NationStates Jolt Archive

Sultan Mahdi Mansur idly stood on his palace balcony and watched as the procession marched onto one of the ships in the harbor. The sultan had decided to dispatch a trading fleet of three galleys.

His cousins had told him of rumors of a great conqueror to the north. Rumors of a horde of evil demons that crushed all opposition and ground it into a bloody pulp beneath shoes of iron. Rumors that this army of demons sought gold. Mahdi never put stock in rumors, especially those of people who had fled in terror from the battlefield.

That is why the Sultan had trusted this mission to his cousin Muhtadi. Muhtadi and proven competent in both the rigors of the campaign trail during war and the intrigues of court life.

On board one of the galleys in the harbor at Cairo, Egypt

Muhtadi had elected to take his prophet Mohammed with him on the quest to find the supposed demon army that trampled all that stood in its path under boots of iron. His people had great knowledge of the sea to the north, and so Muhtadi had elected to sail his ships for the infidel city of Ostia in hopes of locating the great army and placating it with gifts of gold, slaves, and salt. As the last of the gold arrived on board the galley where Muhtadi stood, and the crew began to release the ropes and row the ship toward the entrance of the harbor.

(ooc: I know this is a dumb question, but where is Ostia :confused: )

I mean whereabouts in Italy is it. I cant seem to find it on the map :headbang:

I used a map of ancient Italy! Here (http://ancienthistory.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=ancienthistory&zu=http://www.ourcivilisation.com/smartboard/shop/tacitusc/histries/map4ic.htm) ;)

well let me know when you get there lol, Im waiting :D

I will. :)

........ how long does it take to get there! jeez lol

Seven days after departing the port at Cairo

Muhtadi wallowed in abject misery in the cargo space of the galley he had boarded ten days earlier. He, unlike his cousin, the sultan had a very religious streak and took rumors of the demon army very seriously. This quest had not been his idea of an ideal mission. When his cousin, the sultan had suggested that Muhtadi might simply be afraid of the army, Muhtadi had almost begged to accept a mission, as a face-saving gesture.

Now he was stuck in the bowels of this foul ship, miserable with seasickness and wondering if this quest had been worth the suffering, and enduring the stench of this ship. As Muhtadi was contemplating his misery, the captain of the ship yelled, “Land! We have spotted a city!”

Muhtadi managed to shake himself out of the stupor that he was in, and managed to clamber up to the deck. Indeed, there was a city there. The captain looked at Muhtadi.

Muhtadi gestured toward a port in the city. “I suggest we find some among the crew that can speak the tongues of these lands.”

From the coast the fleet was nothing more then small specs on the horizon, but either way 30 odd ships were inbound. From this distance is was difficult to tell if they were War vessels or something else, but ti was best to send an interception fleet just to be sure.

Moments after the spotting, 10 War Galleys who were currently in the docks preparing for open patrol were organised into a loose fleet and sent out to see what the unknown vessels intentions were.

onboard the lead ship....

"Row you dogs! The wind is not with us today, so its up to your backs and arms to get us there!" Bellowed Captain Amalus Pointus. His long black hair was flowing gently as the sea air brushed through it. "Lets see what these currs want shall we? All men at the ready, we dont know what their intentions are.

(sorry for short post, dont have much time lol)

bump

“There be ships, coming from that port,” the captain of Muhtadi’s galley yelled.

“Don’t do any thing to make them decide to sink us,” Muhtadi shouted to the captain.

The captain yelled some more orders, and the crew furled the sail of the galley, and Muhtadi attempted to spot the ships that the captain had seen. As the ship rolled, he staggered into the rail and cursed the foul sea and the wretched ship he had been stuck on. With some luck, he would soon have his feet on dry land.

The captain of the galley watched as several Roman war galleys emerged from the harbor, and began to move slowly toward the his ship.

He motioned to a crew member to unfurl the sail, when Muhtadi was there, sticking a dagger to captain's throat, and flanked by a pair of swarthy soldiers with hands on their sword hilts.

“You dog,” Muhtadi hissed. “I’ll spill your coward’s blood before a risk the quest your sultan set before me.”

The captain made another motion, and the crew began to raise the sail, and the galley continued wallowing in the sea, to await the arrival of the ships from the port.

The other two galleys, stayed along side, their captains having decided not to risk the ire of the cousin of the sultan, by attempting some type of cowardly act.

Muhtadi sent one of the soldiers below, to retrieve a pouch of gold, from the cargo the galley carried. He hoped that it would send a clear message to these strange ships.


OOC: Sorry it took so long. Today was a long day.

“There be ships, coming from that port,” the captain of Muhtadi’s galley yelled.

“Don’t do any thing to make them decide to sink us,” Muhtadi shouted to the captain.

The captain yelled some more orders, and the crew furled the sail of the galley, and Muhtadi attempted to spot the ships that the captain had seen. As the ship rolled, he staggered into the rail and cursed the foul sea and the wretched ship he had been stuck on. With some luck, he would soon have his feet on dry land.

The captain of the galley watched as several Roman war galleys emerged from the harbor, and began to move slowly toward the his ship.

He motioned to a crew member to unfurl the sail, when Muhtadi was there, sticking a dagger to his throat, and flanked by a pair of swarthy soldiers with hands on their sword hilts.

“You dog,” Muhtadi hissed. “I’ll spill your coward’s blood before a risk the quest your sultan set before me.”

The captain made another motion, and the crew began to raise the sail, and the galley continued wallowing in the sea, to await the arrival of the ships from the port.

The other two galleys, stayed along side, their captains having decided not to risk the ire of the cousin of the sultan, by attempting some type of cowardly act.

Muhtadi sent one of the soldiers below, to retrieve a pouch of gold, from the cargo the galley carried. He hoped that it would send a clear message to these strange ships.


OOC: Sorry it took so long. Today was a long day.


sorry you kind of confused me. Do they still have a knife to your throat? or did they put a blade to your throat then remove it after you threatened them? I need to know cause that will change my approach drastically.

[EDIT: Oh, and were Blacktoweran, not Roman :p]

sorry you kind of confused me. Do they still have a knife to your throat? or did they put a blade to your throat then remove it after you threatened them? I need to know cause that will change my approach drastically.

[EDIT: Oh, and were Blacktoweran, not Roman :p]

The dude stuck a knife to the captain's throat.

[lol you edited :p I will post in a few minutes, just making some food. I'll use this same post]