Llymlaen's Lost

Llymlaen's Lost is the name of Kass' pirate crew, a ragtag group of misfits collected from all over Etheirys. There are many different relationship dynamics to be found within the crew, but at the end of the day they are all bound together by their love of adventuring alongside each other and Kass. Click the images below to learn more about each crew member, or the image above to see a timeline of relevant events!

Alts

Here is where you can find info on my alts! Click each image to learn more about each character ♥

Misc. Retainers

Most of my retainers are just used as ways to play around with character design! As such, there's not much to say about any of them, so these images will not link to extra pages ^^I'm still slowly taking nice gposes of them all, so check back from time to time!

Timeline of Events

Convoy's Intro Story

"Think we'll ever make it, someday?" A red-haired miqo'te asked her companion as they stared out at the sea from the side of a ship. She was sitting on the railing of a decently sized fishing boat, her legs dangling from the ship and her tail swaying in the wind. A white-haired roegadyn stood next to her, her arms crossed on the railing of the ship and her head resting in them."Hm?" The roegadyn answered lazily, opening her eyes to look up at the miqo'te."As pirates, I mean. We've been sayin' we're gonna become pirates for years now, but do you think we'll actually be able to do it?""I don't see why not, it'll just take some time.""But how much time? I've spent most of my life dreaming of this, yet we're still trapped in this tiny town. What if we end up stayin' here forever and never get to have our grand adventure?""Convoy, you know my parents won't let me sail out to sea on my own until I'm of age," the roegadyn replied, frowning a bit. "We only have to wait two more years...""Why should they control what you do? Isn't the whole point of being pirates to be free to do what we want, when we want?" Convoy protested. "Helping out on these fishing expeditions is great and all, but it's not the same, Kass!""Do you really think that if we were to set out to sea right now we'd be able to make it anywhere? We only started being allowed to come on these trips two moons ago, there's no way we've learned everything we need to know," Kass replied, a hint of amusement in her voice."Know, shmoe, we'd be fiiiiine," Convoy whined, leaning back with her hands catching her on the railing so she wouldn't fall. "We know how to climb the rigging, we can furl and unfurl the sails, steering can't be that hard... What else do we even need?"Kass laughed. "Steering is kinda important! I wanna know how to at least do that much before we head out," she said with a grin."I mean if you're that worried about it, Limsa's supposed to be somewhere near here, I bet we'd be able to see it from malms away if we started heading in its direction! After that it's just point the ship in a straight line and we're all set!" The catgirl laughed, pointing straight ahead of her out at the sea."And how would we know which direction is the right one?" The roegadyn asked, enjoying poking holes in her friend's plan.Convoy paused. "So our first task as real pirates is to steal a compass and a map, we'll be able to figure it out from there for sure!""Right, and who's gonna be in charge of manning the anchor? I'm not strong enough yet, and I doubt you could lift it given it's almost as big as you are.""I... uh... we'll... find more people to recruit before we leave!" The catgirl stuttered."And who's gonna listen to a pair of teenagers like us?" Kass asked with a grin."I dunno, wasn't there that kid that had a crush on ya a while back?"Kass made a face. "Ew, him? No way, I'd rather sail with a chocobo than him!"Convoy laughed, delighted. "Then we've gotta get ourselves a chocobo! That'll be pirate task number two.""Then task three will be... a ship! We need a ship before anything can happen.""Don't you roes usually get a ship when ya come of age or somethin'?""I thought you wanted to leave tomorrow," Kass grinned, leaning forward to taunt her friend as she finally got her to admit they weren't ready to go to sea yet.Convoy's face turned beet red with embarrassment as Kass got close. "Y-yeah well-""Deckhands, ya'd better not be takin' a break when there's still a deck to clean!" A swarthy voice called out to the girls."No, sir!" They called back, scrambling off the railing to find a mop and bucket. The two exchanged a wide grin and laughed before getting back to work.--- Two years later ---"Has Dalamud always been that big?" Convoy asked, looking up at the second moon in the sky."It's probably just a blood moon, I wouldn't worry about it," Kass chuckled. "It always freaks you out, doesn't it""No, I swear it's bigger than that... It gives me a bad feeling," the miqo'te replied.Another month passed, and the lesser moon had only gotten larger and redder. Now both girls knew for sure that something was wrong, and it was putting both of them on edge.Another month, and now the moon looked like it could fall out of the sky at any second. The whole village was antsy, and you could cut the tension in the air with a knife. Gone were the days of playful banter between friends and colleagues, instead replaced by tense silence and nervous glances at the sky. When the Maelstrom came by to recruit any able-bodied men for a battle at the Carteneau Flats, the mood got even more grim.Then one day, it all came to a head. Screams rang out as meteors began to rain down from the sky to the east, the clouds parting to give way to the now massive red moon. They were distant at first, but it wasn't long before they began to strike in Vylbrand, then their little island as well. Terrified, villagers ran for shelter as the fiery rocks began striking down anything in their path."Girls, this way!" Kass' father shouted, ushering Kass and Convoy to his home. The three scrambled to get into the building and were greeted by Kass' mother as they got inside."Oh thank goodness you're all alright," she said, bathed in a fiery glow coming in from the windows as she gave the group a tight hug."We have to pray to Llymlaen that she will keep us safe," Kass' father said, his voice quivering as he tried to stay strong for his family despite his fears.Before anyone could react, one of the meteors struck the house, causing the roof to shake and begin collapsing over them."Run!" Kass' mother shouted, shoving everyone out of the hug. Kass stumbled back, falling to the ground while Convoy nimbly landed on her feet."Mom!!" Kass cried, frozen in place from panic."Kass, we have to go, NOW!" Convoy shouted, grabbing the young roegadyn by the wrist and running out the door. The two girls made it out moments before the building fully collapsed. What had once been Kass' family home was now a flat heap of rubble in front of them. Kass let out a heart-wrenching wail as she fell to her knees and began digging through the debris to try and rescue her parents. Convoy looked up at the sky and felt her stomach drop as the falling moon shattered in the sky, an unfathomably massive dragon emerging from its core. Its wings spanned the width of the lesser moon, its ragged silhouette visible in the sky across all of Eorzea.Thinking fast, the young miqo'te pulled her despondent friend to her feet and tried to decide where to go. Buildings weren't safe because they could collapse, as they'd just seen. The forest was equally unsafe since it could catch fire and trap them that way. The docks... the planks could collapse, but the water would prevent any fire from harming them... though that would have them out in the open which would be equally bad. Was there anywhere they could shelter that couldn't fall...? Then she remembered the perfect spot."Kass, stay with me. Focus on what I'm saying," Convoy said, grabbing Kass by the shoulders and waving a hand in front of her face. As the roegadyn's eyes came back into focus, she continued. "Remember that cave where we used to play as kids to find buried treasure?" Kass nodded. "I think that's our best bet of surviving this thing, we have to get there as quickly as possible.""But my parents-" she began to protest."We can look for them after we've gotten through this, I don't wanna be a dragon snack if I can help it," Convoy snapped, spinning her friend to face the dragon in the sky who had now begun flying through the sky, raining fire down wherever it passed. Kass grew pale as she realized just how dire the situation truly was, then nodded.The two girls ran towards the coast, taking shelter deep within a limestone cave. The walls shook around them as meteorite impacts in the ground above sent rumbles through the earth. The ocean lapped furiously at the mouth of the cave, threatening to encroach on their safety with every piece of debris that impacted it from the sky. Kass and Convoy hugged each other tightly as they huddled together in the cave, unsure if any given moment would be their last.After what felt like an eternity, the furious red of the sky gave way to a gentle blue, particles of aether raining down like snow over the sky of Carteneau."Is... is it over?" Convoy asked, trembling. She had been tying to stay strong for her friend, but the truth is she had never been more terrified in her life."Let's go see what's left of our town," Kass said, a pit of dread in her stomach. Convoy nodded, and the two headed back to where their village had once stood.Piles of rubble lined the streets where houses had once stood, and the smell of smoke permeated the air. Many of the ships docked at the port were destroyed, their sails hanging ragged from the masts. An eerie silence hung in the air, with no sounds except the wind rustling through the nearby trees. Several bodies could be seen, unfortunate souls who were unable to escape the destruction of the city. Kass felt nauseous as they walked towards her house, a sense of malaise settling in her stomach.As the girls approached, they could hear an eerie croaking noise coming from Kass' house. Kass' eyes widened in recognition at the sound, and she ran forward."Skipper!?" She called, causing the source of the sound, a frantic blue-footed booby, to stop rummaging through the rubble and fly into her arms. "Oh buddy, I'm so glad you're okay," she cried, breaking down as all the tears she had been holding back came spilling forth. Seeing her usually strong friend cry, Convoy also started sobbing as the grief of the situation washed over the girls.---It took several weeks for the girls to fall into a new normal. As the only survivors in their town, it took a long time to find all the bodies and give them proper burials on the cliffside overlooking the ocean. In the meantime, they scavenged for whatever food they could find in the town, though much of it had been destroyed in the rubble."You think anyone's gonna come by for us?" Kass asked, petting Skipper as he sat in her lap in the crow's nest of one of the several now-abandoned ships docked at the harbor."Doubt it, we're barely a speck on the map," Convoy replied."I guess there's nothing holding us here anymore then, huh... What if we set out to sea like we always wanted?"At her words, Convoy lit up. "You mean it!?" Kass nodded. "Man I didn't wanna be insensitive and ask, but I've been thinkin' it the whole time," the miqo'te admitted sheepishly."I mean... now's probably the best time, right? It's just the two of us, we have our choice of ships if we can find some that are still in sailing condition, and no one's around to stop us from looting whatever sailing supplies we can find on the shipwrecks." Kass reasoned."... Can I pick the ship?" Convoy asked, trying to subdue her excitement, though her tail gave her away."Only if I can pick the name," Kass smiled. Convoy punched the air excitedly, a huge grin on her face."It's a deal!" She said, hopping down from her perch and starting to climb down the rigging.Kass shook her head and chuckled, grateful for the bit of levity after the past few weeks.---"Alright, are we all packed and ready?" Kass asked, standing on the deck of their new ship."Yup, everything I own is now onboard the Skipper, cap'n!" Convoy said with a salute."Skipper, how are you feeling buddy?" Kass asked the ship's namesake, who was perched on her shoulder. He croaked and lifted his blue feet in a happy little dance. "Our food stores are stocked, ship repaired... I can't think of anything else, so let's set sail for Limsa!" The roegadyn proclaimed, excited to finally see more of the world beyond her hometown.Convoy cheered as Kass went to the helm. "Should be some 100 malms that way," she instructed, consulting her compass and map of La Noscea. Kass nodded, spinning the wheel to get them on their way. What future awaited them, she didn't know, but she was sure it was going to be a grand adventure.---Character ages:
Start: Kass (16), Convoy (14)
Calamity: Kass (18), Convoy (16)

