Entry 4:
I AM DISCOVERED!
My Nautolan ressurectee has been nominally co-operative. I explained to him, at length, what the rest of the crew would do were they to discover him alive and this seems to have had the desired effect.
Unfortunately this has meant keeping him bound and gagged for the majority of each day. I have fed and watered him - literally in the case of a Nautolan - regularly. And released him for an hour each day to exercise and undertake his other necessary functions in my cabin. (At pistol-point, of course.)
Over the days I monitored his recovery, interrogated him with regard to his experience of, and memories of, death and undertook further studies - for example inflicting minor cuts upon him and myself to compare the recovery process. All of this is recording in my medical notes. In short, he seems to be fully recovered and his flesh does not seem necrotic. Interestingly Nautolan bodily fluid seems sit somewhere between the blood of mammals and the ichor of lower beasts. "Blichor".
He claims to have no memories past his killing, prior to his re-animation, but I am not sure he is completely honest. When asked his name (not by me), he gave it as "Nauton". (Nauton the Nautolan!)
Above decks the interminable trawl to our destination continued - the needs of sailing such a huge vessel with so Iimited a crew taking tolls upon everyone. There were no more encounters with the strange tempests but Methuselah has been monitored movements in the stars. He feels they are coming to a conjunction of some sorts in between four and eight weeks. This is a fascinating and, if I weren't busy with my own vital researches, I would be actively investigating it myself.
There was one minor incident where Methuselah's poor navigation nearly ran us aground but Tabithah's quick thinking in spinning the ship's wheel violently and randomly saved us - though recovering from that did lengthen this journey even more.
Eventually we were able to beach The Viceroy at our Island and set about converting it into a makeshift fortress - it is much better appointed, armed and comfortable than our previous huts.
There was much discussion about the next steps. I was busy with my researches and didn't partake. Apparently Methuselah wished to put part of our takings into a bank which caused Tabithah much concern. The concept is completely alien to Rakashans.
Eventually it was decided to hie back to Nicante to restock and take on more crew. I was able to transfer my guest to The Chimera in a large chest unnoticed and immediately started to grow a beard and change my hair style to disguise my features. There had been no wanted posters in the town during our last visit, but news does travel eventually.
The voyage to Nicante took two days. However, upon arrival my shipmates took to arguing amongst themselves as to exactly what to do do next, so I headed off into town myself to fulfil my needs. Initially I was unable to make any contacts but Tyrann tracked me down and - between us - we found a supplier able to provide me more of the herb for which Hannah - our avian - has developed such a craving. He was a Rakashan with a shaved arm revealing an anatomical tattoo of a female of his species. As always, I arranged to buy both that and every other strange herb and liquor he possessed - to aid in my researches. A deal was struck - 1,000 gold prices, a bargain! - and payment arranged in 24 hours.
The rest of the crew were relaxing in a tavern but I chose to retire early. In the morning, Methuselah tried to recruit crew members at the dock. Though his rousing speech failed to retain most passerby's interest, a quiet word from myself brought many back. It's a learnt persona but I do have a passable bed-side manner. (The important thing is sincerity. When you can fake that, you've got it made.)
So we had interest from a motley crew of Rakashans, Nautolaons, Saurians and Humans. Alas there were no Mole-men but there were two Rhinotaurs interested. So I had the opportunity to expand my menagerie.
I fulfilled my duties as ship's doctor, checking their general health and rejecting any who were ill or unfit. I was able to check the respiratory functions of most species myself with a quick blow to their solar plexi, but needed Tyrann and Tabitha's help with their individual species. (We didn't bother checking the Rhinotaurs.)
Leaving our crew mates to orient - and equip and armour - our new shipmates, Methuselah and myself trawled the local bookstores. There is no library in Nicante. (We need to travel to a larger city.)
We found no good books on medicine, nor much about the strange storms. All we found were legends - the World was once destroyed by a piglike demonic race and a saviour appeared to rescue The Races and transfer them to our current home. Etc. Apparently this world has a recorded history of only five centuries. Madness! (More research is needed.)
I visited a local apothecary to restock on mundane medicines.
As night fell, Tyrann and I attended our meeting to acquire the more esoteric substances I'd ordered. My crew mates (especially Tabithah) suspected a trap and elaborate arrangements were put in place should the dealer attempt a double cross.
The meeting took place in a warehouse in the docks and went off without a hitch. I tested samples of each substance, payment was made and we transferred a chest containing the full consignment to The Chimera.
