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− | [[Image:stalkiemcgroper.jpg|frame|left|Stalkie McGroper]]
| + | See [[McGroper]] |
− | {| style="height:200px" border="0"
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− | |'''Name:'''
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− | |'''Stalkie McGroper'''
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− | |'''Location:'''
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− | |[[The Sun God]]
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− | |'''Rank:'''
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− | |[[First Mate]]
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− | |'''God:'''
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− | |Seth
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− | |}
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− | {| border="0"
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− | |+ '''Guilds'''
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− | | [[Galley]] - Master of Soups and Stews -
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− | |}
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− | ==Skills and Knowledge==
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− | June 2007 - Knot Test by Captain Hawk'''2008'''
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− | [[Captain]] [[Full Moon]] - Leather Dedication for Selfless Service.
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− | [[The Harbour]] - Cthulhu for helping them get back on their feet.
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− | [[Rummy]] - For website development.
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− | [[Yeyo]] - Personal Favor
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− | [[Verbena]] - Personal Favor
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− | [[Rogues Picnic]] - Dodgeball, Last Man Standing
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− | Captain Saber T. Katt - Title of Honorary Crew of the Seventh Sin (Scotch Yoga Instructor)
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− | Sir Angus the Black, King of Mottistone - Personal Favor
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− | '''2007'''
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− | [[The Sun God]] - [[Rummy]] for 2007 duties
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− | [[Rogues Picnic]] - 2nd Place in Keg Toss
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− | [[Captain Hawk]] - Belaying Pin for completing knot test.
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− | [[Ships of the Fleet]] - Thank you plaque for 2007 service
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− | Mongolian Weapons - A Chainwhip for help with some disputes.
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− | [[Horni]] - Angel wing favor
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− | [[Fingers]] - Oyster shell pendant
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− | [[Francesca Firedrake]] - Personal Favor
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− | [[Whirly Jig]] - Honorary Membership for repairing Daphne's guitar.
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− | '''2006'''
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− | [[Captain]] [[Amon]] - Favor for organization of the first Paintball/nondrinking event
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− | [[Ships of the Fleet]] - Whatknot for the Picnic
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− | [[Madam Cricket]] - Favor for helping cleanup
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− | [[Captain]] [[Full Moon]] - Favor for helping cleanup
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− | [[Captain Muttq]] - Favor for helping out
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− | [[Captain Morgan]] - Favor for helping out
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− | [[Jess Devyne]] - Heart on and a Gold Screw
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− | [[The Sun God]] - [[Rummy]] for 2006 duties
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− | '''2005'''
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− | [[Captain Hawk]] - Favor for being there | |
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− | == Biography==
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− | '''Chapter 1'''
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− | I'm Stalkie McGroper, AKA Mikey to my friends and family, Mike to my acquaintances and Michael to those soon to be disposed of on a cold mountain road.
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− | I'm Scottish, born of Clan Cameron, and have a tendency to mock the English when I can. Being as my father's abandonment at 8 by his English name donor of a father, it left a sore spot in my upbringing. The Camerons are known as a Military Clan, and my 4 brothers and I were raised as such.
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− | I stepped back out of my impending service, and hit the road freelance to seek my fortune by the sword, blade and pistol.
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− | For many years I served as a mercenary for hire, fighting in Northern wastes, or smuggling in humid swamps and mires of Southern Seas stumbling though opium dens or brothels when not claiming my pay.
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− | After collecting payment for a bounty for the sultan, Al-Azid, I set out for a night of drunken debauchery. This is where I met the [[Master of Assassins]], Jereth, outside a dark Harem in Constantinople. He was a few coins short for admission and promised me a few drinks inside in exchange for this. As I was just freshly paid and the thought of a few drinks and some conversation to pass the time sounded perfect. So I accepted the offer.
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− | I discovered that he was very passionate about his training by fighting monks and the tales of past battles amused me. He told me of his homeland, an Island in the warm western sea and invited me to visit it with him. As beautiful as it sounded I had other matters to attend to for my wanderlust was not yet satisfied.
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− | For a few years I spent in his company looking for work by the highest bidder and selling our talents like some would barter trinkets and wares. We teamed up with many other groups together. Some were strong bonds and fulfilling relationships that endured time. With these occasionally we would meet again for other jobs, so we never said goodbye. We only just waited for the next time to greet each other.
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− | In our line of work it’s too easy to focus on death as an end. The true challenge is finding hope in such grisly work. These friendships were definitely core to our being.
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− | One day we spoke and he was a bit distant. After prodding he told me of a relationship he once had that was lost. He still couldn't get her out of his mind as she had taken a residence in his heart so strong, I’ve never known anything he's cared about more. Except maybe the gold.
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− | He told me he needed to visit his family's home over the sea. When I asked for how long he told me he wasn't sure, but there were ghosts that needed to be put to rest and issues to be addressed. He was so intent it puzzled me. Yet I was curious and felt a longing to see this land he always spoke of so fondly.
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− | We began to travel back to Constantinople as he claimed he could catch fare there for a bit of work. I agreed to travel with him to town, possibly finding myself another adventure.
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− | On the eve of his departure I requested to join him in his journey. He laughed and agreed wholeheartedly.
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− | To celebrate we went to the tavern for a drink. The Tavern was loud and filled with a din almost painful to the ear if it wasn't so much laughter. Much of that night was a blur; I met a few lads that were introduced to me by Jereth. Somewhere the sea of smiles and laughter were drowned out as I blacked out.
