The Second Coming (closed)

The captain Kani "River War" Tow-Zik docks in Old Rose Harbor, demanding audience with Hawke.

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Anaxas' main trade port; it is also the nation's criminal headquarters, home to the Bad Brothers and Silas Hawke, King of the Underworld. The small town of Plugit is nearby.

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Kani Tow-Zik
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Mon Dec 24, 2018 11:34 pm

36th of Dentis, 2718

Voices rang out across the ship entering Old Rose Harbor. Commands and responses in Deftung were shot out, booming with the harsh contestants of each word. Captain Kani "River War" Tow-Zik stood on the bow of his merchant vessel, The Mayfold, observing his crew close in on the city. That day was not a day for raids, but for diplomacy. That always made Kani's heart sink in displeasure. His men under him advised him to, convincing him that success in these foreign waters can be guaranteed with allies. He hated these civil dealings, but he must do what he must do. In his hand he toyed with a silver bar. Only an ounce of the precious metal. Such materials always has and will bring comfort to the old pirate. No matter where you go, only one material guarantees sway.

Thunk! the first contact with an open dock. His men in full battle dress leapt off and secured the boat to the walkway. No need for gangplanks, fortunately. Short-spears in hand, they form a perimeter defense around as the dock master approached. The Mayfold is tied down and secured. Kani leapt from the ship, first and second mate flank him instantly. Their mail glistening in the light of the afternoon sun. Kani leisurely walked forward and split the tide of armed men to face the dock master. In Estuan, he said "Greetings. I am Captain River War. I have come to speak with Silas Hawke."

The Dock Master frowned at him "What clockin' balls you have, taking a boardwalk by force and demanding a audience with Hawke."

Kani pulled out three ounces of silver and handed it to the man "Is this sufficient?"

The man stood for a moment, eyes glazed over as he looked at the metal in his hand. He pocketed it and said "Fine. I can only lead you to his establishment, audience is not guaranteed."

Kani smiled "I'm sure I can handle that myself." He looked behind him and locked eyes with his two senior most sailors, then nodding his head at them to come join him. He says to his mates in Deftung "Buy provisions for four months, we head up river in three days."

The Dock master tries to mask his confusion as men swap places and foreign words are said. "King Hawke has his castle in town. Do you know how to get there?"

Kani fakes a smile at the man "Yes I do. You can leave us now, we will only be here some two nights." Without allowing response he walked back through the wall of armored sailors. After returning to the deck of The Mayfold, the captain turned to his two escorting men. "Have four men follow us, not including you two. Down in the hold is a crate of good, marked with a hawks head in paint. Have two of those men carry it with us, we will need it to sway the criminal king." The two warriors nod and walk off. Kani trades his under armor wear for his finest silks, then puts the armor back on over it.

The group of seven men, armor clad and carrying a crate made their way down the streets of Old Rose Harbor. The place was a smelly and dingy as Kani remembered it being. Men and women made suspicious looks at the foreigners, rightfully distrusting them. The men spent the better part of an hour weaving their way through the city until they finally reached the outskirt of Hawkes castle. The moment they turned the corner, a small mob of goons were on them, weapons holstered but hands ready to grab.

A man instantly piped up, "Oi you clockin' fool, what do you think you're doing marching up to the King like this? Do you have a death wish?"

Kani replied smoothly, "Simply engaging in diplomacy. We come with gifts and to ask immediate audience with King Hawke"

The man said back, "You're a damn fool, y'know." He paused, then continued, "come with us, you'll stay outside while i relay this happening."

"You and I both know he knows exactly whats going on, and who I was the moment my sails were visible." said Kani, arrogance overtaking the old man

"Yeah well, y're gonna have to pull something out of your arse to save your skin"

The group of thugs and goons escorted the party of sailors to the front gate. The impromptu leader of the group went inside and was gone for half and hour before returning.

"Hawke will see you, you and your men are to come inside."

Kani hid a smirk, and replied "perfect." After a moment he turned back to his men and said in Deftung, "prepare yourselves and stay vigilant." The party of sailors and goons made their way through the gate and into the halls of the criminal mastermind. They twisted and turned, being lead up and down staircases and through passages, in attempt to confuse them of where they were in the castle. They finally reached Hawkes chambers. Opening the door, the goons motioned the sailors forward into the extravagant room, where Silas Hawke awaited them.

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Wed Dec 26, 2018 4:09 pm

36th of Dentis, 2718
THE KING'S PALACE | EARLY MORNING
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The King of the Underworld knew his Harbor like a lover and every flutter of his Rose's heart, every shudder up her spine, every caress of unwelcome hands did not go unnoticed by the wick in his Palace set upon a hill above the rest of the sweeping city of merchants and pirates, sailors and thieves, opportunists and opportunities. His eyes and ears were on the streets and in the sea—even in the air!—and even if those on the docks had been surprised by strange visitors, those who had to be in the know already knew and had known for days before the pirate came anywhere near the Kingdom of Anaxas' thriving but infamously lawless harbor docks.

The foreign pirate and his entourage may have moved about Old Rose Harbor under the impression that they had the advantage of surprise, that they'd put on a sufficient display of power to wander their way through the main thoroughfares of town unscathed and unbothered because they'd intimidated someone.

