[original post by Hugrún]

Hugrún barked orders, as she walked over the top deck. Time, more time - time was the only thing they didn't have; time and decent deck hands. The Norodaj was anything but happy with the situation she found herself in, but she was too much of a leader to hang her head. "Hey, deck hand," she snapped at one of the landlubbers, "aaaaaye, 'xactleh, I'm talkin' ter ye! What're ye thinkin' ye're doin'?" She took the rope out of his hand and showed him as patient as she could, how the hell one moored the cargo RIGHT. Her task was an impossible one!

Well, in that case she would have to make it possible. She looked into the refugees' eyes, saw their hopelessness, saw the sadness about losing their homes. No, she needed them to be brave, she needed them to be hands-on and most of all, she needed them combat-ready!

With some rapid, wide paces she got onto the quarterdeck and whistled stridently on two fingers. Immidiately, all eyes were on her. "Listen ter me, landlubbers as well as seamen!" She leaned onto the railing of the afterdeck and looked down upon them, looked at each of them shortly. "I know, ye've lost everythin' durin' the las' days - properteh, homes - famileh members an' friends. We all share this loss, might be we los' a ship, cargo an' comrades or we los' a house, furniture an' beings we cared abou' - 't doesn' realleh matter. What's importan' is, tha' we all are here. We are all here, an' we are all alive. The Gods maybeh hi' us hard, bu' they can' break us, if we don' le' 'em!" As she said the word "break", her fist hit the railing, then she moved slowly onto the staircase down from the afterdeck. "Some people woul' tell ye now, tha' ye don' have anehthin' lef' ter lose. I don' say tha'. I say, we still go' everehthin' ter lose! We still got our lives, we got each other! An' we got this ship, we got a real chance, ter get out o' here alive! Bu' tha' will onleh happen under the premise tha' we all work tergether, hand in hand!" She came down to the top deck and started to walk along the lines of the men, looking at each of them, and she could feel that she moved at least some of them.
"Ye've never climbed up the shrouds? Then ye will do 't righ' now! Ye've never moosed cargo, scrubbed a deck, ye've never went ter sea? Then ye will learn 't now! Before this journeh's over, I'll make a decen' seaman ou' o' evereh last one o' ye! I never give me word lightly, bu' I give ye me wor' now: If ye give yer best, if we all give our best, we'll make 't!"

Hugrún had reached the deck with her last words and had taken stand on the bowsprit, she clinged to a rope and enjoyed the sea wind in her long, red hair. Who's sailin' with me?" These next moments were vital. She had either thrilled them, carrying them along - or they were all going to die. Fatalistically, the young woman thought, that she seldomly had held such a riddiculous speach. But with a little bit of luck, it had been exactly the riddiculous sort of speach, that they all had needed.
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rakust dorenstkzul
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Re: An Bord der Nexus//On board of the Nexus ((open, bilingu

Post by rakust dorenstkzul »

He leaned against the mast, his aged face aging further, what was heavier, his heart or his guilt? He swore to protect, yet here he was, not even the last on the boat, not the last off of Gobaith.

Gobaith, the orange dot on the horizon, slowly fading, he pondered, who was left? Was Irania, Oxiana, Leon? Did they all escape the fire? He thought, more than he should have, as the wind which brought the smell of smoke ran over his bald head. his thoughts were interrupted by the captain, she spoke decisively and with conviction, with words that rang true in his ears. Even if he had failed people on Gobaith, it would be worse to fail here now.

He thought on it for a few moments, her final question, he looked around everyone, A rousing speech, to be sure, but speeches never work without the first move, the on for to open the reservoir of morale. He stepped forward and spoke:

"I shall sail with you!"
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Arvemor
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Re: An Bord der Nexus//On board of the Nexus ((open, bilingu

Post by Arvemor »

Krazen found himself aboard the Nexus, his guts tossed about by the sea and a mixture of feelings he usually ignored. But today was unlike most. Today the orc's spirit took a sombre tone not often seen in him. Tipping his hat forward so as to cover his wet eyes, Krazen too steps forward amongst the pile of refugees.

"Meh too! Meh join yer crew. Krazen do what he can tah help."

