Below is the journal of Olca Sankara, a bonuwat buccaneer and member of the Freemen's Brotherhood.
I am unsure of what the days to come will bring. A fortnight ago I was on Motaku, having a drink at Fat Jessup's after a job when I was approached by a Bonuwat sailor, with a message from Kwame: come to Eleder. A year of running messages for the Freemen, never has one been for me. This should be interesting.
It was noon when I hit the cramped slums that have sprung up along the Diomar Wall. The smell of bodies & pineapples was overwhelming. The indignities the Chelish have visited upon us will be avenged.
Time has not been kind to the wary Ombo. We met in the home of a local fisherman. I found him hunched over a bevy of maps. Beads of sweat pooled in ravines gouged into his brow through decades of concern.
A man of few words, he cut straight to the heart of the matter. A group, fresh from Smuggler's Shiv, had attracted the attention of several important parties across Desperation Bay. Amongst those coming to meet with the strangers was First Mate Xi Four-Eyes.
"Rarely does the eel slither out of its hole," Kwame said to me. He then offered me a chance at serving the Freemen as more than an envoy.
How could I say no?
*A few equations are scribbled in a rushed hand, along with a crude drawing of an exploding iron pot.*
Yesterday was the first time I killed a man.
Spent the last three days hanging around Portside, learning what I can until the meeting. The mgenis arrival dominated every conversation in the district. Rumors swirled they had a map with them that led to untold riches. I wonder how much of this is true.
The day of the meeting came & I put my plan into motion: I scaled the Sargava Club's back wall & snuck in through a second story window. There was too much commotion to bother listening in & I wasn't there for information.
I packed a few doses of black powder into an iron pot & cut enough fuse to buy me time to climb to the rooftop. In position, I readied my musket & prepared to fire at Xi as he escaped the Club. I had not planned for the coward to take one of the mgeni as hostage; a pale woman with crimson hair. I took the shot & missed.
With no other option, I joined the woman's comrades as they gave chase. We drew near to the warehouse district when a panicked mob pushed past us. Nipping at their heels was a pack of rabid dogs we were forced to put down.
We saw black smoke rising above the rooftops some blocks away & moved in that direction only to find some of my own comrades turn & attack us as they burned down several warehouses. Were these Freemen defending Xi or merely taking advantage of the situation to strike at the Chelish? I would not open fire on them; the others had no qualms.
We pushed them back to the gates of the South Arcadian Whaling Company. High above us, atop a warehouse roof, was Umagro Twin-Blades; a champion of the Freemen. He held one of his famed blades to the pale woman's throat & yelled his demands. Umagro & Xi were allies? I could not believe this.
To attack a heavily fortified position held by superior numbers was foolish. They are lucky I was with them, or so I thought.
The details of the battle are a blur of gore & smoke but I will never forget the violent spasm of that young Zenj as my bullet punched a hole through his chest. He died with Umagro's name on his lips.
At some point a decomposing whale exploded & covered every available inch of the courtyard in a grisly layer of charred flesh. The horrors were not yet over.
Another drink.
*His writing begins to slant & cramp together.*
The worst came as we cornered Umagro, hostage still in tow. Recognizing the inevitable, he took his blade, yanked her head back & slit her throat open for us to witness. The golden lizard man rushed forward when an anger I'd long kept dormant took over me.
It was fucking murder. I did what must be done & do not regret my decision.
The mgeni have asked me to join their expedition. They seek the fabled city Saventh-Yhi. With Eleder's purging of Umagro & his fanatics, perhaps it would be in the Brotherhood's best interests to join the expedition. With the treasure from Saventh-Yhi, a thousand revolutions could be funded.
With my new identity I shall bring a storm to this land & sweep it of injustice.
Not much sleep the last two nights.
This morning I convinced some local Mba'ijo to ferry us in their rafts. We sailed along Desperation Bay in search of an old hermit rumored to live in a grotto near the Pallid Bluffs. We arrived at high tide & waded to shore as the fishermen cast their nets.
