Chapter V

Soledad, made with Stable Diffusion and Photopea

The session

The session

Currant Dahlia emblem by Twigg

Artwork by [url=https://www.worldanvil.com/author/Eliykun]Eliy[/url]

In White-Claw's Clutches

In White-Claw's Clutches

Portrait by Eliy

https://www.rulersofthesea.com/discussions/history-network/sailing-commands/

Ship Terminology Diagram

Soledad

Thrown in the Brig!

The Brig: At the start of our story the crew of The Currant Dahlia find themselves sharing a single cell, hands bound, in the belly of a rather nasty evil pirate's ship. The group had caught wind that an evil pirate might have another piece to the map/journal/log and so tried to slip on board and see if this rumor was true. They ended up there in the brig after they managed to get caught sneaking around while searching for another clue as to the location of Stormwing's treasure due to some noisy hooves...and are now plotting just how exactly they plan on getting out of this predicament.

The Currant Dahlia

The Currant Dahlia: Captained by the Satyr Captain Jo'lie,Tallow who came in to her current crew by...less than normal means. First there was Ligaya of Tawalisi, who picked a fight with the hooved woman after a case of misidentification. As an apology, the Reborn offered her services as a cook, and eventually took up the mantle of gunner. Ligaya was born in Bahura, a coastal city of Tawalisi, somewhere in the Southeastern oceans. When she was a teenager, an expedition from Valencha came, seeking to exploit the nation's wealth and natural resources. Needless to say, the people fought back and through the aid of the spirits, repelled most of the invading force. However, one commander, a man with the sun in his eye, decided to put Bahura to the sword because her father, the chief, dared knock him from his horse. She saw her home burn and loved ones get executed right before her eyes. Now she sets sail to hunt him and his officers down, to claim their heads and avenge her lost home. Soon after, Ligaya helped a runaway named Soledad de la Fuego Ardiente, who was escaping persecution for being part of a resistance faction against her home crown. The Human girl was adept with ship rigging, and so earned her keep aboard the ship as such. Along the way, they even managed to pick up a new navigator who came from the Spinning Compass exploration guild - a Foxkin named Lucielle Eclaire - who arrived with a parchment scrap that might help lead them towards the treasure. But deciphering it is another story... This parchment would appear to be a portion of a map/journal/log that's identifiable as related to Storming that has made its way into Lucielle's pocket. It was enough to begin her treasure hunt, but the blasted thing includes encoded text. If only there was some clue as to where additional pieces are, or what/where the codec is... Lucielle began to seek out a means to finding the missing pieces, but found herself in the need of a ship; What better ship to hire on to than the one captained by the Satyr? Lucielle Eclaire, the Child of the Moon born in the Feywild. Lucielle was actually born the runt of the litter, but she never let that bother her in the slightest. While nonchalant about most things, Lucielle had to learn the ways of Izelth after finding herself out of the Feywild after getting black out drunk at a Crystal Dragon’s night club party. She focused on her strengths, utilising her intellect and her Feywild charm to make her way in the world. Lucielle had to work hard and forge herself into a reliable asset. For a time, Lucielle was affiliated with the explorer’s guild, The Spinning Compass, where she learnt her navigation skills and grew in her Arcane knowledge. She was rather popular in the guild that the Guild Master was rather sad when she left and joined her captain’s ship. The Guild Master left her parting words that she would always have a place in the Guild. Even through the unfamiliarity and uncertainty of it all, the stars and the moon seemed to feel the same as they were in the Feywild. For that, Lucielle felt some sense of solace. Finally, after returning to the vessel after being stationed at a port for resupply, they found a young Triton by the name of Mezrathyn Levetrath on board. She stated she had patched some wear and tear spots, and after a bit of ooh and ahh over never-before-seen-hooves, the girl was allowed to stay on. Mezrathyn! Mez or Mezra for short she's 17, and with tritons reaching maturity at 15 she's...still basically a small teen. She wants treasure, but not for herself, and she's a bit of a hoarder that comes from being a carpenter. you never know when something deemed worthless might come in handy with patching up the ship. also, any time someone asks where she's from, she just points to the ocean. none of you even know, because she won’t say. the only response you've gotten out of her is she "refuses to betray her king".

