Melxxynia the Pirate Princess

Melxyynia is an orc, just like her mother. Okay, maybe she's a little short for an orc, at 1'4". And fine, her skin is more of a sky blue than the typical orc forest green. And she doesn't have tusks. And she has dragonfly wings that allow her to rarely if ever touch the ground. And a definitively un-orcish natural affinity to the elements of the ocean. And her other parent was probably an ocean fae. But none of that matters! She's an orc, just like her mom! Just look at what she can bench! Those are orc numbers, even without accounting for ratio of body weight! She is the proud daughter and heir to a feared fleet of pirate ships, set to take on her mothers bold name and legacy and continue terrorising the coasts. That her mother will succeed in rebuilding the fleet is a given. No stupid Vimor airship bombardment will stop a real pirate! They didn't need all those ships anyway. They're still pirates, even if they're on land at the moment. Beside, airships are cheating, and the Vimor empire is full of cheating bullies. They should build real ships and try fighting pirates on the fair! Then they'd see how powerful and fearsome her mother is! Her mother could kick all their butts, even with one arm tied behind her back (they did find the arm, after the bombing of their fleet, though she doesn't always carry it with her).   Questions: Who did you lose when the Knights of the Rose razed your home? While the Vimors airships did devastate her mothers pirate fleet, and many were killed, all of the major names Melxy was close too did survive, though many were in some way cripple. Lost limbs, or eyes. But peg legs and hook hand just make pirates more piratey, and its only a matter of time before the Vimor coast is once again rightfully terrorized by Mauxxalas dread fleet, sailing beneath the cross bones.   What symbol of The Seven do you still carry, even if hidden? Though she never takes it out around others, even her beloved mother likely not knowing she even has it, Melxy carries a small coin talisman of Laido, kept inside a cleverly disguised compartment within her belt buckle. She does not pray to it, but does sometimes, in privacy, take it out and speak to it, usually to complain, blame, rage over injustices. Very rarely cry or beg aid from. Never, practically. Once maybe, but that was when everything she's ever known had been blown to splinters, and even the ocean burned, and everyone she loved was screaming in agony and begging for help as they tried not to drown in salted waters drench red in their own blood and the viscera of their crews. Extenuating circumstances, so that doesn't count. What dream haunts you every night since the invasion? Definitely not the bombing. Nope. Sure does not ever bolt awake drenched in cold sweat choaking back screams of terror while locked in the memory of that night. Orc pirates are tough, and don't get scared or bothered by little things like that, and she's an orc pirate. Tough, and brave. Nothing bothers Melxy. Sleeps like a baby. A baby orc pirate. Tough. Yep yep. Thats Melxy.   What ties you to Lexica, even now? Its one of the better targets to start learning about the empires air fleet. Not that dread pirates need to fear anything, but it would be foolish to not steal and rob the secrets of airships, and their weapons, for future expansions of the pirate fleet. Maybe her mother would even let her be the admiral of a new air division of pirates, if she does a good enough job. Flying has got to be an advantage for air piracy. Maybe even more than it is for sea piracy.   Have you ever spoken out against the Empire—or are you waiting for the right moment? Melxy as a good pirate is definitely a master of cunning and intrigue, so any open mentions she makes of the empire being evil and wanting to burn it to the ground is definitely tactical, or bold braveness, and not ever short sighted emotional outbursts or (often alcohol driven) lapses in self control. Nope nope, all totally tactical, just, sowing fear, shaking hearts and minds, or something. For sure.   Did you or someone you love once worship The Seven in secret? Secret, no, her other parent was pretty openly a child of the seas and follower of Laido, but ocean fae wander like the tides and waters, and mainly Melxy has only heard stories, never met them. Somewhere far south. Her mother would always give offering and respect, while out in the deep water, but not in the harbours. Pirates are masters of subtly and intrigue, after all. What does “faith” mean to you now that all official worship is banned? Lie better. Laws for for the weak and feeble, and no would be king has the right or power to dictate what can be worshipped or believed. Not that the gods seem to be stepping up much. But whether or not faith is deserved, has nothing to do with ignoring its being 'banned'.   Have you ever lied about your beliefs to survive? Absolutely. Masters of subtlety and intrigue, after all. Trust and honor are just tools and weapons to be leveraged against non-pirates, or other pirate crews. Do whatever serves best in a given situation.   Do you carry a token, relic, or text of the old faith? As above, coin size token slotted inside of her belt buckle. What rumors have you heard about the Emperor’s divine patronage? Pft, divine patronage. Craven coward lies like a pirate that lost their sense and tact and spine. All fake, trying to scare people into compliance. Which is pretty piratey, but, he's no pirate, so no respect for it goes to him.   Were you ever a cleric, priest, or acolyte before the Vimor Empire rose? Nope. Favored by Laido, sure, what with the natural affinity to storms. Probably an inherited gift, or blessing come from her more wayward lineage.   Have you ever seen a Rose Knight in person? What did they do? Arguably, if they were on the damnable airships. There was too much going on on the sea for Melxy to fly up and check though. By the time she had a moment, the cowardly flying ships had already fled out of sight.   