jettsjournal

[jettsjournal]

Icescale 3, 1539

Too much has happened since Kadd. I can hardly call the Altus a safe place anymore. We left Kadd after the repairs on the Altus were completed with a shipment of animals we hoped to rescue to better homes in Edinna to the south. Many didn’t survive the storm on the way to the city, many more didn’t survive what followed. Imoshen, the guardian world beast of Edinna deemed the mammals we carried unfit for the natural state of his Island he protects and sent his avian subordinates to rid us of their presence. If we refused, we would not fall under his protection while we stayed on the island and worse would most likely befall us. I reluctantly relinquished the animals, and some onlookers helped save them from being the lunch of the world-beast’s eagles. We made camp in the surrounding forest, having not surrendered the pets we kept dear on the ship to the eagles and eschewing the protection Imoshen offered. 

It wasn’t long afterwards that the crew of the Cirrus arrived at Edinna behind us, changing course to meet up with their allies instead of working towards the pirate queen to the north. That night we were ambushed from the forest by saber-tooth tigers and the snapdragon egg I had been cultivating forcibly hatched in the battle to our convenience. Feral instinct runs strong in the young reptile and it’s been a challenge to keep him, young Osteus, from eating the rest of the mammals on board. Thankfully he takes some orders well and is a decent asset in battle. 

In that time we also returned to the space of Erunn to see our legendary warrior friends. I employed the friendlier of the casters to use his abilities to try and help awaken our newly hatched Osteus, and I had to find a suitable gemstone for the process. I recovered one from the nest of some lightning drakes, though I doubt anybody else would have survived their entry test. I also sent some of our remaining pets in a vessel north to be safe in the Pantheon temple. Afterwards we decided to make a quick search in the Jewel Islands to try and meet Inazur, a fellow priest of Habbakuk. We were able to find where his ship was docked easily.

The island visit was not exactly peaceful however. I met Inazur, only after being swallowed by a tsunami and saved by him. He had actually heard about me and considered me his superior in the ways of our deity. He even gifted me a boon for Ashina, a new storm-like form. It was around this time that Anyo, our fellow adventurer was taken hostage by a small group of cultists and taken to a cave prison where we had to make a calculated rescue. When we finally found Anyo in the cave, we were bombarded with the cultists’ various reinforcements including undead, brainwashed civilians, and beasts of unimaginable origin. It was basically an all out war between our two ships and the cultist force. We were able to take out most of the weaker cultist force but the more important foes escaped. So now we’re enemies with a cult called the Undying who have several powerful casters who know how and will torture their enemies over distance. 

We were successful in saving Anyo though, and even made several allies with the royal family of Edinna. They gifted us several boons, including upgrades for our ship and an ambassador in the form of a blue tiger. We’ve lost several of the animals we were going to care for and made even more enemies, but also some more allies. Ashina disembarked for an unknown location, leaving me without Habbakuk’s symbol and we’ve taken on a political mission that is sometimes more complicated than I can keep straight. After a little reflection, I feel like I should follow after Ashina as soon as possible. We’re moored in Selis getting our ship repaired from more attacks against us. 

[jettsjournal]

Sisters in Faith

The aftermath of the confrontation with the farmers of Kadd was a somber one. The hares, though they stood up for me, continued to mourn the loss of their families along with the kittens I lost. Only a couple woman remained from the crowd and they were moving slowly across the landscape reciting rites over the graves of the hares. I decided to approach the two women, one wearing a half sun on her robe and the other a blue phoenix. They were much older than me and obviously more experienced in their faith. 

Their conversation revolved around the thousands of hares lost in the recent months and they were surprised to hear we survived Hashemal. They introduced themselves as Anleth and Rayya, a priestess of Habbakuk and a diplomat of sorts from Sunspire. I introduced myself to them and their spirits seemed to soften when I mentioned we had visited Sunspire nearly a month ago. To keep the high spirits I inquired Anleth about the location of the priest I hoped to find in the area, Inazur. 

Anleth explained that she had gone around the Jewel Islands many times searching for the notable priest. It had been a long time since she saw him and was mostly unsuccessful in her pursuits. She had seen the fruits of his work on the island and payed respects to the shrines located there. I asked her what he is like and she described him as quiet, contemplative, and puts great efforts into his duties. When I made a comment that I looked up to the priest Anleth nearly laughed that i put so much adoration into him and advised I look at him as more of a peer in faith and not a teacher. 

Anleth encouraged me to go witness the islands for myself in order to take scope of Inazur’s works. Then our conversation turned to the gifts of our deity. I told them how Habbakuk gifted me with a phoenix of metal that was currently protecting the rest of our pets. Anleth reflected on a girl she met many years ago that also had a boon which gave her the ability to become the wind and rain. I made a comment that I’ve wished for a similar ability in hard times. 

