The Free Man's Kingdom was a new world to the men on the captives of the ship. Probably even to the hooded Morlats. A sun beat down pleasantly on golden sands and the coast was surrounded by clear water that didn't even hide the ocean's pristine floor. Not far from the shore, a distinct line of lush green marked the start of rolling meadows, and not far beyond that began the speckle of groves of trees.

Water cascaded down the ominous sides of the black ship built from the dark woods of Morlat territory. The ice was melting. It melted off of the withered oars. It slid off of sinister planks. And it left its wet residue on the men's flesh. Like most men of the ship, the abrupt change of climate caught Crag by surprise as he found himself in an exhausted state of stupor. His skin tingled with blood flushing through veins that were never expected to open again. An overall numbness sort of melted away exposing sharp pains from inescapable frostbite. His sense of feeling was coming back, and in some places he wished it not.

The Free Man's Kingdom was encompassed with a steady coast ward gust that allowed the men to finally retreat their oars. Some men collapsed while some retained their mindless slump. Crag Hack was attentive. Blue eyes peered out of the hole his oar stuck through, watching the amber shore bob up and down.

Suddenly, thunder resounded from the upper deck as the musty sails unrolled from the towering mast. Once the tattered sails of the obsidian ship completely opened, the sharp but lukewarm breeze carried the baleful ship the rest of the way, which was about a quarter mile off shore. Aching feet and fastened shackles bustled about through the upper deck as did the cracks of whips and thudding fists that kept them moving. Then came the hissing of rope coils being unraveled and then the large splashes of the boats that the men would paddle the rest of the way to the shore.

The upper deck was shipped to the shore first, and then the lower deck. Crag Hack shared a boat with a very large man who insisted on doing the paddling by himself. Except for an exceptionally loud man who had a lot to say about nothing, the rest of the captives were solemnly silent, heads bowed. The Morlat that sat at the fore of the boat did nothing more than point to the small dock that was clearly under construction. Placid waves shuffled along the side of the boat and Crag let his hand drag along its surface. It was a warm pleasantry he hadn't known for a few weeks now.

The boat hit the dock and the men piled off. If you were too slow, a Morlat guard would rip you out. Crag exited fast, but the large man, who appeared slightly less coordinated due to his immense size, had trouble. Three Morlat pelted the man's back with whips and one with a small flail, drawing blood that didn't even seem to hurry the big man up. Crag managed a small hidden smile in admiration.

More hooded Morlats forcefully directed the men to the most completed structure of the entire area. Within it, the captives were kept to an eerie silence and in single file. Eventually the line carried Crag to a room where one Morlat judged him and another passed him a tool that varied depending on the judgement. He was handed a good-sized hammer and a vest of tempered metal stakes. Along the wall were massive mauls and axes, which he imagined the large man getting. On the other wall were more assorted tools including pickaxes and small saws.

Upon exiting the structure with his hammer and heavy nails, Crag was pushed into a group that was slowly accumulating around a central stand where a Morlat stood. The Morlat was clearly readying to speak, reaching to his face to withdraw his hood.

(OOC: This thread is still open for anyone that wants to join as another captive of the Morlats. We've just hit the shore of the Free Man's Kingdom where the Morlats are constructing an outpost. Go through the line and a Morlat will give you the tool they deem most appropriate for your build and perhaps personality, whether it be a massive lumber-cutting axe or a dagger for skinning and preparing leather.)