September 8th
Isla Empieza

OPEN TO ALL PLAYERS, CURRENT AND PAST!!

There is a faint ringing in your ears that's not unpleasant and a strange sense of something that might be a little hard to identify. The explosion scattered people far and wide, even the strongest unable to stand up against it, but opening your eyes you will see a blue sky -- scrubbed clean of green clouds and turmoil. In the near distance, there are the cheery tones of a fountain. In the far distance, the sound of the sea and calling seagulls.

Isla Empieza lies in ruin still, and there are corpses here and there. Some old. Some new. But even they seem to be at rest.

At some point not long after, Dog will step up through the rubble to take the Piedra Roja from the hands of the one who holds it. She looks at it for a moment, the pulsing glow of the stone flickering across her unmasked and otherwise plain looking face. Somehow, she looks invigorated simply by holding the stone.

"Ye'll have twelve more hours, or thereabouts, ta make yer decision," she says. "My Meep and I can keep it goin' for that long, I think. Stay or go as ye choose. But make yer choice wisely. There's no goin' back after this."

But then, after a moment, she smiles. And it doesn't seem she's quite used to it, but it's a genuine emotion of happiness and, maybe, relief?

"Yer the biggest bunch of morons I've ever come across," she says. "But thankee." Then she covers the gem with her hands and lifts her head.

"But before then, let's have a celebration! I'm sure we can bully somethin' up! And ye can't go wi'out a party ta send ye off!"

So enjoy your twelve hours, outworlders. Choose your fates, but heed Dog's warning. If you choose to leave, you cannot come back. If you choose to stay, you might well never return home.

And if you do decide to escape this world, know that the only path open to you is the one that will return you to your own home. You'll find yourself brought back to the exact moment you were pulled from, none the wiser that you had this adventure. Oh, there might be a stutter in your step for a moment. A fleeting feeling of surprise to be where you are, that you will quickly decide makes no sense before you go about your day.

At night, however, you might find your dreams strange. Full of wispy memories that vanish like tendrils of smoke should you try to latch onto them. The smell of saltwater might fill your senses, and perhaps you feel a gentle rocking, like you're asleep amongst unfamiliar ocean waves. There could even be the thumping of a heartbeat, and the fading image of a pulsing red jewel.

But all of that is ridiculous.

Because surely you never visited another world, or lived a second life as a pirate.


...Right?

August 31st - September 7th
Isla Empieza

OPEN TO ALL PLAYERS, CURRENT AND PAST!!





As the battle with Davy Jones rages on, down below the city of Isla Empieza, in a mysterious seaside cave, a few outworlders are attempting to reach a certain pirate's heart. The path is dangerous, but once they finally make it across the blood-like pool, Celestia begins to sing.

While she does, the water around them starts to bubble and churn ominously. The pulsing red light seems to flicker for a moment, and the thumping sound stutters along with it before it picks up again in tempo, growing louder as the song continues.

The shard inside the heart starts to glow, matching Celestia's own glowing horn, and it almost seems to be vibrating from within its place in Davy Jones' heart. Waves crash against the small bit of rocky ground Celestia and Lyrik are standing on and as the crescendo in Celestia's song reaches its climax, the shard rips free of the heart, zooming toward the pair before slamming to a halt in midair and hovering innocently in front of them, pulsing gently—

And then the water in the cave explodes around them.

The heart left behind shudders angrily as a screeching sound bursts from it, then it crumples in on itself, shriveling and turning black, eventually crumbling until there's nothing but dust left.



Above them, something odd happens in the fight with Davy Jones. For a moment, he lurches forward and collapses as though someone dealt him a particularly heavy blow. It's not his attackers, though, but rather a keenly felt sense of something very wrong happening. A cold feeling of dread that lances his chest, settling in the empty spot where his heart should have been. The heart that no longer exists... That has been destroyed by the very outsiders that he himself called upon to aid him in returning it to his rightful place through the blasted Piedra Roja.

Lucky for him, at least, that Cat provided him with this body to work with. This vessel that seems yet unwilling to give up.

Will an almighty bellow, he'll charge back into the fight, but it's different now. More will be able to land a hit, and the damage will be felt. Davy Jones is weakened, and now is the time to finish what's been started.

But, as with all injured things, he will lash out more viciously now. Dangerously. And he will be desperate to get his hands on the one thing that will finally, finally still be able to restore him and make him whole.



Elsewhere, near that mysterious mermaid fountain, another young pair is pestering Meep. Draco and Ariel, back in this world again, discovered the soft melody the man had left in the journals and decided to actually make use of it. With Ariel singing and Draco keeping watch, the two of them summon all the shards of the gem to themselves, watching as they join together piece by piece in the air above the mermaid statue's outstretched hand.

