The Wyvern's Watchers

Subject: The Wyvern's Watchers Thu Mar 29, 2012 12:45 pm

A large three-masted caravel had appeared on the horizon out to sea, gliding across the waves to land at the docks of Meldrum City. Its sails bore stylized images of draconic creatures with wings spread and tails arched and poised to strike. Likewise, the figurehead was a great wyvern crouching at the prow, its wings unfurled to spread out to either side back along the ship, with what looked like a large red crystal embedded in its forehead. The ship's hull bore scars of damage and subsequent repairs in many places, and along the starboard was a single massive, raking claw mark that appeared superficial but added to the fierce appearance of the vessel. It sported a pair of ballistae, one on each side of the deck, though those didn't appear to be manned by the crew currently as it pulled in to the harbor. While it had the look of a ship both swift and fierce, its approach was peaceful, the flags it bore showing no enemy colors among them. One bore an emerald green wave over a black anchor, the sign of a loose affiliation of sailors and explorers known as the Emerald Crest, who seek to acquire and spread knowledge of the seas and far lands, be it new charts or new legends and myths. Another bore the flag of the city of Sasserine, with a red spire rising from a green island in front of a rising golden sun. There were other flags kept on board to raise when going into battle, but those weren't currently raised and unfurled. The name Sea Wyvern could be seen across its hull.

At the helm, which included a wheel that bore a dozen wyvern heads jutting from it, was a dark red-skinned figure clad in armor fashioned from the hide of a shark, with the beast's teeth studding it along the outside. Curled, ivory horns like those of a ram grew from the sides of his head below the line of his short black hair, topped by a black tricorn hat, and his right eye was a brighter red that seemed to burn in its socket. His left eye was revealed to be much the same after he flipped up the patch of black leather adorned with an orange circle crossed by several black lines that had previously covered it. A wicked length of chain bearing numerous spikes and barbs and hooks was coiled at his side, alongside of several blades of varying lengths and designs. He guided the Sea Wyvern in for a smooth, effortless landing while calling out orders to the rest of the crew.

One of the other figures pulling on the lines was a muscular figure over six and a half feet tall, clad in leathers and hides and a shirt of silvery chain links, wearing what looked like a crown made from carved granite atop his brow amid short, sooty black hair. He wore numerous belts and bandoliers holding a fair-sized arsenal on him, including a great double-headed axe with geometric figures scrawled across its blades and a beautifully carved bow adorned with a pattern of turquoise like the stars in the sky hanging on his back. His skin was deeply tanned but with a strong hint of ashen gray in it, and his rather rough features included dark gray eyes with something of a slant to them, and some surprisingly large, sharp teeth. All in all, it gave an orcish cast to his otherwise mostly human appearance.

A tan and dusky woman wearing veils in seemingly all the colors of the rainbow over her otherwise more sturdy but finely cut garb stood by at the helm, notably smaller and less hulking than many of the other figures on board, and bearing less of an open arsenal, instead with just a single belt knife plus the elaborately carved staff she leaned upon, topped by a surprisingly large and clear blue diamond. Her long, jet black hair came down past her shoulders beneath the crimson veil sporting several small garnets that she wore over it, and she smiled slightly as she turned the penetrating gaze of her dark brown eyes towards the docks.

A more heavily armored figure clad in plate mail that bore images of swirling winds and waves torn by lightning bolts was assisting with securing the sails, a sheath of javelins hanging on his back in easy reach even while his gauntleted hands were on the lines. All that could be seen of him not covered by metal was his bare head, which was hairless and had skin as black as coal, save for the single white circular patch centered around his left eye. His face had a sort of elongated look to it, as if it jutted forward more than a human's typically would, and the eyes peering out of it were a deep blue-gray of a sort found deep in the ocean. A silver pendant secured on his right forearm bore a sign of a trident thrusting up through a cresting wave.

Seeing to a ballista was another, more lean figure clad in a shirt of chain mail over otherwise plain, dark clothes, apart from the midnight blue cloak adorned with runes and sigils in black and silver that he wore. His fingerless gloves were traced with black swirls and whorls that seemed almost to move in dizzying patterns at a quick glance. What little of his skin could be seen was a dark shade of blue, and seemingly of a semi-scaly nature. His head was topped not with hair, but rather with six short, dull gray horns that grew up from the top of his head, arrayed almost like the points on a crown, with two up above his eyes, two more opposite them in the back, and the last pair across from each other on the left and right, halfway in between the ones in front and back. His eyes bore no visible pupil or iris, but instead were solid pools of bright blue light, which shed light that was noticeable even in the sun, like a pair of sapphire lanterns. He bore a wickedly curved sickle and a mace bearing carved and onyx-inlaid runes on his belt, which itself bore three moonstones and sigils of white gold that looked decidedly more wholesome.

Other crew members moved about their tasks as the ship was made fast. A fellow with a wrapped stump where his left arm ought to have a hand, another one with sallow skin and a slightly off cast to his features bearing a bow, a young woman with ribbons in her russet hair and a curved sword on her back, an otherwise human looking fellow clad in leathers with a pair of short black horns jutting up from just above his eyebrows and giving him a surprised sort of look. Two reptilian figures, one five foot tall and of a stocky build wearing chain mail over his dark blue-gray hide, plus another thinner, almost scrawny one just barely over two feet tall and with grayish-tan scales marked by rusty-looking patches, came up from securing and checking over the cargo below. As the ship was settled and the boarding plank lowered, a small figure came scurrying up out of the milling crowds of the docks, racing to see them. The little guy with feline-looking features, just over three feet tall at the tips of pointed ears sticking up out of his untidy black and gray hair, beamed at the debarking new arrivals. "Hey guys! Wait til you hear about all the fun stuff I've seen and done around here!" Zorran happily fell in among his friends, and started off on all the people and places and what have you that he'd seen so far in Solurius. The rest of the Wyvern's Watchers had arrived.