One of the samples - a red liquid - had a delayed effect and I passed out. (Note: it may be useful as an anaesthetic for more future surgeries).
I awoke in my cabin. Upon speaking to Nauton, I found that he had been discovered by Tyrann - who, you will recall, was responsible for killing him in the first place - and Tabithah - who was the one who'd asked the Nautolan his name.
(Never name your patients! You'll only get attached to them.)
Strangely, they hadn't killed (re-killed?) him but just left him bound, gagged and covered in his tarpaulin. I cannot help but wonder as to their motives.
Nauton (damn! Now I'M doing it!) became extremely uncooperative - complaining about being bound for over 24 hours and the days (weeks) he'd spent tied to my examining table. He even said he'd rather be dead. Ungrateful beast!
I regagged him and set out to find my shipmates. I suspect I have a serious conversation coming up...
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Friday, January 18, 2019
Entry 3
Entry 3:
SUCCESS! I have wrestled God himself and made strides to advance the knowledge of Mankind manifold.
But I get ahead of myself.
We searched the Viceroy from stem to stern and found no further clues as to the disappearance of her crew. We recovered the ownership papers assigned to her owner/Captain Cecil Buttercup. And the ships treasury. Also an assassination warrant for any the Captain deemed a pirate.
I restocked my medicines (including a small boost to my Laudanum store).
After much (much) discussion we decided to sail the Viceroy to our home base and beach her - the plan being that we could use her guns for defence whilst we stripped her at our leisure.
Clearly the 12 of us was completely inadequate to the task - it took half a day merely to turn the ship onto the correct heading. Still I sorted out appropriate rest periods, to allow for maximum efficiency and we set sail - the Chimera in tow.
Each day Hannah was sent aloft to scout.
On the second day we saw a storm ahead - similar to the one preceding the discovery of the abandoned Viceroy. But it dissipated before we could actually encounter it.
The following day brought a near encounter with a small mercantile vessel of some kind. Tabitha cunningly raised the plague flag and they avoided us.
There was then some slight unpleasantness when Hannah tore down the flag and threw it into the ocean. It seems she was bored by the voyage and thought that - as pirates - we should attack the merchant craft. She was confined below decks.
(Note: I do not see how the medicine I am administering to her to control her alcoholic cravings could affect her behaviour in this way. But she IS an avian so this is a possibility. More research is needed. I’ll try altering the amount and content of medicine I her daily coffee. I need to do this anyway, only having 15 doses left.)
(Further note: upon confining her, Methuselah referred to her as “Mister” Hannah. Apparently Nautolans consider it unlucky to have females aboard ship - a custom I find hard to fathom. It has something to do with their propensity to have broods of 20 or so offspring. From the resulting conversation discovered that Hannah has been barren for over 30 years.)
Due to the high work demands of keeping such a huge ship sailing - even if only in a straight line - we are all on minimum sleep hours. Even so, I was awoken from my slumber. It seemed that the strange storm was now astern. Whilst scanning it with his telescope, to see if the merchantman from earlier in the day had been ensnared, Methuselah had again noticed a great hole in the sky where the stars had disappeared. No appropriate explanation immediately vouchsafed itself but I fail to see how this phenomenon could be a hazard so I chose to ignore it.
(Note: I must talk to a real astronomer at the earliest opportunity about it though. My interest is piqued.)
As morning dawned, we noted a small vessel moving towards us and away from the storm. Hannah (released too soon from her confinement in my opinion - I have withheld further medicinal does for the time being) flew to investigate.
It was a small Nautolan fishing vessel fleeing a strange event within the storm.
The Nautolan crew were permitted to board the Viceroy. I enquired after their experiences. Apparently they’d seen a large warship (not as big as the Viceroy) with her crew like ghostly apparitions passing through the walls - mainly upwards - wailing in terror.
I was unable to enquire further as Tabithah chose the moment to shoot my confidante in the head!
There followed a moment of utter chaos as the innocent fishermen desperately tried to flee massacre at the hands of my shipmates. I physically tackled one and offered him my own personal parole only to have Tyrann slash his throat with his vicious talons.
Still it was a clean kill with no damage to the brain, heart or other major organs. I quickly staunched the blood flow and carried the corpse to my cabin.
It was there that the miracle happened. I applied all of my usually mordant techniques to the dead being and was able to successfully re-animate it!
