Post by » Erksta Riverrider on Oct 13, 2007 0:14:27 GMT -5
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Basic Info
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Name: Erksta Riverrider VII
Gender: Male
Species: Otter
Age: 38 Years
Birthdate: October 24th, 1591
Height: 6 foot 4 inches
Weight: 220 lbs.
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Weapons and Ships-------------------------
Weapons: Musket, Scimitar, Pistol
Ship: Starsailor
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History
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Background: Born on the mysterious island of Darlstorm, Erksta Riverrider VII was born to Erksta VI and Losophia (La-SOFE-EE-A), two traveling merchants. They made an honest living, doing good deeds here and there, while remembering to ship cargo from place to place. Thus, the young otter was born into a seafaring family. He spent most of the time with his uncle, Dracko, back on Darlstorm but did take many voyages on the incredible Stormrover. The little dibbun immediately fell in love with the sea, taking pride in his family. But then danger arose. Erksta's father took a job shipping cargo to the isle of Rintique. Before they arrived, with little Erksta on board, a corsair ship bombarded them. They were not under the Black Flag, the emblem of the Corsairs of the Black Flag that live or were docked on Rintique, so it was assumed that they were attacking Rintique. Losophia was badly injured and her husband took her to a doctor on the good island of Coppercastle. Also, the Stormrover needed many repairs. Thus, the new family decided to live at Coppercastle for a while, a bad choice considering the little dibbun they had; he would probably never see Uncle Dracko again!
After a few seasons, the Riverrider family had coped with Coppercastle Island for too long. Though it was a place of goodbeasts with great protection, a fort surrounding the borders and a very defended port, it had very 'rude' beasts. Because of Erksta VI and Lasophia's age when they were married and had a baby otter, the creatures of the island doubted their morals and always gossiped behind their backs. Little Erksta was spoken badly of, too, and they all had enough of it. Besides, Erksta VI no longer had a desire to get back on the seas, so he learned a new profession: blacksmithing. He forged weapons all the time and no longer had time for his family and his son missed him. The little otter craved attention, so when his father was gone at the Forge, he caused ruckus in the port. But he learned the ways of the port, so it was not all bad. However, the otterbabe was now curious. What was this mysterious isle of Rintique and who were these creatures who bombarded their ship? So, the young family, consisting of 23 year-old parents and a 7 year-old son, got back aboard their ship and sailed back to Darlstorm. What would await them there?
Pain awaited them at Darlstorm. Uncle Dracko was gone and nobeast knew where he went. They said he joined a ship and sailed away. Little Erksta was crushed! He barely remembered the wise, old otter, but he did recollect how much he loved him. It was devestating to his father, too, for Dracko was his brother. Deep down, Erksta was a sweet boy, but as so much pain entered his life, he took the aura of a pirate. The otter's mother could no longer to talk to him, but she herself was hurt. With all the troube rising in his life, the young otter, now a matured 9, watched as his parents neglected him, for they had given birth to another boy! As his mind and heart left his family, Erksta VII became seduced by tales of the sea. Whenever a new ship arrived at the Docks, he would rush to the port to hear their stories. The sea was fascinating, so the little otter decided to slip into his father's forge and steal a small, light-weight dirk that he could manage. Slipping it beneath his sash, Erksta then asked his father if they could go on another voyage. However, the little otter was furious at his father's reply. He sold the Stormrover! That ship had been passed down through the generations it would one day be Erksta's, but his father sold it; moreover, he sold it to a stranger!
Erksta VI had promised his son that the Stormrover would eventually be his, so the trust between them was shattered. The sweet little dibbun that captured his parents had now strayed away from his family and grew into a savage, almost vermin-like young otter. The day he turned 11, he left his parents' home. King Darl X of Darlstorm began to raise taxes upon his island's inhabitants and there was a mutiny! Led by former loyalist Captain Shadow, the rebels paraded through the city with torches. Suddenly, two attacks were upon the city. Erksta VI and his family begged for his family and the rebels let them live, but coming from the other side of the island were the beasts. Savage warriors from the Lands of Ice; wolverines and even ermine attacked the city from the home-side! A trebuchet carrying boulders of fire fired into the city, setting the Riverrider home into a big blaze. Their leader could hear the squealing of the innocents and the faces of the poor, but alas, he felt no remorse. He killed the rebels and the loyalists, leaving the island a big mess of blood and fire with some ash. But little Erksta was alive, for he had left the town and found a large hollow-tree to sleep in. However, he got naught but of a wink of sleep and so he traveled back to the town, staying sneaky and hiding in shadows. He heard whispers in the dark of a future raid of Coppercastle as he strolled down the alley-way, on the back-way to his house.