Xena's Intro Story

In the heart of Iq Br'aax, a young hrothgar woman with black fur sat at a table inside her family home. Flickering candlelight illuminated her face as she softly hummed to herself, her eyes studying a map in a book that lay open in front of her. This was not her first time looking at said book; in fact its bindings were rather worn from how many times she had studied it throughout the years. As she gazed longingly at the pages she had seen a thousand times over by this point, a commotion erupted outside. Confused and concerned in equal measure by what could be happening this time of night, she stepped out to see what the outburst was about."What is going on?" She asked one of the nearby bystanders who had gathered at the edges of a nearby cenote."It seems like someone fell into the cenote, the Xbr'aax Rax is fishing them out," the villager replied."I have mapped every square ilm of this village and people are still falling into the cenotes!? How many times must I warn everyone to be careful?" The young hrothgar huffed in frustration as she motioned to one of her many hand-drawn maps nailed onto pillars throughout the village."They have been very helpful, Bol Xena," Hunmu Rruk's voice echoed from the cenote. "But something tells me our two foreigner friends were not aware that you had mapped the locations of the cenotes," he finished, dumping two sopping wet lumps on the ground in front of everyone. The sorry-looking lumps, it turns out, were two young women seemingly only a few years younger than Xena: a red-haired miqo'te and a white-haired roegadyn. Another villager handed the pair some blankets, which they happily accepted as they shivered and looked up at everyone, confused."Whyyyyy do you guys have gaping holes in your village?" The miqo'te lamented."I think the better question is how you ended up in our cenote," Hunmu Rruk replied, amused."We fell, obviously," the catgirl huffed."We were trying to get to high ground to scope out the lay of the land. We didn't know there were massive holes in the ground though," the roegadyn more helpfully added.The gathered villagers exchanged confused glances. "... Where did the two of you come from?" Someone eventually asked. Everyone in Tural knew about Yak T'el's cenotes, but these two seemed to have been caught completely unawares by them."We're from a little island in La Noscea," the catgirl started."We had been trying to get to Limsa Lominsa, but clearly that didn't go as planned," the roegadyn added with a chuckle.Limsa Lominsa... it certainly wasn't any place in Tural, so why did it sound so familiar...? Xena's face scrunched up as she tried to recall where she had heard the name before. "Wait... but that's across the salt!" She exclaimed as she recalled seeing the name in one of her old world maps."Across the salt...?" The two young women exchanged looks. "Where exactly are we?" The roegadyn asked awkwardly."You're in the village of Iq Br'aax, in Yok Tural," Hunmu Rruk, the village leader, answered. When the two looked even more confused than before, he chuckled softly. "Tell you what, it's getting late. Let's get you some warm food and lodgings for tonight, and then we can all ask each other our questions tomorrow, alright?" The two nodded, and the crowd's murmurs faded as everyone dispersed to go back to their homes. "That goes especially for you, Bol Xena," the older Xbr'aal said pointedly. "I'm sure you have a million questions for them, but they can wait. These poor girls need to rest."Xena opened her mouth to protest, but then nodded. If she had to wait, then she could write down a list of questions to ask them! Pleased with her new plan, the young hrothgar headed back home for the night.---The next morning, Hunmu Rruk and Xena sat down with the two outsiders to ask them questions. The older Xbr'aal let the younger one take the lead, knowing she would very thoroughly cover the bases of many of the questions he wanted to ask."So to start off, who are you?" Xena asked, unfolding her list of questions."My name's Kass, and this is Convoy." The roegadyn answered."We're pirates!" Convoy added with a grin."Pirates, huh?" The village leader said, a twinge of amusement in his voice. "And where is the rest of your crew?""There are no others, it's just us! Kass is the captain, and I'm her first mate," Convoy declared proudly."And where is your ship?""We docked it on the first shore we could find before we saw this hill and started climbing," Kass explained."And how did you get here? You said you were headed for Limsa Lominsa, so what happened?" Xena asked, pulling out her world map."Well, we started around here," Kass began, pointing at an area to the west of Limsa, "but then someone read the compass wrong and we ended up... wherever it is we are" she finished as Convoy's face turned red with embarrassment."Here," Xena provided, pointing at Yak T'el on the map. Then she frowned. "Wait a second... You mean to tell me that all you had intended to do was go a short distance east, yet you ended up across the ocean to the west of where you started?""Look, nobody ever taught me how to read the stupid pointy thing, okay? It makes my head spin," Convoy muttered.Xena stared at the two, dumbfounded. "You can't be serious... You two left on a seafaring journey by yourselves without any knowledge of how to read a compass? And you're alive!?"Hunmu Rruk put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down, then addressed the pair. "And how was your journey? I hope it was a relatively uneventful couple of weeks?"At this, Kass lit up. "No sir, it was a grand adventure! We set off about three moons ago, and we found this incredible misty sea! A voice called out to us, but only I could hear it, and we ended up on this super cool island with so many different kinds of ruins!! There weren't any people for us to ask where we were, so I have no idea where the voice came from, but maybe I was just imagining things since Convoy couldn't hear it," she laughed."But because no one was there, we were able to loot and hunt as much as we wanted!" Convoy laughed chaotically. "Our first expedition as real pirates and it was everything I could've ever hoped for!"As the two recounted their adventure, Xena grew more and more horrified. "Wait wait wait... You went west from here," she motioned on the map, "went through a misty sea, and then somehow got spat back out and ended up here, is that right?""More or less, yeah," Kass replied. "Though spat out sounds a little unceremonious, we very deliberately went back to the ship and weighed anchor ourselves.""And this took you several moons?""Yeah, why?" Convoy asked."I can't believe- Of all the people... How did... You two underprepared idiots went through Shades' Triangle and lived to tell the tale!?" Xena exclaimed in disbelief. "No one has ever gone there and made it out alive!""Bol Xena, they are our guests." The village leader said with a frown. "Do not address them so rudely.""What, like you could do better? I bet you've never even seen the ocean," Convoy scoffed, crossing her arms."As a matter of fact, I could!" Xena huffed, digging out several hand-drawn maps from her bag and slapping them onto the table. "I have mapped every square ilm of this village and the surrounding forest protected by our Bretheren of Br'aax, I will have you know!"The two pirates' eyes widened in surprise as they beheld the intricately detailed maps before them. "You made these?" Kass asked in awe. Seeing the questioning derailed, Hunmu Rruk sighed and went off to speak with the other villagers, now confident that the young girls meant no harm. "But... why only your village? You seem to like making maps, why not go further?"Xena's face fell. "I'm not allowed to leave the village, everyone says it's too dangerous," she explained."Wasn't that dangerous when we climbed up here," Convoy countered."Yes well, you're not a Xbr'aal woman" Xena replied, a twinge of bitterness in her voice. "It's not common for girls to be born to our people. I thought the talks of danger were greatly exaggerated as well when I was younger but when I was 17, Hunmu Rruk's young daughter was pushed to the bottom of a cenote by hateful mamool ja. He never told us exactly what happened, but we never saw her again and he does not speak of her, so I can only assume the worst. And then only a few moons after that, we got word that another Xbr'aal girl from one of the nearby islands got kidnapped by a slave trader. My father and the Xbr'aax Rax forbade me from leaving after that.""... Would you want to come with us?" Kass asked after a short while of silence, catching Xena and Convoy completely off guard."What part of 'I can't leave the village' did you not understand???" Xena asked, baffled."Well, that's only if you're alone, right? If you came with us, you'd have a pair of pirates to protect you! Plus, our crew could use a navigator, and you seem really amazing at making maps! Imagine all the cool places you could chart if you came to the sea with us!""You lot are absolutely insane," Xena laughed in disbelief. When no one else laughed, she paused. "Wait, you're serious?""If it's what the captain wants, why not? Besides, we'll just keep getting lost if I'm left in charge of the compass anyways," Convoy said with a shrug.The very thought made Xena's fur stand on end. "You did manage to end up on the wrong continent entirely..." she mumbled. Joining these loons was surely a death sentence. They clearly were not prepared for a life at sea, and they likely wouldn't last long, even with her help. But if she went with them, there was a chance she could get to see places from her maps that she had only ever dreamed of before... And what was her alternative? Staying locked up in the village the rest of her life? It had already been 21 years and she would be lying if she said she hadn't been itching to leave the bounds of the city and explore more ever since she was forbidden from leaving..."Alright, tell you what. I need a few days to pack my bags, but then sure, why not," she laughed. "This is the most insane thing I have ever done, but it beats staying a prisoner in my own home. We will have to leave under the cover of night, since I doubt my father would let me even speak to you again if he knew what you had just proposed to me.""Sounds good to me!" Kass said, her face erupting into a giant grin. "We have a navigator!!" She exclaimed excitedly. "Welcome to the crew, Bol Xena!""Just Xena is fine," the hrothgar answered with a smile. They may be a pair of idiots, but they were going to be her idiots from now on.---A few nights later, Xena grabbed her bags and carefully left a note on the dinner table for her father to find come morning.She quietly stepped out of the house, taking care to make as little sound as possible as she closed the door behind her. Outside the house, Kass and Convoy were waiting."Alright, lead the way! Do you remember where your ship is?" Xena whispered."Not quite," Kass started, causing Xena to groan, already beginning to regret her decision. "But... it wasn't exactly accurate to say it's just the two of us in the crew," Kass finished with a grin. "Let's go somewhere farther from the village and then I'll call him over." Feeling a growing sense of dread, Xena hesitantly followed.Once they were out of earshot to the village, Kass let out a sharp whistle. A few minutes passed, and then a blue-footed booby flew down to them and landed on Kass' shoulder."This is Skipper!" she introduced. "Can you lead us back to the ship, buddy?" she asked the bird, giving him a chin scratch. He croaked in response, then took off towards the coast.Xena shook her head, an amused look on her face. Her new companions would keep her on her toes, that's for sure! She never knew what to expect with them, for better or worse. The three took off, following Skipper and picking their way through the dense jungle until they reached the ship. It was docked at the Great Shallows, only about a two hour trek. When Xena saw the ship, she was once again caught by surprise."You're kidding me," she mumbled."What? You don't like the Skipper? She's as fine a vessel as they come. I picked her myself!" Convoy said, patting the side of the ship proudly. It was a full-sized ship and seemed to have been made for a crew of ten to thirty, certainly not meant for two."No, I love it! But... you two have been manning this ship by yourselves?? How??""Willpower and determination, two things we'll never lack," Kass laughed. "It'll be much easier with three from now on!""We've come this far, you can't back out now~" Convoy sang, nimbly climbing up the ropes on the side of the ship before kicking the gangplank down for Kass and Xena to board the ship."This really is the most ill-advised thing I've ever done," Xena laughed, trying to push aside her fears about this decision as she boarded the ship. "Alright, where can I set up a workstation for my maps?""Follow me, I'll give you a tour of the ship!" Kass said, motioning for Xena to follow. "Convoy, can you work on getting us out to sea while I do that?""Aye captain, leave it to me!" Convoy said with a salute, going to pull up the gangplank.---"Aaand that should be everything! We're woefully lacking in many ways right now, so I'm really grateful you accepted my offer to join us," Kass told Xena. "I'm hoping we can pick up a chef soon, since neither Convoy or I cook that well and, well... we're not the best at-" her face froze mid-sentence as she realized something."Shopping for ingredients?" Convoy piped up, poking her head into the room. "Yeah. I just checked the cargo hold now that we're a ways off shore, and we forgot to resupply."Xena groaned. What a fine mess they'd gotten themselves into, and they had barely left the shore. "You two would be so dead without me," she scolded, heading to her new map station and pulling out a map of Tural. She opened it on the table in front of them, and motioned to a tiny island just to their east. "We can go here to resupply, it's not too far out of the way and there's a well-known fishing village here. We should be able to get enough food to last us at least a few weeks here, especially since there are only three of us." She told them."I knew recruiting you was a good idea!" Convoy exclaimed, getting a snort from Kass."Right then, lead the way! You tell us how to get there and we'll make sure the ship arrives at her destination safely," the roegadyn grinned. Xena smiled, more excited than she liked to admit about being able to put her navigational knowledge to good use. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all!---Character ages: Kass (19), Convoy (17), Xena (21)