I have brought LIFE back to inanimate flesh!
Further, an unguent I’d hastily thrown together completely healed the Nautolan’s throat wound.
(Note: I did not track exactly what I threw into the lotion - and it may only prove this effective on Nautolan flesh - but it is a remarkable discovery.)
Not wishing my crew-mates to discover my handiwork, I bound and gagged my patient and concealed him beneath a throw.
I returned to the deck to find the melee concluded. Apparently ship’s cannon had been used to sink the fishing craft. This had led to the fishermen trying to seize The Chimera - which had the bulk of our bounty aboard. Naturally my colleagues had stopped them. The only injury sustained was by Tyrann, who had one of Hannah’s arrows wedged into his empty eye socket.
I was required to instigate a serious conversation. Methuselah had apparently decided he wanted no witnesses to our piracy and ordered the slaughter. However, as a Doctor I am not happy with wanton murder - especially when we are short handed and these fisherfolk could have been press-ganged into service. I received assurances that, at least, my shipmates would in future try to avoid damaging any of the major organs.
(I must repeat my success. I MUST!)
SUCCESS! I have wrestled God himself and made strides to advance the knowledge of Mankind manifold.
But I get ahead of myself.
We searched the Viceroy from stem to stern and found no further clues as to the disappearance of her crew. We recovered the ownership papers assigned to her owner/Captain Cecil Buttercup. And the ships treasury. Also an assassination warrant for any the Captain deemed a pirate.
I restocked my medicines (including a small boost to my Laudanum store).
After much (much) discussion we decided to sail the Viceroy to our home base and beach her - the plan being that we could use her guns for defence whilst we stripped her at our leisure.
Clearly the 12 of us was completely inadequate to the task - it took half a day merely to turn the ship onto the correct heading. Still I sorted out appropriate rest periods, to allow for maximum efficiency and we set sail - the Chimera in tow.
Each day Hannah was sent aloft to scout.
On the second day we saw a storm ahead - similar to the one preceding the discovery of the abandoned Viceroy. But it dissipated before we could actually encounter it.
The following day brought a near encounter with a small mercantile vessel of some kind. Tabitha cunningly raised the plague flag and they avoided us.
There was then some slight unpleasantness when Hannah tore down the flag and threw it into the ocean. It seems she was bored by the voyage and thought that - as pirates - we should attack the merchant craft. She was confined below decks.
(Note: I do not see how the medicine I am administering to her to control her alcoholic cravings could affect her behaviour in this way. But she IS an avian so this is a possibility. More research is needed. I’ll try altering the amount and content of medicine I her daily coffee. I need to do this anyway, only having 15 doses left.)
(Further note: upon confining her, Methuselah referred to her as “Mister” Hannah. Apparently Nautolans consider it unlucky to have females aboard ship - a custom I find hard to fathom. It has something to do with their propensity to have broods of 20 or so offspring. From the resulting conversation discovered that Hannah has been barren for over 30 years.)
Due to the high work demands of keeping such a huge ship sailing - even if only in a straight line - we are all on minimum sleep hours. Even so, I was awoken from my slumber. It seemed that the strange storm was now astern. Whilst scanning it with his telescope, to see if the merchantman from earlier in the day had been ensnared, Methuselah had again noticed a great hole in the sky where the stars had disappeared. No appropriate explanation immediately vouchsafed itself but I fail to see how this phenomenon could be a hazard so I chose to ignore it.
(Note: I must talk to a real astronomer at the earliest opportunity about it though. My interest is piqued.)
As morning dawned, we noted a small vessel moving towards us and away from the storm. Hannah (released too soon from her confinement in my opinion - I have withheld further medicinal does for the time being) flew to investigate.
It was a small Nautolan fishing vessel fleeing a strange event within the storm.
The Nautolan crew were permitted to board the Viceroy. I enquired after their experiences. Apparently they’d seen a large warship (not as big as the Viceroy) with her crew like ghostly apparitions passing through the walls - mainly upwards - wailing in terror.
I was unable to enquire further as Tabithah chose the moment to shoot my confidante in the head!
There followed a moment of utter chaos as the innocent fishermen desperately tried to flee massacre at the hands of my shipmates. I physically tackled one and offered him my own personal parole only to have Tyrann slash his throat with his vicious talons.
Still it was a clean kill with no damage to the brain, heart or other major organs. I quickly staunched the blood flow and carried the corpse to my cabin.
