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Envision a world that combines Pirates, Samurai, and Ninja, with ancient mysticism and oriental arts such as Qigong, the art and science of manipulating life energy. Bushido, tradition, and honor contrasted with profiteering, opportunity and glory, in an island world of wooden ships, powerful relics, and mythical beasts. Celestial is a Realm of mysterious seas where power flows like water. |
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It was a wet cold wind that blew across the main deck of the Iaijutsu as Captain Matsuo came up from below to meet the predawn. The nightshift was still on deck and would be for several more hours but something had woken him from sleep that shook his body and yelled the thought into his mind, something is wrong. “A sudden change in the weather, Sir,” said Oki, the first mate, as Matsuo fought to bring hat and jacket to bear against the chill gale that coursed over the starboard gunwale and through to his bones.
“Report!” he ordered as he finished the last fastener and pinned his hat with both hands, straitening to see Oki looking with concern at the rigging. The Captain glanced into the rigging and his hat flew over the port side as his heart exploded. The ships sails were billowed toward the bow, as if their wind was dead astern.
“Magic” he seethed as he focused on the horizon, squinting into the spell-spawned storm, “Chief of the Watch, rouse the crew and rig for close fighting. Mr. Oki, I want to be quiet and dark in two minutes. Now move!” A fog was growing along the starboard horizon, moving too fast to be natural. Dragons? Matsuo mused, or do we have a fight on our hands? The Imperial Privateer Clipper Iaijutsu was a fast ship but it was usually best to run slow in a fog and quiet if you thought you were not alone. He took out a pocketwatch and eyeballed a measurement of the sea versus the size of the fog wall as muscle and rope silently executed his orders behind him.
They are a good crew; we can get through, no matter what’s out there. He turned to see the last of the lights doused and ropes secured. The Iaijutsu fell ghostly quiet just as the fog rolled over her decks. The Captain took his position at the forecastle as his command crew spread across the main deck to silently pass his orders. Oki was standing by the foremast windlass, his gaze locked on the captain.
Matsuo signaled him, Where is the Ship’s Magus?
Below, flashed Oki in short precise signs, He knows, says not dragon, is working.
Matsuo grimaced and signed back, Eyes open, as they turned and scanned the fog.
Long minutes passed in silence as the Iaijutsu drifted alone in the fog. Suddenly, a ship appeared dead ahead and closing fast. Both vessels exploded with the sounds of alarm as each tried to avoid collision. She was the Noire, a massive pirate Galleon, equally well known for its bloodthirsty Captain Xio as for Fijian, said to be the most powerful Magus ever to put to sea. Just as quickly as she had appeared, she slipped back into the fog aft of the Iaijutsu. Oki locked eyes with him and Matsuo nodded.
Oki began bellowing orders to the crew to add more sail and put on speed. The Noire could not hope to catch the Iaijutsu if she had to wheel around to match bearings first, but at this range a broadside could sink them before they could begin to run. Matsuo called for quick quiet as the sails unfurled and set her heading to put the wind straight at their back. The crew froze as they could hear the Noire wheeling hard behind them bringing a broadside to ready.
For a moment the fog fell quiet again before being ripped open by the staccato thunder of a few dozen long guns that searched the fog for them. The crew heard the incoming whistle of the cannon balls as a lone projectile zoomed in on them from out of the mist. It struck frozen in midair like a wasp in amber just above the gunwales on the starboard aft quarter. The shockwave of its momentum spread out from it in visible waves through the air, as the ripples of a pebble in water, washing over the crew with a slight tingling as each of them absorbed some of the cannon’s energy.
Matsuo turned to see the Magus, coming up from below as the first volley splashed harmlessly into the sea, his Shielding holding up well against the Noire’s probing. Magus Chang maintained his chant through a second volley that seemed to fall to the starboard. Before a third could be made ready, he summoned a great gale that so filled the Iaijutsu’s sails that it seemed to lift it from the water and push it through the air. The final volley fell far short as the Noire faded slowly behind them taking its evil mists with it.
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