Kona's Intro Story

"Here you are," a white-furred hrothgar woman snarled, forcibly slamming down a bag of coins on the desk in front of her. The hyur man behind the desk smiled a crooked grin, taking the bag and counting the coins within."Good work Kona, just another three million gil to go," he laughed, the scar over his left eye crinkling as his face contorted around it. "Have I told you where our next stop is?" He asked, a wicked grin crossing his face. The wooden ship groaned ominously around them as a high wind picked up outside the cabin."Does it matter?" Kona spat, hatred clearly visible in her eyes."Oh, I think you'll be quite interested in this stop," the man drawled, pointing to a small island east of Tural on the map. Kona's pupils reduced to slits as she lunged forward in an attempt to strangle the man."You bastard, I'll KILL YOU!" She roared as the two guards stationed at the door restrained her before she could actually reach their captain. The man showed no signs of fear, instead laughing hysterically at the young woman's fury."Lock her up until we reach our destination," he ordered once his laughter subsided. "We wouldn't want any... accidents, now would we."---In her cell in the brig, Kona lashed out at whatever she could reach in anger and frustration. The island he had pointed at was her hometown, where that awful man and his crew had kidnapped her from four years ago. He called himself a collector of exotic species, but really he was just a pirate and a poacher. His crew went around kidnapping people from underrepresented populations, and Kona being a female hrothgar, especially with white fur, was a prize he was particularly fond of."Just you wait until I'm older and stronger, I'll kill you, you monster," she snarled, frustrated that she was too weak to take him on."What did he do this time?" A voice asked from the cell beside hers. A lupin man stepped into the light, his fur matted from neglect."He wants me to steal from my own people, he's taking us back to my hometown," Kona replied, pain in her voice. "I won't do it. I refuse to hurt my people for his twisted pleasure!""At least you have a chance of getting out of here," the lupin scoffed. "He never offered any of us the deal you got.""I don't think he ever expected 20 million gil to be attainable from petty thievery," Kona replied. "But he'll see, I'll buy my freedom from that rat someday. I only have 3 million left.""You think he'll actually hold up his end of the deal? What's stopping him from just taking your money and going back on his word?""I don't know, but I have to at least try," the hrothgar said, sitting down. "... If I do get out of here someday, I'll come back for you, Rokuro. Not just you, but everyone imprisoned on this godsforsaken ship."The lupin smiled. "That's very kind of you, Kona. May we see it come true, someday."---A few days later, the pirate ship pulled into port at the fishing village. The captain and his crew filed out, followed by Kona."Remember, if you try to tell anyone about us or run off, our deal is off," the captain sneered. "And you don't want to annoy me in your hometown, or my hand might just slip," he smirked.Kona's fur bristled at the dangled threat, but she just ground out a "Understood," before slinking off into the shadows to find a target. She had no idea what she was going to do. She had to steal from someone, but she didn't want to take from anyone in her village. But this island was so small that it almost never got visitors, since it did not have much to offer that couldn't be found on the mainland of Tural. Just as these thoughts were crossing her mind, she spotted two people who seemed very out of place."I'm telling ya Kass, this shopping list is weird. What the hell is an ooh-to-moo tomato?" A short miqo'te woman complained. Kona held in a snort as she struggled to sound out Ut'ohmu. Yup, these two were definitely outsiders."Probably a local ingredient she's used to cooking with. I'm willing to try anything that isn't salted aurochs jerky for the millionth time," the roegadyn woman beside her laughed. "I mean really, she can't be a worse cook than us!""Hey now, you can grill a mean fish," the miqo'te retorted with a grin."Why thank you," the roegadyn bowed with a flourish. The two burst out in a fit of laughter together before continuing towards the marketplace."Oh this will be too easy," Kona thought with relief. She watched them for a few stalls to identify where they were keeping their coins, and once they were leaving the market, she made her approach. She slowly snuck up behind the roegadyn, reached out her hand, and-SLAP!Kona was sent tumbling back, having been struck in the face by something cold and wet."Hands off my captain!" The miqo'te bristled, holding a large fish in her hands like a bat."Did you just hit me with a fish!?" Kona exclaimed in disbelief, rubbing the sore spot on her cheek."You bet your ass I did! Don't think I didn't notice you following us through the market, what do you want?" The miqo'te hissed, her tail puffed up and lashing angrily from side to side.The roegadyn, meanwhile, offered Kona a much less antagonistic hand to help her up, which she accepted. "Don't mind Convoy, she's a little overprotective. Why were you trying to steal from us?" she asked."I need the money," Kona answered, looking away. She couldn't believe she had gotten caught by such oblivious looking people."But why us? We barely have any coins in the local currency, surely there were better targets?""Maybe she's a known thief around these parts," Convoy offered. "Back when I was a pickpocket, I'd target outsiders too 'cause they'd be less likely to notice me and be on guard," she laughed.Kona was surprised, but gladly took the explanation offered. "... Yeah, that's right." she replied, keeping her answers short as Convoy started to circle her."Hey wait a minute, you're one of those rare lion girls we heard about, aren't ya?" She asked. Kona tensed, her guard immediately raised."Be careful out there," Kass spoke up. "We heard that one of you got kidnapped from an area around here a few years ago.""Wha- how did you hear about that?" The words slipped out before Kona could stop them, and she clapped her hands over her mouth, fear written all over her face. Hopefully she hadn't said too much, or her family could be in danger if the pirate found out. She was sure he had people watching her. The two teenagers in front of her exchanged glances before Kass stepped up."Hey, if you need help, just let me know and I'll beat whoever it is up for you," she said, punching her open palm.Kona frantically shook her head. "I-I'm fine, I have to go," she excused herself before running off. Kass frowned as the hrothgar disappeared into the town."Somethin's fishy," Convoy said after a moment."Yeah, there's more to this story, nothing's adding up," Kass agreed.---Kona ducked into an alley and collapsed against a wall, breathing frantically. How did those foreigners know about her? Had word spread so far over the past four years? Had she said too much? Did they know it was her? What was going to happen to her now? To her family? Her lungs felt like they were tightening with every erratic breath and the world around her felt like it was starting to spin. She had to run away, she had to get out. She couldn't stay here. She shakily stood up to leave when a pair of figures blocked her only way out of the alley."And where do ya think yer goin', lass?" One of the men sneered. Oh gods, they had been following her. Those were some of the captain's crew, and they were not known to take mercy on runaways."Better think twice about runnin' away or the cap'n'll wanna have a word with ya," the other man laughed, unsheathing a dagger. Kona fearfully took a step back, her back running into the wall behind her. Shit.One of the men took a menacing step forward, then collapsed to the ground. "What the-" the other began before also crumpling. Behind them stood the two girls Kona had tried to rob earlier."Are you okay?" Kass asked, a huge axe slung over her shoulder."I knew somethin' was fishy!" Convoy proclaimed, sheathing her twin daggers."I-I'm... How did you..." Kona was trembling, at a loss for words. After a moment, she slumped back to a seated position on the floor."Convoy, make sure these two don't wake up while we're talking," Kass instructed before sitting down beside Kona. "We're pretty strong, you know," she smiled softly. "Will you tell us what's really going on now? We can help, I promise."Kona shakily nodded and spent a few minutes steadying her breath before beginning. "As you've probably pieced together by now, that Xbr'aal girl you heard about was me. The man who took me calls himself a collector of exotic species," she said bitterly. "I'm not the only one he's taken, far from it.""But wasn't that several years ago? What're ya doing back here then?" Convoy asked from her position sat atop one of the unconscious pirates, her legs crossed."It's a threat, some new twisted way to keep me under his thumb," Kona replied. "Said if I tell anyone or they recognize me, he'll hurt my family."Kass frowned. "And the money?""Supposedly, I'm paying my way to freedom. Who knows if he's even going to honor our agreement though," Kona mumbled, pulling her knees closer to her body."Want us to beat him up for ya?" Convoy asked."We could make sure he never messes with you, or anyone, ever again," Kass offered."But how? You two seem like you're around my age, and I'm powerless against him.""Well we beat up these two blokes, didn't we?" the miqo'te replied, nudging the other unconscious man's head with the heel of her boot."If we take care of him here, you'd be free to go back home," Kass said gently."But it doesn't sound like you'd be killing him... What's stopping him or his lackeys from continuing their behavior after they wake up? Couldn't they wake up even angrier and try and get revenge?""I mean.... we could kill 'im, seems like the rat bastard deserves it," Convoy smirked."Convoy, I don't want blood on my hands," Kass chided."Maybe you don't, but nobody ever said you had to be the one to deal the finishing blow, eh?" Kass squirmed a bit, still seeming uncomfortable with the idea."Look, I appreciate that you two are trying to help, but it's better to leave me alone. I don't want things getting even worse than they already are... I've already said too much as is." Kona said sadly.Kass stood up and brushed herself off. "Convoy, you know what we've gotta do, yeah?""Yup, let's go." the catgirl replied, hopping to her feet."What are you-" Kona protested."We'll be back! Just gotta take care of some small things first," Kass answered."We'll try not to leave you waiting too long!" Convoy added before the two left the alley.Kona felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. "What have I done..." she muttered before leaving herself.---"Alright, the food's put away and Xena's on standby in case things go badly and we need to flee... anything else?" Kass asked, standing on the deck of her ship with Convoy and Xena."Nope, that's everything!" Convoy replied.Kass nodded before turning to Xena. "Remember, if Skipper comes find you, that means we ran into trouble and need to leave ASAP," she said, her blue-footed booby croaking in agreement from her shoulder.Xena nodded. "I still think this is a bad idea... Why do you need to get into a fight with this guy so badly anyways? Why not just leave peacefully?""I don't think it's our place to say, unfortunately," Kass replied. Xena looked to Convoy, already knowing the miqo'te was notoriously more prone to spilling secrets."Hey don't look at me!" Convoy retorted, almost offended. "If Kass says it's a secret then it's gotta be a secret."Xena sighed. "Fine... But we don't have a doctor yet, so please try not to get too hurt?""Nah, we'll be fine! It's the other guy you should be worried about," Convoy said with a feral grin.Somehow, Xena doubted that, but she knew there was nothing she could do to stop them. She waved them goodbye from the deck as they walked back to the village, a feeling of dread building in her stomach. She looked around to the other ships docked at the port. For such a small fishing village, it sure was odd to have two large ships docked here... She could only hope that had nothing to do with them and that everything would be okay.---

"Alright, where is he?" Kass asked Kona once they tracked her down again."You can't be serious... You're actually planning to fight the captain?" Kona asked, dumbfounded."Of course!" Convoy replied."It's the right thing to do," Kass added."There she is!" A gruff voice shouted. The two men they had knocked out earlier had woken up, it seems, and they had brought their captain with them."Oh, that's convenient! They brought 'im to us, Kass!" Convoy laughed.Kass smirked and drew her axe. "If you want her, you'll have to get through us first!"The captain doubled over in laughter. "Aww, my little kitty found some other kids to fight her battles for her?" he sneered mockingly before drawing his own weapon.Kass lunged at him, swinging her axe down with a roar. He deftly stepped to the side, sticking out his foot to trip her as she stumbled by."Hey, that's dirty!" Convoy cried, swiping at him with her daggers."You expected a pirate to fight fairly?" The captain laughed. "You're fighting two on one yourselves, that's hardly fair!" He exclaimed as he parried Convoy's attack, countering with a well-laid elbow to her side. She hissed as the attack landed squarely on her ribs.Kass turned and swung at him again, this time landing her attack as he was distracted with Convoy. The battle dragged on for what felt like an eternity as both sides beat each other bloody. Slowly though, it became clear that the more experienced pirate had the upper hand. Kona covered her eyes, she couldn't watch this. Those two were getting hurt on her behalf and she couldn't even do anything about it. She was such a-Her thoughts were interrupted as someone grabbed her wrist. "Run!" Kass shouted, pulling Kona with her. "We can't win this fight, but you can come with us!" She was shocked that Kass and Convoy were even able to run given the state they were in. Too shocked and confused to make sense of the situation, she merely nodded and ran with the two girls. "Skipper, tell Xena to get us ready to leave, NOW!" Kass ordered as a shorebird flew away ahead of them. The pirates shouted angrily and gave chase behind them, putting Kona's nerves even more on edge.The three girls ran down to the docks, leaving a trail of blood behind them. "Get on!" A voice called from the deck of a large ship as they approached. Kona stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the black flag waving from the mast."You're pirates!?" She exclaimed, furious."Not like them, now get on!!" Convoy shouted, shoving her onto the gangplank to get her on the ship faster."Oh what did you two- You can trust them!" A Xbr'aal woman interrupted herself as she called from the deck of the ship, offering a hand to Kona. Weighing her options in a split second, Kona took her hand. The black-furred hrothgar woman swung Kona to the deck as Convoy kicked the gangplank off the edge of the ship and Kass got the ship moving out to the open ocean. The sounds of the angry pirates faded into the distance as their ship sailed away, replaced by the sound of waves lapping against the side of the ship."We're going to need a new gangplank now, Convoy," Kass panted, her expression a mix between exhaustion and exhilaration."Yeah well, it was that or have them follow us on deck," the miqo'te replied."Oh no, you did a good job, don't get me wrong. But now it's your job to replace it," Kass laughed."Just what did you two get yourselves into?" Xena scolded as she came out from the cabin with some first aid supplies. "I told you to be careful, and now look at you."Kona, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. "I'm so fucked," she laughed, her voice shaky. "It's all over, they're going to kill my family and for what? I've gone from one set of pirates to another," she squeaked, breaking down in tears."Actually..." Kass started. "Convoy and I did some inquiring around the village, and there are no Xbr'aal living there anymore." Kona looked up in shock."Yeah, seems your family left to go look for you and they haven't been back to the island since," Convoy added."Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?" Xena asked, frustrated."What, then... It was all empty threats...?" Kona asked, sounding broken."Fear's a great way to control someone," Convoy replied, cleaning off her wounds with a wet rag Xena handed her.Kass turned to Xena. "This is... uh..." she paused, realizing she'd never actually gotten the white-furred hrothgar's name."Kona," she provided."Right, this is Kona, and she'll be joining us until she can figure out what she wants to do," Kass explained. "We helped her run away from a bad situation, and now she's with us!""... What's another Xbr'aal woman doing on this ship?" Kona asked quietly. "Are they holding you captive here?"Xena laughed and sat down next to her. "No, I'm here of my own free will. I'm this crew's navigator, and I'm going to map the world with them," she smiled, putting her hand on Kona's to comfort her. Convoy nudged Kass, and the two went below deck to clean up and give the hrothgars some privacy."... How many others are there on this ship?"Xena chuckled. "It's just the three... four of us now." Kona looked up in surprise. "I know, with a ship this large you'd expect much more, right?" Kona nodded, and Xena looked out to the sea. "I've only been with them for a fortnight, and they may seem ill-equipped to be here... And they are, don't get me wrong, but... Something tells me we can trust them." She smiled. "I know you must be scared and confused right now, but give them a chance. Stay with us for a while, and I'm sure we'll be able to help you with whatever is haunting you.""I'm not so sure about that, but... Alright, I'll travel with you all for now." Kona nodded with a small smile.---Character ages: Kass (19), Convoy (17), Xena (21), Kona (18)