It was there that the miracle happened. I applied all of my usually mordant techniques to the dead being and was able to successfully re-animate it!
I have brought LIFE back to inanimate flesh!
Further, an unguent I’d hastily thrown together completely healed the Nautolan’s throat wound.
(Note: I did not track exactly what I threw into the lotion - and it may only prove this effective on Nautolan flesh - but it is a remarkable discovery.)
Not wishing my crew-mates to discover my handiwork, I bound and gagged my patient and concealed him beneath a throw.
I returned to the deck to find the melee concluded. Apparently ship’s cannon had been used to sink the fishing craft. This had led to the fishermen trying to seize The Chimera - which had the bulk of our bounty aboard. Naturally my colleagues had stopped them. The only injury sustained was by Tyrann, who had one of Hannah’s arrows wedged into his empty eye socket.
I was required to instigate a serious conversation. Methuselah had apparently decided he wanted no witnesses to our piracy and ordered the slaughter. However, as a Doctor I am not happy with wanton murder - especially when we are short handed and these fisherfolk could have been press-ganged into service. I received assurances that, at least, my shipmates would in future try to avoid damaging any of the major organs.
(I must repeat my success. I MUST!)
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Entry 2
Entry 2:
Having found a likely fishing community, we approached. At Methuselah’s suggestion we entered harbour with Skylark (The Chimera’s dinghy) slung between our two vessels. A strange manoeuvre which I have never seen or read about. Its intent still defies me.
Hannah scouted the settlement and - upon return - drew a full detailed map with full population annotations.
(Note: it seems the herb I used is still efficacious.)
We deposited our captives without making contact with the natives and set sail for Micante.
The journey was not without incident. Though a skilled navigator, Methuselah found himself off course when we approached shore. He determined the reason but, not believing his conclusions, called upon me for a second opinion. From my reading of astronomical tomes, I agreed with him. The great star Migsah has moved - an unheard of and historic event.
(Note: Despite much research and many theories. no-one knows what the stars actually ARE yet. However, there are far more mysteries to be solved within the human body than in the heavens and that is where I shall continue to focus my research.)
We made port at Micante, gave the crew furlough, and Methuselah, and myself (Hannah having, strangely, elected to remain aboard ship - and Tabitha being nowhere to be seen) headed to a local hostelry. Once within we plied the barkeep and he directed us towards a local fence. This was a Saurian, by the name of Tyrann. His face was marred by a massive scar which bracketed an empty eye socket.
(Had I treated the wound the scar would have been much reduced. I may even have been able to save or repair the eye. Clearly Saurian medicine is in its infancy.)
Tyrann claimed to be able to act as broker for our “salvage” so a deal was struck. Whilst Methuselah went to the bar to fetch drinks to seal the agreement, I slipped Tyrann a note detailing a few requirements of my own.
Upon return to The Chimera we discovered that Hannah had fallen ill. It seems she’d been unwell for a while but had chosen to conceal this fact. Silly girl! Why do people do that?
I quickly determined she had a fever and consigned her to bed. I had Cuthbert bring her lentil soup. (Feed a fever. Chicken soup being contraindicated for avians.)
At dawn, Tyrann arrived on board. He bore mixed news. He had managed to sell our bounty - “The Kipper” - to a local shipyard for spare parts. Unfortunately the negotiations had necessitated him disposing of one of the links in the sales chain and he had fallen foul of the local authorities. He threw himself on our mercy and begged us to depart immediately following the sale. Tabitha attempted to throw some shade upon Methuselah and my own commercial skills but she was given short thrift. We now have a new partner in our venture.
(The fact that Tyrann had exceeded my expectations and delivered all the goods I needed to set up a new laboratory may have influenced my vote. Also the chance to study yet another non-human anatomy up close. This voyage is yielding unforeseen opportunities for study.)
Though we’d had little chance to restock, we still had sufficient resources taken upon our first venture to support another voyage so we immediately set sail.
Methuselah accepted my suggestion that we seek to attack a ship which drifted out of the shipping lanes due it its navigator not spotting the change in the position of Migsah. However, rather than waiting to shadow a ship leaving port, as I suggested, he chose to have us set out blindly to see what fate delivered.
Hannah, alas, was little recovered. Experimentally, I slipped a small pinch of herb into her next bowl of soup and she brightened immediately - demanding more.
