Jeshal the Ironclaw
Captain of the BlackShip
Staff member
Officer: Captain (Commander)
Fortuna Survivor
- Character Biography
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(Imperium Date: No idea, whoops. This wasn’t so much a thread as a post I saved. Document date is from July 2010. Takes place between Wa’Ho’omaha and Peace of Mind. I’m incredibly miffed I can’t find the official thread between Jesh and Tox where all the important things happened. I’m hoping I find it one day in a long-lost folder. This is the prologue to that missing thread. Autos were permitted for all characters not Jeshal)
This was his reason. Every tiny detail of every move he had made since he had arrived in the Imperium and seen that face had been an effort to slide closer to checkmate. Jeshal had not worked hard in order to gain rank. He had worked hard to remain undetected and unquestioned. A patient wait for vengeance had earned him a captain’s wage and put him closer to his target than he had ever imagined. Much of his crew’s distrust had melted under the illusion that he was a lenient, even soft, beast. Those whispers that had crept out soon faded. The Ironclaw was a wet fish. He would never make a move.
Only because it wasn’t in his interest.
Everything was set in place. MAUL would be sure to hush things up if they went awry and it was he who would get his paws dirty without risk to them. His new position as Captain of the Guard had allowed him to order the full regiment to be alert for a possible attack on the palace, keeping them off the streets. His excuse for not being with them was simply fobbed off as the Minister of War’s request.
It was now the twilight hours of a night in port. Most of the crew were either asleep or gone ashore to their own homes or the drunken solace of a tavern. Jeshal stalked the deck of his ship, clad in his flowing black Agent cloak. His muzzle was covered with a piece of black cloth and his claw kept hidden within his garments. Ensuring all was quiet, he approached the sleeping quarters of Second Mate Rogue. It was why she had been chosen for the position – an opportunity to catch her alone.
“Miss Rogue,” Jeshal called in his most authoritative voice. “Yer presence be required topside. If ye be in, meet me in five minutes.” Making sure his sandals flopped loudly, he walked in the direction of the stairs. He then crept back in the opposite direction and waited. A few minutes passed and Armina came hurrying out. She made for the stairs, her back to the fox in hiding. Jeshal stole up behind the unsuspecting vixen and backhanded his gauntlet against her skull. Miss Rogue slumped unconscious. With any luck, she would wake up believing she had been hit with the flat of a blade. Quickly, the fox captain lifted Armina and returned to her quarters. He pulled down his mask and hood before entering, and was greeted with the stare of two pairs of kit eyes. Jeshal was relieved Redford was absent from the scene. There would almost certainly have been a bloody mess to clean up.
“Unc’e Jesh!” Aille squeaked and scurried closer, stopping when she noticed the vixen in his arms.
“Woss wrong wiv Auntie ‘Mina?” asked Vald.
Jeshal smiled without the trace of his usual smirk. “Miss Armina be worn out from carin’ fer you little monsters, says I. She’ll be righ’, that she will. Jus’ needin’ a spot o’ pillow-chewin’.” He laid Armina upon her bed and pulled the sheets across her. Then he turned back to the kits.
“Now,” he said. “Since ‘Mina be needin’ ‘er rest, what do ye think o’ goin’ on an adventure where we won’ be botherin’ ‘er? It be well pas’ yer bedtime, thinks I, but wharr’if we don’ tell yer mum?”
“A haventure?” Vald looked excited.
Aille chewed her lip. “Mum’ll be cross.”
Jeshal feigned a sigh and pulled a small pouch from within his cloak. As he did he replied, “I be yer mum’s right paw beastie now. She can tell me off, I promise. An’ that be if she finds out.”
“Izzat candied chess’s?” They were too busy looking at the pouch. “Gimme, gimme! I wan’!”
Jeshal pocketed the pouch. “Only adventurers be allowed sweets.”
“We be havent’rers!” Vald scoffed. “Aren’ we?” He nudged his sister, who nodded in agreement.
“Be that so?” the Ironclaw grinned. “Want ter see a castle?”
Both kits’ eyes lit up. Under the pretence of hiding from their mother, Jeshal donned his hood and mask and led the kits out of Armina’s quarters. He locked the grey vixen in and left the key in the door.
Watched from the rooftops by a few ‘associates’, Jeshal safely escorted Vald and Aille across Bouillabaisse Harbour to the far outskirts of the city. The landscape gave way to open fields and a great, dark-stoned castle loomed upon a hill. The copper todd had recently purchased the property under a pseudonym, but the Gothic structure was all his.
“We get t’ see inside, Unc’e Jesh?” Vald gasped.
“Aye, but on the condition ye don’ be callin’ me that. Jus’ Jesh, little matey. When yer older, ye can call me Cap’n.”
********************************************
After letting the kits run wild until they were exhausted, Jeshal informed them that their mother would be away for at least a day or two, and they were welcome to remain in the east wing of the castle. Distracted with toys, books and sweets, they soon forgot to question him. When the twin kits had been tucked away to sleep, Jeshal retired to a desk across the room and put quill to parchment.
