The Felines of the Sanctuary

[TheBearIsHere]

The Felines of the Sanctuary

History of the Feline Order

​

In search of God. The four words have been said many times in the history of the Felines, because they describe the goal of Feline society and civilization so brilliantly. The Felines are a cat-like species, native to the ocean planet which we know as the Aerian Sanctuary. When the first Felines evolved from marine creatures, they were seperated onto isolated groups on small archipelago's, torn apart from each other by massive oceans. Warring tribes of cats sailed out discover other island groups, with other cats inhabiting them. These journeys were often made out of necessity: Food and minerals were scarce on the archipelago's, and a lot of the trips turned into raids. But not all of them. Some Felines dared to look further than the oceans and petty squabbles among the cats. These Felines were the founders of the religion that would come to dominate the planet: Linnaety. The religion was named after the Prophet Linnaeus, who introduced the idea of the Feline race united under a single God. He claimed to have visions of the Great Cat speaking to him, and telling him to unite his people. With his band of warrior-monks, Linnaeus traveled the Sanctuary to spread the word of the Cat of Cats to the tribes.

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The Sancuary and it's moon, Madragon's Stronghold​

The day Linnaeus recieved this vision is the start of the Felian calendar. The letters B.V (Before Vision) are used to signify the years before the start of the calendar and the letters A.V (After Vision) to signify the years after. Linnaeus never wrote a holy book to explain how the universe and life was created or how it would end. Instead, he tought the Felines to think for themselves, to explore, discover and have faith.
Many Felines accepted Linnaety, but even more rejected it. Armed conflict soon erupted between the Faithful and the Pagans. The Faithful had one major advantage over the Pagans: The Faithful were united behind a common goal, whereas the Pagans were infighting states and kingdoms, who weren't able to band together to stand up against the Faithful armies. In a period that would become known as the Great Crusades, armies from every archipelago of the Linnaet world swarmed to the Pagan strongholds, assembling mighty fleet and armies. But the huge amount of violence wasn't the main reason why the Great Crusades are so important to Feline culture. The biggest thing that the Crusades accomplished was the conversion of the Pagans, and the unification of the Feline world. The Great Crusades ended in the year 1291 A.V, when the last Pagan holdfast fell into Faithful hands.

From that year on and until this day, the Felines are united. The Sanctuary was united under a strong, centralized government, believed to be the representatives of God among Cats. The Felines started looking up, to the sky. Their sun, Aeria Husila, amazed them in particular. Aeria Husila is a Class-B star, a bright blue luminary. Could Heaven be on that beacon of light? The Cats needed to know. Technology increased at a rapid pace, and by the end of the 20th century the first Feline stepped foot on Madragon's Stronghold, the moon orbiting the Sanctuary. About halfway through the 21st century wormhole travel was invented. The Felines started building massive Wormhole Stations, through which their ships and corvettes could travel. No doubt those Wormholes are the doorway to God.
​

Aeria Husila, Class-B star​

The Sanctuary has had a Democracic Government ever since the Prophet passed away and his followers had to decide who to elect ruler. Each 5 years, a new leader is chosen from the ranks of prominent scientists, admirals and governors. The candidate with the most support is elected Revered elder, and he is assisted by the Holy Council. a group of Archbishops who vowed to advise the Revered Elder and see to the smoothness of the election. Every Feline is allowed to vote, but as of 2200 A.V, everyone is a member of the Loyalist Party, meaning that there is one constant ruler: Revered Elder Bemalon. The man is an economic genius who is keen to expand buisiness into the vastness of outer space. In his campaining days he promised the Felines mining stations on nearby stations, which would lead to an increase in the global economy.
​

​

Today, it is the first day of the year 2200 After Vision. The Felines are ready to start their search for God, no matter where it will take them or how much it will cost them. The Galaxy is dark and full of terrors, but with God at their side, the Cats can and will prevail!

Table of Contents


Bemalon I

Rhass I

Elemana I

Lishtim I​

 

[OnTheCrusades]

Subbed.

Holy Space Cats!

