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ximilialog2023-09-05 08:05 pm
MISSION: GOLD SAILS, RED SKIES, PART 2
● ● ● M I S S I O N 1 6 . 2
The planks that create the walkway up to the deck of The Blue Dawn creak as three sets of footsteps make their way across them: at the front, Lai, leading the way; behind her, Andy, fresh off The Silent Plunder — and behind her, a young woman, her hair in a braid, watching her surroundings like half-expecting an attack at any moment.
Lai's voice calls out once the trio have made it to the deck — the moon shines down at them, but the night-owls and early birds may be there to hear the ship’s first mate.
The young woman walks out from behind Andy, her footsteps eerily silent.
Lai is lightning-fast as she whips around to look at Cian, eyes wide like she is staring at a ghost; from the darkness near the door that leads to the kitchens, a startled yell can be heard, followed by rapid footsteps as a smaller form barrels towards the new arrival.
Cian, seeming as confused as everyone else about what is happening, catches the girl running at her with ease, but her quiet, wondrous breath of “Hivin?” is audible only to those near her.
As the two embrace, it may be easy to guess their relation from their similar appearance — but what their reunion really means for the crew (and for the entire continent) is only evident a week and some days after.
It is an early morning, and an orange sunrise haloes Captain Rahtar’s hair as she waits on the higher deck for all of the crew to gather around. By her side, Cian and Hivin are already waiting, the older standing nigh motionless while the younger fidgets with a kind of nervous energy.
As if on cue, Cian steps forward, her head held high.
The girls turn to each other, each bringing out what seems to be an elaborately carved metallic object — as they press the two sides one next to the other, the pieces click together, and suddenly a sharp beam of red light shoots from the middle of the object, blending in with the orange sky and painting it red as it lights a way towards the eastern horizon ... towards the mythical island of Dracness.
1.0 On The Blue Dawn, things move fast as soon as the way to the previously-lost island is uncovered: the ship shoots forward at a near-unprecedented speed, one that can be attributed to a favourable wind at their back… or perhaps the skillful use of magic, one that you may be contributing to if you find yourself so inclined — or maybe you’re directing your magical capabilities towards slowing down those who may be trying to follow you to the island.
But if magic is not in your skillset, there is still plenty to do: you can keep the ship on course, prepare for an eventual landing, gather supplies, and of course communicate with your fellow Orbers on the other two ships, to make that sure all of you have a plan for when the island of Dracness very swiftly ceases to be a myth.
2.0 Meanwhile, the second the eastern skyline erupts in red, The Hawking will find their captains on the deck, both visibly brimming with excitement.
However, though the twins instruct their crew to set course towards the eastern horizon, their way towards the island is not all smooth sailing, quite literally: it seems that there are particular parts of the ship in need of repair, or perhaps having been repaired but not quite so well — you might be of assistance, here … one way or the other. Or perhaps you’re trying to slow the ship down in other ways — or not, and you’re making preparations for the moment you eventually make it to the island.
3.0 Aboard The Silent Plunder, Captain Greybeard alerts the crew a few hours after sunrise, his voice booming over the deck.
Cheers fill the air, and whether you join them or not, the course is clear: with Jhin calling instructions for the helmsman regarding direction, the Plunder is quickly in pursuit and on the way towards Dracness. However, a few short hours into the day, the sky around you darkens as thunder crackles in the clouds — an entirely ordinary storm, surely… or not, but weather it you have to, regardless. And as rain and hail strike the deck, you have to decide whether to try and escape it inside, or remain a good loyal pirate and help the ship to its destination.
The clouds part across the blush-pink horizon as the sun begins to set, marking a long journey and the collective efforts of each ship that has now been more or less caught up to speed on the rumoured whereabouts of Dracness.
The island in the sky is, indeed, just that – like a floating mass of land that has found itself suspended far above and past Hhial, hidden by some combination of magic and cloaking that had kept the land safe from prying eyes and sticky fingers. The weather is temperate and just a little brisk, the skies are bright and full of fluffy cumulus clouds, and the nights become clear and lit by the light of the moon.
4.0 Depending on the actions of your crewmates, you may find your arrival on Dracness a smooth ride, a bumpy ride, or a very much delayed one. Eventually, all of the crew will arrive with the captains of their accompanying ship in varying levels of gratification. One thing can be said though: no matter how long it had taken to get here, the arrival is breathtaking and absolutely worth it … but now the race for the treasure (if such a thing exists) begins. You’ll likely be tasked first with unloading the ship, docking it to the floating port as though the sky had the same consistency of the ocean back in Hhial.
Or you may be tasked to start casing the island, and find a place for you and your crew to rest your heads this night before proceeding with a more thorough and full-scale exploration in the morning. Take a crewmate or two along with you, and have your wits about you as well as this is truly uncharted territory as strange things may occur along your trek: you might suddenly find yourself walking a straight path right back to where you’d come from, or you might find yourself following some of your crew to some unknown direction, only to wind up surrounded by trees and plants that skew your sense of direction. And if you listen hard enough, you might even hear the hollow sound of a deep rumbling, like a guttural screech that echoes through the air.
