Mayir is a captain and this is a naval meeting, so he of course is in his dashing captain attire, hat and all. He of course moves to sit with Magpie, but then notices he is with Victus. A pause. And then he goes and sits with Magpie anyway. "Hi!"

Sorrel makes her way downstairs and allows her gaze to scan over the crowd. She looks somewhat thoughtful at the assembled crowd, and then goes to sit over on the Shark Couch.

Sorrel has joined the Shark Couch.

Ian is standing a little ways into the room, looking around. He nods when Katarina smiles at him, and bows over his cane to Ford when he passes.

Magpie grins when Mayir shows up. "Hey man. You made it." The sailor greets, holding a hand out for a brief clasp to his fellow captain.

Joy, a tiny kitten of impossible softness arrives, following Darrow.

Ford gestures Ian over, pulling out a chair for the man next to him.

Estaban comes walking into the Thrax Estate looking aroun his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, he seems curious as he looks about he has come for the meeting. His blue eyes fall onto the crowed that is gathering looking over each person who is here.

Ian goes to sit in the indicated seat.

Eshra has joined the Cross Alcove.

It's not unusual for the Cross Halls of Thrax to become an interim war-room during these troubling times. Victus has hosted several already and today was no different. As per usual, the room was set up with all seats facing outwardly to the front of the room. That's where the High Lord stood in front of an expansive map of the Saffron Chain. Specifically highlighted was the Duchy of Setarco, with several markers to make up a rough estimate of the Compact Fleet's position laid out clearly. The other end of that map hold a very crudely drawn black spot, with arrows pointing forward all across the island.

The armored man turns from the board to look across the room. "Good evening." He speaks in a low, gruff tone. "For those of you who ain't acquainted," He smacks his chest with a fist, "Victus Thrax. As of the moment the 'Grand Admiral' of the Compact's combined power at sea for the duration of this war. If ships of your house have come to lend a hand, then I will be your commanding officer in this upcoming battle." His calloused hands lock behind his back with fingers intertwined. "I will be brief. We will sail to the defense of Setarco against a force made up of pirates and those stricken by... most ordinary ailments, pertaining to their leader. The one who calls himself the Pirate King. The full might of our naval power is estimated to be somewhere within the range of 1800 ships. The enemy is believed to have a fraction of that at potentially 500. We are not certain of their numbers, but this is a close guess from what our information foretells."

Darrow strides in with a pair of Darkwater marines and a captain, a wind-battered man and the captain of his wavecutter. The other three peel off, and the grim knight continues towards the table with an intent, far-reaching look on his pale blue eyes. He bows his head to Victus, the other Thrax lords, and moves for a seat, with little other fanfare.

1 Navegant Marines, Dahlia, a confident red and white corgi puppy, Winter, a juvenile Oakhaven bloodhound arrive, following Skye.

Caspian's eyes are on Prince Victus as the man speaks, listening to him speak, elbow upon the table where he sits. Though his eyes catch Lord Darrow and his guards, and the kitten following him, unable to hold back a grin he rises up to move to sit near his patron, wherever that might be.

Katarina settles into a comfortable silence with her couch mates. Hers is an expression of quiet contemplation when Victus opens up with an introduction and the ensuing estimated numbers. Her fingers curl beneath her chin, golden eyes floating toward Sorrel briefly in unspoken acknowledgment to accompany her close-lipped smile to the newly arrived princess.

Skye has joined the Cross Alcove.

Ford pops open his notebook and starts to make appropriate notes, furrowing his brow slightly as he writes.

Magpie sits back lifting a brow at the numbers listed. "Huh. Not such bad odds.." The man murmurs softly.

Darrow has joined the Slightly uncomfortable temporary seating.

Skye quietly slips into the hall and flushes when she realizes she's a bit late. She scans the room and finds a nice quiet alcove that's out of the way. Then she brings out her note book, and listens as others remark on Victus' words.

Ailith calmly observes the Grand Admiral as the plan is unfolded. Her blue eyes glance briefly to the map, turning only to bow her head properly when Sorrel joins them at the couch.

Wash deposits himself near Ford and Ian, so they can compare notes, when necessary.

Chief Rin Redreef arrives, following Catalana.

Catalana arrives, following Margot.

Eshra folds her arms as she leans back against the wall in the alcove her dark gaze sliding around the room before settling on the Grand Admiral, brow arching just a little otherwise the Rivenshari simply stands silently and listens.