 

[TheBearIsHere]

The Felines of the Sanctuary


Bemalon I

The Capital of the Sacred Feliae Order
​

The Senate fell immediatly silent when the doors opened and Revered Elder Bemalon marched into the room, accompanied by 6 guardcats, 3 on each side of him. The Archbishops studied everything about the cat while he walked to his elevated seat. The guards took position below Bemalon. Bemalon looked at the members of the Council. Three factions were seated in the crescent that was the Sacred Parliament. The Tigers were on the left, the Pumas on the right and the Lions, the Faction Bemalon was part of, in the middle. Each of them represented a different aspect of the Feline government. The Tigers were the Legislative branch of the planet. They made the laws and gave orders to the Executive branch of the Government, the Lions, who turned the laws and plans of the Tigers into reality. The third branch, the Pumas, formed the Judicial branch, which looked at the fairness of laws and judged wether all was going well. The Tigers tended to be Beaurocrats, the Lions were usually more millitaristic and the Pumas were the most spiritual of the Cats. The Pumas were also mainly scientists and researchers, while the Tigers were Governors and the Lions high Army officials. The three branches were not political parties however, since that would interfere with the balance in the Government.

Governor Tetran rose from his seat on the left-side of the room. His orange pelt shined like a torch in the starlight. "Now that all members of the Holy Council have arrived, we shall begin the meeting. I hereby bless all attendees of the Council in the name of the Cat of all Cats. May He look after us and guide us with His infinite wisdom. Felis Invicta!" The chant was repeated by all the Cats present. When the noise resided, Governor Tetran continued to speak. "The first subject we have to adress is the operations of our Science vessel, His Sacred Holiness Rotha the Invincible. Currently the ship is in orbit around the sanctuary, but I propose it shall be tasked with exploring the solar system. We know very little about the planets other than our Sanctuary. If we truly want to find God, we must start in here, in Aeria Husila." With 98% of the votes being in favor of Tetran's proposal, the Council moved on to the next issue. This time Admiral Linntyl spoke to the crowd.

"Bishops, I propose an increase of vessels in the Holy Armada. Currently, there are too few of them to effectively protect our Science and Construction ships against external threats. My cats have looked at our economic status and have found that construction of 5 more corvettes should be possible in the coming 6 months."This time the vote was less unanimous than before. The Lions voted in favour, but many of the Tigers voted against. The Puma faction was devided, and eventually Revered Elder Belamon had to decide wether the Admirals plan would be allowed. Belamon had plans for off-world mining stations, and would not like to see them destroyed. He made a compromise and allowed for the construction of 3 more vessels. The Tigers and Lions reluctantly agreed. Belamon continued the meeting. "I would now like to hear about our scientific advancements." Three Pumas stepped up from their seats. A big brown cat by the name of Hannakon spoke first. "My researchers are laying the foundation of interstellar colonies. We expect it to be finished in about two to three years, after which we will be able to send out colonists to habitable worlds in our solar system and beyond." This was definitly the most exciting news of the day. The next two Pumas fell short of making such a grand announcement, reporting that they were working on exoskeletons and an increase in research speed.​

​

Once the scientists were done, there was no major issue left to talk about that couldn't be handled by the branches on their own. The Revered Elder elder was glad it had ended. There were more pressing issues in his own home. Governor Tetran rose again. "I hereby proclaim this meeting to be at it's end. Let us thank the Cat of Cats for this splendid meeting and pray that the decisions we have made today will prove lucrative and just. Felis Invicta!" Once again, the chant was repeated by the Archbishops and the Revered Elder. Bemalon didn't stay long after, as he rushed out with his 6 guards once the meeting ended. He had an important person to meet.

His guards had trouble keeping up with him as he strode across the many bridges of the Capital. The big Lion was clearly in a hurry. He knew very well where he was headed, since he knew every left and right turn across every bridge and through every alley. The Capital, or at least its outskirts, could be confusing to everyone, even those who had been raised there since birth. It was a gigantic mess of small walkways and big towers, all build above the Great Ocean. If you were clumsy enough to trip, you'd fall to your death. Once the group of Cats reached the city centre, the streets became wider and cleaner and the buildings taller and symmetric. The Cats stopped in front of St. Cognats Cathedral. Bomelon made a gesture and his guards took position next to the great doors. Bemalon himself stepped inside.

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St Cognats Cathedral
​

The doors made quite the sound when they opened. Even Matriarch Elemana paused her prayers. She looked over her shoulder to see the cause of the disturbance. Her frustration dissapeared when she saw it was her brother Bemalon who had entered the Cathedral. She ran down the aisle towards him and embraced the cat. He hugged her back with a firm grasp. After a few seconds they let go of each other.