5.0 Dracness is mostly lush, untouched land with forest trees covering most of what your eyes can see from the shore. There are no properly trodden pathways, no real sense that anyone has lived on this island for decades, maybe even centuries. No map will help to guide your way as no one (as far as you know) has ever set foot here before you and your crew. Dracness truly is a small little world of its own. And yet as you manage to make your way further through the thick forest, you’ll eventually come upon a small cluster of robust cottages made from white stone, all of them dark, perhaps uninhabited. The doors are unsurprisingly locked, but they are not impenetrable.
Given how high Dracness is in proximity to the stars and the moon, the overly large shape of it seems brighter here, and its reflective glow illuminates the stonework, making these structures seem to light up from within. At night, your vision is severely hampered by the lack of natural light and perhaps something even darker, aside from the breaks in the trees where beams of moonlight might peek through the shadow; having a torchlight here would be especially useful, and those with magic may want to volunteer your abilities to light the way.
Dracness is very different in the morning. The sun shines brightly above the cloud-cover, brightening the spaces between the trees, turning waterfalls into shining liquid crystal, and bathing the entire island’s forests in warm light. The water is cool and refreshing, and the forest can be foraged for your own breakfast. If you decided to sleep elsewhere and then revisit the locked cottages in the daytime, you’ll find (by peering through the windows, or a good ol’ break-and-enter) that they appear to be furnished with simple, even crude furniture built from the natural resources that seem to be abundant on this island. There are a smattering of silver and gold pieces, some jewelry and silverware, and a scarce collection of old, dusty gowns made from the finest fabrics hanging in the closet.
Past the cottages and the forest cover, there is a range of craggy, sharp-rock mountains that are obscured by the cloud cover that surrounds the island, given its altitude. The night had been quiet enough, with just the sounds of the forests and insects chirping to serve as company, but the moment the sun begins to rise, each of the crews and their captains may hear the sounds of echoed screeches coming from the mountain range.
As the morning continues, great jewel-coloured beasts suddenly seem to appear from past the sharp peaks, their spiked tails curling past rock and cliff as the scaled beasts fly and float on wide bat-like wings proportional to their large bodies. They are dragons, with long snouts and clawed legs, each one of them varying in size and, presumably, age.
6.0 It might be fascinating enough to watch as the hoard of dragons slowly wakes up, more and more of them emerging from the mountains to fly around the peaks and soar through the skies. In vibrant red, green, orange, blue, and yellow (among a number of other hues), large dragons can be found amongst smaller ones, the large ones taking the lead while the smaller ones seem content enough to follow. The smaller ones screech and squawk, while one or two of the larger of the hoard quietly lead, swooping towards the trees. The rest stay above, surveying the land below them for breakfast, getting started with their own days – which means it might be in your best interests to remain hidden from view in the event that you would prefer to keep your life and all of your limbs intact. You might want to observe them at a later time, or at the very least immediately after they’ve finished eating, barring those with specific animal handling abilities or no fear of death.
7.0 Once the dragons have been properly fed and relaxed enough to find some ground to roam and lounge on, if you’re curious you may find it the most ideal time to approach these great beasts without guaranteeing that you become their crunchy daytime snack. Depending on how you approach one of the beasts, maybe when it wanders off to explore on its own, maybe once it looks as though it might be settling in for a nap in its most docile state, they may be receptive to an interaction. One thing that becomes clear to you is that the larger dragons seem to be older, though by how much remains to be seen; the smaller dragons are much younger. The older dragons seem mildly protective over the younger ones, but there is a lack of a familial bond amongst the hoard – as though they flock together for no other reason than the fact that they are all the same species. The younger dragons seem to be chattier, curious even, and may be keen to approach — of course they may not know their own strength. Meanwhile, the larger dragons are observant and a little wary, but they stay where they are, a looming, intimidating presence.
The largest dragon of the hoard remains watchful over Dracness’ landscape, their keen golden eyes surveying the rest of its ilk both large and small before finally landing their gaze on the miniscule dark specks of the pirate crews and the Orbers as they begin to populate the island. Most of the fleshy little specks seem to remain unaware of the beasts’ presence, but one in particular suddenly looks up towards the mountain peaks, and seemingly towards the largest of the beasts as though they might meet eyes even past the distance from ground to mountain peak, and then through the haze of cloud-cover.
Intrigued now, the great beast straightens its spine and stretches its large, large wingspan, swooping down to meet the strange, fleshy little creature that reminds them so much of someone they had known once, served once, centuries ago.
F Y I
• If you have questions about any of the prompts or the mission in general, please direct them HERE.
• A voting post regarding the conclusion will go up on September 14.
• And finally, your soundtrack for this log: ♪ ♪ ♪