Rumors and Goals, Misc

Direct contacts in the resistance: Father Marius Santiago – A Vaticine priest who supplies the resistance with information. Isabella – A blacksmith turned resistance fighter. Supplies the resistance with arms. Known to Soledad through the fight club. Teodoro – A Divination Wizard being protected by the resistance who helps collaborate the information fed by Father Santiago. Expansion of Castilian: If the rumors are true then a Castilian expedition has found a new land. No doubt they wish to exploit this discovery and claim the lands resources as their own. Rumor of this land is spreading. A secret island surrounded and concealed by unseen magics inhabited by strange natives wielding a strange cursed magic. The hidden land described here is strangely similar to a story once told by the church itself. Piracy: The pirate Roman Stormwing is notorious and deserving of respect. I’ve heard it said that Stormwing once bested an entire squadron of the Inquisition’s Naval ships. Despite Stormwing’s less the reputable tales, this is something I can get behind. I’ve heard it told that Roman Stormwing made a Pact with a Demon that the winds would always be in his favor. These rumors of the pirate Stormwing’s death clearly must be exaggerated. I’ll believe it when I see it. Goals: Learn more of this rune magic passed down by my mother. Find other treasures and secrets hidden from this world. Be a thorn in the Inquisition.

Soledad's Upbringing and Escape From Castillian

Soledad de la Fuego Ardiente – Human Fighter – Unarmed Fighter (Rune Knight) Gender: Female – Age: twenty-something Father, Sebastián Ardiente Mother, Marina de la Fuego Torres Aunt, Isidora de la Fuego Torres Childhood friend, Fernando Rubio Soledad’s father Sebastián was a respected stone mason who lost his wife Marina during the birth of their child Soledad. In raising his daughter, he had little choice but to allow her to accompany him while working. In time Soledad would learn and assist in the rigging of the masonry scaffolding, as well as the rope and pulley system for moving the large stones used as building materials. Marina’s sister Isidora was a Tower Mage in Castilian prior to the rise of the Inquisition. Knowledge of her connection to Sebastián and Soledad was suppressed and hidden from the Inquisition to protect her family. As a late teenager, just before the rise of the Inquisition, Soledad began running an underground fight club. This earned her the ire of the city proper, but afforded her certain contacts that would be useful later. After the Inquisition’s rise to power these contacts allowed Soledad to join an underground resistance organization working to oppose the tyranny emplaced by the Third Prophet. Unfortunately, when Soledad was in her early twenties, the Inquisition discovered the relationship between the Tower Mage Isidora and her family. After being captured, Soledad was rescued by the resistance and the “Vagabond”. As the Inquisition now had their sight firmly on Soledad, she was a liability to the resistance. Their best chance was to get her out of Castilian. Aided by the resistance and her childhood friend Fernando, Soledad and her father were rushed away. As fate would have it, they would not reach their destination safely. A trap was set at the docks. The ship that the resistance had meant for Soledad and Sebastián to use to make their escape was being watched. When making their way to the ship the Inquisitors attacked. Sebastián sacrificed himself to assure his daughter’s escape; mortally wounded in the encounter. Fernando stopped Soledad from returning to her father and got her safely to the ship. Once away from Castilian Soledad was able to make herself useful on the ship. Using the skills that she had learned from her father she was able to quickly learn how to properly perform the duties of a ship’s rigger. Soledad was able to steal away an heirloom before leaving Castilian; her mother’s journal. The journal details that the family may have a lineage derived from the blood of Giants. The journal contains information and clues that have been leading her in the path of a Rune Knight.

Background History of Castilian

Castilian is a nation wrapped in religious tradition and the pursuit of knowledge. The seat of the Vaticine Church, the Third Prophet has brought his teachings of hatred toward arcane magic to this land, built a seat of power in Vaticine City, and led a religious conquest that established the dominance of the Church. Its piety and devotion to learning meant Castilian stood on the highest peaks of prestige, which has made its fall all the more tragic. The Vaticine Inquisition now rules the country as they keep the teenage King Joaquín Sannoval as their "guest of honor" in Vaticine City. Slowly, the Inquisition is guiding Castilian into a dark age by burning "heretical" books of arcane knowledge and imprisoning teachers, scholars, and philosophers whose views are incongruous with those held by the Vaticine Church. King Sannoval is only in his mid-teens, forced to Kingship after a secret coup to murder his father was enacted. King Sannoval holds little power as the nation is firmly in the hands of the Third Prophet. With all the terrible problems going on in Castilian, a resistance group has formed to fight back. Their goal is simple; to protect Castilian from its threats. Their agents protect King Sannoval from the enemies within and without his government. Their agents thwart The Inquisition whenever able to remarkable success. They liberate scholars and Mages from the clutches of the Inquisitors. The resistance is headed by the mysterious "Vagabond"; a masked man who's saved many people from their fate at the hands of the Inquisition. The Castilian people deeply approve of the resistance and The Vagabond. Who the Vagabond is or how the resistance manages to protect so many people is a mystery. Since the Vagabond has been known to appear wherever horrendous crimes are taking place - swooping in at the last minute to save the innocent - some believe he (or she) is a Mage capable of some form of teleportation, though most believe the resistance is simply so well informed its members create the illusion of teleportation by having multiple “Vagabonds” appear as needed. Note on language: Surnames; a female child’s surname is her mother’s first surname combined with her father’s surname. A male child uses only their father’s surname.