He does his best to stand tall, but hiding tears. Troll's Bane was his home. Used to be, anyway. He looked about him and the haggard and scared people. Friends. Foes, some of them. But all scared... like him. All alone. Inwardly, Krazen made a resolution. He lacked the smarts... that was one of the few things he knew. But he was big and strong. He could help out on deck. Do what he had to to get his friends to their new home. He could deliver them that.
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Hugrún
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Re: An Bord der Nexus//On board of the Nexus ((open, bilingu

Post by Hugrún »

As more and more voices answered her calling, Hugrún tried to avoid looking too relieved. They were all terribly scared - but she was more afraid than any of them. She knew the seas that laid ahead, she knew what was yet to come, and she had seen enough of this ship and its cargo to know that they had too many passengers on board. Still there were quite some people on the docks, a large faceless mass, shoving each other towards the two last ships in the harbour.

Hugrún had just risen her arm in order to call everyone to silence and order again after her speech, when it happened. For a few seconds, there was a thundering noise in the sky, a wave of hot air towards the ship - then something crashed into the harbour bay, a fountain shot up towards the sky in return. Hugrún stared at it in disbelief, when the next burning rock fell from the sky, dropping down and shattering some boats lying at the docks nearby.

"Everyone on board!" Hugrún shouted, realizing that the captain of the neighbouring ship gave the exact same orders - and they were followed at once. All the people on the docks rushed onto the two ships, filling the top decks and shoving each other.

"Gamli, and you", Hugrún shouted at one of her Norodaj men and at the orc who had answered her previous question second, "get them all below deck! I don't care how you do it, just get them down so that we can sail this ship!"

Then she already shoved her way towards the bridge, while she also shouted "Cast off! Cast off!!!"
It was high time to leave this island for good. Otherwise this would be a really short trip. The two deck hands she had gotten from the other ship already made themselves usefull, climbing up the shrouds towards the masts and rigging - there were sails to be unfolded and turned into the wind.
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Hugrún
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Re: An Bord der Nexus//On board of the Nexus ((open, bilingu

Post by Hugrún »

((this mainly is a summary/translation of what happened in the "The last ship"-topic (in German). The viewpoint, however, has been switched from the elf-loving Banduk and his men to the Norodaj Hugrún again, so her reaction might differ from everyone else's. Enjoy!))

Hugrún could later not have told how she managed to get the ship out of the harbour, without colliding with rocks and fire that fell from the sky. Although the ship was not too big to conn it, it was not half as quick and manoeuverable as her small wolfboat, the Sjórbrúdhur (Norodaj for "Seabride") had been.

Hugrún yelled orders, standing on the bridge, and at one point even took the steering wheel - and somehow, miraculously, they made it. Now, finally, they all found the time to turn around and gaze back at their island, ablaze in fire and smoke. Although it had never been her home - the seas were her home - Hugrún felt the pain it had to cause the refugees watching that as if it were her own sorrow. She let them stand on the railings without barking orders at them, a few shouts to her experienced deck hands and her helmsman, Hrothgar, were enough for now, as the ship was drifting more than sailing anyway. Most people from below deck came back up now, that no one was holding them back any longer, filling the top deck. Hugrún did not even have to look, but she looked nevertheless. The Nexus was hopelessly crowded. She had not had the heart to turn the refugees away at the burning docks, and now they would never make it to the mainlands - they were just too many. "We need help," she said silently in Norodaj to Hrothgar, in order to not be overheard by the refugees.
"We need other ships to take them in, we can't take them all. We don't have enough supplies and we don't have enough space. Most of all, we don't have enough sweet water." Hrothgar nodded slowly, but what was to be done?

There was no more hope. Hugrún prayed in silence, as did probably quite a few of the refugees - the ones who were intelligent enough to realize that they would never make it all to the mainlands, not on this ship, anyways. Clouds appeared in the sky, once there was a strong wind that almost managed to drift the ships apart from each other. But there was no rain. Hugrún had so begged Tanora for rain - since the lack of freshwater would soon be the doom of them all - that she couldn't help feeling bitter with disappointment. This ship was a deathtrap. She had lead her men into desaster, she had let all these people into their deaths. What good was it to be a leader, if you couldn't help those you were leading?

The only water they gained was seawater, down in the bilge. It leaked in through the portholes, since the ship drew far too much water due to too many passengers. There would have been but one solution to this, to drastically reduce their passengers. Hugrún could not do that, of course, not in the high sea.