(Note: positively I have discovered that her illness seems to have been a withdrawal from the herb I gave her before our first adventure. She now has no interest in alcohol. Alas, her craving has transferred to the herb I administered. And I have a limited supply.)
Shortly after leaving Micante we were hit by an unseasonal squall. I sequestered my myself below decks to wait it out. Strangely I saw flashes of lightning but heard no thunder. I presume the lightning was so far off that what thunder reached our craft was muffled by my cabin’s walls.
Alas I found myself unable to set up a working laboratory on a moving ship. I may have to ask Grubb - the ship’s artisan - for advice.
As the squall passed, Methuselah called me to the deck in a panic. It seemed there was a great hole in the heavens where all the stars had disappeared. As I came on deck the stars reappeared as the great asteroid Shaidar completed its passage across the skies. I take it the viridian hue on Methuselah’s cheeks is how Nautolans express embarrassment.
We sent the healing Hannah aloft to seek prey. She reported a small craft on the horizon. As we neared, however, it became clear that this was, in fact, a much (much) bigger vessel.
We should have turned tail and fled.
But, emboldened by our target’s lack of motion - and taking advantage of Tabitha’s night vision - we approached closer. Hannah bravely flew a sortie directly onto the ship.
(That herb has marvellous powers.)
She reported it deserted.
The ship was the massive multi-cannoned warship, The Viceroy. (Yes, THAT Viceroy.) Specifically tasked with hunting down brigands such as The Chimera.
We should have turned tail and fled.
The only thing that scares we more than a ship with two dozen cannons is something which could defeat such a vessel - and leave no trace!
But Tabithah was beside herself with avarice, frisking about like a kitten in heat. And, dammit, I just needed to KNOW what had happened aboard that ship.
So we boarded her.
There was no trace of the crew. No blood. No signs of a struggle. The Captain’s log showed nothing untoward. There were half eaten meals. Items on the floor which seemed to have been dropped. No rats, no livestock. It was as if the crew, and every living creature on board, (except for the ship’s parrot) had simply - disappeared.
We should have turned tail and fled.
Having found a likely fishing community, we approached. At Methuselah’s suggestion we entered harbour with Skylark (The Chimera’s dinghy) slung between our two vessels. A strange manoeuvre which I have never seen or read about. Its intent still defies me.
Hannah scouted the settlement and - upon return - drew a full detailed map with full population annotations.
(Note: it seems the herb I used is still efficacious.)
We deposited our captives without making contact with the natives and set sail for Micante.
The journey was not without incident. Though a skilled navigator, Methuselah found himself off course when we approached shore. He determined the reason but, not believing his conclusions, called upon me for a second opinion. From my reading of astronomical tomes, I agreed with him. The great star Migsah has moved - an unheard of and historic event.
(Note: Despite much research and many theories. no-one knows what the stars actually ARE yet. However, there are far more mysteries to be solved within the human body than in the heavens and that is where I shall continue to focus my research.)
We made port at Micante, gave the crew furlough, and Methuselah, and myself (Hannah having, strangely, elected to remain aboard ship - and Tabitha being nowhere to be seen) headed to a local hostelry. Once within we plied the barkeep and he directed us towards a local fence. This was a Saurian, by the name of Tyrann. His face was marred by a massive scar which bracketed an empty eye socket.
(Had I treated the wound the scar would have been much reduced. I may even have been able to save or repair the eye. Clearly Saurian medicine is in its infancy.)
Tyrann claimed to be able to act as broker for our “salvage” so a deal was struck. Whilst Methuselah went to the bar to fetch drinks to seal the agreement, I slipped Tyrann a note detailing a few requirements of my own.
Upon return to The Chimera we discovered that Hannah had fallen ill. It seems she’d been unwell for a while but had chosen to conceal this fact. Silly girl! Why do people do that?
I quickly determined she had a fever and consigned her to bed. I had Cuthbert bring her lentil soup. (Feed a fever. Chicken soup being contraindicated for avians.)
At dawn, Tyrann arrived on board. He bore mixed news. He had managed to sell our bounty - “The Kipper” - to a local shipyard for spare parts. Unfortunately the negotiations had necessitated him disposing of one of the links in the sales chain and he had fallen foul of the local authorities. He threw himself on our mercy and begged us to depart immediately following the sale. Tabitha attempted to throw some shade upon Methuselah and my own commercial skills but she was given short thrift. We now have a new partner in our venture.