He was so relieved. His family had fled were just returning the same alley-way as their son. But it did not matter, for tears strolled down their faces. There were only two of them: his mother and his brother, Dracko, after his uncle. But then, the young otter told them the truth. He craved to be on the sea. And, luckily, the Stormrover left not long before the raid. Therefore, he could get aboard the other ship that was soon to depart from the Port and find his ship. His father was dead and the ship was his responsibilty. Erksta thought his mother would be mad, but she had told him words that he would never forget. "Follow your heart, Erksta, and never look back. Do what you need to do and never, never return to this cursed place." This made Erksta very relieved; his mother willingly let him go. As their paws seperated and he winked at his little brother, the newly somewhat matured 11 season/year-old otter left the island. His paws carried him quickly and he ran to the docks, just to get a cnance of boarding the new ship. Luckily, he kept the dirk that was hidden under his sash. He laughed as he discovered the captain of this ship. It was Captain Shadow; the rebel escaped, leaving most of his soldiers for dead and was setting sail. Erksta sprinted up the dock and hopped aboard the ship. When somebeast told Quayz Shadow that a stowaway was aboard his ship, the badger laughed and said "the more the merrier!"
Erksta had lost respect for Captain Shadow during the rebellion, but he re-gained it when serving under the badger on the open seas. As a swabbie, his opinion did not matter much, but he still felt obligated to alert the captain that Coppercastle Island was going to be attacked. He told Shadow everything he heard and the badger grew blood-thirsty. The vermin had ruined his rebellion, a battle which he was going to win, until those pesky jerks broke it all apart. And under the influence of his mentor, the otter remembered about the vermin who killed his father and burned his island! Revenge was his reason. He was 13 now and had practiced for a long time with a dirk, but he was still weak. However, he could wield the dirk well enough to fight the 16 year-old Mitter Drag in a spar. They became close friends and promised each other that they would protect each other when the raid on Coppercastle would be interfered - this time by Captain Shadow! It was time to show the scum that they couldnot get away with such cruelty. As the Frigate-type ship sailed around the coast of Coppercastle, they waited for the vermin. Then Erksta remembered. That was the ship that raided the Stormrover when he was young! Now he really wanted revenge. Because of that bloody ship, he never saw his uncle again. The otter vowed to himself that the vermin would get what they deserved. It was war. They saw the large vermin ship approach the harbor and they pulled up the anchor.
With the great protection of Coppercastle from the island and Captain Shadow's crew from behind, the battle was not close. Arrows flew at the ship and vermin were pelted as they stepped one paw on the island. But as they tried to set sail for a better angle, they were being boarded by the remnants of Darlstorm! Erksta took part in that battle and he was proud. The badger held him back firmly, even though he wanted to be aboard the other ship right away. However, it was only him and Mitter Drag on board the ship while the rest fought. But luckily, three ermine grabbed the rope and swung to the other ship. The two young otters had their dirks out and they fought as well as they could. Mitter took down one right away, but his friend was scared. The only thing that kept Erksta going was his hatred and revenge. But as Mitter wounded the next one, the last ferret ran at Erksta. He would make his family, Captain Shadow and everyone else proud. The otter would no longer suffer under the long and hard crave of revenge. As the ferret ran, he used his small size to his advantage. Erksta bent down and placed a paw out, making the ermine lose his balance; the trap was ready. He turned and held the dirk up high, then came down with it mercilessly. It stabbed right through the ferret/ermine. Blood spurted up into Erksta's face. He killed a beast. The other, wounded ferret noticed that his comrades were all dead and abandoned ship. When Captain Shadow found Fangblade, he decided death was too good for the beast. He ordered for the wolverine to be flogged twice, given forty lashes and then hung. It was evil, but he was under the bloodwrath.