Vivienne's Intro Story

"Vivienne, I heard about something that may interest you," the proprietor of the Forgotten Knight said as he opened the door to the inn's kitchen.A white-haired elezen with cataract-covered eyes turned to him, wiping her hands on a hand towel. "Oh? What is it, Gibrillont?""There's going to be a cooking competition called the Dellemont d'Or in Limsa Lominsa soon," he began, waving a flyer in his hand. "I want to enter the Forgotten Knight, and I can't think of a better person to represent us." Gibrillont finished with a wide grin.
"Oh no, I could never," Vivienne replied, bashfully shaking her head."Why not? I think you'd stand a good chance of winning," the one-legged elezen replied."But I can't just leave you and your establishment without a chef!""Bah, I've had other chefs before and no one ever complained then! Besides, our clientele is too deep in their glasses to even notice should the food change, I would wager," Gibrillont laughed.Vivienne began pacing in a small circle, deep in thought. "... the truth is, I'm rather afraid to leave Ishgard by myself. I know this city well, but going somewhere unfamiliar is a frightening prospect," she finally uttered, fidgeting with the edge of her apron."Who said anything about going alone? If you decide you want to participate, I plan to go with you!" the older elezen replied. When Vivienne looked up in surprise, he continued: "I was thinking how I could really use a vacation. Bamponcet and Adaillie can hold down the fort while we're gone, don't you think?"Vivienne smiled. "Yes, I suppose you're right."---Gibrillont offered his hand to Vivienne after he stepped off the airship. "Watch your step here, it's more of a drop than you might expect" he guided as she also stepped off the gently swaying vessel, one hand touching her red-tinted spectacles to her face so they would not fall."I think I could never ride an airship again and die happy," Vivienne stated, a haggard expression on her face.Gibrillont laughed. "Save that for after we've returned home, my friend. Shall we go find accommodations before we go register you for the competition?"Vivienne nodded, and Gibrillont handed her her bag before picking up his own, then offered his free arm to her. After inquiring around, the pair was directed to the Drowning Wench, Limsa Lominsa's premier tavern and inn."Welcome to the Drowning Wench! Name's Baderon, what can I do for ya?" the proprietor asked."We would like to get some lodging for the week," Gibrillont stated."Aye, I can do that. Would that be one room or two?""Vivienne, what would you prefer?" The older elezen deferred to his companion."One room please, but with two beds," she replied. Baderon nodded, scrawling down their reservation in the ledger in front of him before grabbing a set of keys from the wall behind him."Right then, I'll just need one of ya to sign here and make a small deposit, then you'll be all set," he said, placing a paper and a quill on the counter that separated them. Gibrillont signed and got some gold from his coinpurse, handing it to the proprietor in exchange for the keys. "Our innkeep over there can show you to your room, the number is on the keys," Baderon said, motioning to a man stationed at a counter to the right.Once they arrived at their room, Gibrillont took their bags and set them in the closet before offering a hand to Vivienne to guide her around the space."Do you have a preference on which bed you'd like?" He asked as his companion mapped out the space in her mind at the conclusion of the tour."The one closer to the door, please," she replied. Gibrillont guided her to the bed, where she sat down and then flopped back on the bed, exhausted from their travels. "Thank you, truly," she said after a moment. "I know it must be taxing to travel with someone such as myself and having to describe every little thing.""Nonsense, my dear," her companion said, sitting on the other bed and taking off his prosthetic leg. "It is I who should be thanking you for being willing to walk slowly alongside me," he laughed. "Would you like to rest a while before we locate the Culinarians' Guild?""More than anything," Vivienne replied, closing her eyes and sinking into the bed.---After resting a while, the pair went to find the Culinarians' Guild to sign up for the contest. Once all that was in order, they decided to have dinner at the attached restaurant, the Bismarck. The menu was full of items that Vivienne had never even heard of before, and she delighted in trying the new flavors and cuisines."Do you have any ideas what you would like to make for the contest?" Gibrillont asked as they ate their meal."Well it's to be a three-course meal with a meat dish as the main course, so I was thinking of making our menu's special. The theme is hospitality, so what would be a better fit than many people's first meal in Ishgard?" Vivienne replied."Oh now there's an idea! You do make a delicious meat stew, I've never had anything better for fending off the cold," her companion smiled warmly."I just need to figure out what to do for the other two courses. I don't expect to win, but I still wish to impress, you know?""Don't sell yourself short, dear." The former knight stated. "Dellemont is Ishgardian himself, so I suspect your dish would give him quite the welcome taste of home!" Although she had heard murmurs that the contest's namesake judge was notoriously hard to impress, Vivienne supposed her companion had a point."I suppose we shall see, then," she smiled, raising her glass for a toast. "To the contest?""To the contest," Gibrillont replied, clinking his glass to hers.---Vivienne huffed in frustration. It was the day before the competition and they had been at the markets for nigh upon two hours now, but she had scarcely found any of the ingredients she needed."I know we are not in Ishgard, but this is supposed to be a world-renowned trading hub! Why is it so hard to find traditional Ishgardian ingredients?" She vented to her friend."Our nation is not to keen to trade with foreigners, I for one am not terribly surprised," Gibrillont replied.Before he could continue his train of thought, a red-haired blur tumbled into the pair from behind, knocking Vivienne down and causing her glasses to fall from her face. She frantically began feeling the ground for the spectacles, hoping to find them as quickly as possible."Watch where you're going!" Gibrillont scolded angrily as a red-haired miqo'te regained her footing and continued sprinting down the Hawker's Alley."Sorry 'bout that," a female roegadyn with white hair remarked as she came up behind the pair, picking up Vivienne's glasses from the ground and holding them out in front of her. "Are you alright?"The elezen looked up at the voice in front of her, surprised when no gasp followed upon seeing her eyes. Instead, the woman simply touched the glasses directly to Vivienne's hand, allowing her to quickly put them back on and stand up. "I suppose I am fine, thank you," Vivienne replied."Convoy doesn't always pay attention to her surroundings when she's in a hurry, so I hope we didn't cause you too much trouble," the roegadyn chuckled awkwardly."It must have been important if she barreled into stationary passersby," Gibrillont grumbled, dusting himself off."Yup, very important. I should get going and find her to keep her out of more trouble, I hope you two have a lovely rest of your day!" The young woman hurriedly excused herself. While shopping for supplies from Xena's list was important, turning it into a race... was not.---The day of the competition soon arrived, and the Culinarians' Guild was abuzz with activity. Contestants from all over the world had gathered to try and impress the world-famous Dellemont with their cooking, drawing in a large crowd of spectators to the event. A panel of judges was in charge of determining the winner, but they could only eat so much and so whatever was leftover from the dishes after their tastings went to the audience, drawing many people to the contest to try and get a taste of gourmet dishes they could only dream of affording. A certain pirate crew, however, was gathered there for a different reason."I mean really, how lucky are we that there'd be a cooking competition right when we're in town? It's like the world is just asking us to find a chef for our crew here!" The captain exclaimed excitedly."And what makes you so sure you'll find someone willing to drop everything to join us?" The navigator asked, crossing her arms."Come on Xena, it's already taking place in a city of pirates-""Privateers," the dark-furred hrothgar corrected."They're basically pirates," a red-haired miqo'te scoffed."Regardless of what they are, there's also... what, 40-something contestants? You can't tell me none of them would be interested in joining us.""It needs to be someone we can trust," the final crew member, a white-furred hrothgar, piped up. "It can't be some arbitrary man who would be more than happy to join a ship full of women.""Aaaand the pool of candidates narrows considerably," Xena scoffed. "But I agree, and that's why I don't think you'll be able to find anyone, Kass. It's far too unlikely the perfect crew member just happens to be participating.""Actually..." the roegadyn started, spotting a surprisingly familiar head of white hair in the crowd, "I might already have my eye on someone."---

Vivienne and Gibrillont finished setting up their workstation at the event, all of the spices Vivienne had brought in her suitcase lined up on the table. She had made sure that they were all in the same order she was used to from her kitchen at the Forgotten Knight, and she could only hope the authentic seasonings would be enough to draw out the flavors of home from the ingredients she had to substitute."You're going to do great, friend," Gibrillont said gently, noticing his companion's growing anxiety as the start time drew near. "If you need anything, I'll be in the audience nearby."Vivienne nodded, too nervous for words. As a finishing touch, Gibrillont placed a nameplate at the head of the table, matching the other contestants. "Representing the Forgotten Knight in Ishgard, Vivienne Myste," it read.The elezen woman took a deep breath to steady herself. "This is just like cooking back home, just... fancier and with an audience" she thought, praying to Halone that she wouldn't make a fool of herself in front of the crowd.When the alarm sounded to mark the start of the contest, a frenzy erupted as all the chefs began scrambling to start their dishes. Vivienne, meanwhile, kept her movements slow and deliberate, always making sure she was grabbing the correct items from the table in front of her. "Circle lid... salt. Diamond lid... cloves" she thought to herself as she felt the lids of each of the seasonings she had brought from home. While she recognized them in other ways as well, over the years she had determined that each container having a different shape carved into its lid was the fastest way for her to distinguish them from one another, and it had the added bonus of ensuring she wouldn't use the wrong thing if the order of the bottles was changed without her knowledge.As she worked with her familiar tools and got comfortable with where everything was, she slowly began to relax, her nerves giving way to the enjoyment of making a hearty meal. She began to quietly hum to herself as she worked, carrying herself with an elegance that was not found in many of the other contestants.An hour later, the alarm sounded once more, marking the end of the contest. One by one, the contestants presented their dishes to Dellemont and the selection of other judges. Only the highest-scoring contestant stood at the front, getting replaced each time someone scored better than them. In the end, a representative from the Culinarians' Guild won the contest, receiving the first-ever score of 10 in the contest's history. Vivienne received an 8, which she was rather proud of for being a first-time contestant."Congratulations!" Her friend called as he approached her station to help her clean up. "I knew you would do well!""You thought I would win the whole thing," she retorted, amused.Gibrillont coughed, embarrassed that she remembered their conversation from weeks ago. "Well yes, but an 8 is still a very solid placement," he deflected."Still, this was an incredible experience, thank you for encouraging me to participate," Vivienne said, putting the last spice bottle back in her bag. "Everyone made such delicious food, I've never smelled so many different cuisines in one place before!" She remarked. "It almost makes me want to learn all of their recipes and make them for myself," she said, closing her eyes wistfully."So why don't you?" A somewhat familiar voice asked as one... two... four sets of footsteps approached the table. "Pardon the interruption, but I wanted to have Convoy come apologize to you directly and I couldn't help but overhear." Ah, so this was the roegadyn woman from the marketplace yesterday."I'm real sorry I knocked ya over, miss" another voice spoke. There was a twinge of insincerity in her voice that caused Vivienne to chuckle a bit in amusement, only imagining what the scene before her could look like."It's quite alright, no one was hurt after all. With regards to your question," Vivienne regarded the roegadyn. "I work at an inn in the city of Ishgard, and I love the work I do. I'm not going to abandon my job just to wander around aimlessly and ask people to teach me their dishes.""I have a counter offer, if you'd hear me out," the roegadyn proposed, an impish smile in her voice as her navigator stifled an 'I told you so'. "I'm currently looking for a chef to join my crew. We're a group of seafarers who travel all over the world, and I would be delighted to have you on board! If you came with us, I bet you'd get to see people from a ton of different cultures and learn from them directly! Heck, we already have members from La Noscea and Tural, not that any of us cook nearly as well as you," she laughed.Vivienne's eyebrows rose in surprise. They were offering her to be a chef aboard a ship?"You must not have noticed earlier, but I am blind. A ship would be a terrible idea since the waves would toss everything about in a kitchen." She said."I did notice, and that doesn't matter a lick to me. You still cook far better than any of us do," the captain retorted."A ship would be all the more ideal in that case," spoke a new voice with a heavy accent Vivienne could not place. "since everything needs to be bolted down for precisely that reason. Unless someone purposefully moves something, everything would always be in the same places. I have to admit, it's been quite nice actually," the voice laughed."Xena's been in charge of food for us since we picked her up, I'm sure she'd be happy to teach you some Turali recipes she knows!" the captain explained."But..." Vivienne struggled to think of a good reason to keep turning them down. It really did sound like an incredible opportunity for her, but she did not want to abandon Gibrillont after everything he had done for her."If you want to go with them, go," her companion said with a smile. "I'll be okay, I promise.""Should we mention that we're pirates?" A fourth voice whispered to the captain, though it did not escape Vivienne's sharp elezen ears. "It's kinda important...""You're pirates?" Vivienne asked. The crew froze."Shh, keep it down, Limsa is tryin' to say it's pirate free these days, so it doesn't take kindly to our sort," Convoy said in a hushed tone."We focus more on exploration than anything else pirates have a bad reputation for," Xena offered. "I joined because I want to chart the world, for example.""They rescued me from a really bad situation and it's been a super fun four years since then," the fourth voice said with a grin. "Believe me, I hate pirates as much as the next person, but this lot is different!""Is it going to be a dealbreaker for you?" The captain asked. "All it really means for us is that our allegiance is to the crew rather than any country, so we have the freedom to go wherever we want and do as we please.""That said, we will be staying in Limsa for a while since Kass needs to wrap up some adventuring business to rebuild our coffers," Xena added."This is... a lot to take in. May I have some time to make a decision?" Vivienne asked."Of course, I don't want to force you to decide on the spot," the captain answered."We can meet you at the end our stay here, in two days at the Drowning Wench," Gibrillont said. "Does that work for you, Vivienne?" The younger elezen nodded."Perfect! We'll meet you there then," the captain said, excited to not have gotten a flat-out refusal."Could I get your name?" Vivienne asked before they parted ways."Oh! How rude of me, I'm Kass, and this is Convoy, Xena, and Kona. We're Llymlaen's Lost!" the roegadyn said with a grin.---"I just don't know what to do, Gibrillont," Vivienne said as she paced their inn room."Why not go with them?" He asked gently, sitting on his bed and watching her pace."They're pirates! Even I know how cutthroat and ruthless pirates are, and I didn't even grow up near water!""That particular crew didn't seem so cutthroat or ruthless to me," he reasoned."Gibrillont, are you trying to push me away?" Vivienne whipped around to face him, hurt written all over her face."Of course not, my dear friend. It's just... I'm a crippled former soldier in his forties, so I've no better place to call home than our Ishgard. But you? You're young, not even 30 yet, and you've got a group of people who seem excited to have you asking if you'd like to travel the world with them. There's nothing stopping you except fear of the unknown," he said tenderly. "And pardon me if this is overstepping, but... it's not often that someone of your birth would get a chance like this in Ishgard."Vivienne walked over and sat on her bed with a big sigh. "I know you're right, it's just... Ishgard is all I've ever known until this week. It's too sudden, how could I just leave everything I've ever known?""Don't think of it as leaving everything behind, think of it as starting a new chapter of your life. Their navigator said she wants to chart the world, so surely that means you would get to meet all sorts of people and learn about their foods. You were so excited about that at the contest earlier, weren't you?""I mean, yes, but... I don't want to leave you! You changed my life for the better when you took me in all those years ago, and I feel like I haven't repaid that kindness yet."Gibrillont smiled. "The beauty of true kindness is that it does not need repayment. Besides, I think taking you in was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Not only did the Forgotten Knight gain a wonderful new chef, but I also gained a dear friend. I was in a dark place back then, you know. I had no purpose, and every day was just a tedious cycle of waking up, serving ale, and then going to sleep again. Helping you find your feet gave me a sense of purpose, and I am truly glad to have seen you flourish into such a bright young woman. But I would never want to hold you back from growing even further and doing what you love. Ishgard only has so many opportunities for you, and I think you and I both know that."After a few minutes of silence, he spoke again: "You're upset right now, and that's understandable. If you truly wish to go back to Ishgard with me, that is completely up to you. Just... promise me that you will think about it, okay? Make sure it's what you truly want, not just what is most familiar and comfortable to you. I would hate to see you regret not taking this opportunity if you do return to Ishgard." Vivienne grumbled some sort of agreement before getting up to get ready for bed. Some sleep would do her good, she thought.---Two days later, the pair anxiously awaited the pirates at the Drowning Wench. After much deliberation, Vivienne had decided she would join them after all. As much as she hated to admit it, Gibrillont was right. She would always be wondering 'what if' if she let this opportunity go."What if they don't show up?" Vivienne asked."Then we'll go back to the Forgotten Knight together and laugh about the time we met pirates," her companion replied.Vivienne gave a small smile, and the pair continued to wait. Half an hour went by, then an hour... As the time passed, she got more and more nervous. Had it all been for naught? All of her deliberating on this decision and it wasn't even a real offer?After a short while longer of waiting, three sets of footsteps approached."We apologize for the wait, we thought our captain would be back by now," said Xena. "We had been waiting for her so we could all come as a group, but it felt rude to keep you waiting.""Come back? Where did she go?" Vivienne asked, confused. "Is she okay?""Oh she's fine alright, she got sent off on an airship to Ul'dah or whatever to deliver a letter, how stupid is that!?" Convoy huffed, her tail swishing back and forth."Convoy's upset because she wasn't allowed to accompany her lover," Kona laughed."It's not funny!" Convoy protested, ears flattening against her head. "I just think it's stupid that the Admiral is sendin' her on errands like that when she should be out on the seas with us!""If it's a request from the Admiral, it probably pays quite well. One little letter delivery in exchange for weeks to months of the crew being funded, doesn't that sound fair?" Xena asked, causing Convoy to grumble."I... am so... sorry!" Kass' voice called out as she approached, out of breath from running. "They had me go straight to Gridania after and I didn't have the chance to say I had other commitments," Kass explained to her crew. "Were you waiting long, Vivienne?""Just long enough to get nervous, but my worries have been allayed thanks to your crew," the elezen replied.Kass sighed in relief. "So, have you decided then? Would you like to come with us and be our chef?"Vivienne nodded with a smile. "Very much so, if you'll still have me." At her reply, the crew cheered."I leave her in your hands, then," Gibrillont told the pirates. "Should you ever find yourself in Ishgard again, you know where to find me," he told Vivienne."Can I get a parting hug?" the younger elezen asked, opening her arms."Of course, my dear friend," her companion acquiesced, pulling her in for a deep hug."I will miss you, thank you again for everything," she said to him, trying not to cry.After saying their goodbyes, everyone parted ways. Gibrillont headed to the airship terminal to return to Ishgard while Vivienne and the crew went down to Fisherman's Bottom, where their ship was docked."... And if anyone gives you trouble, you let me know right away," Kass told Vivienne after finishing the tour. It wasn't as thorough as Gibrillont's explanations, but Vivienne appreciated the effort. "That goes especially for Convoy. She's a bit rough around the edges and likes to push people's buttons, so if she bothers you, please tell me and I'll talk to her. Just because we're old friends doesn't mean she gets special treatment," Kass laughed. Vivienne nodded. This would be the beginning of a new chapter, and who knew what it had in store for her?---Character ages: Kass (23), Convoy (21), Xena (25), Kona (22), Vivienne (27)
Gibrillont (41)