(The fact that Tyrann had exceeded my expectations and delivered all the goods I needed to set up a new laboratory may have influenced my vote. Also the chance to study yet another non-human anatomy up close. This voyage is yielding unforeseen opportunities for study.)
Though we’d had little chance to restock, we still had sufficient resources taken upon our first venture to support another voyage so we immediately set sail.
Methuselah accepted my suggestion that we seek to attack a ship which drifted out of the shipping lanes due it its navigator not spotting the change in the position of Migsah. However, rather than waiting to shadow a ship leaving port, as I suggested, he chose to have us set out blindly to see what fate delivered.
Hannah, alas, was little recovered. Experimentally, I slipped a small pinch of herb into her next bowl of soup and she brightened immediately - demanding more.
(Note: positively I have discovered that her illness seems to have been a withdrawal from the herb I gave her before our first adventure. She now has no interest in alcohol. Alas, her craving has transferred to the herb I administered. And I have a limited supply.)
Shortly after leaving Micante we were hit by an unseasonal squall. I sequestered my myself below decks to wait it out. Strangely I saw flashes of lightning but heard no thunder. I presume the lightning was so far off that what thunder reached our craft was muffled by my cabin’s walls.
Alas I found myself unable to set up a working laboratory on a moving ship. I may have to ask Grubb - the ship’s artisan - for advice.
As the squall passed, Methuselah called me to the deck in a panic. It seemed there was a great hole in the heavens where all the stars had disappeared. As I came on deck the stars reappeared as the great asteroid Shaidar completed its passage across the skies. I take it the viridian hue on Methuselah’s cheeks is how Nautolans express embarrassment.
We sent the healing Hannah aloft to seek prey. She reported a small craft on the horizon. As we neared, however, it became clear that this was, in fact, a much (much) bigger vessel.
We should have turned tail and fled.
But, emboldened by our target’s lack of motion - and taking advantage of Tabitha’s night vision - we approached closer. Hannah bravely flew a sortie directly onto the ship.
(That herb has marvellous powers.)
She reported it deserted.
The ship was the massive multi-cannoned warship, The Viceroy. (Yes, THAT Viceroy.) Specifically tasked with hunting down brigands such as The Chimera.
We should have turned tail and fled.
The only thing that scares we more than a ship with two dozen cannons is something which could defeat such a vessel - and leave no trace!
But Tabithah was beside herself with avarice, frisking about like a kitten in heat. And, dammit, I just needed to KNOW what had happened aboard that ship.
So we boarded her.
There was no trace of the crew. No blood. No signs of a struggle. The Captain’s log showed nothing untoward. There were half eaten meals. Items on the floor which seemed to have been dropped. No rats, no livestock. It was as if the crew, and every living creature on board, (except for the ship’s parrot) had simply - disappeared.
We should have turned tail and fled.
Entry 1
Being an extract from the journal of Dr “Frank Victor”.
Entry 1: following an unpleasantness in my previous place of abode, I have taken upon myself this new identity with the intent of avoiding those who seek me and continuing with my researches. Hopefully it is far enough across the world of Alvenein from my humble origins to allow me this fresh start.
I have fallen in with a small group of fellow miscreants and vagabonds:
Methuselah Smith - an itinerant navigator and sailor. He is a Nautolan - a humanoid with tentacles in place of hair - as at home beneath the waves as he is on land.
“Hannah” (I believe the name is more properly something like “Haan’argh” but am unsure as to the spelling.) An Avian, her non-human components bearing similarity to some form of snow owl.
Tabitha Khan, a Rajasthan - a feline humanoid - with tiger like features and personality.
(They all have fascinating anatomies which I hope to have the opportunity to study in more detail in the future.)
At Methuselah’s suggestion we have pooled the last of our resources to acquire a small, rather battered galley. A three cannon craft with a crew of six.
(Pew, Pew, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub.)
The craft had suffered misuse and her figurehead was mostly missing. An ill omen to most sailors which enabled us to acquire it cheaply.
(It has entertained me to purchase further figurehead remnants from local wrecks and lash them together.)
We have called our new craft - The Chimera.
So equipped, we have determined to try our hand at sea-borne brigandry. Determining to start small we decided to assault a lesser vessel transporting foodstuffs - which I’d heard about on my travels.
Hannah was tasked with scouting the vessel but her report was unclear . (It seems she may have a problem with alcohol.)
Fortunately I was able to clear her head with a medicinal brew, and her second scouting mission yielded more coherent details of our target’s crew and heading.