Erksta chose not to stay on board and he said his goodbyes to Mitter. He left to go to Coppercastle, knowing that this island was very close to the Isle of Rintique, the place that had intrigued him for many seasons. The otter lived in a cottage at Coppercastle and helped build other cottages to earn his living. He was somewhat of an apprentice of a very old squirrel and war-veteran. Life for him was easy at the point and he was finally somewhat happy. It gave him reason to live. After a while, he saw a ship sail into the harbor. Erksta thought it was familiar, and as he recollected, the ship popped into his memory. That ship was rightfully his. The Stormrover was now anchored in Copper Harbor, the name of the port. Perhaps he would go aboard ... perhaps he and some others would steal it. He was 18 now, and he had heard rumor from a fox that a mouse named Dirk Thornclaw was leading a Horde in Mossflower. This intrigued him, so he set aside his dreams of Rintique for another day. And with that fox, he plotted and plan to take over his ship. Buying rationed food and doing more picking, the otter had enough money (with Tykan's help) to purchase his ship. But he had a back-up plan; assassination or threat. He still could not cope with the memory of killing a creature, but afterall, the ferret deserved it. So Erksta, now 19, would soon carry out his plan with Tykan the fox...
Young Adult Seasons
Seol Tykan was an orange-furred fox and goodbeast that went by Tykan. It sounded more 'goodbeast-ish' to him and Erksta agreed. But no sign of goodness or self-control was displayed when the two new friends went after Mock "Silvertail" Graystream, a squirrel and new captain of Erksta's ship. The otter was displeased about that. He could not bring himself so low as to hurting a squirrel. But because his job must be done at night, he bough a flowing black cloak and a new black sash, as well as a navy blue/black hood and new dark boots. He was the picture of sneaky, and in the night, he was practically invisible. The night after Seol told Erksta about the Horde, they went after Silvertail and made sure that the otter would get the ship that was rightfully his. As the squirrel walked down the port, he saw barely anything. The candlelight gave off just the dock area and it lit up very little; therefore, Erksta was invisible. Seol walked slowly behind the squirrel and the pursuit began and they traveled down the South Port. Mock knew something was not right and he sped up his pace, cocking his head back to look at the fox that was following him. But before he yelled at Seol, a paw wrapped around his mouth. Erksta threatened to kill him if he did not give him the ship and the squirrel agreed. However, the otter's soft-hearted side came over him and instead, he gave the squirrel the sack of coins and offered him the position of second mate.
Within a day, the news spread of Erksta taking his ship and a crew lined up at the dock. The otter only accepted the most experienced and well-fit, making his crew feared out on the high seas. But he knew this would not last, for his plan was to go the Horde with the fox. They sailed for a long time, taking up to two seasons before sighting the coast of Mossflower. At first, the Badger Lord was hesitant to keep the Stormrover on the coast, but he warmed up to Erksta after a while and let the otter stay. He let his crew roam free; none of them had seen such a big continent, not to mention the lush fields that made Mossflower what it was. The otter was happy with his new post and he traveled with Seol to the area where the Horde was supposed to be located. That took another season and he was 22 by the time he reached the Horde and he immediately fell in love with it. Legion 1 was his destination and Typhoon was his Commander. Seol did not like it as much and he left the Horde after a while, bidding farewell to his comrades. Erksta, however, stayed just in time for the Tournament! A Sparring Tournament was planned to be fought between creatures from the Horde, Fort Tatterack, Corsairs of the Black Flag, Guardians of Mossflower and Sentinels of Mossflower.
That's when everything clicked. All of the scum from the Corsairs of the Black Flag came to the tournament from the Isle of Rintique. Erksta could finally piece the puzzle together. Now, he had seen some crazy creatures, from wolverines to ermine, but the tournament was something else. A dingo, Carrack, came to the tournament and fought a few of the otter's friends. Erksta was amazed at all of this, but the creature that made the most impact on him was a wolverine from Fort Tatterack. In the first round, he traveled out to a glade in Mossflower Woods to take on Mattak the Dark Claw. Mattak was vicious, swinging an axe left and right. The otter had a curved falchion, still dressed in his black cloak, and could not withstand the strength of this beast. With a fresh wound on his shoulder, he took some many blows and exhausted him for round two. Even through the trials of round 1, the second round was still scheduled in the desert. Erksta still wore his cloak, though; it was tradition. He fought an otter named Nightwhisper. He lost in round one, but he pulled out victorious in round 2.
