Arc 723, 1st of Ymiden
Crouching down at the river's edge as the sun appeared on the horizon, Darius cupped his hands and scooped up some of the warm liquid. The stream formed a small, unblemished source of water that was unaffected by the previous night's events. Darius splashed the warm liquid of the over his head. As it was the first trial of Ymiden, such an act was supposed to represent rebirth and a new dawn, providing an opportunity to pause and take a few bits to reflect on one's life.
But none of that happened.
Only a few breaks had passed since Hopetoun had claimed a victory over the Pirate Lords in what some were already calling the Battle of the Bay, and Darius had spent much of that time alongside his settlers, doing whatever he could to help.
Much of the work had been administrative: directing groups to put out the fires; arranging for food and temporary accommodation at the Hopeful Rest Inn for those with damaged homes; being a dogsbody for Hopetoun's healer Isra as she treated the injured.
And yet, their work had only just begun. Dead animals littered the ground outside Hopetoun's palisade, and Darius had sent Lars and a few others to bury them, lest they spread disease. It had been quickly decided that any animals that had been affected by the yellow fog would not be fit to eat, and burial meant they could return to the safety of Faldrass' bosom.
Off the coast, the bay was littered with a terrifying mixture of flotsam and bodies: pirate and piscine alike.
Two wrecked ships - portions of Red Seas' fire-damaged ship still burned, the letters of its fittingly named Burning Shores still visible on the prow, and The Haunted's Avenger with its snapped masts - lay stricken in the water. A third ship, unharmed and bearing the markings of The Guardian's Shield Of Scalvoris, rested nearby in slightly deeper waters.
A handful of Hopetounians were on the docks, and both fishing boats were on the water, with billhooks and barge poles being used to pull bodies out of the water.
Darius knew the ocean was a fickle beast, and it was not uncommon for sailors who fell overboard to never be seen again. In a way, a watery grave was more fitting for attackers who rode the waves and were no friends of Scalvoris. It also meant a lower chance of disease impacting the settlement.
And so, with Lars dealing with the animals and Isra taking care of the settlers, Darius followed the path of the river down to the coast and worked his way around to the docks, where he ordered the sailors to get the Libertalia ready to sail.
But none of that happened.
Only a few breaks had passed since Hopetoun had claimed a victory over the Pirate Lords in what some were already calling the Battle of the Bay, and Darius had spent much of that time alongside his settlers, doing whatever he could to help.
Much of the work had been administrative: directing groups to put out the fires; arranging for food and temporary accommodation at the Hopeful Rest Inn for those with damaged homes; being a dogsbody for Hopetoun's healer Isra as she treated the injured.
And yet, their work had only just begun. Dead animals littered the ground outside Hopetoun's palisade, and Darius had sent Lars and a few others to bury them, lest they spread disease. It had been quickly decided that any animals that had been affected by the yellow fog would not be fit to eat, and burial meant they could return to the safety of Faldrass' bosom.
Off the coast, the bay was littered with a terrifying mixture of flotsam and bodies: pirate and piscine alike.
Two wrecked ships - portions of Red Seas' fire-damaged ship still burned, the letters of its fittingly named Burning Shores still visible on the prow, and The Haunted's Avenger with its snapped masts - lay stricken in the water. A third ship, unharmed and bearing the markings of The Guardian's Shield Of Scalvoris, rested nearby in slightly deeper waters.
A handful of Hopetounians were on the docks, and both fishing boats were on the water, with billhooks and barge poles being used to pull bodies out of the water.
Darius knew the ocean was a fickle beast, and it was not uncommon for sailors who fell overboard to never be seen again. In a way, a watery grave was more fitting for attackers who rode the waves and were no friends of Scalvoris. It also meant a lower chance of disease impacting the settlement.
And so, with Lars dealing with the animals and Isra taking care of the settlers, Darius followed the path of the river down to the coast and worked his way around to the docks, where he ordered the sailors to get the Libertalia ready to sail.
