[Bordermarch] Story of "The Phoenix"

Tue Sep 29 15:16:44 PDT 2009

Your Excellency,

     Questionable morals? Yes. Questionable judgment. Yes. Questionable
reliability? Not at all. My crew and I stand at the ready. Well my crew
is anyway. I have a bit of the plague right now but I assure you I will
survive. This is not my first battle with this plague nor will it be my
last. I am however still in control of my crew. If you have need of my
crew and I just let me know. If you have doubts as to our loyalty and
reliability...Well then I shall strive harder to prove them both to you
and the Crown of Ansteorra. My blade stands at the ready to defend
against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Whether I'm sick or not.
Although I will be unable to attend "Three Queens" this coming weekend.
I would hate to infect a victorious Margaret of Anjou who is being
portrayed by Duchess Conal O'Riordain.

     I hope your journey to the Shire of Rosenfeld is safe. I will guard
the borders well in you absence. 

Chrestien Brule
Captain of "The Phoenix"

> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Re: [Bordermarch] Story of "The Phoenix"
> From: "Lathrop, Dave" <David.Lathrop at valero.com>
> Date: Tue, September 29, 2009 4:48 am
> To: Barony Bordermarch <bordermarch at lists.ansteorra.org>
> Captain Chrestien Brule,
> I think it was a great story that leads one to ponder of all the adventures you and Captain Alderich enjoyed. Many have inquired as to how our small barony came to employ such a fine vessel manned by a crew of-how shall we say-questionable reliability.
> The story needs to be continued with your encounter with your lovely Lady Nora and her mother the Golden Haired Dona.
> I've a recent missive from friend Nomis; he has returned from the farthest reaches of what he calls "the land of the bearded dogs".
> He claims to have witnessed sights that would have striped a weaker man of his very soul! We must make ready!
> I'm afraid his prolonged stay with Lady Jimwat has left him with a shaken sense of reality. His claims of betrayal from within our very own barony cannot be taken seriously.
> I've asked him to stay where he is and relay to me any noteworthy information that pertains to the forthcoming invasion, but I may have asked too much of my old friend this time.
>
> Our commanders have confirmed that your information concerning the Bourbon the coke's betrayal to our cause is accurate. As we speak, he gathers information that will facilitate the placement of those in his kingdom who wish to call Bordermarch home; the Bourbon the coke presumes to much!
> HE Santiago
> -----Original Message-----
> From: bordermarch-bounces+dave.lathrop=valero.com at lists.ansteorra.org [mailto:bordermarch-bounces+dave.lathrop=valero.com at lists.ansteorra.org] On Behalf Of justinw at dreammakersetx.com
> Sent: Monday, September 28, 2009 10:16 PM
> To: bordermarch at lists.ansteorra.org
> Subject: [Bordermarch] Story of "The Phoenix"
> Greetings one and all. Have a seat and relax and hear the tale of how
> "The Phoenix" came to be. Before we can tell of "The Phoenix" we first
> have to tell the tale of "The Lucid Dream" and it's captain, Lord
> Alderich The Black.
> When I met Lord Alderich, it was in a tavern here in Bordermarch. He was
> a rough looking fellow with whiskers of iron, eyes of ice, and a heart
> of stone. He took pity on no one. He was joyous when sober and mean as a
> bear when consumed by the drink. Whether stone sober or stumbling drunk,
> he would neither back down from a fight, nor would he allow surrender.
> We met by accident;I tripped and splashed my drink on him. He stood,
> grabbed me by the neck and drug me outside to the alley. He told me to
> prepare to die!! I drew my sword and squared off with one of the  most
> vicious of opponents I have ever faced. As I stood there shaking, he
> slowly drew his rapier. I was terrified to say the least, for at this
> time I had never had true lessons of how to handle a blade. He could
> have quickly killed me, without a second thought. But he didn't. He
> simply stepped back, sheathed his blade, looked at me with those cold
> eyes and said "If you wish to live, leave now and head to the docks.
> Find my ship, The Lucid Dream. Tell the first mate that I sent you there
> and to tie you to the main. If you do this you will live to see the
> sunrise tomorrow morning. But if you do not go to my ship, you shall
> never see the sun again."
> Not being a fool I ran to find his ship. I found it and relayed the
> order to the first mate. He did as told and tied me loosely to the main.
> I stayed tied there for hours before the captain decided to stagger his
> way back to the ship. I was alone on deck as he came up the gang plank.
> He began yelling orders and from no where people began running about,
> getting the ship ready to sail. As he crossed the deck yelling orders he
> just looked at me, smiled and gave me a wink and never stopped shouting.
> After we were headed to sea, he sent his first mate to bring me to his
> quarters. Had I been on dry ground or at least still at the port I do
> believe I would have ran until my feet could carry me no more. But
> seeing as how we were now a long distance from land and I couldn't swim
> ,I had no choice but to meet with the Captain.
> I entered his cabin to find a room full of gold and silver treasures. He
> had paintings, jewelry, gold coins, and swords of many different styles.