Margot slips in with Catalana, a little late but... fashionably late?

It would help if Ian were taking notes, but he's not. He seems to just be here to listen.

Ian has joined the Somewhat comfortable temporary seating.

Estaban has joined the Shark Couch.

Peri has joined the Slightly uncomfortable temporary seating.

Sybilla, the Lenosian lady's maid, 5 Velenosa House Guards arrive, following Eleyna.

Wash has joined the Somewhat comfortable temporary seating.

Margot has joined the Somewhat comfortable temporary seating.

Catalana has joined the Somewhat comfortable temporary seating.

Lucita listens attentively, staying silent.

Margot leads the lady over towards where her husband sits and settles down there, her expression thoughtful.

Victus remains looking out to the gathering as he lets that bit of information seep in. If notes were being taken, now is certainly the time. "Now, I realize those odds might sound very good on paper. But there are other factors to be considered. I should also add, these factors are most ordinary. Not magical, nor strange at all. All, very, very, /normal/." He narrows his gaze, locking eyes with several in case that point needed to be any clearer. "... Zealots of the so-called Pirate King are rather hard to take down as most, for whatever reason, do not adhere wholly to most human weaknesses. Piercing and fire seem to be most ineffective, as they produce soldiers on fire who wish to kill you. Slashing is so far found to be the best course of action, as well as utilizing the weakness that many of them are pretty fucking dumb."

He gives a shrug as he turns to gesture down to the black spot upon the map. "We can also be certain that for whatever reason, sea-creatures have a tendency to side with our enemy. Them being sharks, sword fish, and of course one very large, very giant squid. We can assume that anywhere these fleets land, they'll likely bring their pets with them. So while we do have the numerical advantage, we have the stark disadvantage of only being mortal. Which for some reason, is a factor." He echoes. "A completely /normal/ factor."

Eleyna arrives slightly late, but she doesn't look flustered. Instead, she arrives quietly and gazes about for an available seat.

Catalana moves quietly with Margot before settling down next to Wash and Margot, leaning over to murmur softly to her husband.

Magpie nods attentively, muttering. "Very normal." He's not taking notes but he's intently studying the map, leaned forward a little.

The hard.. HARD emphasis on just how normal the enemy was causes Ford to lift his head from his notes.

Eleyna has joined the Kraken Table.

Skye blinks and looks around as everyone is talking and then looks back down at her journal as if not sure what to make of these very /normal/ things. The young lady keeps her tongue and just makes some notes.

Katarina smiles wryly at Victus\u2019 constant stressing of the situation at hand being normal, a quiet peal of laughter half-smothered behind the drape of a palm over her mouth. All the while, she maintains hushed conversations at her couch. When she notices Ford, Skye, Margot and Dagon respectively, she waves subtly should she manage to catch their attention.

Margot looks over Catalana as she listens and nods simply.

There's a slight cant of Ian's head and a twitch at the corner of his mouth, but mostly he's just listening right now.

Mayir has joined the Kraken Table.

Gino, a surly sailor, 1 Velenosa House Guards arrive, following Antonio.

Better late than never, Antonio slips into the hall, accompanied by his grumpy runner, Gino.

With a final point downwards to the map, the High Lord draws out a seat at the head of the Kraken Table. "That is for the most part all of the briefing on our enemies capabilities. Now comes the how. Obviously, 1800 ships is a damn clusterfuck of boats. All of them are being drawn from every banner across the Compact. There will need to be a clear-cut chain of command set up. I intend for all of those to act as admirals below my station to be those who are leading their respective houses. Valardin, Redrain, Velenosa, Grayson, so on and so on. I had hoped more would appear tonight, but there's still plenty of planning left to go." He raises a hand. "Beneath those still would be our commanders that are taking the pieces of those fleets so we might work as one cohesive war-machine. There will be plenty of opportunity and assignments for flanking, head-on attack, ranged, charging, and all of that. You get the idea."

He falls into his seat, gazing around at each face. "Questions, comments, concerns, and ideas. Now is the time to speak them as we head-off into the discussion."

Ford lifts his pen.

\u201cHow do you intend to organize those of us who have special tools against the Pirate King and the like,\u201d Katarina takes a stab at the first question.

Margot's lips tighten just slightly at Victus's language. Her blue eyes lift to consider Katarina's question, then she looks to Victus.

Skye raises the hand and asks, "Can we anticipate where our fleets will be meeting? If so, what is the anticipated typography of the battle space in which we are engaging the enemy?"

