TownCrier/Faction Attraction/Kraken Collective

Few places provide refuge from the political tensions that emerge from governance, no matter the type of leadership. With cultures influencing their cities and town in their image, one would believe that the frontier only exists in the Landing or the savage lands encamped by orcs, trolls, and other cultures. However, far to the south lies an oasis, an escapist paradise where the terrain is rich and bountiful, the oceans vast yet volatile, and the surroundings wrapped in glorious mysteries. Kraken’s Fall remains a bedrock of adventure and mystery yet serves as home to one of the newest organizations devoted to preserving its safety, security, and sanctity. This is the Kraken Collective.

Being a seafaring adventurer familiar with the South (New Ta'Faendryl is not that far away), I took in the crisp night sky and the twinkling of stars as I sailed the South Blue. After a long and perilous journey, I arrived at Kraken's Fall, greeted by the scent of salty sea air and a symphony of busy dock work. The Collective awaited my arrival at the Wandering Eye Market and then escorted me to the Bean and Leaf, where their meetings occur.

Hosts

Wyrmheart

Standing upright on his haunches and utilizing his wide, ridged tail for balance, Wyrmheart towers above those nearby. Thick leathery skin darkens along the shoulders, back, and head, as the ridges that descend to the tale transform into large bony, plate-shaped scales. His face culminates in a long snout edged in dusky hues and sporting long, pointed teeth, while pointed dark eyes rest within a pronounced eyebrow ridge of hard-plated scales. Resting against the smoother contours of his stomach, his webbed fingers end in dark talons.

Infernal Captain Casinoe the Treasure Hunter

He appears to be an Erithian Castaway.

He is taller than average. He appears to be very young. He has opaque midnight black eyes and silken, pale caramel-hued skin. He has very long, white-streaked raven black hair that falls down the back in an unkempt mass of matted cords, strands of kelp and salt-stained hemp rope woven throughout the tangled strands. He has a bony face, a prominent nose and a X-shaped scar across his left eye. His beard is a soft swathe of black, speckled with sea salt and crusted with brine. He has an ebon violet-crested macaw with gleaming steel gears sitting on his shoulder.

Superimposed over Casinoe's form is the ghostly silhouette of a krolvin pirate, a wild-eyed expression on his face. As you watch, he glares around disapprovingly, then takes a large gulp from a bottle of rum.

He has a gradient ebon-inked kraken with twilight-hued tentacles wrapping about each finger on his wrist, a coiled leviathan tattoo on his ankle, an inked sea chest overflowing with gold and gems on his neck, a hanging pirate tattoo with a grey-inked skeletal frame on his wrist, a billowing firestorm tattoo on his neck, a scrollwork rose gold hoop in the middle of his nose, a misshapen bloodstone spike in his left eyebrow, a trio of spiky urchin spines in the ridges of both his ears, and a tiny oak treasure chest opened to reveal minute diamonds in his right eyebrow.

Erratic arcane sigils glow in front of him.

He is in good shape.

A ring of flaming orbs encircles his hands.

He is wearing a dark-masked roof rat, a mist-swirled glass eyeball talisman, a tiny rusted iron tentacle on a bone-linked chain, a hooded sailcloth cloak jaggedly stitched with a skull and crossbones, an enameled cast iron cannon pin, a rust-flaked cast iron beard clip, a sapphire-eyed black skull pin, a plump glaes flying squirrel pin with a fluffy ruby-set tail, a splayed golden kraken pin with a black painted background, a rune-etched smoky topaz stickpin, a kraken-etched insignia, an overflowing gold treasure chest, some hemp suspenders clenched between the teeth of wrought silver skulls, a flame-tinged black leather satchel buckled with a steel skull-and-crossbones, a dark woven loot bag stamped with a broken golden crown, a flame singed black canvas pirate flag loot sack, a salt-stained leather bandolier burned with the image of a kraken, a salt-stained black leather shirt, a dark leather armband inlaid with a steel kraken attacking a ship, a copper ship-paneled lirveil with storm agate links, a grey thunderstone emblem depicting six writhing tentacles, a pair of rugged leather seafarer's handwraps, a smooth bone ring pierced by tiny crystal shards, a plain gold ring, a flame-singed black leather belt with a steel kraken buckle, a translucent sack, a weathered leather scroll case flame-etched with a shipwreck, an archaic steel dodecahedron, a coiled black leather wand belt, a fish skull-clasped weathered sharkskin sack trimmed with jagged teeth, some loose black trousers raggedly cut at the shins, a knotted wireweed cuff, and some side-buckled umber leather boots with slouched cuffs.

Machtig the Blademaster

He appears to be a Human.

He is average height and has tanned skin.