Calypso's Intro Story

"Captain, we have a problem!" a dark-furred hrothgar woman called out from behind the helm of the ship."What kind of problem are we talking?" A roegadyn woman, presumably the captain, asked."A few, actually. For one, the fog's getting thicker and thicker and it's making it difficult to figure out where we are. The bigger problem though-" she grunted as the ship's wheel lurched against her grasp. "Is that the ship seems to have developed a mind of its own about where we should go.""Captain, there's weird shapes in the waters beneath us!" A white-furred hrothgar woman shouted from the crow's nest.An uneasiness settled over the crew as the fog thickened, jagged pieces of shipwrecks piercing the sky as they came into view through the mist. Suddenly, several sea monsters jumped onto the deck. "Convoy, Xena, Vivienne, with me!" The captain called out, rallying her crew. "Stay close. I don't know what those are, but if we can hit them then we can beat them. Kona, you stay back and try to keep the ship steady as best as you can!" She barked, drawing her axe and charging at the monsters. The white-furred hrothgar nodded, swinging down to the deck to take her companion's place at the helm.A miqo'te bearing twin daggers charged into the fray a moment later, slicing into the jellyfish-like creatures with ease. "There's one about two fulms to my right, Viv!" She shouted. A moment later, a bolt of magic flew past her and hit the sea monster squarely in the center, causing it to burst and disintegrate. "Ey, nice shot!" The catgirl grinned."Thanks to your directions," an elezen woman replied, rapier and arcane focus at the ready. "How are you doing on health, Kass?" She asked, shouting over the sounds of battle.The roegadyn let out a roar as she did an attack all around her, hitting several enemies and restoring her health as her axe absorbed their lifeforce. "Good for now!" she replied as more sea monsters hopped up on deck."Just how many of these things are there!?" The catgirl shouted as a bullet whizzed past her ear, exploding a sea monster that had been about to attack her."Less talking, more fighting please!" The dark-furred hrothgar shouted, smoke coming from her pistol as she stood near the helm."You almost shot me!!" the miqo'te bristled, slashing at another sea monster beside her."But I didn't," the hrothgar replied, firing off several more shots in rapid succession.After a few minutes of fighting, the ship rammed into a rock ahead of it, sending all the women tumbling forward as they lost their footing."Everyone alright!?" Kass called out, grabbing onto a nearby rope for balance."Looks like we hit land!" The white-furred hrothgar called from the helm."No shit, really?" The miqo'te shouted back, shrinking back after receiving a withering glare from Kass."The four of us will go ashore and investigate. Kona, keep the ship safe. I'm leaving Karoo behind with you, he can help you if you need to fight," Kass said, summoning her chocobo companion. Kona nodded, greeting the giant bird as he appeared.The party of pirates went ashore, sticking close to each other as they advanced through the rocky passageway. Shipwrecks lined the path, lending the place an ominous feeling."I hope Carvallain and the Scions are faring better than this," Kass remarked as more sea creatures jumped out of the sea to try and stop their advance."Don't you think it's strange that all these shipwrecks are pirate ships?" The crew's sharpshooter asked, firing off several shots at the monsters. Sure enough, none of the flags on any of the ships bore any nation's colors, all of them instead bearing a black flag like theirs."Maybe pirate flags are just made of stronger stuff," the miqo'te laughed, cutting down another sea creature. "Won't disintegrate as quickly, so that's all that's left to see!""If only all of us could be so optimistic," the hrothgar replied, shaking her head.The small group fought their way through a gauntlet of sea monsters, haunted spirits, and undead sailors before at last arriving at the ghost of a siren at the end. After defeating the spectre in the white dress, the crew stood together, backs to each other, wary of any more threats."Is it over?" The miqo'te panted, her eyes darting around warily. Slow clapping emanated from the darkness, answering her question as a lone figure stepped out from the shadows."Well done, you lot are no ordinary pirates to have made it this far," the figure remarked. She was like no one they had ever seen: a dark-skinned woman not much taller than Convoy, with webbed hands, a delicate fish tail, and fins where her ears should be. Pearlescent scales decorated their wet skin, their colors shifting as the figure moved closer. Haunting eyes gazed out at the crew, framed by pink locs cascading down her face. Serrated teeth could be seen peeking out from her lips as they spoke: "I have been watching you, and you are certainly... interesting."Recalling the name of the sea they had been crossing, the hrothgar spoke: "... Are you a siren?"The figure nodded. "The very same.""Did you send all those sea monsters and ghouls to attack us?" The miqo'te asked, still on guard."Perhaps," the figure drawled as they slowly approached the crew. "You can put away your weapons, I have no intention of hurting you." The figure said as she slowly pushed down on the tallest woman's rapier, pointing it towards the ground. She watched as everyone's eyes followed her, transfixed by her ethereal appearance. Everyone, that is, except the woman whose blade she had redirected. Vivienne, was it? Although her head was tracking the siren's movements as she spoke, her eyes were looking straight ahead at nothing. A complication.As if hypnotized, the three other women silently sheathed their weapons. Vivienne frowned. "Whatever you are doing to my friends, I would ask that you please stop." she said, resuming her battle stance."And why would you assume I'm doing anything to them?" the siren asked sweetly, the jewelry draped around her waist jingling with every step she took as she circled the crew."Convoy would never put away her weapons just because you asked her to," the elezen replied. Tch, so she wasn't merely blind, but also clever. No matter, they would simply have to change tactics. The siren began humming, slowing her steps to match the beat of her song. The haunting melody filled the space, its sounds echoing throughout the cavern, and in the end the elezen too put her weapon away despite her best attempts to fight the siren's spell.---"Oh thank goodness you guys are back!" Kona exclaimed as her friends returned to the ship. She ran to greet them, but paused as she got closer. Something was wrong. All four of them were silent, merely walking forward as if controlled by something. This was bad, really bad. Karoo's summon time had expired, so it was just her and the captain's blue-footed booby left on the ship, and neither of them could fight. She stepped back warily, bumping into something, or someone behind her before she blacked out.When the crew came to, they were tied to the mast of their ship."What... happened...?" Convoy asked groggily as her eyes readjusted to the scene before her."We were ensnared by the siren's song," Vivienne replied matter-of-factly."What's going to happen to us now?" Kona asked fearfully."You're going to answer my questions, and I'll decide what to do with you after." A voice spoke from in front of them. The siren stood in front of them, towering over their seated figures. "Have you ever come across a hyurian pirate with a large scar over his left eye?""That could be anyone, got any specifics?" Convoy asked, her ears flattening against her head in annoyance."He calls himself a collector," the siren stated.Kona's blood ran cold. That had to be him.Seeing the barely-contained look of horror that crossed Kona's face and the glance of recognition exchanged by the captain and her first mate, the siren smiled. "That's a yes then. Where is he," they snarled, venom dripping from their voice."I don't know, it's been eight years since we crossed paths," Kass replied."Was this a... friendly meeting?" the siren's eyes narrowed."Far from it," Convoy scoffed."We fought, and... I lost." Kass admitted, causing a look of surprise to sweep across Vivienne's face. Vivienne had only seen Kass lose a head-to-head battle once since she joined the crew, and that was against the monster who was the crown prince of Garlemald. Xena, meanwhile, seemed deep in thought as pieces fell into place in her mind."Did... did he hurt you too?" Kona finally asked, her voice trembling as a flood of memories she had tried to suppress washed over her. The siren nodded."Bastard made off with my younger sibling," she snarled. "I've been hunting down every pirate ship that sails through here for the past two years trying to catch him, but you lot are the first ones to even have heard of him.""He goes all around the world, it would be unlikely that you'd find him in the same place twice," Kona replied.The siren's eyes narrowed. "And why are you so familiar with that man's movements, hm?""That's none of your business," Kass snapped. "Kona, you don't have to say any more if you don't want to." Kona shakily nodded, falling silent as she tried to steady her breathing. Xena put a hand over hers, the most comfort she could offer while they were tied up like this."If you're enemies with him, why won't you answer me?" the siren growled, baring her teeth."Come with us then, if you want to find him so badly," Kass said, refusing to answer the siren's question. Her crew's heads whipped around to look at her in shock."And why would I go with you? You pirates are all the same," the siren spat. "You'll probably turn around and try to sell siren scales for a tidy profit the second I let you go-""No! They're different from him, this crew would never do that to someone!" Kona shouted.Kass cleared her throat. "While it's true we haven't seen his ship in eight years, that doesn't mean I ever stopped looking. We've all grown much stronger since then, too. I fully intend to hunt him down and give that man what he deserves someday," she said darkly."I'll kill him," Kona snarled."I don't leave my battles unfinished, and I certainly won't let anyone go who's hurt my crew." Kass proclaimed, looking the siren dead in the eyes. "So join us, we have the same goals and we'll help you find your sibling. We'd certainly cover more ground than if you stayed in this small portion of the sea," she reasoned.The siren stepped back, evaluating her options. She should just kill them, rid the world of five more pirates as she had been doing for years. But if what they were saying is true... But why would pirates, of all people, tell the truth to their captor? She looked back at the small crew, their eyes settling on the white-furred hrothgar. Although verbal lies were easy to tell, a trauma response like that was much more difficult to fake. It seemed that whatever interaction she had had with that man in the past had left deep scars if she was so affected nearly a decade later. Maybe they were telling the truth after all..."It's your own fault if this decision comes back to bite you," the siren thought as she went back to the pirates and began untying them. "Alright. But one wrong step and it's over," she threatened.Kass rubbed her wrists once they were untied, glad to be free of the tight rope. "What of the other ship that was traveling with us?" she asked."It wasn't flying a black flag, so I left it alone." The siren answered, realizing how stupid of a decision that was as the words left her mouth.Kass sighed in relief. The Scions were safe then, good. "If you're going to be joining my crew, could I have your name?" She asked."Calypso," the siren answered."Welcome to the crew, Calypso. Now could you please help us leave this foggy sea so we can rejoin our companions in Kugane?" Kass asked. Calypso frowned, not liking being ordered around already, but she nevertheless waved away the fog she had made to settle upon the sea, revealing that night had begun to fall while this detour had taken place."Oh perfect," Xena commented, heading into the cabin to grab something. She returned with a star chart and a compass, using the sky to orient herself and direct the crew on how to get back on course."Let me give you a tour," Kass offered with an open hand to Calypso."No need, I can find my own way," Calypso replied coldly, still not trusting the pirates. "We may be traveling together for now, but I will never be one of you," she snarled."We'll see about that," Kass smiled. "You wouldn't be the first to say that, and yet look at us now," she said, looking at Kona who had climbed up the rigging to adjust the sails.---Character ages: Kass (27), Convoy (25), Xena (29), Kona (26), Vivienne (31), Calypso (26)