After a short search we discovered the hermit arguing with himself in his grotto. He calls himself Nkechi the Tempest. I recognize the wild stare of a man long addled by the sun. He was gnarled like flotsam & scrambled around his cave on all fours before thrusting a rusty trident at us & demanding we return with black pearls in order to gain his favor.
Never have I seen such miserable fucking swimmers. What should have been a few minutes worth of diving became an exercise in futility as two of the mgeni turned on one another. I do not know what happened on the Shiv, but it seems animosities run deep between them.
No matter. The pearls were gathered.
Many new faces at the Sargava Club this morning, while some familiar ones failed to arrive. Only the elf witch, halfling druid & pale woman were there that I recognized. We met with a Red Mantis; an elf woman by the name of Chivane.
I am unaware of what associations the Freemen may have the Red Mantis, but allies & resources are needed to fight the Chelish.
With a preliminary budget agreed upon, I left the Club to meet with Nkechi for his second trial. Stole a donkey from a dumpy Chelish merchant and rode to an overgrown trail I discovered after the pearl dive. Spent some time working on my quick draw while waiting for the others to arrive. With a shorter barrel and filing down the stock into a grip, I can wield this musket like a pistol. It needs a name.
Nkechi has requested a feather from the Chirok of Gozreh's Crest. Perhaps the Dutu intends to kill us before we make it inland.
The climb up Gozreh's Crest was formidable. A storm rolled in during our ascent. After some quick thinking & plenty of rope (remember to ask the rat-man how he did that) we were able to reach the stormbird's nest no worse for wear.
Our good fortune did not last. Upon the Chirok's arrival it let loose an awful screech. My ears are still ringing.
Calypso, the witch, subdued the beast with her magic and we left with our prize. Upon reaching the ground, we were surrounded by a group of Mba'ijo who demanded to know why we trespassed on their sacred grounds. Our intrusion was visible from their village & their insulted elders sent a war party to investigate. We explained our situation & though we had not harmed the stormbird, we had trespassed & they demanded justice.
Insults were hurled and a not-so-friendly competition broke out between the vanara monk & half-orc barbarian as to who would wrestle their champion in trial by combat. The barbarian made quick work of the monk and champion.
We spent the night beneath the stars with the Mba'ijo at a small outpost near the bluffs.
This morning we returned to the hermitage. With a gleeful shake of his old bones, Nkechi scuttled away with our tokens. We gathered around his feeble fire as he spoke of wind & waves while drawing on our faces with red paste.
He told us we were to speak with Gozreh & gave us each a portion of dried dromotu root. Familiar with its effects, I happily accepted. This was nothing like that night in the Kaavanyika beneath a tapestry of melting stars.
I felt myself floating, then shrinking as I took to the heavens. I could feel my flesh shift into a coat of fur as I connected to something deep within my soul. I danced through the cosmos with the others, also changed, when we were challenged by a mighty cobra.
I can't make much sense of what happened that night, but we triumphed against the snake & this convinced the old hermit to join the expedition as our field guide. What have I signed up for?
After a short meeting and some silver-tongued diplomacy, I convinced Kwame and Captain Mindarre of the Eagle Knights to assist the expedition.
I'll deliver the news to the party at the Sargava Club then spend the night fashioning a raft sturdy enough to carry us down shore to Port Freedom.
Before departing, Kwame warned me to maintain the Freemen's standing with the Rivermen's Guild. Why the opinion of thugs matters to him is beyond me.
*Several lines of scrawled gibberish where only the words FUCKIN' GREAT and MASTERPIECE are legible along with a drawing of a raft fill a page stained with thick drops.*
Woke up to a splitting headache. Barely had time to relieve myself before the others arrived, having spent their last night in Eleder at the Club. I'll be glad to be back on the water.