"It's good to see you again, sister."

"I agree. Do you have news from the Council? My priest tells me we'll soon see a new planet inhabited by cats! How wonderful that would be!"

"I think your priest knows more than I do. I've only heard the news from the Pumas earlier today."

"Pfff. Pumas! If we let the Pumas interfere with politics we'll all be cursed! Never trust Pumas, big brother, never!" Elemana spit on the floor of the Cathedral. Belamon looked at the fluid and back at his sister.

"Are you sure it's wise to spit on the House of God?"

"Ha! The Cat of Cats hates Pumas just as much as we Lions do. But that you already know. Have the Tigers made any uproar?"

"They certainly tried. Our friend Linntyl almost saw his proposal turn to shit. I decided to intervene though. No Tigers will be able to stop us Lions as long as I am Revered Elder." Bemalon winked at his sister. "You just stick to God. I can take care of Politics myself."

"You know you'd be nothing without me, right? Or did you manage to climb to this position without the help of a certain Holy Cat?" Belamon shook his head. "That's what I thought." She smiled at Belamon. "Keep me updated with the discoveries of the HSH Rotha the Invincible. But only the big news. Nothing less than the discovery of God."

She hugs her brother once again and walks back to the altar. Bemalon watched her go, but then turned around and left the Cathedral.

 

[alscon]

Nice start. May the Cat of Cats be with you.

 

[TheBearIsHere]

The Felines of the Sanctuary

Rhass I

​

A sudden fear engulfed him. Sure, he'd been preparing himself and his crew for this moment throughout his career, but to be face to face with something so gigantic would strike terror into the heart of any cat. Before them lay a humongous wormhole, able to swallow planets whole. Mixed with enormous fear he also felt pride. This wormhole wasn't a product of nature. Instead, it had been made with the blood and sweat of Cats. Well, not the hole itself. The station next to it, responsible for opening the wormhole, had been build by Cats. Today, 3rd of July 2202, was the day it would be put to the test for the first time. As one of the most prominent scientists of the Feline Order, he had helped creating the station. If anything were to go wrong, he'd be responsible. Not that he would live to take the blame though. Neither would his crew.

"Station to HSH Rotha the Invincible, are you and your crew ready?" A crackling female voice spoke over the radio in a calm tone. Rhass tried to respond with the same self controll. "HSH Rotha the Invincible to Station, we've been ready since the birth of the Prophet." He didn't know wether he was joking or wether he had spoken the truth. Maybe both. His cats were waiting for him to give the order. He could see they were all just as nervous as he was. Drops of sweat were trickling down his neck. His paws were wet as well. "Station to HSH Rotha the Invincible, you are clear to make the jump. Godspeed." His cats looked at him. "You heard her, boys." Rhass felt strangly sure of himself. "Let's go where no cat has gone before!" He could hear the engines roaring as the vessel started to fly towards the massive wormhole in front of them. Rhass didn't know what to expect from the jump. Maby he'd feel himself being torn apart and put together. Maybe he would feel himself getting stretched out like a rubber band. Maybe he wouldn't feel a thing. He really hoped it would be the latter. "With your permission, monseigneur?" The pilot turned to look at his commander, waiting for orders. "Permission granted."

He was amazed in the way the Wormhole worked. It wasn't a teleportation method, nor was it a hyperlane. It was just a door through which his ship flew at normal speed. The blue fog surrounding the Wormhole looked even prettier from upclose, almost divine. Could the Cat of Cats be hiding in that fog? He grinned at the thought. As if. Once they'd reached Xigar, their destination, the Wormhole collapsed behind them. Rhass wasn't able to see it. Neither could he hear it, but when he looked at the place where the wormhole had been, it was nothing but empty space. "HSH Rothar the Invincible to Station, we're through." The crew cheered loudly, and so did the team at the Wormhole station. "Ladies and Gentlecats, I think we've done enough for one day. Let's put the ship on autopilot and celebrate the first succesful Wormhole journey!"