His wounds were not as severe, but the climate change made in round three forced him to dread the hot desert in round 2. The cold northern mountains snowed the entire time and his cloak came in handy, but the climate change still gave him a sickness. Erksta fought a badger in the mountains and once again, could not withstand the strength of his foe. Elijah hit him so hard in the chest with the butt of his sword that the otter flew backward into a block of ice with his sword flung across the rest of the sparring grounds. The wounds and the sickness made Erksta regret joining the tournament, and even the Horde.But in round 4, the location was finally not radically different. It was normal; he was fighting an otter on the coast. And not just any otter, in fact, for Feiren Deathshroud was an otter from the Isle of Rintique. This was a big moment for the otter and he knew that he had to win the spar. However, a few sparrers did not show up and so his bracket was not judged. It made Erksta sad, but his competetive mood came back when he found that he was fighting Typhoon, his Legion Commander! The badger made a tough fight for the otter, but his experience had grown and the long tourney went two seasons. As a 24 season-old otter, Erksta made sure he proved difficult for his commander. But he did more than fight well, in fact, for he won!
But some issues arose. Seol found Erksta at the tourney and warned him of a vermin group that was planning to attack his ship. They both scattered around all over Mossflower and found some of the crew and then traveled back down to Salamandastron. The Long Patrol helped them in their battle, but it was not too bad. It raged on for quite a bit and Seol was wounded badly, but the rest were hardly hurt at all. The battle ended and the corsairs were stopped deflty. Soon after, Erksta began his trek back to the tournament, where he was scheduled to fight a mouse named Snowflower. It was a short, easy fight and the otter was relieved. He won it easily and and his troubles were finally over. Still a rouge at heart, he did not leave with the other Hordebeasts back into the woods. Instead, he went to the shore, watching the dingo and his friends go back to the Isle of Rintique. Erksta jumped aboard a ship called The Dark's Whispers. It sailed behind the Corsairs of the Black Flag, and he knew he would never see his own ship again, but that did not matter. However, his voyage did not take him to Rintique. For some strange reason, he found himself at a place called Adael. The otter first arrived at Caellach, for he was a corsair, but he was not very evil. A neutral beast, one could call him. Therefore, he even skipped the Kenlem Fleet to join up with his former opponent Feiren Deathshroud on the Ravere's Fleet frigate; the Daimyo.
Yet when he arrived, no one was there except an old, familiar face. Mitter Drag stood on the stern, guarding the ship. So together, they took over the ship. A few of the old crewbeasts joined up and he was once again with Mitter, his long-life friend. But his captaincy did not last long, for Feiren finally showed up and got quite angry. However, Erksta talked his way out of it and got to enjoy captaincy for a little while longer. In a sea battle, Mitter abandoned ship, and with his otter swimming skills he swam away. Captain Riverrider stayed, however, and the battle was won. The ship pulled back into Ravere victorious, but he would probably never see Mitter again. But as he strolled down the Docks of Ravere he heard an old beggar call out his name. "Liddle Erk?" Came a voice. The otter turned to see a very old, half-dead beggar laying on the Port. Erksta Riverrider VII was reunited with his uncle, Dracko the Wise. They shared many happy seasons at Adael and loved each other, until Dracko died when Erksta was 31. His uncle was gone and his former friend and leftennant was anywhere. But that's when the otter decided to leave his ship and go as a stowaway back to Mossflower.
But when he was foiled, he had to pick a name from the Crew Manifest. As they sailed into the harbor, he pretended to be an old friend; Mitter Drag. They were both on the same ship once again, for fate had locked their souls together with a never-ending friendship. When the captain discovered him as a stowaway, Erksta did not drop anchor and jumped off the injured stern, which broke as he landed on the dock and the ship rolled into the other side of the walkway, meaning the ship would need more repairs. Mitter laughed and followed his friend, leaving his ship one again. They were side-by-side once more and the otters found themselves at a new fort; Guardians of Mossflower. They heard of an upcoming new tournament and Erksta was excited. His rebellious nature was made even higher after his time at Adael, so this attitude was brought into GoM. But of course, Adael was invited to the new tourney. Erksta would go, but this time, under the flag of Adael and Ravere. No longer would he slave as an ally. He would no longer join any forts after this next tourney. Erksta Riverrider VII was coming back for one last tourney, and he was now 33.