Zahir's Intro Story

Amidst the ruins of the once great city of Rabanastre, a lone figure stood. A lithe viera man with tanned skin and long white hair looked mournfully at the ruins before him. For as long as he could remember, this city had been his home. He had never gotten to see it in its full splendor before Garlean occupation, but it had been his hope that he could help restore the so-called Desert Sapphire to its former glory someday. Now, however, those hopes were dashed. A mere week ago, the Garleans had razed the city to the ground as retaliation for their most recent rebellion."What a tragedy..." the man muttered, kneeling down and picking up a piece of a shattered mosaic on the ground. Although broken, the vibrant glaze on the tiles hinted at the beauty that had stood here not long before. The viera paused for a moment, deep in thought, before silently tucking a few pieces of the broken mosaic into his bag. Perhaps he could attempt to restore it someday, but if not then at least he could carry a small piece of his homeland with him, wherever he ended up.His mind seemingly made up, he stood up and brushed off the debris and sand that stubbornly clung to his pants. Grabbing his bag, he gingerly picked his way through the ruins of Rabanaste for what seemed like an eternity before arriving at his destination. Where his home had once been, there was now nothing but rubble. He had hoped to be able to recover at least a few of his belongings, but the chances of anything still being intact were looking bleaker by the second. Cursing the Garleans under his breath, he began digging at the rubble, removing what he could in the hopes of recovering at least one or two of his books.Hours later, he let out a cry of triumph as he finally managed to find one of his books in the rubble. It had clearly been through hell, with the covers worn and the pages singed on the edges, but it was still legible and didn't seem like it would fall apart at the slightest touch. He hugged the book to his chest tightly, thanking the heavens that he was able to recover even the smallest part of his home.As luck would have it, this particular book was about Dalmascan history and culture. It had been a gift from one of his friends in the Dalmascan Resistance, as it and many other Dalmascan texts had been outlawed by the Garleans. How lucky he should be that he had found not only a reminder of his homeland, but also of his fallen friend... A gift that brought comfort and grief in equal measure.He considered whether he should keep digging to try and recover more of his belongings, but given how long he had already spent, perhaps it would be better to leave for now and return on another day. After all, few things were worse than nighttime in the desert, and he did not want to risk getting caught unawares in such a harsh environment with nowhere to shelter. Gingerly tucking his precious book into his bag, the viera once more stood up and began making his way towards the entrance of the city, where a great bridge had once stood.As he approached, his steps slowed. Surely he was mistaken, but... was he hearing voices on the wind? While he had been under the impression that he was alone in the city, he supposed he shouldn't be surprised if there were others around to loot the fallen city. Opting for caution, the man ducked behind crumbling walls as he made his way towards the city's entrance. As he neared the city center, he noted the destruction becoming more severe. Perhaps it shouldn't be surprising to see the damage worsen in more populated areas, but some of the damage looked far worse than what he remembered the Garleans being capable of when they attacked the city... His thoughts were quickly interrupted, as what he saw cresting over the horizon as he approached his destination made his blood run cold.Ahead of him was a Garlean airship. A thousand thoughts rushed through his head like a raging river. Why had the Garleans come back? Was razing the city to the ground not enough? Were they searching for survivors? He recalled the Empire's response to the Barheim Incident a few years ago, when they sent a different legion in to hunt down and slaughter any suspected rebels. It was a massacre. He was no fighter, but if that's what they were here to do again, then he had to stand his ground and hope to make it out of another unlikely situation alive. He had escaped the destruction of Rabanastre once, he could do it again. His resolve steeled, the viera unsheathed his ivory dagger and slowed his approach, trying to make as little sound as possible as he entered earshot."Then...your father believes that Rabanastre sits atop the Royal City of Lesalia, capital of Ivalice!"... What?? Many conflicting emotions hit the viera at once. There was a small group of people standing in front of the airship. The miqo'te who had just spoken was addressing a pair of Garlean teenagers and a Roegadyn woman with short white hair. Clearly they were not here to hunt down survivors as he had thought, but more importantly... Did she just say Ivalice was buried beneath Rabanastre!? If that was true, then...He had no time to waste. The Garlean boy said something about beginning an expedition with adventurers, so perhaps he could sneak into said group. All Dalmascans knew the tales of the ancient city of Ivalice. It was long thought to be myth, but the historian in him had always hoped it was true. To hear that the ancient city had been beneath his feet all this time... He simply had to see for himself. Sheathing his dagger, he made his way towards the airship to try and sneak into the expedition.---Now that he was with the group, the viera was suddenly feeling extremely out of place and nervous. All the adventurers around him were bearing weapons and almost seemed to be expecting battle. While he had done his fighting before as a member of the Dalmascan Resistance, his role had always been as more of a field doctor than that of a proper combatant. Suddenly, he was glad he had brought his codex along on his little expedition. Although perhaps that wasn't the right thing to call it anymore, as this trip to the ruined city had quite ballooned in scale. He gingerly paged through the edges of the magical book at his hip, his anxiety growing by the second as the group radiated a tense energy as they waited to set out.All at once, as if released from a spell, the group began running into the city. They faced a variety of imposing man-like creatures and looters as they made their way into Rabanastre. It had been so quiet when he had gone to find his former home earlier, yet it seemed the monsters had almost been... expecting them. Just who were these people he had snuck in to join?After defeating the whoever stood in their way, the expedition team came across a massive gaping hole in the floor. Without hesitation, the adventurers began jumping down into its maw with reckless abandon. "They cannnot be serious, that fall could kill them!! Who knows how deep it is, or what awaits down there!" The viera fretted, casting a heavy shield on the group. As more and more brave souls jumped down, he realized that he too would have to join them if he wanted to keep up. Pushing down the part of his mind that was screaming that this was a bad idea, he steeled his resolve and leaped into the abyss.The sight that awaited him at the bottom took his breath away. Before him was a massive, beautiful waterway made of sandstone pillars and the widest aqueducts he had ever seen. Had this marvel truly been beneath his feet all this time!? While the destruction of his city was an unfathomable tragedy, perhaps there was a silver lining in revealing the architecture of civilizations past...The group made their way through the waterways, passing over intricately carved iron grates and falling into deep aqueducts they had to swim through to progress. The veira's breath caught in his throat as he beheld the labyrinthine system of sprawling underground canals, pillars, and waterfalls that seemed to stretch infinitely in all directions. He could not even see where the waterfalls ended, the pit was so deep. He supposed they got quite lucky that their initial fall had been a much shorter drop. If they had jumped down into a hole above this area... He could only imagine how badly that would have gone.As the group moved past the waterways, they rode a natural water slide down even deeper into the underground caves. When at long last it spit them out, the viera's jaw fell open at the sight in front of them. Could that be...?"These ruins... We are no longer in Rabanastre, my friends. This is Lesalia. The Lesalia of Ivalician legend!" The Garlean boy's voice confirmed the viera's speculation. He could not believe that he was somehow here, of all places! His heart filled with excitement and dread in equal measure. He could hear his heart pounding through his chest as his mind raced. This was one of the most incredible things he had ever beheld, and yet... he could not shake the feeling that such splendor must be guarded by something rather dreadful, even though it had been buried for thousands of years.The moment the group stepped on the large platform before them, the viera's fears came to fruition. A large monster aboard a chariot greeted them, and a brutal battle began. Stressed out of his mind, the viera struggled to keep pace with the phrenetic pace of the battle. He could hardly dodge the opponent's attacks before another struck. Even with help from his summoned companion, Eos, and the other healers in the group, he struggled to keep himself and the others healed. Although he did not know any of these people, he still felt it was his duty as a medic to keep them safe from harm. As the chariot left the arena to ready another big attack, the viera suddenly caught sight of the roegadyn woman running to get to a safe spot with the others."She's not going to make it," the viera realized as time seemed to slow to a crawl. Thinking quickly, he cast a quick spell to bring her to his side, catching her in his arms a mere breath before the chariot swept through where she had just been. He let out a shaky breath, glad that he had reacted in time. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice trembling from the tension."Aye, thanks to you," she replied with a barking laugh before hopping back to her feet and running back into the fray of battle, a wild grin painted across her face. The viera barely had a moment to catch his breath before yet another attack from the chariot came his way, forcing him to dodge out of the way once more.After a while, eventually the chariot and its rider also fell to the might of the adventurers. As the party neared the spire at the center of the city before them, their final opponent stepped forth. A blonde man held up a white rock and transformed into a monster before their very eyes, calling himself the rightful king of Ivalice. Overwhelmed already by all the sights, fights, and information he had taken in while traveling with this group, the viera had no more bandwidth for big revelations such as this. As such, he merely kept his head down and focused on healing, exhausted and trying to contend with his rapidly depleting stores of aether while keeping everyone from succumbing to harm.The fight went by in a blur, and the monster transformed into a different man before their eyes. The Garlean boy's father, it seemed. What was he doing down here in the first place? Who were these people? Questions for another time, the viera decided as he followed the expedition party back to the airship. There was too much to take in, and he was overwhelmed, exhausted, and at this point starving as well.---