​

About a week later, the HSH Rothar the Invincible reached their first planet: Xigar V, a frozen world. The vessel landed on a snowy plain. Rhass was the first to disembark from the ship. A group of scientists, equipped with artificial spacesuits with oxygen tanks on the back, carrying a thermoscanner followed him. The device was placed on the ice and soon after it started scanning the ice. It would take another 3 days before the machine finished, but it had spectacular results. There were small heatsources visible below the ice, which might indicate that lifeforms exist below the surface. He ordered the setup of mining probes, to discover what lay below the thick ice. It took another week before the probes returned, but they confirmed the conjectures of the crew: A huge ocean containing los of lifeforms existed below the layers of ice and snow.

"It's beautiful. Very beautiful, in fact." Rhass stared at the fish below the ice. Big fish, if they were able to spot them from this high. He turned to the scientist standing next to him. "Go inform the Sanctuary. Tell them we're not alone anymore." The cat ran back into the ship, and Rhass turned back to the fish in the sea below. They looked majestic. He saw something that resembled a whale, although he couldn't distinguish much else than the shape. These animals didn't look much different to the sea creatures at home. Maybe they had a common ancestor. He quickly threw away that idea. The common ancestor would have to have mastered interstellar flight, which would be quite a feet for marine animals. He could stare at them forever, but he knew he had to continue his system survey. As he walked back into the ship he thought of all the possible alien species that he might encounter on the next planets. Maybe he'd even meet sentient aliens, who were searching for answers just like the Felines. The thought both comforted and terrefied him.

​

 

[TheBearIsHere]

The Felines of the Sanctuary

Elemana I

"That day of Wrath, that dreadful day, shall heaven and Cat in ashes lay. The mighty trumpets wondrous tone, shall rend each tomb's sepulchral stone, and summon all before the Throne."

She listened as the choir of Cats finished their chants. Elemana was at peace. She felt the sun on her face as she sat in the Sanctuary of St. Cognats.

"Now death and nature with suprise, behold the trembling sinners rise, to meet the Judge's searching eye's."
"For now before the Judge severe, all hidden things must plain appear; No crime can go unpunsished here."
"O what shall I, so guilty plead? And who for me will intercede? When even Saints shall comfort need?"

Scepter in hand, she looked out over the Aisle. Hundreds of Cats sat there, with their heads bowed down and eyes closed, sunken into deep prayer. She saw a movement near the Transsept.

"Recall, dear Linneus, for my sake, you did our suffering nature take, then do not now my sole forsake!"
"O Judge of justice, hear, I pray, for pity take my sins away, before the dreadful reckoning day."
"Your gracious face, O Lord, I seek; Deep shame and grief are on my cheek; in sighs and tears my sorrows speak."

It seemed to be a soldier. A soldier? What would a soldier possibly have to find in a Cathedral? The Cat seemed to be getting closer, as he walked to the Sanctuary in a rapid pace. Elemana was getting frustrated with him. He better not interrupt the ceremony.

"In weariness You sought for me, and suffering upon me!"
"Let not in vain such labor be."

The Cat had finally reached her. She was about to send him away and tell him never to return, when He wispered in her ear. Elemana went completely silent. She stared out across the Cathedral whilst the chants continued. The soldier stood nervously, waiting for the Matriarch to respond. He was as unfamiliar with religious practices as he was with crowds of hundreds packed into one building.

"Are you absolutly sure of this?" Elemana asked him, awoken from her trance. The soldier nodded. He was. Elemana went silent again. "Wait for me outside." The soldier did as she told him to and strode to the doors. Elemana looked at all the Cats gathered in her Cathedral. There had to be more than a thousand, she thought. More than a thousand living, sentient beings, blessed by the Cat of Cats, clueless fish in an enormous ocean.

"How worthless are my prayers, I know, yet, Lord forbid that I should go, into the fires of Endless woe."
"Before you, humbles, Lord, I lie, my heart like ashes, cursed and dry, assist me when I die."
"Full of tears and full of dread, is that day that wakes the dead, calling all, with solemn blast, to be judged for all their past."

She couldn't take it anymore. She had to leave. God would have to forgive her, but she was just too desperate to find Him. She stood up from the See and walked to the Transsept. Barely anyone noticed her, as everyone was too busy with their prayers or with their chants. She opened a small door, leading to the Gardens of the Cathedral. From there on, she started to run. She had to talk to her brother, if he didn't know already. The guard noticed her leaving, but she didn't have any attention for him. As she left the sounds of the Cathedral behind her, she could hear the last verse of the chant.

