The Captains’ CarnivaleMeridian’s Triumph.
Weeks of partying passed in a cacophony of colour and noise, but when the Carnivale’s energy eventually wanes, a clear winner emerges from amongst the competing Captains; Captain Meridian. Celebrated by the people of the Drifting City, Meridian leaves the Carnivale with new allies and resources.
But while fortune favours Meridian, one Captain is not so lucky even as to be able to leave the city...
Each year hundreds of people flock to the Drifting City to celebrate the supposed birthday of Captain Aleutian, the first Pirate Queen. Credited with guiding the southerners to safety in the Whaletooth Archipelago centuries ago and founding the role of Pirate Queen, Aleutian is one of the most significant figures in the Archipelago’s history. The day that she came into the world is marked with appropriate gusto, and the ensuing party can last for over a month.
During times when no Pirate Queen rules the Archipelago, it is customary for those who wish to follow in Aleutian’s footsteps to try to win support by hosting their own event at the Carnivale. To the surprise of none, the four commonly-accepted candidates for Pirate Queen were all in attendance at the Carnivale of 506. With the aid of their crews, each organized a set of challenges for party-goers in the Drifting City. Captain Chomper hosted the “Trial of Faces”, a bombastic beauty pageant where contestants must sell a persona as well as wow the audience with their fashion; Captain Meridian hosted the “Trial of Tongues”, a test of wit where contestants had to earn the favour of the crowd through words alone; Captain Hurricane hosted the “Trial of Storms” where contestants had to - much to the concern of the local firefighters - shatter explosive potions to try to trigger a chain reaction; and lastly, Captain Oarfish hosted the “Trial of Blood”, where contestants fought to first blood using the knives that she provided. Each Captain obtained a set of small tokens to award those who achieve victory in their trial. Between attempts at the Captains’ Trials, the Moon-and-Star Inn became a popular place for Carnivale attendees to relax with a drink. The Moon-and-Star’s owner, Clementia Memento Componere Aequus, accommodated all comers, no matter their history or attitude; all were welcome in their inn!
The Carnivale draws attendees from across the Realm, both to relax and enjoy the Drifting City’s many attractions, as well as to take part in the Captains’ Trials.
The Trial of Tongues received many contestants, though the most memorable of them was the contest of wit between Captain Kraken and the travelling seraphim voidseer, Harbinger. Harbinger fascinated the crowd with tales of her travels and the people she encountered across the Realm. Her words will be remembered by many for years to come. For the Trial of Blood, the most memorable fight was also its most unconventional; the contest between the moon child Psychopomp Ad astra de morte and one of Meridian’s crew members, Fata Morgana. Neither were skilled fighters, and the competition drew many jeers and jests from the crowd. Those who witnessed the round will remember Psychopomp’s antics and lucky victory with amusement when they look back on their memories of this year’s Carnivale. For the Trial of Faces, while many walked down Captain Chomper’s stage and showed off beautiful fashions to the Drifting City, the most memorable entrant was young Peyton Moonlily, who entered into the Trial accompanied by their mother, Meridian Moonlily. Their unique appearance and brilliant colour choices are remembered by many after the Carnivale ends, and for a brief period, blue feathers become fashionable accessories. For the Trial of Storms, few in the city will soon forget the loud rumble when Romeo Headhunter completed his turn at Hurricane’s challenge. Lightning, flame, and other explosive forces flashed through the air as most of Hurricane’s potions were destroyed. For those who enjoyed the thrill of loud noises and explosions, Romeo’s marksmanship will be remembered for a long time.
Weeks of partying passed in a cacophony of colour and noise, but when the Carnivale’s energy eventually wanes, a clear winner emerges from amongst the competing Captains; Captain Meridian and her Trial of Tongues.
Charmed by the wit that she and her contestants commanded, many who come away from the Carnivale begin to think of Meridian as a natural successor to the last Pirate Queen. Meridian responded to the crowd’s attention eagerly, and made several winning speeches before it was time for The Dirty Pearl to depart the Drifting City; a pirate’s life is rarely a restful one, after all. Meridian’s success at the Carnivale makes her many new allies, and her fleet and coffers swell in size as months pass afterward as other pirates seek to get in with a future Pirate Queen. After Meridian, it was Captain Chomper who found the most success at the Carnivale. Long held in a place between terror and adoration in the eyes of the Archipelago as a whole, perhaps it was their unnerving reputation that kept the crowd from fully embracing them. Still, second place was by no means a poor achievement, and Chomper ate up the attention with the same enthusiasm that they approached every meal. When they left to continue their work as a pirate, The Bloody Butcher had gained several new crew members eager to throw off the expectations of common society. Captain Oarfish was irate to be outdone by Captain Meridian and Chomper, and took her third-place status with little excitement. Though she managed to make a few new connections while at the Carnivale, Oarfish’s anger followed her like a thundercloud when she and The Iron Freighter departed the Drifting City. It is of little surprise to anyone when Oarfish begins a spree of violent raids, aiming to buy through blood what her Trial failed to win her at the Carnivale. The Captain who performed by far the worst at the Carnivale was Hurricane, and he shut himself away in his ship, mortified. Days passed, then a week, after the others had departed the city, but the Skywatcher did not move. Gossip circulated about what have kept him in the city - embarrassment over his poor performance at the Carnivale? - before his crew finally announced what happened: Captain Hurricane is dead, slain in his own cabin by an unknown assailant. Everyone in the Archipelago has their own theory about who killed him. A rival Captain - Oarfish had certainly looked ready to kill when she’d left the city - or perhaps an agent of the Sirens - there had been whisperings of the Muse being sighted in the city, and Lionfish gathering like vultures to the Carnivale - or perhaps some nameless, unknown victim of his raids that had finally gotten their revenge. Whatever the cause of Hurricane’s death, the aftermath of it was far more important. While the Skywatcher found a new Captain in former first-mate Deadeye, without Hurricane’s force of personality in command, many of the crew and ships that sailed under his banner scattered to the winds. Some ally with other Captains, while others pursue their own ambitions in the Archipelago. With Hurricane’s death, three major candidates for the role of Pirate Queen remain; Captain Meridian, with a major advantage thanks to her performance at the Carnivale, Captain Chomper, and Captain Oarfish. They are all hellbent on achieving power, and each knows in their heart that they will either reach that goal… or perish, like so many ambitious Captains before them.
The following characters took part officially in the Captains’ Carnivale event. Please @ an admin if you believe anyone is missing!
To reflect the aftermath of the Captains’ Carnivale event, the following site sections have been updated:
A big thank you to everyone who participated in CC, I hope you all had fun with it! This is by no means the end of the story for the remaining three Captains and the Archipelago: through Story Mode activities and future story Events, you will be able to further influence who becomes Pirate Queen... as well as what happens after that.
Our next major event is Path of the Moon, which will begin in July and run through the summer. It tells the story of the Aurora Expedition, a research expedition into the Frozen Gates. Its members are from Dutoria, Nuova Cadere/the Land of Rivers, Xocrium, and hired mercenaries from abroad. Far to the north, secrets await beneath the ice, in a land untouched for over a thousand years... After Path of the Moon, we’ll be having our annual Spooky Challenges event. This year you’ll have the opportunity to design some major tidekeeper NPCs in exchange for an item whose purpose will be revealed during our winter story event... which is all we’ll say about it for the time being. Comments are closed.
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