Skye realizes that it might make sense to add, "In that the bottom...how close to land will we be fighting and do we anticipate strategies that will limit our ability to maneveur or inhibit the enemy as well."

Darrow has joined the line.

Ford has joined the line.

Caspian has joined the line.

"You of course mean completely ordinary, but very helpful tools of war against the Pirate King." Victus intones aside to Katarina with a look. "We haven't a full count of what sorts of those tools are available to us and as such, will have to be dealt with one by one. Once those tool's effectiveness is clearly measured we can put them to use in their own special division." His eyes trail onto Skye next, who he regards with another steady gaze. "My personal thoughts are that the fleet would muster at Setarco itself and from there, we would set out to meet the enemy from a defensive standpoint. Doing so would provide us opportunity to stop them from possibly landing ground forces, but not a guarantee. Conditions that can be expected are unknown. But from my past experiences against these forces, I am imagining it will be... stormy."

Turn in line: Darrow

Wash has joined the line.

Margot does not join the line. She listens instead. Intently.

Catalana was engaged in a quiet conversation at there seat, nodding to Margot for a moment.

Darrow pushes to his feet, gazing over at Victus Thrax. He clears his throat, and asks, "And the Darkwater Watch? When will the navy sail to the relief of the siege? I am on the eve of travel to command the defenses, but ... how long will I and my men need to hold?"

Victus levels his eyes at Darrow more passively. "Originally we had planned to reinforce Darkwater Watch's ground forces, but with news currently being that it is shrouded in fog and upon the Darkwater itself, neither the Ministry or the Crown think it a safe venture to make. However we have all seen the light atop the tower, we know those men still stand. When the enemy is smashed at Setarco and Crovane's armies are liberated of their own siege, we have every intention of coming to relieve the Watch in force. But as it stands right now, without a sizable force backing them, it risks disaster to send any one house's army or risk a half-measure."

Turn in line: Ford

Ford lifts his pen, and glances at his notes before rising to his feet, "For the sake of conversation, let's assume that number, 500, is wrong. Our Friendly Neighborhood Pirate King has been waiting for this for hundreds of years. A meek 500 ships seems a drop in the bucket for what he would need to even put a dent in our combined forces. It's either an intentional ruse, or bad intelligence. If he has the forces to match our own.. is fighting him in the water, his home turf, the wisest course of action?" He pauses a moment, "I personally think a full scale naval battle will not end in our favor. Sure, Thrax and Velenosa have skilled and talented Navies, but the rest of the Compact doesn't have our years of experience, or the experience of the Pirate King himself. I think we'd stand a better chance waiting on shore for his forces to begin disembarking. They would be at their most vulnerable, and ripe for the picking. And the rest of the compact is much more capable on land." Ford gestures back towards Wash and Ian, "We've been dealing with pirates for literally our entire lives, they're often at a considerable advantage on the waves. Even against the most experienced sailors. Getting them on the ground will put us in the position to fight on our terms, especially against very very /normal/ enemies."

Catalana would seem to shift between two conversations at her seating.

Antonio raises a hand at Ford's comment- perhaps having something to say about it.

From her table, Eleyna just -stares- at Ford.

Estaban has joined the line.

Wash put a hand over his eyes and stares at the table.

Mayir has left the Kraken Table.

"Let me clarify, 500 is not the total combined forces of the Pirate King. We are aware of rough estimations of his full force, the number 500 is what we believe to be encroaching on each shore of the Compact with the split divisions of his army. That is, at least, how it would be evenly distributed. As Setarco provides a clear line to the rest of the Compact, assumptions can be made that it might carry the largest armies. But." Victus levels for a moment. "It is not for certain." As he moves to the other of Ford's points, his face clearly drops a tad. "As I also said, these ordinary pirates are a force to be reckoned with in combat. They possess abilities that one might theorize goes beyond mortal capabilities. That's of course just myth though, /no reason/ to suspect there's anything /magical/ behind it." He clarifies, AGAIN, just in case. "Along with that, while the fleet is large, certainly not all of them are a grounded invasion force. If they simply choose not to land, they can easily lay siege to the city with their numbers and starve us out. Without meeting them on a leveled field, we risk being ground out until nothing is left."

He then raises his shoulders in a shrug. "That's how war works." And then his eyes move to Antonio, who he gestures to speak his piece as well.

Magpie glances over at Ford, staring for a moment, then just looks away again and stifles a snicker... surely from something said near him.