Dear Ms Ryalor,
If you wish to see your kits again, come to the overleaf address. I have eyes everywhere. Do not tell anyone where you are going. Come alone. Burn this letter as soon as you have read it. If you do not, the ship will burn in its stead. Fail to follow these instructions and your children will disappear. Look forward to seeing you again.
Skullbait.
This was his reason. Every tiny detail of every move he had made since he had arrived in the Imperium and seen that face had been an effort to slide closer to checkmate. Jeshal had not worked hard in order to gain rank. He had worked hard to remain undetected and unquestioned. A patient wait for vengeance had earned him a captain’s wage and put him closer to his target than he had ever imagined. Much of his crew’s distrust had melted under the illusion that he was a lenient, even soft, beast. Those whispers that had crept out soon faded. The Ironclaw was a wet fish. He would never make a move.
Only because it wasn’t in his interest.
Everything was set in place. MAUL would be sure to hush things up if they went awry and it was he who would get his paws dirty without risk to them. His new position as Captain of the Guard had allowed him to order the full regiment to be alert for a possible attack on the palace, keeping them off the streets. His excuse for not being with them was simply fobbed off as the Minister of War’s request.
It was now the twilight hours of a night in port. Most of the crew were either asleep or gone ashore to their own homes or the drunken solace of a tavern. Jeshal stalked the deck of his ship, clad in his flowing black Agent cloak. His muzzle was covered with a piece of black cloth and his claw kept hidden within his garments. Ensuring all was quiet, he approached the sleeping quarters of Second Mate Rogue. It was why she had been chosen for the position – an opportunity to catch her alone.
“Miss Rogue,” Jeshal called in his most authoritative voice. “Yer presence be required topside. If ye be in, meet me in five minutes.” Making sure his sandals flopped loudly, he walked in the direction of the stairs. He then crept back in the opposite direction and waited. A few minutes passed and Armina came hurrying out. She made for the stairs, her back to the fox in hiding. Jeshal stole up behind the unsuspecting vixen and backhanded his gauntlet against her skull. Miss Rogue slumped unconscious. With any luck, she would wake up believing she had been hit with the flat of a blade. Quickly, the fox captain lifted Armina and returned to her quarters. He pulled down his mask and hood before entering, and was greeted with the stare of two pairs of kit eyes. Jeshal was relieved Redford was absent from the scene. There would almost certainly have been a bloody mess to clean up.
“Unc’e Jesh!” Aille squeaked and scurried closer, stopping when she noticed the vixen in his arms.
“Woss wrong wiv Auntie ‘Mina?” asked Vald.
Jeshal smiled without the trace of his usual smirk. “Miss Armina be worn out from carin’ fer you little monsters, says I. She’ll be righ’, that she will. Jus’ needin’ a spot o’ pillow-chewin’.” He laid Armina upon her bed and pulled the sheets across her. Then he turned back to the kits.
“Now,” he said. “Since ‘Mina be needin’ ‘er rest, what do ye think o’ goin’ on an adventure where we won’ be botherin’ ‘er? It be well pas’ yer bedtime, thinks I, but wharr’if we don’ tell yer mum?”
“A haventure?” Vald looked excited.
Aille chewed her lip. “Mum’ll be cross.”
Jeshal feigned a sigh and pulled a small pouch from within his cloak. As he did he replied, “I be yer mum’s right paw beastie now. She can tell me off, I promise. An’ that be if she finds out.”
“Izzat candied chess’s?” They were too busy looking at the pouch. “Gimme, gimme! I wan’!”
Jeshal pocketed the pouch. “Only adventurers be allowed sweets.”
“We be havent’rers!” Vald scoffed. “Aren’ we?” He nudged his sister, who nodded in agreement.
“Be that so?” the Ironclaw grinned. “Want ter see a castle?”
Both kits’ eyes lit up. Under the pretence of hiding from their mother, Jeshal donned his hood and mask and led the kits out of Armina’s quarters. He locked the grey vixen in and left the key in the door.
Watched from the rooftops by a few ‘associates’, Jeshal safely escorted Vald and Aille across Bouillabaisse Harbour to the far outskirts of the city. The landscape gave way to open fields and a great, dark-stoned castle loomed upon a hill. The copper todd had recently purchased the property under a pseudonym, but the Gothic structure was all his.
“We get t’ see inside, Unc’e Jesh?” Vald gasped.
“Aye, but on the condition ye don’ be callin’ me that. Jus’ Jesh, little matey. When yer older, ye can call me Cap’n.”
********************************************
After letting the kits run wild until they were exhausted, Jeshal informed them that their mother would be away for at least a day or two, and they were welcome to remain in the east wing of the castle. Distracted with toys, books and sweets, they soon forgot to question him. When the twin kits had been tucked away to sleep, Jeshal retired to a desk across the room and put quill to parchment.
Dear Ms Ryalor,
If you wish to see your kits again, come to the overleaf address. I have eyes everywhere. Do not tell anyone where you are going. Come alone. Burn this letter as soon as you have read it. If you do not, the ship will burn in its stead. Fail to follow these instructions and your children will disappear. Look forward to seeing you again.
Skullbait.