"Lord, have mercy, Linneus blest, Grant them all Your Light and Rest. Amen."


Once she reached the house of Bemalon, it was already turning dark. Her brother had a beautiful mansion in the outskirts of the city. The house was the House of the Prophet, or the residence of the Revered Elder. It was a huge, elegant building, with a big dome towering above four pillars on each corner of the house. The entire structure was made of marble, although the colors ranged from red to white. While the guard catched up to her, she knocked at the two great doors in front of the house. They were opened by a servant of Bemalon. Whilst Elemana was lead inside by the big yellow Lion she looked around at the interior of the house. It didn't compare to the St. Cognats, but it impressive anyway. Sunlight shined through the openings made in the dome, and two stairways led down to a little plaze in the house. In every part of the room were machines and lamps, which gave the manor a scientific look.

The house was a big place, but the servant showed her to Bemalon, who was behind his desk in the study. He stared at some maps in front of him, although it looked like he wasn't paying attention to them.

"Have you heard the news, brother?" Elemana asked excited. "This soldier just came to tell me, is he one of yours?"

Bemalon looked up at her. "Yes, I've heard, and yes, he's one of mine." With a nod of his head, he let the soldier know it was time for him to go. He smiled at his sister. "Can you believe it? We're not alone, and we're not the only ones who know it."

"Tell me everything brother. Where do they come from? What do they look like and what are we going to do with them?"

"I believe they're native to Loshyx, a planet about 2 solar systems away from us. Personally, I think they look scary, like slender plants, waiting to devour their prey."

"Can you show me a picture? I'd like to judge for myself."

Bemalon grabbed a photograph from the closet next to him and showed it to her.

"This was taken during the radiomeeting this moring. They call themselves the Iztran Nation, and are much like us in their way of thinking, though they're no united by faith as we are. They claim their ambition is to discover the galaxy as well. The Council has decided to establish an embassy on Loshyx, in the hope that we may discover the Galaxy together." Bemalon looked with hope in his eyes at the picture.

"I think it's a marvellous idea!" Tears were streaming down hear golden manes. "The Cat of Cats has blessed us with comrades! We're not alone, brother, not anymore." The siblings embraced while they both stared at the photo of the alien. He really did look scary.
​

 

[Garuda]

I'll definitely be following.

What can I say - I'm a cat lover.

 

[Eid3r]

Keep up the good work. I love the images

 

[TheBearIsHere]

The Felines of the Sanctuary

Lishtim I

He could hear the voices beneath his window. Their voices were filled with anger, he noticed. He leaned out of the window to hear what exactly was going on. Below him stood a group of Cats, listening to a young, strong Tiger, standing on a crate to impose the crowd. The Cat was yelling something important, Lishtim knew, but he couldn't hear what. He went downstairs and stepped out of the door to listen to the Tiger as well. Up close he could notice more about the young Cat. He had a scar on his cheek, and big, dirty paws with which he waved in the air. Lishtim noticed he wore an officers uniform, though it looked sloppy and damaged. The creaking of the wood beneath his paws alerted him. In this part of the Capital, it was dangerous to stand with too many Cats in one place. The poorly-made wooden walkways couldn't handle that much weight.

"...out there. I've seen it with my own two eyes! I swear it by the Cat of Cats! They're huge!" The Cat yelled at the crowd, fire in his eyes. "Huge and dangerous. We've lost seven Corvettes to those monsters! And y'know what? The monsters aren't the reason why we've lost that many good Cats. The reason why we've lost so many cats is the incompetence of the Military staff. We've been led astray by a false sheperd, whose name is Linnaeus." The crowd screamed with anger. "Don't get me wrong though! I have no doubts in the existance of the Great Cat up above! But the way we're tought to praise him is utter dogshit. You can see it the best here, in Garbanog. They don't care about you. They never did, and they never will!" The Cats almost lost it. Years of living in poverty didn't create a positive sentiment towards the governing classes, Clergy or Nobles alike. "I vow to you, Cats of Garbanog, that I will never stop caring about me, if you follow me in bringing rightiousness to the Sanctuary!"