Appearance and Personality - next post.
Basic Info
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Name: Erksta Riverrider VII
Gender: Male
Species: Otter
Age: 38 Years
Birthdate: October 24th, 1591
Height: 6 foot 4 inches
Weight: 220 lbs.
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Weapons and Ships-------------------------
Weapons: Musket, Scimitar, Pistol
Ship: Starsailor
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History
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Background: Born on the mysterious island of Darlstorm, Erksta Riverrider VII was born to Erksta VI and Losophia (La-SOFE-EE-A), two traveling merchants. They made an honest living, doing good deeds here and there, while remembering to ship cargo from place to place. Thus, the young otter was born into a seafaring family. He spent most of the time with his uncle, Dracko, back on Darlstorm but did take many voyages on the incredible Stormrover. The little dibbun immediately fell in love with the sea, taking pride in his family. But then danger arose. Erksta's father took a job shipping cargo to the isle of Rintique. Before they arrived, with little Erksta on board, a corsair ship bombarded them. They were not under the Black Flag, the emblem of the Corsairs of the Black Flag that live or were docked on Rintique, so it was assumed that they were attacking Rintique. Losophia was badly injured and her husband took her to a doctor on the good island of Coppercastle. Also, the Stormrover needed many repairs. Thus, the new family decided to live at Coppercastle for a while, a bad choice considering the little dibbun they had; he would probably never see Uncle Dracko again!
After a few seasons, the Riverrider family had coped with Coppercastle Island for too long. Though it was a place of goodbeasts with great protection, a fort surrounding the borders and a very defended port, it had very 'rude' beasts. Because of Erksta VI and Lasophia's age when they were married and had a baby otter, the creatures of the island doubted their morals and always gossiped behind their backs. Little Erksta was spoken badly of, too, and they all had enough of it. Besides, Erksta VI no longer had a desire to get back on the seas, so he learned a new profession: blacksmithing. He forged weapons all the time and no longer had time for his family and his son missed him. The little otter craved attention, so when his father was gone at the Forge, he caused ruckus in the port. But he learned the ways of the port, so it was not all bad. However, the otterbabe was now curious. What was this mysterious isle of Rintique and who were these creatures who bombarded their ship? So, the young family, consisting of 23 year-old parents and a 7 year-old son, got back aboard their ship and sailed back to Darlstorm. What would await them there?
Pain awaited them at Darlstorm. Uncle Dracko was gone and nobeast knew where he went. They said he joined a ship and sailed away. Little Erksta was crushed! He barely remembered the wise, old otter, but he did recollect how much he loved him. It was devestating to his father, too, for Dracko was his brother. Deep down, Erksta was a sweet boy, but as so much pain entered his life, he took the aura of a pirate. The otter's mother could no longer to talk to him, but she herself was hurt. With all the troube rising in his life, the young otter, now a matured 9, watched as his parents neglected him, for they had given birth to another boy! As his mind and heart left his family, Erksta VII became seduced by tales of the sea. Whenever a new ship arrived at the Docks, he would rush to the port to hear their stories. The sea was fascinating, so the little otter decided to slip into his father's forge and steal a small, light-weight dirk that he could manage. Slipping it beneath his sash, Erksta then asked his father if they could go on another voyage. However, the little otter was furious at his father's reply. He sold the Stormrover! That ship had been passed down through the generations it would one day be Erksta's, but his father sold it; moreover, he sold it to a stranger!
Erksta VI had promised his son that the Stormrover would eventually be his, so the trust between them was shattered. The sweet little dibbun that captured his parents had now strayed away from his family and grew into a savage, almost vermin-like young otter. The day he turned 11, he left his parents' home. King Darl X of Darlstorm began to raise taxes upon his island's inhabitants and there was a mutiny! Led by former loyalist Captain Shadow, the rebels paraded through the city with torches. Suddenly, two attacks were upon the city. Erksta VI and his family begged for his family and the rebels let them live, but coming from the other side of the island were the beasts. Savage warriors from the Lands of Ice; wolverines and even ermine attacked the city from the home-side! A trebuchet carrying boulders of fire fired into the city, setting the Riverrider home into a big blaze. Their leader could hear the squealing of the innocents and the faces of the poor, but alas, he felt no remorse. He killed the rebels and the loyalists, leaving the island a big mess of blood and fire with some ash. But little Erksta was alive, for he had left the town and found a large hollow-tree to sleep in. However, he got naught but of a wink of sleep and so he traveled back to the town, staying sneaky and hiding in shadows. He heard whispers in the dark of a future raid of Coppercastle as he strolled down the alley-way, on the back-way to his house.