He has a woven cowl wreathing his shoulders and neck, the hood of which is pulled up around his head and casting shadows upon his features.

He is in good shape.

He has a sharply curved black main gauche stuck in his head.

He is wearing a threadbare hooded shroud, a steel-banded backsheath, a stained oilcloth bag, a lacquered wyrwood-inlaid scabbard, some black pants, and some dark leather boots.

Wulfewood

He appears to be a Human.

Secured on his head is a demon-masked horned helmet, its horns turned skyward. The demon mask that covers the face has a terrifying and menacing grin, with its fangs made larger to enhance the grotesque and intimidating appearance. Sprouting from the crest of the helmet is a plume of pitch black hair, the trailing end falling down his back.

He is tall. He appears to be very young. He has black eyes and tanned skin. He has raggedly cut, shaggy black hair worn in a riot of snarled braids knotted with murky indigo feathers. He has an angular face and a thick mustache and beard.

He has a long-stemmed pipe clenched between his teeth.

His demonic shadow looms high above his form, the silhouette flickering in and out of vision.

He gives off a vicious demeanor.

He has 2 sharply tapered longswords stuck in his right arm, and 2 curved black main gauches stuck in his abdomen.

He is holding a heavy steel-studded tetsubo in his right hand.

He is wearing a cloak, a patchwork knapsack sewn from bands of pale coral salmon skin, a lacquered crimson scabbard, a backpack, some crossed leather back sheaths with an adamantine katana strapped to it, some silk-tied laminated plate armor, some discolored white cotton handwraps, some morganite prayerbeads, a rope-tied burlap sack, and some wooden sandals.

Flickering near Wulfewood is a massive wolf, its luminous figure composed of shadowy black energy. Hackles raised and body stiff, it bares its teeth menacingly.

Introduction

Bandits, pirates, and even triton loom over the town with menace, so one must be able to hold their keep. At first sight, one would think the Kraken Collective leader, Wyrmheart, would be one of those threats. Fortunately, his demeanor, though intimidating to the layman, carries an aura of safety. In short, I felt more than safe. The ensemble flanking him was the cherry on top.

Wyrmheart: E'nin mon.

I've known Wyrmheart for quite a while now, so his raspy krolvin voice and accent are second nature to me. However, I will provide a translation for this interview for any confusion.

Yardie: Evening Wyrmheart. Hoping everyone is having a good time.

Wyrmheart: Jah mon.

Machtig: Is tomorrow the last evening for Rumor Woods? I haven't participated beyond our gift boxes.

Yardie: So, as you know, I do some work for the TownCrier. This month is set to interview the Kraken Collective, one of the newer house in Elanthia. This will be painless and fun, and hopefully it will be a good way to showcase what the Collective is about.

Defining the Kraken Collective

Yardie: So my first question is, in your own words, how would you all describe what the Kraken Collective is about?

Wyrmheart: Da moment fir mi jah collect mi thoughts mon. Others be feelin free to voice up mon."

Casinoe nods at Wyrmheart.

Casinoe: The collective, to me, is a brotherhood. Comraderie without constaints. Loose rules and looser women (hopefully)

Casinoe flashes a wide grin.

Casinoe: Lots of rum and lots of fun.

Casinoe pauses in a moment of thoughtful contemplation.

Casinoe quietly says, "And loot."

Wyrmheart: Fir me it be about like mindin folk comin tigeda to share adventure, and suppirt each udda mon.

You nod understandingly at Wyrmheart.

Casinoe agrees with Wyrmheart.

Casinoe: It's also about takin care of the island, making sure everyone gets home safe and upright, eventually.

Machtig: To me the core of the collective is comraderie, the feeling of belonging to a community that genuinely and sincerely supports for each other and has each others back for no reason other than respect and brotherhood."

You grin at Machtig.

Wyrmheart: Jah mon, di island be our ome so wi bi feelin drawn ti protecin it, mon.

Yardie (pondering): Would you all say it fits life here on Kraken's Fall?

Casinoe: One hundred percent.

Wyrmheart: Personhood, cause we ga some sheila's ta mon.

Formerly Known As Bandit Island

Wyrmheart: When di merchant routes first opened to Kraken dis place had few islanders.

Casinoe (lazily): Plenty of bandits!

Wyrmheart: And many bandits. Much time be spent culling dem, dir was few'ya us ta do it. Necessity almost demanded jah comin tigeda in personhood. From di necessity sprouted da Collective.

Casinoe slips a hand to his sleeve, deftly retrieving a curved dark steel kukri with a kraken-capped handle.

Casinoe raises his dark steel kukri in triumph!

Wyrmheart nods at Casinoe.

Momentarily revealing the small wrist sheath hidden underneath his sleeve, Casinoe deftly sheathes his dark steel kukri, concealing both it and the sheath once more.