Unfortunately for them, such a sight is not easily ignored, nor is the power rippling off the gem as it slowly forms again. Davy Jones, battered and almost defeated, finds within him the strength to make one last furious bid for the thing he has so long searched for. Decades of being trapped at the bottom of the ocean, betrayed by his crew and with only limited magic at his disposal, built up over the years until he could use it to pull in others to do his bidding, bitterly having to rely on them, wait for them, wait for even one thing to go his way...

It all comes down to this.

With a roar, he breaks free from the battle, lunges for the Piedra Roja with all his might, and when his hand closes around the complete gem, victory right there in his grasp—

The world seems to shift and tighten as lightning cracks and Davy Jones opens his mouth, but it's Dog's voice that speaks, rising from the mist.


"Are ye lot daft?! Cut off his fucking hand!"


It's up to you to save the day as the final battle draws to a close.

August 31st - September 7th
Isla Empieza

OPEN TO ALL PLAYERS, CURRENT AND PAST!!





The time has come. The way to Empieza is open. The mists still swirl around and the low, greenish cloud hangs heavy over the island, flickering with green lightning. But now there is a way to get in and a place to weigh anchor. The Navs seem to have stopped functioning, though. Pity.

In any case, there is a path to the central plaza of Empieza, bordered on either side by mist that feels caustic to the touch and seems almost ready to break free. From either side and within the mist are screams that linger as they fade, rattling growls, and other sounds that could induce nightmares in even the bravest of souls.

And somewhere in the mist lies Davy Jones, the rest of the shards, and a battle that will decide the outcome of this world...and yourselves.

Who: Anyone who expressed interest in going after Meep and received a letter from Scurvey Dog.
Where: Anygrav Moon
When: August 9th-22nd
What: The mission begins! Dog asked for help rescuing Meep and it's you lot who've responded. Try to bring him back in one piece, eh?
Warnings: Possible violence...?
Style: Any!
Status: Closed to those involved!

The island is covered by a familiar mist that rolls across the ground. Fortunately for you, it's not going to bring nightmares to life this time, but it definitely lends to the general feeling of unease that fills the place. That isn't helped by the fact that though the population here was never very large, it certainly must be even smaller now.

It's the dead, lifeless husks along the beach that make that much obvious.

There's no sign of battle, and all the bodies appear unmarked. It's as though they suddenly dropped right where they were standing, as if something completely and abruptly drained them of energy.

Watch your step as you make your way inland. Wouldn't it be a shame if the same thing happened to you?

Who: The Strawhats
Where: Sailing Log, Legends of the Hidden Island 05/02-05/03, Sakura Drift 05/05-?
When: 04/26th-?
What: Sailing around, doing typical Strawhat type things
Warnings: None
Status: Semi-open. If you're around feel free to drop in

( To a real goodbye )

Who: The Golden Lion Pirates, the Straw Hat Pirates, and YOU!
Where: Gamboller's Berth
When: Evening of Saturday, April 18th
What: Two captains throw two vastly different parties in order to gain supporters.
Status: About as open as it gets!

( It was the best of times, it was the... probably pretty good times too. )

WELCOME NEW CHARACTERS!
Have an intro log for the month of April!

Who: Any and all new characters, as well as anyone hanging out on or around Isla Empieza!
Where: Near the fountain in the town center.
When: New characters will arrive around April 9th! The log is good for as long as you need it.
What: You've just been dropped on your head in a weird new world. Time to figure out what the heck is going on!
Status: VERY OPEN.

Spring has arrived in Empieza! The days are cool and occasional thunderstorms growl through the night. If the citizens of Empieza seem more anxious than usual, it's because of the pirates that aggressively roam the streets, hunting for fresh meat -- either for shanghaiing or sport. If you don't wish to be coerced to sail under the flag of Ammon the Bloody, it's best to stay out of their way.

Feel free to throw your characters here if you need a place for them to get situated and start figuring things out! Start new threads, tag into others, meet the people who might just become part of your crew! Older characters will be in and out, too, depending who is on the island at the current time.

HAVE FUN! And welcome to High Seas!

Who: The Straw Hats
Where: Sailing log en route to Gamboller's Berth With a pitstop at Empieza.
When: March 30th-April 7th: Sailing, April 8th-11th Empieza
What: Bubbling and other shenanigans
Warnings: The usual


( let the chaos begin )

Who: The Crooked Bone Boys, Esper "the Conflagration" Jones, and you!
Where: All over the high seas!
When: Tuesday, March 24th
What: Fighting, fire, winning, losing, and a whole lot of smack talk.
Warnings: Just your usual potential battle-type violence.
Style: Any!
Status: Open!


