Holiday in the Sun RPG

[Envinyatar]

Khaz left Yr Saldan sitting in the garden, and made his way down to the harbor. There, docked at the west end, was the Windrunner. Her captain had been killed in the first sweeps of the city, and Khaz had claimed the ship for his own. Hafez stood on deck, grinning broadly down at him as he approached.

‘Come aboard, Captain!” he pushed down the boarding plank for Khaz, who hurried up it. ‘Are they here?’ he asked, motioning Hafez to talk to him as he strode toward the helm deck. ‘Yes, all five of them.’ Hafez tilted his chin toward the captain’s cabin near the helm.

The crew of the Windrunner had gathered on the deck, wanting to see the new captain. Low murmurs ran through the crowd. ‘And what about them?’ his eyes sliding to where they stood. ‘Good men, good sailors every one of them. I know most of them, and the others are all vouched for by the men I do know. They’ll serve you well.’ Or feel my fist and whip if they don’t! Hafez thought to himself.

He handed Hafez a small bag of coins he had gotten from Yr Saldan. ‘See that they get a silver coin each, to bind them to my service, if you will. And tell them there will be plenty more where that comes from.’

Khaz entered the cabin, looking round at the faces of the men seated there at the table. Tariq, Suleiman, Korak, Temenes, and Sahout. He had served under all of them, and knew them to be able captains and quick thinkers.

‘Captains,’ he began, rolling out one of his navigational charts on the table’s surface, ‘we’ve got a directive from Yr Saldan to secure this area. Let’s discuss how we might best do this.’ They looked at him in mild surprise, and with some dawning admiration. He was seeking their advice, asking them to help formulate the plan – not just telling them what they would be doing!

They stood and leaned eagerly over the chart, taking in all the information. Then, one by one, they gave their opinion of what must be done to be most effective.