He sat proudly on a throne made of the skulls of Ha’kidon Vampires, each was onyx colored, with a crystalline sheen to them, but still obviously skulls. The throne had been a gift from his father in law Camlar Lemna Amlon Kal Ha’kidon. It had all happened a week before, when Old One Eye had arrived with his crew of pirates on the shores of I’tash.
Old One Eye, or One Eye Willie, as he was called was no Pirate Lord. His men called him a pirate king but he had gained must of his renown by being the right hand Illuminated of Sir Stout, the Quall Avatar (and final avatar) of Warmonger. Those who had pissed off Sir Stout had been eaten by the Quall, who encouraged cannibalism among those who were not honorbound to him.
Old One Eye had survived the rise and end of Sir Stout. He had even left on fairly good terms with Queen Unixah and her faction. But the continental Illuminated were beyond his reach, or so he had thought.
Arriving into the natural harbor where the Sea Kings had created their beachhead on the I’tashi coast. They were just south of Borvis at this point, having driven back every I’tashi slaver and freed soldier sent in years. But with the Tsunami, and the loss of Lord Qory, the beachhead had nearly fallen.
The greatest captains who had come here, hoping to be recognized was Camlar Ikuz Ha’kidon, Anmas Ikuz Uvram Ishad, and the Illuminated barbarian captain Venzo Illum. There were others but those others much like Old One Eye himself, were looking to the big three to set the stage for how it would all play out.
Much to One Eye Willie’s surprise, Camlar met with him, actually open to hear about the inner circle and court of the late not so great Lord of the Old Faith (as they now called the Warmonger Cult). It was in this surprisingly helpful meeting with Camlar that One Eye Willie learned of the customs of the far continent, controlled entirely by the Sea Kings. A land where Calmar’s Prro (or Great House) of Lemna Amlon had secured lands, allies and many many slaves.
Camlar had spent his interceding decades in conquest on the third continent, where the Ha’kidon vampires preyed. During their fine feast, One Eye, his Bestial Bosun Tim, and their third in command the Cambion Simon, all learned that Camlar had been breeding a new slave race. Using the Ha’kidon and their thralls as his test subjects he had discovered a way to allow them to spend limited time out under the open sunlight.
To prove his point, Camlar offered a challenge to Old One Eye. One of Willie’s Cambion fighters against the much smaller, much weaker Ha’kidon. The vampire resembled a K’iorn with huge tusk-like fangs protruding from his lower jaw. As the Ha’kidon dived and danced between the Cambion’s swings, using the shadows to its advantage, One Eye was impressed by the creature’s cunning.
When it latched onto the Cambion’s neck and drained him dry, all were surprised, not least of all the Cambion himself who never saw it coming.
Camlar laughed, speaking of how proud he was of the many ships he had set aside on the Ha’kidon coast to breed these warriors. Willie was more interested when Camlar let slip that he had no real desire to hold the I’tashi coast, but his Prro needed to do so for reasons of respect.
Willie was pleased to take on the role of Camlar’s son in law, joining with the Prro and representing the desires of the Lemna Amlon Prro in I’tash. And Camlar was excited to do so as well, knowing it would allow him the opportunity to return to the third continent and his experiments post haste.
He set a ceremony at the earliest, the following day, and wished Willie and his crew well in taking on their rivals Venzo and Amnas.
Willie had gone straight to Amnas, laying a secret deal in place. Now Amnas flagship was a place of extreme discipline and love of tradition. It was a clean, well shined ship, ready for battle or ceremony. And One Eye Willie’s plan played to the pride of Amnas.
Once One Eye Willie had secured rule of I’tash, and his new mate had born him a child. His child coming of age would be paired with one Amnas’ children. Giving both the Prro of Lemna Amlon, as well as the Prro of Uvram Ishad access and rule over I’tash.
The Isha (as the Uvram Ishad were known colloquially) were proud of their noble son Amnas, but he also was making excellent work against the Olgog pirates of his home continent, and would prefer to put off the conquest of I’tash for another generation.
Willie was deft and charismatic, and played Amnas like an instrument. When he left the flagship of the Isha, they considered him family to be.
But it was the final and third captain that showed how Old One Eye learned the ways of his own people. The Barbarian Captain Venzo Illum had been an I’tashi slave. He had grown into an ego-driven drunkard, living off endless supplies of binber wine. Upon learning of Venzo’s grave additiction to the K’iorn liquor he had two casks of finest wine brought up from below deck.
Old One Eye, Bosun Tim, and Simon melted down some zela metal until it was a liquid brew. A brew that was too dilute to cut out the leyas, a brew too dilute to make the viewer aware. But it was just enough that if a person were fool enough to drink a whole cask on their own it would build up in the Illuminated equivalent of their kidneys and the metal would then reach large enough quantities to poison the Illuminated and kill him.
Arriving on the vessel of the Barbarian Pirate King Venzo, Old One Eye found himself walking through a swirling orgy. The crew of Venzo was without discipline, and did whatever whimsy took them in the moment. And it was apparent from the dirty and disorganized vessel of Venzo, he was the opposite of Amnas in many ways.
Old One Eye, Bosun Tim and Simon greeted the Barbarian Captain, and offered him drink. As the drink continued, Venzo got drunker and drunker, finally offering them a hunt on shore for WarGiants. Seeing the poison was causing Venzo more than a little brain damage, and his speech was slurring and his thoughts disjointed, Old One Eye agreed.
Each with five servants they reached the shores and began a grand old WarGiant hunt. They stumbled upon some Peacebringers trying to save a WarGiant from an artificed mud trap. The WarGiant was trapped up to his chest in hardened mud, and the trio were seeking to use their entrenching tools to free it.
With ease Venzo’s men distracted the Peacebringers while Simon slayed the WarGiant with his sword. A battle ensured with a peacebringer firing flares to call in Tempest Airship support.
One Eye Willie returned to his ship, only to hear the sad news that Venzo was so drunk and poisoned that he was easily captured by the I’tashis aboard the Tempest.
Without their captain, Venzo’s crew broke morale and fled the coast that night in fear one of the other captains would enslave them.
And so it was the One Eye Willie got to enjoy his marriage to Camlar’s daughter, with gifts from Captain Amnas and his Isha, and gifts from the Prro of Lemna Amlon.
Declaring the Beachhead, Port Amlon, One Eye used Earth Mancers and Zombie Lords rescued from the Zombie Isle to turn the natural harbor into a reinforced cove. It could be a new mecca for Illuminated Captains across Refuge, and it could be the start of his own new kingdom.
As One Eye Willie Lemna Amlon Kal I’tash sat on his throne he wondered what new threats would endanger his prize…