Meleeworld
It's Monday and that means a new product is available in the Meleestore!
This week we go back to the fateful battle at the Summer Solstice XXI ACI, Bartholomew "One Eye" Ward vs Ramon Kalivantes. This vintage shirt features one of the posters seen all around the place before that epic brawl for it all.
Get this shirt now in the Meleestore. It is located in the Apparel section.
Aert and his cousin Victor are the famous Vantuyl pirates. Their exploits are legendary, if somewhat hard to understand. The leaders of the Vandals sail aboard the flagship "The Mangled Hand" on a journey of not only piracy but service to the crown, private cargo and passenger transport and often even heroism.
The Vandals are a capricious lot indeed. Never outright evil, the vandals have been known to commit greatly questionable acts in the quest for money or glory.
The Vandals trek on exploration missions far more than other fleets. Seeking out the unknown is part of the Vandal goal. While this often means danger and adventure, it also means treasure and secrets that others, even the most valiant Chroniclers, don't have such experience with. It is without a doubt that the Vandals have the most contact with the Dark World of any fleets in the Armada, likely of any seafaring group in the entire Kingdom of Praelia. Aert VanTuyl even had a few Shade Realm pets, a winged spider monkey and Burbossa the Troll. The former is a spy and messenger, the latter an enforcer.
Once, the Vandals even worked with the Castellan Lowleaves to find a missing Duke. Searching up the river toward Sanctus, The Vandals saved the duke's retinue and provided safe passage back for all from the dangerous sirens. Of course the sirens did follow the Vandals back to Nicholshire.
Another story involves Aert VanTuyl working with the Barber Surgeon Fritz Schwergwerfer to bring the dead back to life. Utilizing items brought from the Shade Realm, Aert helped create an entire army of vicious undead creations.
The Vandals are spurious, prone to outbursts and changing their minds like the winds. Captain Aert may recall the entire fleet right before a war or engage in a battle between strangers for fun. Some believe that the relative familiarity with the shade realm has altered the decision making of his fleet. More than a few have questioned the loyalty of the Vandals to the Armada. Coronado will hear nothing of these fears, he will only say "Captain Aert is part of the Triad."
The emblem of the VanTuyl Vandals is a red ‘V’ nailed to a mangled rotting hand.
Baron Lowleaves got called out by Maarek. So, he in turn called out all of Nemea, the World of Death filmmakers and the entire Horror film making family.
Hear ye, Hear Ye!
As the current land holder of the border territory of Maarek's Landing in the Kingdom of Praelia, I hereby transfer my claims to that territory to Lord Woden Hrafnass with his assurances of it's continued namesake. My spear and those of all of my allies swear to defend that claim against all that might challenge him.
So declared this day, 24 August 31 ACI
Lord Protector Maarek Elets
Castellan of Nicholshire
This statement followed by the declaration of Woden Hrafnass,
All are welcome in my lands, and it shall be known as Valhalla in Midgard! And likewise, I offer aid to the endeavors of all Praelia!
Woden Hrafnass
I was challenged by my mom, and decided we had to roll high class on this one.
Eric Breitenbach, David Schaefer, and Andrew Lewis are all now challenged.
Castellan Elets, Count Kalivantes, Baron and Baroness Lowelaves as well as Rory came out to visit Kroniburg today. There were some neat pictures.
“We are inconsolable at being deceived by our enemies and betrayed by our friends. I came to you for aid and you call upon me to prove nobility? What is noble about letting men die for political games? Is this what you would have me become? A coward! I renounce my claim to join this or any council who will have such policies. My men and I will no longer stand to protect this land from the invaders, for they are here and you will not raise your own sword to defend. You talk of obligation and duty. Your duty is to the people! How dare you demand more of those whom pay your taxes than you would do yourselves? Are you, nay, you are no better than the bones that once filled this chamber. I denounce this council. May you fall under the boots of the Minuet or whatever comes after them, for I am through with you all."
"The dark northern sea is the location of a rocky series of islands and shards of rock, like the quills of a porcupine, jutting up from the water. Needless to say boy, this is a dangerous area to navigate. You see, for every dagger like rock shard you see above the waters, there are a thousand of them under the waves, just waiting to tear the bottom right out of yer boat.
If you manage to navigate past the spines, a feat not recommended I add, you may find one of the larger ringed formations around a volcanic island. The ring of rocks is not thick but it is completely surrounding the island, so you will have to pull your boat across the rocks or swim the cold stretch of water between the ring and the island itself. Presuming you find a way past the jagged ring, you will have a short distance of a few hundred feet until the island of Irkalla.
Irkalla is dark, black and glassy. The rocks are created by the violent volcano that rises in the middle of the mass. Although there is little vegetation on the land, you may will find a few trees. What makes this desolate island interesting is beneath. You see there is a series of caves in the mountainous areas that leads to an extensive network of tunnels. These tunnels are home to many creatures which I believe come from the Dark World.
I was on an expedition through the Irkallan caves. We were lost for thirty-two days in those blasted caves. Luckily we had rations to survive, but it was not easy. One of our men returned from scouting ahead to tell us of a small village of people living in the the caves. He brought one of the natives back with him, name of Shango. He was a bit of a simple fish, but from what we understood his people believed themselves protected by the island volcano god. Deep in the caves, he said, were passages to other lands.
We searched for Shango’s village and met another man who walked upon us, apparently lost. He was clearly a New Arrival, knowing nothing of Alluvium. Following him back we discovered a swirling pool in one tunnel. I sent the cabin boy Marvin into the waters and he disappeared! Shango told us that there were many of these way-pools. He called them waterways to the land of the dead. From what he described, they had visitors come from all over the world. His people would often sacrifice them to pacify the volcano god.
It was then that I decided to make maps of this Irkalla cave and report back to the Admiral. I was to have my own fleet! Imagine a map of way-pools to places all over Alluvium! It was apparent that these pools would lead to the Shade Realm as well… maybe even the way back to the “old world” from whence we all came! Or at least it would have been if crew hadn’t taken the opportunity to mutiny. Yes, the volcano started erupting… and we had to flee through whatever pool we could find. Some of my crew have been found… and punished. Others have never been heard from again. It is a dangerous place that Irkalla, but if you ever go that way you take me with you… ya hear!"
~Earnest Bigelow - Midshipman
Enjoy!