He was so relieved. His family had fled were just returning the same alley-way as their son. But it did not matter, for tears strolled down their faces. There were only two of them: his mother and his brother, Dracko, after his uncle. But then, the young otter told them the truth. He craved to be on the sea. And, luckily, the Stormrover left not long before the raid. Therefore, he could get aboard the other ship that was soon to depart from the Port and find his ship. His father was dead and the ship was his responsibilty. Erksta thought his mother would be mad, but she had told him words that he would never forget. "Follow your heart, Erksta, and never look back. Do what you need to do and never, never return to this cursed place." This made Erksta very relieved; his mother willingly let him go. As their paws seperated and he winked at his little brother, the newly somewhat matured 11 season/year-old otter left the island. His paws carried him quickly and he ran to the docks, just to get a cnance of boarding the new ship. Luckily, he kept the dirk that was hidden under his sash. He laughed as he discovered the captain of this ship. It was Captain Shadow; the rebel escaped, leaving most of his soldiers for dead and was setting sail. Erksta sprinted up the dock and hopped aboard the ship. When somebeast told Quayz Shadow that a stowaway was aboard his ship, the badger laughed and said "the more the merrier!"
Erksta had lost respect for Captain Shadow during the rebellion, but he re-gained it when serving under the badger on the open seas. As a swabbie, his opinion did not matter much, but he still felt obligated to alert the captain that Coppercastle Island was going to be attacked. He told Shadow everything he heard and the badger grew blood-thirsty. The vermin had ruined his rebellion, a battle which he was going to win, until those pesky jerks broke it all apart. And under the influence of his mentor, the otter remembered about the vermin who killed his father and burned his island! Revenge was his reason. He was 13 now and had practiced for a long time with a dirk, but he was still weak. However, he could wield the dirk well enough to fight the 16 year-old Mitter Drag in a spar. They became close friends and promised each other that they would protect each other when the raid on Coppercastle would be interfered - this time by Captain Shadow! It was time to show the scum that they couldnot get away with such cruelty. As the Frigate-type ship sailed around the coast of Coppercastle, they waited for the vermin. Then Erksta remembered. That was the ship that raided the Stormrover when he was young! Now he really wanted revenge. Because of that bloody ship, he never saw his uncle again. The otter vowed to himself that the vermin would get what they deserved. It was war. They saw the large vermin ship approach the harbor and they pulled up the anchor.
With the great protection of Coppercastle from the island and Captain Shadow's crew from behind, the battle was not close. Arrows flew at the ship and vermin were pelted as they stepped one paw on the island. But as they tried to set sail for a better angle, they were being boarded by the remnants of Darlstorm! Erksta took part in that battle and he was proud. The badger held him back firmly, even though he wanted to be aboard the other ship right away. However, it was only him and Mitter Drag on board the ship while the rest fought. But luckily, three ermine grabbed the rope and swung to the other ship. The two young otters had their dirks out and they fought as well as they could. Mitter took down one right away, but his friend was scared. The only thing that kept Erksta going was his hatred and revenge. But as Mitter wounded the next one, the last ferret ran at Erksta. He would make his family, Captain Shadow and everyone else proud. The otter would no longer suffer under the long and hard crave of revenge. As the ferret ran, he used his small size to his advantage. Erksta bent down and placed a paw out, making the ermine lose his balance; the trap was ready. He turned and held the dirk up high, then came down with it mercilessly. It stabbed right through the ferret/ermine. Blood spurted up into Erksta's face. He killed a beast. The other, wounded ferret noticed that his comrades were all dead and abandoned ship. When Captain Shadow found Fangblade, he decided death was too good for the beast. He ordered for the wolverine to be flogged twice, given forty lashes and then hung. It was evil, but he was under the bloodwrath.