Margot's blue eyes turn back to the high lord and those addressing him with a steady calm expression.

6 Thrax Guards arrives, following Galen.

"Two thoughts on this. These will be our home waters. That may give us an advantage. it's also possible that the Gyre's influence might wane so far from the Deeps." Antonio takes a breath, "But the more pressing thought- if we do not try and stop them at sea, there is nothing preventing them from sailing around Setarco, sacking whatever they like or sailing up the west coast and sacking the Oathlands."

Eleyna nods her agreement with Antonio and gives her cousin a faint smile.

Ford draws in a breath and sits down, exhaling slowly through his nose and closing his notebook.

"Well-put." Victus comments aside to Antonio, gesturing for the next to speak up.

Turn in line: Caspian

Skye has joined the line.

Galen slips in quietly, no doubt from seeing to some important military matter or the other. He swiftly makes his way to the Shark Couch and slides into a seat next to Sorrel.

Galen has joined the Shark Couch.

Turn in line: Wash

Wash stands up. "Every house has their own secret code of flags and or horns for communicating between vessels. Is there an individual in charge of creating and disseminating a universal code as such to the combined fleet so as to facilitate communication, and if so, can I offer them my services in this most valuable endeavor?"

Victus raises a brow at that. "To my knowledge, no. Unless one of them is in this room and I'm unaware." He takes a mild look around, just in case. "But if you're volunteering, I got full faith in your capabilities, Admiral. I'm sure there are those here who can help spread whatever messages you create to their own fleets. Good point as well."

"Thank you Prince." Wash sits down again, opens a book and starts sketching out the required vocabulary.

Turn in line: Estaban

Estaban stands up from where he is sitting at the Shark searing, "With us going into battle with the Spirate kings fleet and their /Pets/ would it be a idea to perhaps equip the ships with large nets on each side and have the weighted so if these sea creatures start to attack the ships the nets can be set lose on them and sink them down away from the ships?"

Victus taps his chin in thought. "Nets wouldn't be a bad idea, but would have measured usefulness depending on the size of their pets. We know currently they range from as small as a swordfish to about as large as Dromond warship. Certainly something to consider keeping close at hand, but I would not recommend driving too much resources into them if some won't see any use at all. I would recommend to those that do see useful in it to use and deploy at your discretion."

Turn in line: Skye

Skye has a small map in her journey of the battle area. She is studying it as she waits for her turn. When she's called on, she asks Victus, "Does it make sense to stagger the order of engagement? Engage the enemy fleet partially and then have some of the fleet sitting in the bay of Linosia, which is North of Setarco, that will circle behind so we're taking them on two fronts and potentially putting them into a net that gets tighter and tighter as we sink ships?" She gives a sweet smile, "It keeps our ships more evenly distributed and away from open water where the enemy might have the advantage..." She flushes a little because the odd phrasing is using, "Because of his /normal/ pets."

"To give a broad idea, all 1800 ships would not be smashing in from the same direction of course." Victus adds as he ponders Skye's suggestion. "But specific divisions was another conversation to be had once we know who all would be contributing to leading these vessels. That said, I believe your idea of a pincer maneuver has merit. If you would like to provide more details for such an endeavor, perhaps you would be one such leader if you were interested in working alongside our forces." His eyes also move about the room. "Plans such as those would also be discussed with those who lead your house's respective fleets. If you have ideas to contribute, I would say that a message to your liege wouldn't hurt. Unless of course you /are/ your own liege, in which case, you'll have ample opportunity to bring your shit to the table."

Skye looks very excited, but does her best to contain as she gives a polite nod, "It would be an honor." And then she quietly moves away to give someone else the floor.

The line has been dismissed by Victus.

Magpie glances around and as things seem to be quieting down he'll stand and clear his throat, "High Lord, a quick question. What about all the ships of the humble.. independent ... well.. crownsworn merchant-type folks? Obviously folks like myself that move cargo should stay out of the way, but *where* would be the place for such folks to go? Any plans for that?"

Katarina raises her hand subtly as though she might have words to Magpie\u2019s question.

Margot has left the Somewhat comfortable temporary seating.