They hadn't.

A token show of resistance at the gates to the Palace, Hawke's Bad Brothers well trained in the art of deception as well as combat, and a bit of a comfortable delay while Silas took his time finishing a meal with guests from far more important Kingdoms than godsbedamned isolated Hox, and finally Captain River War and his entourage and offerings were led to the so-called throne room, a simple room decorated with the King of the Underworld's favorite treasures in the most tasteful of fashions. There was art on the wall from all over Vita, strange artifacts glinted in the sunlight that shown through the tall windows that were open to the chill autumn sea breeze, curtains swaying.

In the comfortable chair that dominated the far end of the room lounged the long-haired wick in his characteristic wide-brimmed hat, bejeweled fingers and neck, fashionably dressed save for his bare feet, propped as they were against one of the arms of his extravagant throne. To one side of him stood a dark-haired woman dressed in black leather armor, a horizontal scar running from ear to ear marking her has his head Henchwitch, Yulina. To his other side stood a broad-shouldered human with a shaved head, dark skin marking him as at least distantly descendant from Mugroba or the Muluku Isles, Remses as ruthless as he was crafty, having clawed his way through the ranks of the Bad Brothers to claim himself victoriously Hawke's Second-in-Command.

The wick criminal didn't stand right away when his guests were shown in, not even looking in Kani's direction while the Hoxian and his armored guard approached, fiddling with the jewels that decorated his fingers without glancing up until the men and their box were standing before him. With a languid yawn and a long, rude stretch like some wayward feline, Silas shifted in his throne, standing with obvious reluctance and reaching to adjust the brim of his hat, the bright feather tucked into it bobbing with the motion,

"Greetings and salutations and all of that clockin' formality. Welcome to my Harbor and my Palace. It's quite a long sail from Hox, so, please, have a seat and allow us to serve you something to drink." The King cackled, mocking a bow with one hand over his mostly bare chest, his fine silk shirt half unbuttoned so that the jewelry he wore sparkled and jangled with the movement of his upper body. Even in their distance from each other, Silas Hawke's field was heavy, tangible, and full of a level of threat that was uncanny for his race. There were cushions on the floor for seating and a long, low table stretched the length of the room over expensive rugs. Straightening, his dark eyes took in the man and his companions, lingering over the box with a frankly insulting rendition of his likeness painted on it. He couldn't help from commenting, even as he waved his hands in invitation for the strangers to make themselves comfortable.

"That's cute. Bringing me gifts—to whom and for what occasion do I owe such a pleasure as an unannounced visit rudely paraded through my streets, hmm?"

His two companions remained silent, though Remses stepped away to make sure someone came to serve them. Yulina remained leaning against the throne like a watchful predator, her amber eyes not leaving the Captain for even a heartbeat.
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Kani Tow-Zik
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Writer: Bailey Stonewall

Wed Dec 26, 2018 5:18 pm

36th of Dentis, 2718 Early-Morning

Kani stood with his procession of men in front of the cushion and table set. He looked to his left and right, making eye contact with each man. He then said in Deftung "Drop our weapons." The two men holding the crate put it down. In one fluid motion all seven men undid their sword belts and set the weapons on the ground behind them. All but Kani took a seat at the table. Kani picked up the crate himself, walked around the table, and set it on the ground to his left. He then dropped to his knees in front of Hawk, and pressed his forehead into the floor.

"King Hawk, forgive me. I could not wait. I come to ask for an alliance and partnership. My men and I are settling a raiding camp up river , beyond that town, Fennecky. We wish to work with you, trading our ill gotten goods here in exchange for housing whatever you need."

He pulls his head up, staying on his knees before the king. He pulls the crate in front of him, taking the lid off. He shifts the box to the side, taking out a silk sheet from within. He lays it out on the ground. And then he pulls out gifts. a two pound bar of silver, a bolt of silver embroidered fine silk, a silver necklace, and a bow made of silk thread and fine yew.

"I bring to you these gifts, I hope they suit you well my King."
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Thu Dec 27, 2018 2:38 pm

36th of Dentis, 2718
THE KING'S PALACE | EARLY MORNING
Silas Hawke watched the coordination of the pirate and those under his command with an animalistic curiosity, dark eyes taking in every movement of each body, studying their weapons, observing their obedience. His gaze washed over the guards as they sat at the low table, Yulina moving from the throne to step down the set of stairs and move to sit not on a cushion, but perch on the table closest to the throne, offering the closest guard a taunting grin. The witch said nothing, returning her attention to the captain as Kani brought the box before her King and bowed all the way to the floor. Her scarred face twisted into an amused expression and she let her attention flick up to the wick she called her leader who was also smirking.