Erksta chose not to stay on board and he said his goodbyes to Mitter. He left to go to Coppercastle, knowing that this island was very close to the Isle of Rintique, the place that had intrigued him for many seasons. The otter lived in a cottage at Coppercastle and helped build other cottages to earn his living. He was somewhat of an apprentice of a very old squirrel and war-veteran. Life for him was easy at the point and he was finally somewhat happy. It gave him reason to live. After a while, he saw a ship sail into the harbor. Erksta thought it was familiar, and as he recollected, the ship popped into his memory. That ship was rightfully his. The Stormrover was now anchored in Copper Harbor, the name of the port. Perhaps he would go aboard ... perhaps he and some others would steal it. He was 18 now, and he had heard rumor from a fox that a mouse named Dirk Thornclaw was leading a Horde in Mossflower. This intrigued him, so he set aside his dreams of Rintique for another day. And with that fox, he plotted and plan to take over his ship. Buying rationed food and doing more picking, the otter had enough money (with Tykan's help) to purchase his ship. But he had a back-up plan; assassination or threat. He still could not cope with the memory of killing a creature, but afterall, the ferret deserved it. So Erksta, now 19, would soon carry out his plan with Tykan the fox...
Young Adult Seasons
Seol Tykan was an orange-furred fox and goodbeast that went by Tykan. It sounded more 'goodbeast-ish' to him and Erksta agreed. But no sign of goodness or self-control was displayed when the two new friends went after Mock "Silvertail" Graystream, a squirrel and new captain of Erksta's ship. The otter was displeased about that. He could not bring himself so low as to hurting a squirrel. But because his job must be done at night, he bough a flowing black cloak and a new black sash, as well as a navy blue/black hood and new dark boots. He was the picture of sneaky, and in the night, he was practically invisible. The night after Seol told Erksta about the Horde, they went after Silvertail and made sure that the otter would get the ship that was rightfully his. As the squirrel walked down the port, he saw barely anything. The candlelight gave off just the dock area and it lit up very little; therefore, Erksta was invisible. Seol walked slowly behind the squirrel and the pursuit began and they traveled down the South Port. Mock knew something was not right and he sped up his pace, cocking his head back to look at the fox that was following him. But before he yelled at Seol, a paw wrapped around his mouth. Erksta threatened to kill him if he did not give him the ship and the squirrel agreed. However, the otter's soft-hearted side came over him and instead, he gave the squirrel the sack of coins and offered him the position of second mate.
Within a day, the news spread of Erksta taking his ship and a crew lined up at the dock. The otter only accepted the most experienced and well-fit, making his crew feared out on the high seas. But he knew this would not last, for his plan was to go the Horde with the fox. They sailed for a long time, taking up to two seasons before sighting the coast of Mossflower. At first, the Badger Lord was hesitant to keep the Stormrover on the coast, but he warmed up to Erksta after a while and let the otter stay. He let his crew roam free; none of them had seen such a big continent, not to mention the lush fields that made Mossflower what it was. The otter was happy with his new post and he traveled with Seol to the area where the Horde was supposed to be located. That took another season and he was 22 by the time he reached the Horde and he immediately fell in love with it. Legion 1 was his destination and Typhoon was his Commander. Seol did not like it as much and he left the Horde after a while, bidding farewell to his comrades. Erksta, however, stayed just in time for the Tournament! A Sparring Tournament was planned to be fought between creatures from the Horde, Fort Tatterack, Corsairs of the Black Flag, Guardians of Mossflower and Sentinels of Mossflower.
That's when everything clicked. All of the scum from the Corsairs of the Black Flag came to the tournament from the Isle of Rintique. Erksta could finally piece the puzzle together. Now, he had seen some crazy creatures, from wolverines to ermine, but the tournament was something else. A dingo, Carrack, came to the tournament and fought a few of the otter's friends. Erksta was amazed at all of this, but the creature that made the most impact on him was a wolverine from Fort Tatterack. In the first round, he traveled out to a glade in Mossflower Woods to take on Mattak the Dark Claw. Mattak was vicious, swinging an axe left and right. The otter had a curved falchion, still dressed in his black cloak, and could not withstand the strength of this beast. With a fresh wound on his shoulder, he took some many blows and exhausted him for round two. Even through the trials of round 1, the second round was still scheduled in the desert. Erksta still wore his cloak, though; it was tradition. He fought an otter named Nightwhisper. He lost in round one, but he pulled out victorious in round 2.