He decided to keep pretending to be just another adventurer when they arrived, as he felt he had worked hard enough to deserve the food everyone was being handed in celebration of their discoveries. Cradling the food in his hands, he found himself a quiet corner to sit at, feeling too stressed to want to socialize with anyone. Although it seemed its denizens meant no harm, he was still inside a Garlean airship after all. As he slowly began to calm down with some food in his stomach, he looked around and realized that the ship, instead of being filled with soldiers or artillery, was instead full of theater props, costumes, and sets being constructed. Was this airship repurposed, then? Perhaps there truly was no danger here after all..."Hey, I finally found you! I wanted to give you a proper thank you for earlier," a voice said, causing the viera to jump in surprise. He had been so lost in thought he hadn't even noticed the roegadyn woman he rescued come up beside him."O-oh, it's no problem, really," he replied. "I'm just glad that you are safe.""Name's Kass, how about you?" she asked."Zahir," he replied after a moment. He still wasn't sure who these people were, but... he felt that she at least could be trusted."So, Zahir... I was wonderin'. What made you sneak into our little expedition, hm? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you did given that you saved me and all, but I get the sense there's more to this story than just a little stowaway. What were you even doing in the ruins of Rabanastre in the first place?"Zahir paled. He thought he had done a good job blending in, but it seemed he had not slipped past her sharp eye. "... Rabanastre was my home," he began slowly. "I just barely managed to escape when they attacked us a week ago, so I came back to see if I could recover any of my belongings from the rubble." He said, subconsciously pulling his bag close to his body. "As I was leaving, I overheard your group mention Ivalice and, well... every Dalmascan has heard the stories of Ivalice, and with the chance to see things with my own eyes in front of me... how could I pass it up?"Kass grinned. "So correct me if I'm wrong, but what I'm hearing is that you're a doctor who no longer has a home and you also have a penchant for adventure, is that right?""O-oh I don't know about that... I enjoy history a lot but I'm much too anxious for adventures," Zahir replied, nervously playing with one of the braids that framed his face."But what we just did was a grand adventure! We fought monsters, jumped headfirst into the unknown, swam through waterways..." Kass said excitedly. "Don't think I didn't notice how well you healed everyone too, it was really rather impressive! I daresay you're cut out for a life of adventure, whether you think so or not," she grinned."I-I'm sorry, but where are you going with this? I don't understand why you're asking me these things," Zahir replied, his grip on his hair tightening."I want you to join my crew!" the roegadyn proclaimed, clasping one of Zahir's hands in hers. "I'm a pirate captain, you see, and we could really use a doctor on board! And if you like history, then you're in luck because quite a few of our adventures take us through ruins! In fact, just the other day my comrades and I explored the ancient city of Skalla," she laughed."A pirate!? Absolutely not. I am sorry but you'll have to find someone else to be your doctor," Zahir replied, taking his hand back."Why not? You have nowhere else to go, don't you? I promise we're not like the pirates you hear about in stories! I'm sure you'd love my crew once you met them as well. Besides, haven't you ever wanted to see the sea and be surrounded by its beauty?""I have seen the ocean plenty on my visits to Valnain," the viera answered brusquely. He didn't want to admit it, but she was right. He really did have nowhere else to go. He had been hiding out in the Golmore Jungle after the attack on Rabanastre, but the local viera had made it clear that he and the other refugees were not welcome to live there permanently.Sensing his resistance crumbling, Kass made one last plea: "Just travel with me for a while, then. We can at least get to know each other better and become friends, and then I can introduce you to my crew and see what you think of them as well. If, by the time we leave this place you're still opposed to joining us, then we will go our separate ways," she promised."It doesn't seem you will be staying in Dalmasca for long," Zahir observed, noting several members of the airship's crew preparing it for flight."No, we're headed back to Kugane for now, but we have unfinished business here to address later. I'm asking you to travel with me until that's all wrapped up," Kass clarified. "Please, it won't cost you anything but your time. I promise you won't regret traveling with me."Zahir shook his head. "No, I wish to stay here in my country. I still want to make more trips back home to try and recover more of my belongings. It should be safer now that you and the other adventurers cleared out those looters and beasts. If you want me to keep traveling with you and meet your crew, bring them here to meet me instead if you are so set on it."Kass laughed heartily. "You drive a hard bargain, mate! Aye, we'll do as you say then. Take this, I'll call you when I come back to Dalmasca to wrap up my unfinished business with this theater troupe," she said, digging around in her bag. Finding what she was looking for, she placed a linkpearl in Zahir's hand. "Should be about a couple weeks at most. If you need anything or want to join me before then, you know how to reach me!"Zahir nodded, looking at the communication device in his hand. What an odd group he got himself tangled up with...---Zahir found it almost impossible to fall asleep that night. He kept tossing and turning, his mind full of thoughts of his home, Lesalia, and the waterways. It truly had been a grand adventure, the roegadyn was right about that. Kass, her name was...? "What an interesting character," the viera thought, rolling over in his makeshift bed.He closed his eyes, focusing on the sounds of the jungle surrounding him. The chirping of crickets, the singing of frogs, the rustling of the underbrush, the branches swaying in the wind. "A pirate, huh?" He thought. He had seen pirates before, on his aforementioned visits to the port city of Valnain. Luckily they had never given the city trouble while he had been there, merely restocking, trading, and then making their way off to unknown seas once more.Not that he was seriously considering her offer, but what could his life be like if he did accept? She mentioned they needed a doctor, so he would be able to keep his healing skills sharp. Would he have to do any fighting alongside them? What sort of lifestyle did they lead? He had no idea, he barely even knew the captain let alone any of the rest of the crew he hadn't met yet. Kass mentioned they regularly saw ruins on their adventures, so it could be a great opportunity to get to connect with history beyond his books. To actually see sites of great historical importance with his own eyes, to touch the walls and feel what thousands had touched in the distant past... He had to admit, it was an enticing offer.No, he could not seriously be considering this lunacy. Dalmasca is his home, and he had sworn to fight for its liberation with the rest of the Resistance. Although... there were not many of them left anymore. They had been so emboldened hearing how Doma and Ala Mhigo had been freed that they got reckless. They were too vocal out in the open, and the Garleans did not take kindly to that.The destruction of Rabanastre had taken countless lives, rebels and civilians both. Everyone he knew had perished in the attack. He had thought he was a goner as well, but Eos had kept him just barely alive just long enough for the Garleans to leave, thinking their task complete. Zahir was thankful he was able to make it out alive and help the few other stragglers that managed to escape the slaughter. However, it was as Kass said, he had nowhere to go now. The local viera were just barely tolerating the refugees' presence, but he could tell they wanted them gone as soon as possible.His mind full of tangled thoughts, Zahir rolled over again, wincing as the movement put strain on an injury on his side. By the gods, it really had been stupid of him to join that expedition. He had still been healing from injuries he sustained during the raid on Rabanastre, and the all fighting with the adventurers had re-opened a few of his worse wounds."Some doctor I must be, if I cannot even heal myself quickly," he laughed bitterly. He had always done more conventional healing, with herbs and salves instead of magic. The scholarly arts were a fairly new addition to his skill set, as he had found his codex at a trader's booth only a few moons ago. The seller thought it to be merely another tome, but Zahir had recognized it as something special when he leafed through it at the stall. It had taken him a fortnight to even be able to summon the fairy, so he had far from mastered the art."She did tell me I did a good job though, so surely I'm a good enough medic for her crew," he thought, a pleased smile dawning on his face against his will. Maybe... No. He had to stay and fight for his home, even if it did seem hopeless.---The next morning, the refugees were abuzz as they sat around a small campfire for breakfast."What's going on?" Zahir asked, taking a seat with his bowl of porridge."Dalan said he spotted the Warrior of Light yesterday," one of the refugees scoffed."I swear to you, it was her! My Doman friends described her to me as a roegadyn woman with short white hair, and that's who I saw! She and a large assortment of adventurers swept through Rabanastre in a frenzy as I was sorting through the rubble.""You may have seen someone matching that description, but how do you know it was the Warrior of Light specifically? It's so vague, it could have been any old roegadyn.""But say it really was the Warrior of Light... What if she's here to free Dalmasca? I heard she and her allies were pivotal to freeing Doma and Ala Mhigo. She's even the one who killed the Viceroy!"Zahir blinked in disbelief. Surely they weren't talking about the pirate from yesterday, right...? He had to be sure. "Does anyone know her name, by chance?""Hmmmm, I think it was Kassandra something or other..."It had been her. In his pocket, he held a direct link to the Warrior of Light. If she truly had done everything they said... He had to speak with her again.---"H-hello? Is this thing working?" Zahir asked, speaking into the linkpearl. Although he had used them with the Resistance before, he had never had to set up a new one."Aye, I can hear you loud and clear," an amused voice crackled back. "Have you reconsidered my offer then?""I have some questions first.""Alright then, go on," Kass prompted."Are you the Warrior of Light?" Zahir asked, his voice full of hope. His question, however, was met with a prolonged silence."... And what if I am?" The voice eventually asked, much colder than he had previously heard."Please," Zahir begged, falling to his knees. "Help me save Dalmasca.""... No."Zahir looked up in shock. "What...? But you freed Doma and Ala Mhigo, why won't you help Dalmasca as well? You even killed the Crown Prince of the Empire!""He killed himself!" Kass shouted, slamming her hand on the table and causing Zahir to flinch. "My crew is the one place I get to just be the carefree pirate Kass and not some deified Warrior of Light. I never asked to have that title thrust upon me, I never asked to be thrown into resolving global events!" She continued, her voice growing louder and more strained. It almost sounded like she was choking back some tears... "My crew is my family, and I refuse to have that identity compromised by more of this Warrior of Light bullshit!" She finished, breathing heavily before she broke down crying.In the background, Zahir heard someone knocking and a muffled voice inquiring through a door. They went ignored, and he sat in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes as Kass pulled herself together. Finally, she spoke again."So no, I will NOT be helping you save Dalmasca. If you still want to join my crew even knowing that, then I'll forget you ever asked. But if not, then this is where we part ways. I will not be taking anyone on board my ship who only sees me as a walking weapon of war. I'm a person too, not just the all-powerful Warrior of Light who's just here to fix everyone's problems.""I... I need some time to think," Zahir shakily replied."Very well, then I will see you next time we arrive in Dalmasca. I hope you will have given the matter some thought by then." Kass replied icily before hanging up.Zahir sat in a solemn silence for what felt like ages. He had not considered... But maybe he should have expected... How could he be so stupid!? Of course she wouldn't want to help with such a transactional request. "Help liberate my country and I'll join your crew?" How utterly absurd. What right did he have to ask that of her? And how self-important was he that he could ever have thought his presence would be worth her risking life and limb to rescue his country from the Garleans' clutches? How inconsiderate he had been...---A few weeks later, the Garlean airship returned to Dalmasca. Zahir had been waiting for its arrival ever since Kass had sent word that they were on their way, and he gingerly stepped forward to greet everyone as they stepped out."Kass, is this the guy who-" a red-haired miqo'te began before being interrupted by Kass ruffling her hair."It's alright, Convoy. No need to get up in arms for my sake," she smiled. "I take it you've made your decision then?" Kass asked, stepping forward to address Zahir as more people spilled out of the airship to prepare for another outing.Zahir nodded, then bowed deeply to the roegadyn woman. "I would like to apologize for my earlier conduct. My request was insensitive, and I had not considered it from your perspective. I would like to join you and your crew, if you would still have me," he said, keeping his eyes closed as anxiety washed over him. "Like you said, I have nowhere else to go, and I think I could do some measure of good if I accompany you."Kass let out a hearty guffaw. "Now that's what I like to hear! Chin up, lad, there's no need to be so somber and formal around us. We'll use this expedition as a trial run. If you get along well with my crew and they like you, you're in," she smiled, offering Zahir a hand to help him up. He smiled, clasping her hand and rising to his feet."Thank you, truly," he said. "Where is this expedition to, then?"Kass grinned a wild grin. "We make for the lighthouse that defies a gaping maw in the sea! Truly, the wonders of your country never cease!" She laughed."The Ridorana lighthouse!? You must be crazy," Zahir stated, his face growing pale. "No one has ever gone there and returned to tell the tales!""Aye, and we'll be the first!" Kass replied with glee as she bounded ahead to talk to the rest of the expedition party."No backing out now, bunny boy!" Convoy laughed, running ahead to keep up with Kass."Don't worry, you'll get used to it," a dark-furred hrothgar woman smiled, placing a hand on Zahir's shoulder. "They're a chaotic bunch, but they mean well.""And don't worry, if Kass says we'll make it out alive, then we'll make it out alive," another hrothgar woman, this one with white fur, added with a toothy grin.Zahir smiled as the rest of the crew came up and introduced themselves to him. Perhaps everything would be okay after all. "Don't worry Dalmasca," he thought to himself. "I will come back to free you someday."---Character ages: Kass (28), Convoy (26), Xena (30), Kona (27), Vivienne (32), Calypso (27), Zahir (24)