Silas turned his attention to Kani, reaching into a pocket and removing a silver engraved cigarette case, turning it over and over again in his long fingers while the Hoxian pirate set down various items. His expression slowly became unreadable but coy, the wick finally removing a blue-wrapped cigarette from the case and lighting it with a few whispered words of Monite, taking a long drag and exhaling green smoke in a relaxed sort of cloud before he even bothered to reply to the human on his knees before him. Whatever he felt about the gifts or the proposal for partnership remained a mystery, but his tone of voice bordered on the threatening instead of welcoming,

"Oes, well. Benny. All that shiny stuff's well an' good, but I think yer first question should have been this: King of the Underworld, can we sail up the lovely Arova river an' raid yer riverboats? 'Cause it's a lil' rude to be assumin' yer even welcome in my waters, kov, ye chen? This side o' the bay belongs to the Bad Brothers an' if ye wanna be askin' for scraps from my table, ye'd best say please."

Squatting on his heels, cigarette between his thin lips while he sifted through the gifts, he let his dark eyes meet the Hoxian's firmly. He wasn't saying no or refusing anything so much as establishing his rules. As far as Silas Hawke was concerned, trade and theft in all of the Kingdom were under his supervision, not the gollies in power, and he wasn't about to let some foreign upstart attempt to crash through it like some chrove in a glass shop,

"I ent got need for bandits. Anaxas pretends to be a civilized Kingdom, ye see, an' I intend to keep up the ruse. Now," he exhaled a slow ring of green smoke, looking up to watch it dissipate above Kani's head, "Captain River War, if yer as willin' to take orders as ye are to give 'em, then perhaps we can work together. If yer any good at raidin' an' yer able to be selective about yer targets, I may even have work for ye. But if yer hopin' to burn an' sink every godsbedamned steamship from here to Vienda, ye can take yer goodies an' get back on yer ship an sail yer sorry erse all the way back to Hox. Ye followin' me or should I repeat it all in Deftung for ye?"
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Kani Tow-Zik
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Writer: Bailey Stonewall

Thu Dec 27, 2018 5:19 pm

36th of Dentis, 2718 Early-Morning

Kani kept a face of neutrality, but inside he felt a mix of anger and disappointment. He knew he should have just not bothered. This man wants him under his rules to go rather than making an alliance, and Kani could not have that willingly.

"King Hawk, I think you misunderstand me. I have not come here to pledge myself as a servant and to join your feast down here. I intend to cause trouble far away, praying on the Galdori and those loyal to them. I will happily take lists of those to ignore from you, but I cannot take commands. And I am not a bandit. A pirate, maybe, but I come to these lands, fertile and rich with goods, to settle in. If you wish me to not stay here, in this portion of the river, I will simply leave, only coming to port for trade. But we can be so much more.

Kani gave a pause, then continued.

"I wish to make a home here, and I will make it. It is your choice to help me or hinder me. These in front of me are just a taste of what I can offer you, King."
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Wed Jan 02, 2019 2:43 pm

36th of Dentis, 2718
THE KING'S PALACE | EARLY MORNING
"Ne. There's no misunderstandin' from me, Captain." Silas purred, pausing for another long drag on his cigarette, dark eyes narrowing while he hovered in his comfortable squat. Flicking ashes without a care on the stone floor, careless about the expensive carpets strewn about his over the top throne room, the King of the Underworld chuckled almost amusedly,

"If yer comin' into Anaxas an' hopin' to line yer coffers with anythin' from Anaxi pockets, then, oes, ye're here to ask my permission, whether it's here on the coast or up the Arova. I have vested interest in all of the Kingdom's economy, ye chen. If yer plannin' on preyin' on my waterways, then ye're competition. Ye can't settle here and call this place home without takin' a piece of my pie. If ye get caught, I'll do more than just smack yer hands. I'll sink yer ships an' slaughter yer cutesy armored guards ye got there, slowly an' painfully ... unless, of course, ye pay yer taxes to me like every other pirate I call my friend."

He stood, putting out his smoke far sooner than necessary with his fingertips and tossing it at the Hoxian's feet, his field a writhing mass that almost felt as though it was a nest of serpents instead of a gathering of sentient particles, far more powerful than a normal wick's should have been,

"Ye can either work for and with me, or ye can work against me. There ent any in between, not anymore. Anaxas is becoming quite a powderkeg, and I ent about to take risks on foreigners with big dreams. I can't welcome ye here with open arms and tell ye the best part o' the river to settle on because all of the best parts are already mine, ye chen? I ent good at sharin'—ye can ask 'round th' Harbor to learn that. Sure, a lil' friendly competition ent hurt anyone yet, but ...yer welcome to try. Carve a home for yerself, but I'll come collect my dues sooner or later if ye don't want to fly under my flag."

It was the harsh truth—Silas Hawke was no longer accepting allegiances or allies in the form of distant associations. Too many alliances had stabbed him in the back. Too many alliances had gone sour. He'd seen it all first hand, and he felt the suffocating pressure the Drain had begun to put on all of his organization's intricate workings throughout not only the Kingdom of Anaxas' economy but so much more.

Whatever the Captain in front of him had hoped to do by sailing so far from Hox, the King wasn't giving him too many choices nor was he being very hospitable. He felt too much danger on the horizon to water down his purposes by letting more streams into the landscape of his precious influence, and while he had no doubt that the Hoxian was a capable and respectably ruthless pirate, he had no interest in giving him free reign under any other flag but his own, but the Bad Brothers'.
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