(Side note - the stimulant I used seems to be particularly effective upon avians. Hannah was unable to sleep -or get drunk, or stand still - for some 48 hours.)
Fortified with our intelligence - and taking advantage of Tabitha’s ability to see in low light - we were able to successfully track, follow and approach our prey under the cover of night. As dawn broke we were abeam and boarded her easily. Two of our target’s crew were killed in the initial assault. (I was unable to resuscitate them.) The rest were easily captured except for the Captain who concealed himself in his cabin to ambush an over confident and unwary Hannah. He was readily overpowered, however.
Whilst my comrades tortured the captives for information, I scoured the ship’s records and manifest - cataloguing she ships cargo and uncovering illicit goods. Muskets due for sale to the Rakashans - an illegal trade.
A family of furriers were travelling as passengers on a family vacation. We took them to hold for ransom.
Apparently the Captain displeased Tabitha who shot him in the head. Again I was unable to resuscitate him.
(Side note: the body can survive when limbs and some organs are lost or damaged. Others seem critical. The heart is a pump sending vital humours around the body via the blood system. If it is damaged it makes sense for the body to die. But why is the brain so important and how does the body know when it is damaged? More research is needed.)
Determining to sell our goods and captured ship for Bounty we have set off for the friendly port of Micante. My comrades decided against ransoming our captives. Too much effort. We have, instead, put them off at a fishing village, unharmed.
Entry 1: following an unpleasantness in my previous place of abode, I have taken upon myself this new identity with the intent of avoiding those who seek me and continuing with my researches. Hopefully it is far enough across the world of Alvenein from my humble origins to allow me this fresh start.
I have fallen in with a small group of fellow miscreants and vagabonds:
Methuselah Smith - an itinerant navigator and sailor. He is a Nautolan - a humanoid with tentacles in place of hair - as at home beneath the waves as he is on land.
“Hannah” (I believe the name is more properly something like “Haan’argh” but am unsure as to the spelling.) An Avian, her non-human components bearing similarity to some form of snow owl.
Tabitha Khan, a Rajasthan - a feline humanoid - with tiger like features and personality.
(They all have fascinating anatomies which I hope to have the opportunity to study in more detail in the future.)
At Methuselah’s suggestion we have pooled the last of our resources to acquire a small, rather battered galley. A three cannon craft with a crew of six.
(Pew, Pew, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub.)
The craft had suffered misuse and her figurehead was mostly missing. An ill omen to most sailors which enabled us to acquire it cheaply.
(It has entertained me to purchase further figurehead remnants from local wrecks and lash them together.)
We have called our new craft - The Chimera.
So equipped, we have determined to try our hand at sea-borne brigandry. Determining to start small we decided to assault a lesser vessel transporting foodstuffs - which I’d heard about on my travels.
Hannah was tasked with scouting the vessel but her report was unclear . (It seems she may have a problem with alcohol.)
Fortunately I was able to clear her head with a medicinal brew, and her second scouting mission yielded more coherent details of our target’s crew and heading.
(Side note - the stimulant I used seems to be particularly effective upon avians. Hannah was unable to sleep -or get drunk, or stand still - for some 48 hours.)
Fortified with our intelligence - and taking advantage of Tabitha’s ability to see in low light - we were able to successfully track, follow and approach our prey under the cover of night. As dawn broke we were abeam and boarded her easily. Two of our target’s crew were killed in the initial assault. (I was unable to resuscitate them.) The rest were easily captured except for the Captain who concealed himself in his cabin to ambush an over confident and unwary Hannah. He was readily overpowered, however.
Whilst my comrades tortured the captives for information, I scoured the ship’s records and manifest - cataloguing she ships cargo and uncovering illicit goods. Muskets due for sale to the Rakashans - an illegal trade.
A family of furriers were travelling as passengers on a family vacation. We took them to hold for ransom.
Apparently the Captain displeased Tabitha who shot him in the head. Again I was unable to resuscitate him.
(Side note: the body can survive when limbs and some organs are lost or damaged. Others seem critical. The heart is a pump sending vital humours around the body via the blood system. If it is damaged it makes sense for the body to die. But why is the brain so important and how does the body know when it is damaged? More research is needed.)
Determining to sell our goods and captured ship for Bounty we have set off for the friendly port of Micante. My comrades decided against ransoming our captives. Too much effort. We have, instead, put them off at a fishing village, unharmed.
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