Kidd's Intro Story

"I heard they spotted a pirate vessel coming into the bay at Alnair""... Khideen""Pirates!? Whatever could they want with us? We have nothing to give them!! Even Khalzahl had been struggling to sell anything...""No, no! You're looking at this all wrong. Those pirates aren't from here, I presume, so perhaps we can charge them more if they've come to resupply!""... Khideen.""That's a big if, what if they've instead come to-""KHIDEEN!!"The copper-scaled Auri man jumped as his name was shouted, snapping him out of his eavesdropping of the local merchants. "Sorry sir, I was... uh, occupied" he sheepishly offered to his supervisor."Well maybe you should be uh, occupied doing the job I PAY YOU TO DO! Now get back to it, that cargo isn't going to haul itself, you know." The dock's foreman snapped, grumbling further complaints under his breath as he walked away to check on the other dock workers.The au ra sneered, mimicking the foreman behind his back before sighing and walking back to the docked skiff he had been in the middle of unloading. He had taken up this job as a dock worker in Yedlihmad a few weeks ago. It wasn't a glamorous job, especially compared to his previous occupation, but it made him enough to rent a small flat in the port town and people generally didn't ask too many questions around these parts.He had intended to hop aboard the first half-decent ship that docked there and leave the country, but it seems he had come at a bad time. With the strange towers popping up nearby, trade had slowed to a crawl as merchants and travelers alike gave the town a wide berth to avoid the fiends spawning from said towers. In the weeks he had been here, he had only seen a small handful of ships arrive, and not a single one of them had been interested in taking another mouth aboard... Let alone someone who looked as strange as him.Now pirates though... now that was interesting. He had read about pirates many years ago, when he was but a child. They were free spirits, men who owed their allegiance to no country and did as they pleased. They sang and danced and pillaged and plundered... They traveled far and wide, saw things he could only dream of beholding. Perhaps...---"Right then." The au ra declared as he set down the final crate at its destination, his mind made up. Excusing himself for the rest of the day with the foreman, he ran back to his temporary lodgings and changed into his favorite outfit--an extravagant leather coat, adorned with gilded details and entirely too many belts, capped off with a stunning turquoise and magenta sash made from the finest Thavnairian silks.It had taken him quite a bit of work to track down that pretty number, as it was a far cry from the local fashions. But the second he had laid eyes upon it, he knew he had to have it. It reminded him of the bold Captain Kidd he had heard so many stories about as a child. Surely, he thought, it would be enough to convince some pirates that they should let him join them.He ran outside, eager to see the newcomers. What sort of people should he be looking out for? Rugged seafarers, with long hair and beards? Sailors covered in scars? Surely they would at least be armed, or don feathered hats. Whoever they were, they were certain to look dreadfully out of place in Yedlihmad."Let's think about this rationally... It takes the smaller boats coming from Alnair about half an hour to arrive here, and it's been about twenty-five minutes since I overheard the traders, so..." the man muttered under his breath, scanning the horizon as his thoughts played out. "Ah, there!!" He shouted, spotting a pair of rowboats pulling into the harbor.He started making his way towards them, then stopped dead in his tracks as a harsh ray of sunlight reflected off his scales and into his eyes. As eager as he was to meet the pirates, perhaps he should... observe them first. After all, he had no idea how these strangers would react to the sight of him. Up till now, his copper scales had brought him nothing but trouble, so why would things go any differently this time? Yes, perhaps it would be best to simply... watch from a distance for now. His mind made up, the au ra changed course to hide behind some nearby cargo that was piled up near the docks, hopefully within earshot."... I can't believe they made us take these stupid little rowboats! It would've been so much cooler to come in on the Skipper like we always do," a small, red-headed miqo'te woman grumbled indignantly, her tail lashing from side to side as she helped tie off their boat to the dock."Yes well, if you want to keep being able to sail in on the Skipper in the future, then we couldn't risk harming her hull here. They told us the harbor's too shallow for such a large ship, and I'm inclined to believe the locals," a dark-furred hrothgar woman replied."But what if this was all a ruse to take the Skipper! Get us off the ship and then run off with her? How are you so sure we can trust them?" The miqo'te replied."Convoy, not everyone is out to get us just because we have a black flag," the hrothgar responded, her exasperation evident. "In fact, they seemed rather eager to do trade with us despite that""You know, you could've stayed behind on the ship if you were so worried," a short pearl-scaled woman added, stepping off the second rowboat. "And do try to keep it down, I could hear your complaining all the way from the other boat."The miqo'te grumbled, her ears flattening in annoyance when she couldn't think of a good retort. "Alright FINE, but let's keep this quick. Kass said she'd be meeting us here at the aetheryte, and if everything went well then she and those Scion blokes should already be in town. All we need to do is resupply and find our captain, got it?"The au ra man blinked in disbelief. Surely... these weren't his pirates? Assembling on the dock after tying up their rowboats were six figures: the small red-haired miqo'te woman, a pair of hrothgar women with black and white fur respectively, the small pearl-scaled woman with dark skin, a... vampire? and a lithe viera man. Nowhere to be found were the swarthy sailors he had been expecting. Instead, it was a group of people unlike any others he had ever seen."They're a bunch of freaks... just like me," he whispered under his breath. The viera's ear twitched and swiveled in his direction, and the au ra quickly clapped his hands over his mouth. Hopefully it was just a coincidence, but he wasn't about to take any chances. After a few more minutes of talking and verifying their shopping lists, the pirates split up and headed into the town. The au ra straightened up, fixed his coat, and turned arou-"Aaah!" He let out a startled cry as he came face-to-face with the viera man from earlier."Who are you and why were you eavesdropping on us?" The viera asked in a heavy Dalmascan accent. Thinking quickly, the momentary panic on the au ra's face was replaced with a toothy smirk."Name's Kidd, Captain Kidd. I jus' heard there were some new pirates in town and wanted to check out my competition," he explained, casually tossing an arm over the viera's shoulder. The au ra towered over him by several inches and his muscled build absolutely dwarfed the rabbit man. "Ya know, I couldn't help but notice you lot seem to be lacking a strong man like me in your group, and apparently yer captain is missing? What say you to joining me instead?"The viera's eyes narrowed and he gingerly removed Kidd's arm from his shoulder. "Our captain is not missing, simply meeting us here. In fact, I daresay she's stronger than you could ever hope to be, so I think we will be just fine, thank you," he said icily. "Besides, why would we ever want to join someone who called us... what was it again? Ah yes, a group of freaks."Kidd winced. "So you heard that, did ya?""I most certainly did, and I would thank you to leave us alone." The viera replied before leaving, his point made.Kidd sank to the ground. "Great, you already blew it..." he groaned, putting his head in his hands.---Several minutes later, Kidd stood up, brushed himself off, and set off again. He couldn't give up this easily. With how few foreign ships had been coming by, this group could be his last chance to leave the country for weeks, if not months. He simply could not let this chance slip away. The small miqo'te woman seemed to be the second in command, seeing how she had been barking orders at the rest of the crew when they arrived. Perhaps if he could get in her good graces, she'd allow him to meet with their captain to negotiate a passage for him onboard the ship. All he needed was to get to some other landmass and he could figure out the rest.He recalled her saying that they would meet their captain at the aetheryte, so he made his way there. Sure enough, the red-haired catgirl was lying on her back, staring up at the floating blue crystal structure above her, her tail lazily swaying from side to side."'Ello, lass," Kidd said, leaning over her."Oh what the fu-" the catgirl blurted out, scrambling to sit up. "Who are you and whaddya want?" She sneered."Got a temper on you, do ya?" Kidd remarked, amused. "Name's Kidd, and I was wonderin' if ya could introduce me to yer captain."The catgirl scoffed and stood up. "Do you think I was born yesterday? Drop that phony accent and then we can talk. Why should I introduce ya if you're not even being honest about who you are?" She said, poking Kidd in the chest as she looked up to make eye contact with the tall man.Kidd's brow furrowed. "Alright, point taken, sweetheart. Look, I just need to talk to your captain, and you seemed to be in charge so I thought asking you would be the quickest way to find her.""DON'T call me sweetheart." The catgirl bristled. "And why do you need to talk to her so badly? In fact, how do you even know all of this? Have you been following us?" She asked, drawing a pair of twin daggers from her belt and falling into a battle stance."What? No, no, I just-""Convoy, is this man giving you trouble?" A husky woman's voice called out from behind Kidd. The au ra froze as a hand suddenly gripped his shoulder tightly and a white-haired roegadyn woman came into view beside him."Kass!" The catgirl exclaimed, lighting up. "This bloke says he needs to talk to ya, but I don't trust him as far as I could throw 'im," she explained."And who might you be?" Kass asked the Auri man."Name's Kidd, and I just need-""Kidd? As in Captain Kidd? As in the man that not only called my crew "freaks" but also tried to poach them from me?" The captain interrupted, each word causing Kidd to shrink further and further into his coat in regret. "Between Zahir's report and Convoy's glowing recommendation, I don't see why I should listen to another word out of your mouth." Kass growled, her grip tightening on Kidd's shoulder."Please," Kidd cried out, turning to face the captain. "Give me a chance to explain! ... please."Kass' eyes narrowed as she scrutinized the copper-scaled man in front of her. After a minute, her grip relaxed. "Fine. Take me somewhere we can speak in private, and then explain why you keep harassing my crew. I'll decide what to do with you after."Kidd lit up. He had actually managed to secure a real chance for himself!! "You won't regret this, you have my word," he told her."For whatever that's worth," the catgirl, Convoy, scoffed. "Be careful Kass, my gut tells me this guy means trouble." She warned, clearly unhappy that her captain was even going to hear this guy out."I can handle myself just fine, love." Kass replied, planting a kiss on top of Convoy's head before following Kidd's lead.---The two sat down at the table in Kidd's temporary lodgings. "Alright, you have one chance to tell me everything. No lies, no persona, no funny business. Just tell me what you want, plain and simple." Kass demanded.Kidd hesitated, trying to choose his words."Whatever you tell me in here will stay between us, the rest of the crew won't hear a word of it," Kass promised, her voice more gentle this time.Kidd looked up, surprised, then nodded. "I just need passage to another continent, anywhere will do really. I won't be a freeloader either, I can work. I know how to man the helm and rudder, I can rig up sails, move heavy cargo, whatever you need really. Even though I haven't been working at these docks long, I've picked up plenty of skills I could contribute with while I'm onboard your ship."Kass raised an eyebrow, surprised. "And why are you so desperate to leave the continent? Are you a fugitive? Did you get into some sort of trouble I should know about?" She asked, cutting to the heart of the issue."No, no! Nothing like that, I promise. It's just..." Kidd paused, deciding if he really wanted to share more, then sighed heavily. "Surely you've noticed my scales, yeah?"Kass nodded."Well they weren't always like this. I used to look like every other Raen you see around here," he started. "I... I was training to be an alchemist in the capital, Radz-at-Han. Everything was going well, until one day... I had an accident. I had been attempting an ambitious experiment, but it blew up in my face... literally. When I came to, my scales had turned to copper, and everyone was fussing over me. They called it a miracle, a true transmutation of organic material, but..." he grit his teeth, looking down at his clenched fists resting on the table. "It was no miracle. This was not my intention, it's a failure! And every time I see my scales I just-" he cut himself off, noticing he had started shouting.Kass' gaze softened and she gently took his hands in hers. "It's alright," she assured him.Kidd grit his teeth and pulled his hands back. "Don't pity me," he sneered. "I don't need anyone's pity, I. Am. Fine." He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "Anyways, as I was saying... I can't stand staying in this country anymore. Everywhere I go, if there are alchemists nearby they swarm me and try to learn the secrets of how I performed such a "miracle." But all it does is remind me of what a failure I am, and every time they ask it feels like they're driving a stake into my body. And if they're not alchemists, it's even worse! I've seen how people look at me with disdain... they don't say it, but I see in their eyes what they think of me now, just because my scales look different. I'm so SICK of it all! So, I've decided I need to leave Thavnair for good, but I can't sail a ship on my own, so I need to hitch a ride with someone."Kass stayed quiet for a long time, deep in thought. Finally, she spoke up. "You said you can man a helm, is that correct?"Relief broke out on Kidd's face. "Yes! Anything you need, really. I'll pull my weight, promise!"Kass nodded. "Very well then. You can join us as a helmsman until our next destination as a trial run. If you can get along with everyone and do your job well, then perhaps I could consider making your position... a permanent one?" She smiled."Are you serious!?" Kidd cried out in disbelief. "... But why would you show me such a kindness when I've already made such blunders with your crew?" He asked."Well... in front of them, you were putting up a front. But just now, you bared your truth to me and showed me your sincerity and vulnerability. I've been told I'm a good judge of character, and right now I get the feeling you need a new place to call home." Kass smiled. "Besides, you said it best yourself. We're all a bunch of misfits, just like you," she laughed. "I think you'll fit right in, Kidd"---

Convoy hummed as she carried a sack of spices up the gangplank. Although Thavnair had been a delightful place to explore the past two weeks, she was already restless to move on to their next destination. Not that a city of scholars sounded particularly exciting, but she was eager to feel the swaying of the ocean beneath her feet once more. As she arrived at the deck of the ship, her eyes suddenly caught sight of a scene that made her blood run cold."Oh no, oh no no, no no, no no NO!! Kass WHAT is this guy doing on board our ship!? At the helm, no less!?" Convoy cried out, indignant. She stomped over to where a small group was gathered at the helm of the ship. Xena, their navigator, had several maps out and looked up from her explanation. Kass sighed and stepped towards Convoy as the object of her ire smirked and addressed her."Miss me, sweetheart?" Kidd grinned."I told you not to call me that!!" Convoy hissed, her tail puffing up in anger. "Kass! What's this asshole doing here!? How could you let him onboard our ship!?""He's our new temporary helmsman," Kass stated. "We'll see how he does until we get to Old Sharlayan.""Absolutely not!! He's clearly an asshole, don't you-""Convoy! Don't forget your place," Kass snapped in a low growl. "I'm the captain here and I say he stays on, at least until we reach our destination."Convoy flinched back, not used to Kass exerting her rank. "Yes, captain," she muttered before slinking below deck to sulk at her cot."And you," Kass continued, turning to Kidd. "Try not to antagonize her too much, don't forget that part of your probation period is to see how well you fit in with everyone on the crew. Regardless of the kindness I may be showing you here, my crew will always come before a stray I've picked up."Kidd gulped at the threat, nodding. "Yes captain, understood."---Character ages: Kass (31), Convoy (29), Xena (33), Kona (30), Vivienne (35), Calypso (30), Zahir (27), Kidd (25)

Val's Intro Story

TBD