What is your opinion of the Emperor? Why do you fear (or admire) him? Low. Land loving tyrannical coward, holed up in his fortress, away from the seas, running for the fight. No respect for the land, the gods, the people, or the seas. Everyone deserves to get pirated, but if anyone deserves a double or even triple pirating, its probably him. Did your family benefit from the fall of the Theocracy of Brafon? The general chaos and lack of organized resistance made it easy to grow and raid. A lof people looking to flee, or sign up, or resist, a lot of contraband to trade. Any collapse of order is positive, in that its lucrative, for both money and power.   Have you ever impersonated a soldier or noble of Vimor? As a master of piratical subtlety and intrigue, she absolutely would. Though her, definitely orcish frame, does make it somewhat difficult to pass off as one.   What’s one law of the Empire you break regularly? Anti-piracy. Or theft. Or assault. Or respecting the crown and its agents. Or drunken disorderly. Public indecency, that one time, but there was a lot of alcohol involved, so that doesn't count.   What do you believe happened to Emperor Vimor? Melxy has not cared enough to look into or theorize on this subject.   What did you lose during the recent dream invasion? Melxy being a recent arrival has not yet run into this, but it sounds like a weak minded land lubber issue. Dreams are just dreams. What are they, scared children?   Do your dreams still feel wrong, fractured, or invaded? Nope, still just dreams of the ocean. Sometimes the fresh salt air, sometimes the sharp of storms and icy rain, peals of thunders charging her very bones to move. Sometimes, burning, choked black smoke muffling the dying screams of everyone she loves, just beyond her reach, as more mage cannon scream down from the skies above, like hateful stars, turning the whole world to pain and suffering. Buts not scary, just dreams. Pirates aren't scared of dreams, her eyes just water after those ones because of the memory of smoke stinging them, that's all. They're just dreams. Did you see something during the invasion no one believes? Missed it in full. Probably overblow, honestly. Sounds pretty unbelievable. City folk generally exaggerate everything anyway. Probably just a couple larges rats or something.   What creature or horror from beyond dreams still haunts your mind? Airship. Arcane cannons. Rose Knights. Real monsters, not the imaginary ones the weak minded dream up. Were you changed by the invasion — physically, mentally, or magically? Nope, full skipped. Probably would have just laughed through it though. Was probably just a stray with a paw caught in a grate, and they flipped out at all the caterwalling.   What dream or vision saved your life? Lilac. Its a strange smell out on the ocean. Blends oddly with the salt air. She wouldn't mention it, nor point out who its one of Laidos symbols, but she rightfully should have been asleep when the empire struck the fleet. Not chasing a faint phantom smell low through the waves. Not, safe, when everyone else was... It couldn't have been Laido anyway. If a god acted in mercy, they would have saved everyone, not just one orc girl. It was, just sleepwalking, or a dream, surely. Luck.   What part of Lexica do you know better than anyone else? The airship routes and docks. What cloud patterns change or delay paths, which have cargo worth pirating, coming in or out. Which route have the lightest patrols or guards, and can go the longest with an absence unnoticed. Important pirate things. Even if she's not yet had the opportunity to act on it, leg work is important. The day will come.   Who do you owe a debt to in the Ash Knives? Maybe owe a couple a second smile, gutlessly sewer dweller thinking they're worth spit. Not one of them would last a day on the open ocean. Lack of respect for real criminals and rebels, like pirates are. Even half of one of her mothers B crews could wipe the whole wannabe lot, in a straight fight. Wouldn't even break a sweat doing it. What secret path, ruin, or locked place have you always wanted to explore? There are fairy tales about giant cities, hidden above, in the clouds, dripping with diamonds, and gold, and magic. That sounds like an amazing adventure.   What do the people whisper about under their breath in the streets? Small useless things mostly. Most people have small lives, and small minds, prefer to be safe than free. Freedom isn't for the many, who would choose the secure cage of a tyrant over choice or needing merit.   What do you fear is hiding in the lower tiers of Lexica? Real pirates fear nothing.   What did you do during the invasion that made you a local legend (or pariah)? Wasn't around for it. Snuck in over the walls a while after, before the guard recovered to watch every square foot of the perimeter again. It was easy for her orcish stealth.   Have you ever heard a voice whisper to you when no one was there? You mean like Laido? It what circumstances would someone ever answer 'yes' to that? There is an obvious right answer, and that right answer is 'no'.   What’s the oldest thing you’ve ever seen? How did it make you feel? The ocean. Its ancient, timeless. Older than the land you see, whose mountains it carved, or the shifting winds blown the world round, and breathed in and out by all things. The ocean was the first, and will be the last. And sometimes, in the quiet of night, under the stars, when the sky and sea are clear like mirrors, and there's no horizon, just ocean wrapped around her in every direction, she can feel it, be part of it, hear its breath, feel its pulse, like they're her own.   Have you ever dreamed of something that came true? Nothing good. Next question. What name do you hear in your sleep that fills you with dread or awe? Open water, for both, depending on the weather. Sometimes together, sometimes just one or the other. But always power, respect, freedom. Those can inspire dread or awe in equal measure, depending how they're aimed and wielded.   Have you ever looked at a person or place and felt that something ancient was watching you through them? No, not watching. Ancient is a big word, and people are small. Even cities, nations, people as a concept, are small and meaningless to truly ancient things. What memory do you have that might not be your own? Some dream of the ocean feel shared. Being the storm, or the wind, or the waves. Maybe they're just dreams, but some feel real enough to be more. Like a memory, something shared, or passed on.