Morale's a touch low tonight after some rough sailing. If it hadn't been for a family of giant squid, the raft would have held and we'd be in Port Freedom by now. Guess I'll hold off on drinking until after the planning stage.
No matter; we made it to shore and spent a pleasant night beneath the stars after making great progress along the coast. We'll arrive before next day's end where the promise of drink and shelter will soothe their tempers.
Awoke to Vam screeching in my face. Can’t say it’s the worst way I’ve been woken up. Despite my best efforts the monk seems bereft of chirk; I doubt a life on the sea is meant for my holy acquaintance.
After a short walk we arrived at Port Freedom. The Korir is the lifeblood of this port town and I could hear it pumping from miles away. Quick to separate after a tense night, we made our way along narrow streets to the harbor in search of this "Tristram" to deliver Captain Mindarre's letter.
The Andorans make a fine vessel. A crew of a dozen men would be plenty to work its sails and man its ballistas. But a dozen men we lack; what we do have is a motley band. Tristram was another Andoran, sunburnt redder than a baboon's ass. He asked that we find an able helmsman to lead us upriver to Kalabuto. Other than that, our voyage was assured.
The rat-man, Zigmund, has kept me company since my meeting with Mindarre. His easy-going nature is welcome company. Together, we made our way to the Golden Fang to meet the others.
Upon our arrival we were met with the strangest sight; an enormous cage was erected in the center of the tavern. The mere sight of those bars put me in a foul mood. As two raptors were placed in the cage to fight for our amusement, I made contact with a member of the Rivermen's Guild: a Jabulani Mastour.
I made up some story about escorting a group of mgeni to the Bandu Hills for a mining company. Despite his ridiculous terms, I accepted on the grounds that the voyage should be simple enough. A little over a week and we'd be there.
Not quite sure what happened while the Riverman and I came to terms, but Ned, the barbarian, was at the center of a lethal brawl. Violence comes easy to some in our party. Watching a man writhe in pain as he burns was too fucking much. I had to put him out of his misery.
What's happening to me?
21 Abadius
I am unsure of what the days to come will bring. A fortnight ago I was on Motaku, having a drink at Fat Jessup's after a job when I was approached by a Bonuwat sailor, with a message from Kwame: come to Eleder. A year of running messages for the Freemen, never has one been for me. This should be interesting.
It was noon when I hit the cramped slums that have sprung up along the Diomar Wall. The smell of bodies & pineapples was overwhelming. The indignities the Chelish have visited upon us will be avenged.
Time has not been kind to the wary Ombo. We met in the home of a local fisherman. I found him hunched over a bevy of maps. Beads of sweat pooled in ravines gouged into his brow through decades of concern.
A man of few words, he cut straight to the heart of the matter. A group, fresh from Smuggler's Shiv, had attracted the attention of several important parties across Desperation Bay. Amongst those coming to meet with the strangers was First Mate Xi Four-Eyes.
"Rarely does the eel slither out of its hole," Kwame said to me. He then offered me a chance at serving the Freemen as more than an envoy.
How could I say no?
O
*A few equations are scribbled in a rushed hand, along with a crude drawing of an exploding iron pot.*
24 Abadius
Yesterday was the first time I killed a man.
Spent the last three days hanging around Portside, learning what I can until the meeting. The mgenis arrival dominated every conversation in the district. Rumors swirled they had a map with them that led to untold riches. I wonder how much of this is true.
The day of the meeting came & I put my plan into motion: I scaled the Sargava Club's back wall & snuck in through a second story window. There was too much commotion to bother listening in & I wasn't there for information.
I packed a few doses of black powder into an iron pot & cut enough fuse to buy me time to climb to the rooftop. In position, I readied my musket & prepared to fire at Xi as he escaped the Club. I had not planned for the coward to take one of the mgeni as hostage; a pale woman with crimson hair. I took the shot & missed.
With no other option, I joined the woman's comrades as they gave chase. We drew near to the warehouse district when a panicked mob pushed past us. Nipping at their heels was a pack of rabid dogs we were forced to put down.