( Or You'll Walk the Plank )

Who: The Spades, Straw Hats, Bloody Roses, Golden Lion Pirates and anyone else
Where: Sailing, Deesuko Ballia and Serenes
When: Sailing: 11th-18th, Deesuko Ballia: 20th-?, Serenes: 22nd-?
What: Everything this chaotic mess of people can get up to
Warnings: The usual


( you belong to me. )

Who: The Straw Hat Pirates
Where: Sailing around for now in search of adventure
When: 3/12-?
What: Sailing, booze rain, pinchy fingers and new crew
Warnings: the usual
Status: Open

( At least someone is going to be happy )

Who: The Straw Hat Pirates
Where: Aquatica Paradise
When: Feb 27th-?
What: Fun, passion, possibly some drowning
Warnings: the usual
Status: Open to any who want to stop by..

( what could go wrong? )

Who: Open to all!
Where: On the seas, in the general southeast direction of Himmelen
When: Anytime February 20th - 25th
What: Sea battle with a whole mess of kraken
Warnings: Possible violence and kraken death
Style: Any
Status: Very open!

If you'll recall, our dear Meep mentioned several weeks ago that there was a poor sad lonely shard left behind out in the big ocean. Questioners on the post were told it was south and east, very near a kraken spawning site. And kraken are so very aggressive this time of year...

They've migrated north a bit since then, unfortunately headed right towards an island where very recently, many crews were conveniently all grouped together.

So be careful when you take your leave. Many a ship have met their doom trying to pass through kraken-infested waters. It's not easy to break free when those tentacles ensnare you!


How It Works

Fight alone, fight with your crew, or team up with others, however you want to go about it is up to you! The prize will go to an individual crew, though.

You have until 11:59PM (EST) on Sunday, March 1st to do the following:

♦ Crews with 4 people or less must have a minimum of 20 comments.
♦ Crews with 5 people or more must have a minimum of 25 comments.

If the total number of comments from all involved members on your crew reaches the required amount by the deadline, COMMENT HERE with your crew name and pick a number 1 - 100.

After midnight, the mods will use a RNG roll to determine which lucky crew defeated the kraken that just so happened to accidentally be carrying a small shard with it.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask them here! Aside from the first two comments, the rest of the log is yours to attack as you will.


Good luck!

Who: Contestants, judges, audience members.
Where: Himmelen
When: February 14th
What: Just a game of love, one of the highlights of the festival, and entertainment for all.
Warnings: Probably cursing and secondhand embarrassment.
Style: Any
Status: Semi-open

( Baby Love Shack )

Who: Everyone~! <3
Where: Himmelen
When: February 12th-15th
What:A wonderful festival filled with various expressions of love, schmaltz, food, games, romance and prizes.
Warnings: Well it is about love~ So plan accordingly. (Though if threads do veer into nsfw territory, please mark it)
Style: Any
Status: ~~Open~~

( love is all you need )

Who: The Strawhats and Hazmats
Where: Sailing log for now, destination TBA, but eventual stop at Himmelen
When: February 1st-?
What: Sailing, shenanigans, close encounters and likely awkward situations
Warnings: the usual

( being a pirate through it all )

Who: Everyone involved in Death Day
Where: Noctem
When: January 21st-25th
What: Taking on Hawtrey, destroying shrines, and raiding his supplies. Surviving Noctem...or not. With a good dose of nightmares in between.
Warnings: Language. Violence. Trauma. It's an island of nightmares. Expect the worst.
Status: Open to all.

( than are dreamt of in your philosophy )

Who: Zoro and Sanji
Where: aboard the Million Merrily
When: January 6th. Arbitrarily.
What: fighting. Knock-down drag-out fighting.
Warnings: violence and all the swearing
Style: the usual
Status: closed to these two

( You hit me, I hit you back )

Who: The Strawhats & Spades
Where: Centaurea
When: December 5th-?
What: Horsing around, questing, and general shenanigans
Warnings: None
Status: Open to anyone passes through


( It's beginning to look a lot like chaos? )

Who: Everyone!
Where: Haus Island
When: November 21st-23rd
What: The Wonderful Feast of Fools
Warnings: Food, riddles, food, unwise sleeping, food, creepy dolls, and maybe a drink or two.
Status: Very open!

( What could go wrong? )