> All I could do is stand there and look around in awe. The captain sat at
> an old wooden yet finely polished desk. He asked me "Like what you see?"
> all I could reply was" uhhhh" He let out a chuckle and stood up. My
> attention went immediately to him. For in my mind, my death was near.
> As he approached me, he looked me over from top to bottom. I was really
> getting nervous. He asked " Who in the hell taught you to swing a
> sword?" I proudly replied "I did." He let out a laughter that could have
> been heard back ashore. I felt like I was as small as a mouse.He laughed
> a bit longer and said " I need a deck hand. If you stay on-board I shall
> teach you to fight, and let you earn your way up the ranks on the ship.
> You shall have no special treatment. If you wish not to stay I will let
> you walk right off the ship, no questions asked, and I will not hunt
> you." Well in my mind it sounded like a good deal. Stay and gain skills
> both of the sea and the blade or leave and do as I please. He then
> informed me that I had but a few minutes to decide. I had no skills
> before this and the likelihood of me gaining skills anywhere else were
> slim. So I told him I would stay. He laughed and said " Good choice lad,
> in the morning I shall set you to your new duties but tonight we
> drink!!!"  And drink we did. The Captain was actually a good man that
> took to the seas the same way I was starting mine. He relayed a story
> from his younger days when a lad decided to leave the ship. They walked
> him off the deck while at sea. After he told me this I knew I made the
> right choice.
> I stayed on board "The Lucid Dream" for a few years and worked my way up
> the ranks. Captain Alderich wanted me to broaden my outlook so he sent
> me to work on another ship for a year to learn. When I returned to "The
> Lucid Dream" Captain Alderich appointed me to the position of First
> Mate. For years we traveled the waters and found great treasure and
> exciting adventures. We traveled the world. Our crew had grown. There
> were several crew mates but the most memorable ones were Lathum the
> Lush. This was the Captains drinking buddy. Then there was my French
> brother, Xavier, the bard Galen, and the newest member, young Giles.
> When we went ashore the 6 of us could be found in the local tavern or
> strung up in the blocks. When that happened it was time to find a new
> port.
> During the years, we sunk many a ships, killed 10 times as many men, and
> the women....oh the women...There was this red head and oh the things
> she could....Oh wait..I shall tell that story at another time and place.
> I can't tell you that story right now but I will tell you of the ship
> that wouldn't sink. We were off the coast of Atlantia and came across a
> ship that looked ripe for the picking. We fired upon the ship before
> they could react. We boarded it and killed the crew with ease. There was
> a fine treasure on-board as well. As we unloaded the bounty, the captain
> and I realized that this ship should not still be afloat due to the
> damage that we saw on our walk through. The captain smiled and said "I
> have an idea." He turned around and ran off. He stopped and turned and
> asked "Chrestien, care to join me?" I gave no verbal response, but I did
> turn and follow him. We return to "The Lucid Dream" and Alderich began
> yelling at the the crew. He told me to go to his cabin and that he would
> be there shortly.
> When he arrived he told me of a ship builder he knew and that we were
> going to take this ship that would not sink to him and have it rebuilt.
> He said " That ship out there should not be floating. But it is. That is
> a ship worth fixing." So we traveled north to his friend.
> His friend said it would not be easy but it was possible. We left the
> ship with him and traveled some more. The seas are excellent when you
> need to think or just get away and relax. But being a predator you have
> to feed. And feed we did.
> Months passed and many ships were sank by the crew of "The Lucid Dream".
> We traveled the coast from Trimaris all the way up to the East Kingdom
> and back.
> We return to the new ship and it was completed. It was rebuilt to it's
> original majestic presence. It was a work of art. The captain and I went
> to see the builder. He said the ship was complete except for one thing.
> It needed a name. Captain Alderich turned to me and asked "Captain Brule
> what shall you name your ship?" I was in awe. I turned to the window and
> looked at the ship that was, at one time, nothing but a floating pile of
> wood. Only one thing came to mind as I looked at this beautiful
> ship....."The Phoenix"
> With my new ship I took on a new crew and started a new beginning. I
> entered the Gulf along the borders of Trimaris, Gleann Abhann and
> Ansteorra. Of all the ports I entered the friendliest was Bordermarch.
> With this I began to call Bordermarch home. My ship can be found
> somewhere near just daring the barbarians from Gleann Abhann to try and
> enter my beloved home.
> I could continue this tale and tell of the Love I found within my
> beloved Bordermarch, but that's another story altogether.
> I hope you enjoyed this tale of "The Phoenix" I hope to write more if
> the feed back is positive and well received. Please let me know what you
> think.
> Chrestien Brule
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