We saw black smoke rising above the rooftops some blocks away & moved in that direction only to find some of my own comrades turn & attack us as they burned down several warehouses. Were these Freemen defending Xi or merely taking advantage of the situation to strike at the Chelish? I would not open fire on them; the others had no qualms.
We pushed them back to the gates of the South Arcadian Whaling Company. High above us, atop a warehouse roof, was Umagro Twin-Blades; a champion of the Freemen. He held one of his famed blades to the pale woman's throat & yelled his demands. Umagro & Xi were allies? I could not believe this.
To attack a heavily fortified position held by superior numbers was foolish. They are lucky I was with them, or so I thought.
The details of the battle are a blur of gore & smoke but I will never forget the violent spasm of that young Zenj as my bullet punched a hole through his chest. He died with Umagro's name on his lips.
At some point a decomposing whale exploded & covered every available inch of the courtyard in a grisly layer of charred flesh. The horrors were not yet over.
Another drink.
*His writing begins to slant & cramp together.*
The worst came as we cornered Umagro, hostage still in tow. Recognizing the inevitable, he took his blade, yanked her head back & slit her throat open for us to witness. The golden lizard man rushed forward when an anger I'd long kept dormant took over me.
It was fucking murder. I did what must be done & do not regret my decision.
The mgeni have asked me to join their expedition. They seek the fabled city Saventh-Yhi. With Eleder's purging of Umagro & his fanatics, perhaps it would be in the Brotherhood's best interests to join the expedition. With the treasure from Saventh-Yhi, a thousand revolutions could be funded.
With my new identity I shall bring a storm to this land & sweep it of injustice.
O
26 Abadius
Not much sleep the last two nights.
This morning I convinced some local Mba'ijo to ferry us in their rafts. We sailed along Desperation Bay in search of an old hermit rumored to live in a grotto near the Pallid Bluffs. We arrived at high tide & waded to shore as the fishermen cast their nets.
After a short search we discovered the hermit arguing with himself in his grotto. He calls himself Nkechi the Tempest. I recognize the wild stare of a man long addled by the sun. He was gnarled like flotsam & scrambled around his cave on all fours before thrusting a rusty trident at us & demanding we return with black pearls in order to gain his favor.
Never have I seen such miserable fucking swimmers. What should have been a few minutes worth of diving became an exercise in futility as two of the mgeni turned on one another. I do not know what happened on the Shiv, but it seems animosities run deep between them.
No matter. The pearls were gathered.
O
27 Abadius
Many new faces at the Sargava Club this morning, while some familiar ones failed to arrive. Only the elf witch, halfling druid & pale woman were there that I recognized. We met with a Red Mantis; an elf woman by the name of Chivane.
I am unaware of what associations the Freemen may have the Red Mantis, but allies & resources are needed to fight the Chelish.
With a preliminary budget agreed upon, I left the Club to meet with Nkechi for his second trial. Stole a donkey from a dumpy Chelish merchant and rode to an overgrown trail I discovered after the pearl dive. Spent some time working on my quick draw while waiting for the others to arrive. With a shorter barrel and filing down the stock into a grip, I can wield this musket like a pistol. It needs a name.
Nkechi has requested a feather from the Chirok of Gozreh's Crest. Perhaps the Dutu intends to kill us before we make it inland.
The climb up Gozreh's Crest was formidable. A storm rolled in during our ascent. After some quick thinking & plenty of rope (remember to ask the rat-man how he did that) we were able to reach the stormbird's nest no worse for wear.
Our good fortune did not last. Upon the Chirok's arrival it let loose an awful screech. My ears are still ringing.
Calypso, the witch, subdued the beast with her magic and we left with our prize. Upon reaching the ground, we were surrounded by a group of Mba'ijo who demanded to know why we trespassed on their sacred grounds. Our intrusion was visible from their village & their insulted elders sent a war party to investigate. We explained our situation & though we had not harmed the stormbird, we had trespassed & they demanded justice.