A great roar erupted from the crowd, the Tiger jumped down from the crate and strode away in the direction of the port. The crowd of Cats followed him, Lishtim included, enchanted by the words of the Tiger. In a religious extacy the crowd made their way to to the port, where they lynched the guardscats protecting the cargo of merchants. Soon, the crowd split up and boarded civilian ships, which were now unprotected by the guards. Lishtim managed to get aboard of the Karvulans the Damned, a big merchant vessel. A tiger, also dressed in military uniform, took the steering wheel, and took of together with the rest of the captured ships. He started giving orders out to the crew of rag-tag Cats aboard the ship. He shouted to some strong Lions to man the board guns, and yelled at some female Cats to look for food and health kits. Then he turned to Lishtim.

"Come over here, Puma." The Cat pointed at the seat next to him. "I'm promoting you to co-pilot. I hope you learn fast, little Cat." He smiled and turned back to the navigation panel. Lishtim nervously sat down. He'd never left the Sanctuary before, and he didn't know the first thing about flying a spaceship. He thought that might be smart to share with the pilot.

"Sir, I feel like's it would be responsible for me to say that I've never flown a spaceship before, so I'm not wether I would be the right man to be your co-pilot." The Tiger looked at him.

"You'll learn. Just keep a close eye on everything I do, understood?" He winked at Lishtim. You're a Puma, you're the most intelligent Cats of us all."

The Puma felt pride wallow in his chest. "I won't let you down, mister!" The Pilot smiled at him once again. As the ship left orbit, Lishtim became more and more curious as to where they were heading.

"Ever heard of the Adumir system?" The pilot responded. "Whilst technically still in Feline space, it'll do fine as an outpost for a band of 'rebels' like us."

"So we're gonna fight the Order, then?" asked Lishtim.

"You know it, little Cat."

"Don't call me that."

Even though Lishtim was still just 15, he didn't like remarks about his height. Pumas might be knwown for their intelligence, but not for their physical appearance. He lost all his anger when he saw that the ship had left orbit. Below him was the Sanctuary, a bright blue ball in the middle of a vast black ocean, sometimes lit up by a lone star. First, they passed Madragon's Stronghold, the moon orbiting around the Sanctuary, and then they reached the centre of the Galaxy: Aeria Husila. The big blue star dazzled him, and it's appearance brought back some of the religious feelings he had had that morning when he listened to the big Tiger. He saw blue and white flames dance across the surface of the star, and flares a million miles in range shoot up from the star. He gazed out of the window in amazement at all that he saw. The Pilot noticed and did an extra lap around the star before catching up with the rest of the fleet. Once all the ships had regrouped, the big Tiger from before came to visit each ship to write down the crew and abilities. The Karvulans the Damned was one of the last to be checked. Lishtim decided he might as well get to know the Pilot better while they had to wait.

"So what's your name?" He aksed in an interested tone.

"Why don't you tell me yours first."

"Fine. I'm Lishtim, a 15 year old orphan raised in the orphanage of St. Taloth."

"That's rough, little Cat." Said the pilot, ignoring the name Lishtim just presented to him. "I can't imagine what it must have been like growing up without parents."

"Not very fun, I can tell you. But now you must tell me your name. Promise is promise!"

"Fine, little Cat. My name is Tetlar, former pilot of the 15th squadron in the Holy Armada."

Lishtim's mouth fell open in suprise. "You were a pilot? But then you must have deserted! Why would you do such a thing?"

"I got disillusioned with our fair government." He smiled faintly at Lishtim. "After the battle of Kojogg's keep my squadron lost 2/3 of it's corvettes, so we decided to desert from the Armada and start our own nation, where everyman is free, without an elite group of 'Holy Cats' to tell you what you can and can't do."

"But the battle at Kojogg's keep was a victory for the Sanctuary. Where there still that many losses?"

"The Archbishops might have been hiding something from you, little Cat. Maybe more than one something."

Lishtim went silent for a moment. Then he continued asking questions. "So what's he like?"

"What's who like?"

"You know, the big Tiger, that Prophet that was rallying us at Garbanog. How do you know him?"

"I guess you're about to find out, little Cat."

Lishtim turned his head as he heard the doors of the vessel opening and saw a young Tiger with a scar on his cheek enter the Karvulan the Damned.

 

[Sailormarsfan1701]

pirates?

 

[TheBearIsHere]

pirates?

Pirates.