His wounds were not as severe, but the climate change made in round three forced him to dread the hot desert in round 2. The cold northern mountains snowed the entire time and his cloak came in handy, but the climate change still gave him a sickness. Erksta fought a badger in the mountains and once again, could not withstand the strength of his foe. Elijah hit him so hard in the chest with the butt of his sword that the otter flew backward into a block of ice with his sword flung across the rest of the sparring grounds. The wounds and the sickness made Erksta regret joining the tournament, and even the Horde.But in round 4, the location was finally not radically different. It was normal; he was fighting an otter on the coast. And not just any otter, in fact, for Feiren Deathshroud was an otter from the Isle of Rintique. This was a big moment for the otter and he knew that he had to win the spar. However, a few sparrers did not show up and so his bracket was not judged. It made Erksta sad, but his competetive mood came back when he found that he was fighting Typhoon, his Legion Commander! The badger made a tough fight for the otter, but his experience had grown and the long tourney went two seasons. As a 24 season-old otter, Erksta made sure he proved difficult for his commander. But he did more than fight well, in fact, for he won!
But some issues arose. Seol found Erksta at the tourney and warned him of a vermin group that was planning to attack his ship. They both scattered around all over Mossflower and found some of the crew and then traveled back down to Salamandastron. The Long Patrol helped them in their battle, but it was not too bad. It raged on for quite a bit and Seol was wounded badly, but the rest were hardly hurt at all. The battle ended and the corsairs were stopped deflty. Soon after, Erksta began his trek back to the tournament, where he was scheduled to fight a mouse named Snowflower. It was a short, easy fight and the otter was relieved. He won it easily and and his troubles were finally over. Still a rouge at heart, he did not leave with the other Hordebeasts back into the woods. Instead, he went to the shore, watching the dingo and his friends go back to the Isle of Rintique. Erksta jumped aboard a ship called The Dark's Whispers. It sailed behind the Corsairs of the Black Flag, and he knew he would never see his own ship again, but that did not matter. However, his voyage did not take him to Rintique. For some strange reason, he found himself at a place called Adael. The otter first arrived at Caellach, for he was a corsair, but he was not very evil. A neutral beast, one could call him. Therefore, he even skipped the Kenlem Fleet to join up with his former opponent Feiren Deathshroud on the Ravere's Fleet frigate; the Daimyo.
Yet when he arrived, no one was there except an old, familiar face. Mitter Drag stood on the stern, guarding the ship. So together, they took over the ship. A few of the old crewbeasts joined up and he was once again with Mitter, his long-life friend. But his captaincy did not last long, for Feiren finally showed up and got quite angry. However, Erksta talked his way out of it and got to enjoy captaincy for a little while longer. In a sea battle, Mitter abandoned ship, and with his otter swimming skills he swam away. Captain Riverrider stayed, however, and the battle was won. The ship pulled back into Ravere victorious, but he would probably never see Mitter again. But as he strolled down the Docks of Ravere he heard an old beggar call out his name. "Liddle Erk?" Came a voice. The otter turned to see a very old, half-dead beggar laying on the Port. Erksta Riverrider VII was reunited with his uncle, Dracko the Wise. They shared many happy seasons at Adael and loved each other, until Dracko died when Erksta was 31. His uncle was gone and his former friend and leftennant was anywhere. But that's when the otter decided to leave his ship and go as a stowaway back to Mossflower.
But when he was foiled, he had to pick a name from the Crew Manifest. As they sailed into the harbor, he pretended to be an old friend; Mitter Drag. They were both on the same ship once again, for fate had locked their souls together with a never-ending friendship. When the captain discovered him as a stowaway, Erksta did not drop anchor and jumped off the injured stern, which broke as he landed on the dock and the ship rolled into the other side of the walkway, meaning the ship would need more repairs. Mitter laughed and followed his friend, leaving his ship one again. They were side-by-side once more and the otters found themselves at a new fort; Guardians of Mossflower. They heard of an upcoming new tournament and Erksta was excited. His rebellious nature was made even higher after his time at Adael, so this attitude was brought into GoM. But of course, Adael was invited to the new tourney. Erksta would go, but this time, under the flag of Adael and Ravere. No longer would he slave as an ally. He would no longer join any forts after this next tourney. Erksta Riverrider VII was coming back for one last tourney, and he was now 33.
Appearance and Personality - next post.