Insults were hurled and a not-so-friendly competition broke out between the vanara monk & half-orc barbarian as to who would wrestle their champion in trial by combat. The barbarian made quick work of the monk and champion.
We spent the night beneath the stars with the Mba'ijo at a small outpost near the bluffs.
O
28 Abadius
This morning we returned to the hermitage. With a gleeful shake of his old bones, Nkechi scuttled away with our tokens. We gathered around his feeble fire as he spoke of wind & waves while drawing on our faces with red paste.
He told us we were to speak with Gozreh & gave us each a portion of dried dromotu root. Familiar with its effects, I happily accepted. This was nothing like that night in the Kaavanyika beneath a tapestry of melting stars.
I felt myself floating, then shrinking as I took to the heavens. I could feel my flesh shift into a coat of fur as I connected to something deep within my soul. I danced through the cosmos with the others, also changed, when we were challenged by a mighty cobra.
I can't make much sense of what happened that night, but we triumphed against the snake & this convinced the old hermit to join the expedition as our field guide. What have I signed up for?
O
29 Abadius
After a short meeting and some silver-tongued diplomacy, I convinced Kwame and Captain Mindarre of the Eagle Knights to assist the expedition.
I'll deliver the news to the party at the Sargava Club then spend the night fashioning a raft sturdy enough to carry us down shore to Port Freedom.
Before departing, Kwame warned me to maintain the Freemen's standing with the Rivermen's Guild. Why the opinion of thugs matters to him is beyond me.
O
*Several lines of scrawled gibberish where only the words FUCKIN' GREAT and MASTERPIECE are legible along with a drawing of a raft fill a page stained with thick drops.*
30 Abadius
Woke up to a splitting headache. Barely had time to relieve myself before the others arrived, having spent their last night in Eleder at the Club. I'll be glad to be back on the water.
Morale's a touch low tonight after some rough sailing. If it hadn't been for a family of giant squid, the raft would have held and we'd be in Port Freedom by now. Guess I'll hold off on drinking until after the planning stage.
No matter; we made it to shore and spent a pleasant night beneath the stars after making great progress along the coast. We'll arrive before next day's end where the promise of drink and shelter will soothe their tempers.
O
31 Abadius
Awoke to Vam screeching in my face. Can’t say it’s the worst way I’ve been woken up. Despite my best efforts the monk seems bereft of chirk; I doubt a life on the sea is meant for my holy acquaintance.
After a short walk we arrived at Port Freedom. The Korir is the lifeblood of this port town and I could hear it pumping from miles away. Quick to separate after a tense night, we made our way along narrow streets to the harbor in search of this "Tristram" to deliver Captain Mindarre's letter.
The Andorans make a fine vessel. A crew of a dozen men would be plenty to work its sails and man its ballistas. But a dozen men we lack; what we do have is a motley band. Tristram was another Andoran, sunburnt redder than a baboon's ass. He asked that we find an able helmsman to lead us upriver to Kalabuto. Other than that, our voyage was assured.
The rat-man, Zigmund, has kept me company since my meeting with Mindarre. His easy-going nature is welcome company. Together, we made our way to the Golden Fang to meet the others.
Upon our arrival we were met with the strangest sight; an enormous cage was erected in the center of the tavern. The mere sight of those bars put me in a foul mood. As two raptors were placed in the cage to fight for our amusement, I made contact with a member of the Rivermen's Guild: a Jabulani Mastour.
I made up some story about escorting a group of mgeni to the Bandu Hills for a mining company. Despite his ridiculous terms, I accepted on the grounds that the voyage should be simple enough. A little over a week and we'd be there.
Not quite sure what happened while the Riverman and I came to terms, but Ned, the barbarian, was at the center of a lethal brawl. Violence comes easy to some in our party. Watching a man writhe in pain as he burns was too fucking much. I had to put him out of his misery.
What's happening to me?
O