Machtig: I think being so isolated, we were often completely on our own. And a little help would go a long way.

Casinoe: We were a tighter community then, it seemed.

Collecting the Collective

Yardie: That actually touches base with my second question, and you addressed it. How the group was formed. I presume I am with most of the founders here?

Casinoe nods.

Machtig nods.

Wyrmheart: Ya mon.

You nod understandingly.

Wyrmheart: Tis fair ti say, Leff as well probably.

Casinoe: He's a good lad.

Machtig: For my part, I think we all loved the island and had formed friendships with one another through adventures and hardship, a loose collective seemed natural."

Yardie: Conspicuous by his absence, and he's one of the best. I will be sure to include him. So we have the origins, and we have a description. Let's talk about the Kraken in the Kraken Collective. This place is obviously far removed from the rest of Elanthia. What makes the Fall stand out in comparison to say, the Landing or Ta'Illistim?"

Machtig: I think we all wanted to be a part of something but that nothing we had found before really fit, so it was only natural that we had to create our of organization, one that followed our philosophies and allowed us to be ourselves while also a part of something bigger.

You grin at Machtig.

Machtig: I think Kraken's Fall is one of the last few frontiers, if you can still call it that. One of the last places you can go to feel the...Hm when things were slower and people got to know each other because they had to depend on each other because it was all we had.

Wyrmheart: It's isolation at di time brought those seeking sometin mir meaningful jah adventures mon.

Casinoe nods at Machtig.

Machtig nods.

Casinoe agrees with Wyrmheart.

Machtig nods at Wyrmheart.

Casinoe: It has become so much... muchier with everyone else that has arrived.

Machtig: Adventuring without a net, without the resources, real adventure and danger.

Casinoe (to Machtig, quietly): Those were the days.

Yardie: The unknown.

Machtig: Absolutely.

Wyrmheart: Wi want folks who be lookin fir da more meaningful adventure to come to da island. Mir ave come, but most be in a zombie like state unfortunately.

Yardie: Rather ironic in such a lively place.

Wyrmheart: Jah mon. Jah migh evin say it be just as isolated now as it was den mon

Wyrmheart shrugs.

Casinoe chuckles.

Yardie: That's....profound.

Machtig: We've been here since the bandit era, and there's some people who have been here with us. The entire time.

Casinoe (to Wyrmheart): About the same interaction, but more crowded.

Machtig: That I have never spoken to."

:Casinoe agrees with Machtig.

Wyrmheart: But it nay matter fir us mon. Wi still lean on each udda.

You grin at Wyrmheart.

Machtig: It's true.

Members and Familiar Faces

You ask, "Let's talk about the members. You have the founders here. And then there's Leff, also a founder, but a nature lover, logger, and all around good person. Are there other members of note that others may not know are members of the Collective?"

Speaking raspily to you, Wyrmheart says, "Gimmi a crew of salty dogs, a crate a rum and sturdy ship and all else falls away mon."

Machtig: I would say all of our members are great people and people I am very proud to call my friends.

Wyrmheart: Da murder nurse fer sure, den da mouth piece.

Casinoe: The ranger girl.

Yardie: The murder nurse and the ranger girl.

You chuckle.

Casinoe nods.

Casinoe grins.

Wyrmheart: Da mout piece, nay forget im mon.

Yardie: Who's the mouth piece?

Machtig says, "Erienne, Weyrs, Nitos, Malvadere, Yardie of course, Nisugi."

Speaking raspily to Machtig, Wyrmheart says, "I say we call im da mout from now on, mon."

Speaking raspily to Casinoe, Wyrmheart says, "Wha ya tink mon."

Wyrmheart: Da mout piece always be talk'n good about da collective. Our loudest suppirter outside a'da collective.

Yardie: Quite a few who do that, but I'm wondering who that might be.

Wyrmheart: Only probalem wit da mout is he nah no he di mout, mon.

Casinoe leans on you.

Machtig attempts to hum a merry little tune.

Yardie: He doesn't know he's the....."

Machtig laughs!

Yardie (knowingly): ....oh.

Casinoe laughs!

Yardie: Right.

Machtig's eyes crinkle upward at the edges, though the rest of his face is concealed by the folds of his woven cowl.

You cough.

Yardie: Fair enough.

Machtig: Indeed.

Wyrmheart: Wi owe di mout a lot a gratitude fir wha he does mon.

Yardie: That's...that's really nice. Thank you. I'm sure I...er...he would be grateful.

Wyrmheart: "Fir da rest'a us rarily lee di island mon.

Machtig: I never do if I can help it. Unless its just to sail around and come back.

Casinoe: Deeds, for me, mostly.