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Veine Ecleith 

First mention (by name): Interlude – The Spitoon 
Species: Human
Status: Deceased
  1. Veine
Total mentions
157 mentions
First mentioned in chapter
Last mentioned in chapter

Mentions

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Chapter
Text
Interlude – The Spitoon  One of the senior officers personally took the current captain’s meal to him. [Valor Strategist] Veine had an eyepatch over one eye, very appropriate for the sea, and carried a strange object at her side. It looked like a crossbow, a hand-crossbow, only there was no bow, and there was a simple glass sight with a black dot on it. Instead of firing a quarrel, it had a single wand in place, and it spat [Magipierce Bolts], a rare Tier 3 spell from House Shoel’s own manufactories.
Interlude – The Spitoon  His other hand held the same bowl of food, uneaten. He nodded at Veine as she passed. Every now and then, she would check the bowl. She was almost sure it wasn’t moving.
Interlude – The Spitoon  He gestured to the porthole window in the cabin. Veine set the bowl down and put her hands behind her back.
Interlude – The Spitoon  Earlier this year, Veine had been her fleet’s top [Strategist] and hoping she’d be on a road back to the capital, perhaps to take a seat with His Majesty himself. Right now? She was hoping the eels were dead.
Interlude – The Spitoon  The hardtack had a few tiny bite marks in it. Veine winced—but the rats got everywhere. Yet it seemed even they didn’t want the hardtack.
Interlude – The Spitoon  Admiral Dakelos looked hopeful for a second. Veine hated to burst his bubble, but she did as he took a long gulp.
Interlude – The Spitoon  Veine broke the silence of Dakelos nibbling on eels and trying not to gag by stating the obvious. The [Admiral] looked up once.
Interlude – The Spitoon  Veine tried to smile. The Spitoon had no artillery like a modern Ailendamus warship, which had catapults, ballistae, sourced at great price from Drakes or Minotaurs. Strangely, they had a lot of them, despite neither nation exactly being open about selling the war weapons.
Interlude – The Spitoon  Dakelos gestured, and Veine stepped over. She saw a very standard plan of attack. Louseg was going to take them straight down the middle, flank the Pride on two sides, and hammer it before the fleet split and both sections shot off towards their reinforcements.
Interlude – The Spitoon  It could work. Veine bit her lip. Dakelos glanced at her, and his amber-blue eyes glinted.
Interlude – The Spitoon  “Say it, Veine.”
Interlude – The Spitoon  “We’re not in his company, and no one’s here to ferry stories around the fleet, Veine. Say it. I’m thinking it. No one’s listening. N—”
Interlude – The Spitoon  He and Veine stopped. The bowl of eels was wriggling. Slowly, a little roach crawled out of the eels and shook itself off. It noticed the two staring at it and scuttled off the desk.
Interlude – The Spitoon  Veine stomped it. Dakelos lost his appetite.
Interlude – The Spitoon  “It’s probably still edible. We’re not making it past this engagement, Veine. Seal up the lot and get me a [Message] to…Omens of Rain. Captain Bessia.”
Interlude – The Spitoon  Veine stepped out to flag a [Tactician]. Then she stepped in. When she did, she took a breath.
Interlude – The Spitoon  Dakelos was trying to eat the hardtack, but he couldn’t get his teeth through the crust. Veine was glad he remembered. They had learned how fast a Drowned Ship could turn back then.
Interlude – The Spitoon  Veine had a solution in mind.
Interlude – The Spitoon  It was an ugly play and one Veine wasn’t proud of. But it sounded better than the full-scale engagement. Ailendamus’ fleets, especially the ones at sea, had been designed around the idea of long-range superiority.
Interlude – The Spitoon  Both shuddered at the memory. Dakelos hadn’t risen to [Admiral] just because he’d had a safe trip. Veine nodded.
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