Victus shoots an incredibly dry look Magpie's way. "Mags, I've seen your boat. It ain't built for war, even if you have a 'pecker' as your weapon." He snorts once. "But, good question. Independents who don't owe allegiance to the Crown in the same way a lord does... As in, owes their taxes but isn't obligated to throw troops into a grinder that they may not have, are choice unto themselves. If they want to and /you/ want to get out there with the rest of the fleet when we sail, I wouldn't stop you. Hell if somebody owns a 200-ton warship in the Lowers that they're hiding up their ass, I wouldn't ask a damn question if it was being set loose on our enemies to. But whatever ships they own would have to be measured for where they could be best used. So if we do get such volunteers, I'd want to vet them so I know best where they fit." His eyes trail back to Katarina, gesturing for her to add her own comment.

"Oooh, I know my ship can't stand up to the normal normalness out there, but I think others might be interested in staying the hell out of the way, if you know what I mean?" Magpie says. "Last thing you want are other ships wandering through your fleet and not knowing if they're friend or foe..." Then he looks to Katarina curiously.

Katarina shifts forward in her seat, bringing her small frame more visible from behind her curl against Ailith during the meeting. \u201cI\u2019d recommend looking into running supply lines or troop movement. We\u2019re still trying to get an accurate account of the amount of bodies we\u2019re going to be moving, so every ship that can volunteer for ferrying our soldiers and supplies we\u2019ll need during the war will play a crucial part. That is, if you were of mind to do something to assist.,\u201d the young admiral surmises.

Mayir has joined the Kraken Table.

Magpie gives Katarina a nod, "Yeah, alright. I'll pass that along to my merchant friends, your highness." He says before looking back to Victus as he sits down again. There's a nod for something that Mayir mentions more quietly beside him.

Catalana would finally raise her hand, quietly waiting her turn then.

"Supplies will be invaluable. Perhaps more so to the ground troops than the navy, but the crews will need to be well-stocked." Victus agrees, gesturing over to Magpie. "Congratulations Magpie, you are now my go-to contact for supply-running ships and the like. Use your responsibility well." Spoken with that utterly dry cadence to his voice as he nods back to Katarina. "I've heard lots of good suggestions tonight and it sounds like we're buildin' bridges to get us moving forward. Good. If anybody else got anything to say, speak up now. Else, I'll recap and we can call it adjourned."

"Wait.. what?" Magpie utters, staring at Victus and frowning.

"Hail Captain Mapie Merryweather Grayhope. If we starve at sea, we know who to blame!" Wash says saluting the poor shanghaied merchant.

"Oh, no," says Mayir, with the certainty of a fellow who knows HE has just become the go-to contact for supply running ships and the like.

Katarina gives a vibrant laugh at Magpie\u2019s new appointment. \u201cHail the new supply commander,\u201d she cheers along with Wash, raising her glass of rum in salute.

And Catalana's hand went right back down.

After Ian leaned over and said something to her.

Galen shouts out from the shark couch, "Thank you for your service Magpie!"

Victus looks toward Catalana with all the shouting going on. "Yes, Lady Catalana? Final thoughts?"

"I gave you a *bracelet*." Magpie hisses softly in Victus's direction, then looks over to Mayir when he hears that 'oh no' and just smiles, reaching to wrap an arm around his friend's shoulders.

Catalana would smile warmly then as she nodded. "No real final thoughts. I simply with to commend everyone on this joint effort and if needed, I would be more than willing to be help anyone here to welcome home our troops that are wounded and need car."

Ailith has left the Shark Couch.

Magpie twists to look around the room, his blue eyes falling on Galen in particular when the man shouts out his thanks. Then the sailor beckons his retainer over and murmurs to him, sending the fellow over to the others to pass along a message.

"Yes, this was a fairly fruitful gathering I would reckon." Victus nods his head in agreement before standing and addressing the map again for the last time that night.

"So, recap." He begins gesturing across their drawn battlefield. "The Compact's Navy will mass at Setarco itself and make voyage to engage the enemy some miles off the shore. Best case scenario is a full victory without having to give the land forces stationed there any headaches. Divisions of engagement will be drawn to ensure our numbers are fully utilized to pick off the enemy with as little casualty as possible, when chains of command are adequately established. We are prepared to face strength beyond human limitations, and many 'monstrous' pets that may swarm us from below. We will utilize completely ordinary tools that conveniently happen to be very effective on the waves once we've done a tally and vetted where best they will be deployed. Supply lines will be made, preferably out of ports close to our center of operations." He gazes back out over the crowd. "I've nothing further to add. I hope that I'll be seeing the lot of you still alive when we're back on land. I will be meeting with the admirals of the Great Houses to begin with and go down from there." And he gives one flick of his hand. "Adjourned. I will be staying behind if any wish to speak."