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It was the seventh morning on sea, when Hugrún stood at the railing, gazing over to the Swift Moon. She felt utterly alone, although there were crowds of people on the Nexus. The water supplies had almost run out, although she had tried so hard to rationize them, to make every last cloth of
sail in order to go faster. Go where? She had no idea, as the mainlands were too far. All she could do was stay close to the Swift Moon, hoping that the other captain, miraculously, had a better plan than she did.

That was when she saw the sea eagle, a majestic animal, that circled around the Swift Moon and then, finally, landed on its bow. Was that - was that even possible? Hugrún had heard of doves, even of ravens carrying messages, but never before of a sea eagle. It was like a miracle.

Unfortunatelly, she could not hear what they were saying, she could but see that there was movement on the Swift Moon's top deck, and then complete silence. Then, suddenly, there was an outburst of cheering on the other ship, that startled Hugrún at first. Had they all gone mad? All at once? Or did they all know something she didn't know yet, had they gained new hope?

The sea eagle circled around the ships one more time, before it started off to the west. This time, all eyes were on it - their little carrier of hope.

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A few days later, the water supplies had run extremely low. Children were getting sick, especially the pregnant women grew weak and were close to joining the smaller children. Hugrún had been on board of the Swift Moon by now, gaining knowledge that there were ships coming towards them from the mainlands, ships that would relieve them of most of their passengers and bring them fresh supplies. She could only pray that those ships would found them, and that no one would have died before they did.

The sun had just risen, sending its ghostly light through the strange fog, that was floating over the sea that morning.

Hugrún was sitting on the stairs of the afterdeck, that functioned as the bridge, and blindly staring ahead. She was overly tired and so thirsty, she thought she'd go mad soon. But she could not drink, not yet, there was too little water as it was.
A piercing cry pulled her out of her lethargy. Her head snapped up, as she sprang to her feet and looked around. There it was again - the sea eagle. It circled the small fleet and then landed on the top deck of the Swift Moon. Several people on both ships were on their feet by now, talking to each other in hasty, hopefull voices. Hugrún staid silent. She looked up at the crow's nest. She had put the Norodaj with the best eyes up there, in order to keep watch and help them find the other fleet, that was coming for their rescue. "Ships ahoy!" he cried suddenly, and his voice fell in with his counterpart's on the Swift Moon. This time, there was no cheering. None of them had the strength to cheer any more, but there was a strange light filling their eyes - hope, born out of hopelessness, as everyone got to their feet and tried to stand as close to the bow as possible in order to get a good look at the other ships.
Hugrún was nothing different. She pushed her way through to the very front of her ship, taking her stand on the bowsprit again, and gazing ahead. Fog, that was all she could see for now... fog.
And then, suddenly, silently, two ships glid towards them, majestic ships that seemed to float more than actually touching the water. At once, Hugrún could feel the icy grip of panic around her heart, and when she turned around to look at her fellow Norodaj, she saw the fear in their eyes, too. The other people on board cheered, waving towards the strange ships - the Norodaj were just frozen in their spots.

Elfs. Of all the creatures in Illarion, of everything the Gods might have chosen to confront them with - it had to be elfs on board of their cursed, magical ships.

If she hadn't felt so thirsty and weak, Hugrún might have jumped overboard, as the ships came closer and she could make out the figure of the supposed leader on the top deck of one of them - a tall elf, wearing long, flowing red robes and carrying a staff with a red, flaming light on its top. An elven mage.

Tanora truely had abandoned them.
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Arvemor
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Re: An Bord der Nexus//On board of the Nexus ((open, bilingu

Post by Arvemor »

Krazen watched the ethereal glow from the bow of the Nexus. He tried to call out to the other sailors but his throat was coarse from lack of fluid."Sh-Sh...." he huffed uselessly. He dug into a ragged cloak pocket and pulled out a stashed flagon of ale. A mouthful was left and he sloshed it down.

"Ships!" he cried gruffly. He reached for sword at his belt and drew it swiftly. He watched the oncoming ship for signs of hostility.
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rakust dorenstkzul
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Re: An Bord der Nexus//On board of the Nexus ((open, bilingu

Post by rakust dorenstkzul »

"Ships!"