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− | '''Chapter 2'''
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− | I woke on the floor of our room in the Inn with the early sun baking my whiskey soaked brain into some sort of mush. Crawling to my feet with a groan I glanced at his bed only to discover 2 sleeping, ladies. Barely covered by the sheets, their tousled hair framing their faces.
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− | I quirked a bloodshot eye and fired up my pipe, Half unbelieving my eyes, the other half used to seeing such a spectacle I looked out the 2nd floor window filled with the invading sun. Shielding my eyes I looked towards the docks, and spotted Jereth. I saw him board a vessel named [[The Raging St. Mae]], with the most beautiful captain I’ve ever seen standing stoic and strong bracing against the wind from the forecastle. A powerful crew tended their duties, racing between line and tackle, or scaling the rigging to take position at the lines to release the sails from their security like white billowy hounds barking to the end of their leash.
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− | I saw Jereth point towards me and nod in a gesture of acknowledgment that I could see him. I threw my stray belongings in my pack and slung it over my shoulder, took another glance at the ladies and smirked as I made my way out to the ship. The ship's [[Master Gunner]] stepped from the quarter deck after depositing shot by the swivel gun as a giant of a man rose to meet him with a keg of powder. I'd never seen a finer vessel.
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− | Meeting with Jereth he explained that he catches a ride between bounties and that they were all of the same cut of cloth. Pirates, vrijbuiters and even a few English privateers all banding with an assassin? The idea was laughable. But it got even more surreal. He explained there was the Madam's House, a Thieves’ Guild, their own private Harbour as well as several powerful ships in the fleet.
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− | I made my mark on this ship as a seaman and was told we were setting sail for the haven of [[Eilean er Coayl Grayse]] .
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− | I learned quickly to step to when ordered, and hold fast when needed. I assisted [[Captain Hawk]] with whatever duties she needed done to the best of my ability as she explained to me that many of her crew were foreigners or left back at port to be picked up later. Soon I rose to the rank of [[Bosun]] thus taking charge of the ship's lines, anchors and crews.
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− | As it turned out there was much discontent with the group, not due to the leadership, but to the boredom that can rake a deck of morale worse than any broadside. [[Father Gooey]] the ship's pilot suggested a game of blanks. When all looked puzzled I explained that we load our pistols with nothing but powder and fake duel with each other for sport and the loser "plays dead". The crew looked a bit baffled but went along with it despite their caution. And they had a grand time.
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− | Whilst at sea we came face to face with a gale of such magnitude many of our crew were lost, drug off the decks and swept out to sea. Many of the crew thought us completely lost and once losing the will to fight chose to end their lives by jumping from the craft almost happily disappearing in the angry waves.
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− | Little did I know tailing us was another craft The Wolfsbane that picked up those members so they weren’t lost. As the storm cleared they hailed us and I met [[Captain Morgan]]. He was hearty man with a salt and pepper beard and a big grin. As it turned out they were one of the members of the fleet that Jereth had spoken of.
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− | The members that had jumped from the deck of the Raging St Mae decided to stay under Captain Morgan's command. This was baffling to me that in such a chaotic band of rogues, that there was free will, choice and democracy.
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− | This was never allowed anywhere else I had encountered. Not even in the brothels and harems from which I came.
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− | Dinner was served of a massive egg dish that was like an omelet liberally drenched in rum. The size was immense, dozens and dozens of eggs must have comprised this dish, to which [[Captain Morgan]] laughed and told us the story of the merchant vessel they had just scuttled that was taking provisions to Curacao. We all consumed our fill had a boisterous toast and soon were on our way.
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− | 5 months passed and I saw a shape on the western horizon was silhouetted by the setting sun. Upon seeing my smile Jereth leaned to me and said,
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− | "There it is brother. [[Eilean er Coayl Grayse]]!"
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− | '''Chapter 3'''
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− | As we pulled into the quay and up to the dock I noticed the people swarming about the weather worn planks. Some were franticly running to assist while a strong man in white and teal barked orders at them next to a cage with a skeleton trapped inside. He stood shorter than most but was twice as strong. His goatee was all that could be seen from our angle on deck with the exception of his mouth when he bellowed.
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− | They tossed a few lines and soon we docked flush with the gangway on larboard. We rested between two other ships in the port, [[The Rising]] and [[The Lady Sinister]]. The 2 crews were laughing and yelling crude yet humorous insults at each other over our ship. It seemed that it was all in jest but the tone to an outside ear sounded almost invoking some sort of fury between the crews. [[Captain Hawk]] just cracked a smile and shook her head as she saw at my confused brow. She cocked her head and shouted a retort when one Captain Whistled under his yellow banner. It wasn't what she said that mattered, it was the way she said it.
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− | Cool and commanding in a tone that hushed the crowd momentarily so the soft sound of the waves lapping the hull could be heard.
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− | The yellow bearded Captain stood up with a big grin and threw his arms out shouting "What?!"
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− | To which the crew resounded with a thunderous roar of drunken laughter.
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− | "That's my brother's ship." Jereth told me smiling as he gathered his things and pointed at [[The Rising]]. "He has a tendency to get a little crazy. You'll meet him later." And he ended with his laugh I had learned was a forewarning of impending chaos.
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− | I gathered my sea bag and basket hilt and walked up the pier to a small community area where songs and revelry could be heard wafting down the slope to the shoreline, about 10 leagues away. Towards the end of the dock I ran into the man of White and Teal. And quite literally. I had to catch my footing momentarily and he stuck out a big tattooed arm to keep me from falling over the side.
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− | "Whoa there Chief! Watch yerself, I don't wanna have to jump in after ya."
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− | "Thank you sir!" I laughed embarrassed by my misstep, "And whom do I ask, am I addressing?
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