He heard the cry, his heart raised, he felt hope, the first time in days, perhaps they had water? Food? Sailors better than him? They could have the answers to all of their problems, he allowed a smile to cross his face and he looked around the passengers and crew, the passengers smile, but the crew - the Norodaj and their captain - they seemed broken, done. He casually slipped a hand onto his sword hilt, and slowly stepped to a sailor, he kept his voice low, almost casual, among the cheering.

"Are they pirates?"
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Hugrún
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Re: An Bord der Nexus//On board of the Nexus ((open, bilingu

Post by Hugrún »

The sailor, who had been asked whether the ships closening in on them were pirates, was Norodaj - in fact, it was goo' ol' Gamli, the oldest of Hugrún's men. He snapped out of his frightened, superstitious stare when spoken to, and turned around to face the man.
Gamli had seen a lot of things in his long life, he had been going to sea for over half his life, for fourty years, to be exact.

"Naeh, they're no pira'es... Tha' bunch is way worse," he snarled, turning around to face the foreign ships again as he slowly drew his sax (a Norodaj blade, sharpened only on one side, so that it can be used like a dagger and like a sword at the same time). "They're elves," he resumed to the probably confused look on the other man's face, spitting out and then joining Hugrún, as she took a stance at the ship's bow.

The female captain tried to get a grip on herself as best she could, while she watched the elven ships were brout alongside the "Swift Moon". Gamli lay his hand on her shoulder for a short second or two, and that actually helped remind her, where she was and how her panic might look to the passengers on her ship. Finally, the Norodaj managed to pull herself together, her fear finally changing into anger, anger towards the elves, her men who were as craven as herself, and of course, herself. Anger was good - it helped her to be braver than she actually felt.

"Le' them come," she said to her men and nodded towards all the refugees who had worked as sailors on her ship these past days. "Be cautious, ye can' trus' elves... don' be fooled by their looks. They look all so beautiful, bu' underneath they're all mages, ridin' on those damned ghos'ships!"
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Re: An Bord der Nexus//On board of the Nexus ((open, bilingu

Post by Arvemor »

"Elves! Meh shoulda known!" Krazen tightens his grip on the hilt of his sword. He turned to the captain of the ship. "Sir! Whub we do? We can take 'em!" He eyed the ship, almost greedily. "If we destroy dem den we can take dere supplies! Just say da word!"
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Re: An Bord der Nexus//On board of the Nexus ((open, bilingu

Post by Hugrún »

Hugrún turned to Krazen, as he spoke to her. His idea stroke her to be a great one - and then she looked closer at the elven men and women, crowding the two ships. As far as she could tell, each of them had a staff in their hand. Hugrún had once met an elven with a staff on Gobaith, and she had had a really bad experience of it. Of course, he had healed her magically after he had burnt her - a dead that had made her rip the skin right back off her arms - but nevertheless, he had tortured her first and healed her just because he could.

Hugrún knew what they could do, those creepy pointed-ears. She had no desire at all, to meet up with them, yet she feared she had no choice.

"No fightin'", she decided, after she had taken a long look at the other ships. "They're better rested an' supplie', an' they got mages."
She thought hard for a moment, and then called Hrothgar, her helmsman.
"Ye," she said to Krazen, an' ye, "she said to the other man who had cried out a warning before, "and Gamli, ye three'll accompaneh me ter the Swif' Moon. Hrothgar, ye go' the bridge 'tl we're back!"

She could not leave all the talking to the men on the Swift Moon, and she did not want to show up there on her own. She needed two refugees and one of her men in order to represent the people sailing with her.
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Arvemor
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Re: An Bord der Nexus//On board of the Nexus ((open, bilingu

Post by Arvemor »

Krazen elected himself to accompany the captain. He tucked his blade back in its sheathe but as they waited for the ship to run alongside them, he kept his hand gripped tightly on its hilt. He leaned toward the captain and whispered, " Meh do what me can tah protect yoo... But if dey hab mages..." He trailed off. It was obvious what he meant. He stood by the captain as the gangplank was lowered, ready.
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Re: An Bord der Nexus//On board of the Nexus ((open, bilingu

Post by rakust dorenstkzul »

Guy looked over the orc and the Norodaj, he knew this would not be a peaceful meeting. He needed to mediate, if only to avoid bloodshed.

He spoke with the captain and explained his position, his knighthood. Practically his life story in order to be chosen alongside them. He did not make any effort to hide the sword at his waist, casually placing a hand on the top. He eyed the elves as the ship came ever closer, gauging their body language.
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