Anleth holds out hope the situation with the feral animals will be solved soon, either with a shift in the popular opinion or the farmers will succeed in their motions. I see the logic behind the initiative, but I can’t say I agree with the methods. We even contemplated the possibility of the blight reaching the city, which preparations are trying to be put in place for with the neighboring cities across the sea. I asked if there was anything I could do in the meantime and they urged me to help collar the strays as the city will begrudgingly accept the animals that wear them. They would place the initial enchantment on the collars and found my abilities sufficient to finish the enchantment in order to save some of the hunted animals. I thanked the ladies for their time this evening and hoped to see them tomorrow for the collars. 

I retrieved my fishing pole and lures from the Altus and headed to a nearby tributary in the evening light to catch a late dinner. I was able to reel two river fish which brought a small crowd of wild kittens to my side, sniffing the fresh fish. I caught another quickly and knocked it out for the hungry kittens. They ate hungrily and ended up following me back to the Altus. I let them take shelter in Stormcaller’s fog but I didn’t want to take on more animals into our crew after just losing pets. After setting Ashina to watch the incubator, moving the remaining pets to their room, and cooking my dinner in the kitchen I laid down to rest. 

[jettsjournal]

Wayfare 18, 1538

Today was another challenge in the outskirts of Kadd. After tending to the garden and playing with the pets in their room I took my supplies up the road toward the city. On the way I witnessed a pack of local farmers hunting and brutally disposing of families of feral cats. I never thought I would long for the city of Hashemal and its butchers but they were certainly more humane. I pressed on to the city and its large stone buildings and made my way to the market district located near the main docks. 

Despite my performance it was a slow day in the city and only a handful of patrons stopped by. Some of my more interesting patrons were the frog-people and the blue winged avariel soldiers of the city. I even sold my first potion I completed that morning, though it is nothing special. After a couple hours of working a makeshift shop I packed up to do a few more errands in the city. A main shrine of Habbakuk stood near the center of the city. I performed my rites in the temple and planted a set of Storm Bells at the foot of a gold and blue statue of my deity. 

On the return trip back to the Altus I passed by the part of the road the farmers were hunting. They did not take the time to clean up any of their kills and I noticed a few surviving kittens. Their bodies were maimed from the assault but I could not walk by without doing anything. I stopped to heal the two I could see, one was missing a limb and blinded in one eye while the other was shot in its hind legs. Unable to regrow the limbs, I worked to seal off the open wound to leave an amputated leg. Then I scooped up the two kittens and decided to bring them back to the Altus. 

Upon returning I dropped the new kittens with our pet family but I had to return back outside quickly. I noticed that the graves I had dug yesterday had been unearthed, and they did not look to be done by the wildlife. I found their bodies in a nearby tree, strung up and half eaten by the wildlife with a placard placed upon them. The placard read “killers” in the local script but I worked to re-bury the deceased pets. Some of the local farmers watched me bury them with disapproval but once I finished some of the hares motioned to plant their flowers upon the graves. I addressed the crowd to follow the actions of the hares which they revered, some cursed me in the native language. 

I spied a farmer watching me with a cat bearing a collar similar to the mother on the Altus. I approached them to talk about our situation. They were sympathetic to our cause and agreed with my actions once they heard what had happened. It seems that the locals do not know of the atrocities further West driving these predators to the coast and I tried to enlighten them. It was then some of the more unsavory farmers returned with rifles in hand.

The altercation consisted of the less-than-savory farmers accusing us of disrespecting their land by showing respect to the invasive predators. I assured them the few I buried were innocent and were in fact respected by the local hare population. The farmers were having none of my explanations in their rage. They rounded up a score of feral cats with their dogs, brought them forward, and executed them in front of me, taunting me that the same fate could befall me. Having survived the guards of Agadir and a Blight Storm in Hashemal, their rifles did not scare me. A set of guards were standing off in the distance, watching the situation in case a full fight broke out. 

The situation escalated until the farmers pushed pass me to dis-inter the pets. They were only stopped by the hares which had laid on the soft soil, paying their respects to the kittens. This was the event to finally quell the angry mob in front of me. They slowly began to return to their homes, bitter the animals they thought they were protecting chose the side of the foreigner. When the farmers left I addressed the mourning hares, thankful for their involvement but apologetic they were necessary at all. 

[jettsjournal]

The Wake

After the burial of my pets I decided it was apparent our security on the Altus was not acceptable. I used my Stormcaller to blanket the Altus’ tent with the electrically charged cloud to deter any airborne predators. The kites on deck reveled in the clouds and sprang for a quick flight in the clouds. Some even approached me quite deliberately to examine the Ivory horn I carry around. Revan also took the time to lay down a set of glyphs to stop any ground based predators. 

With security measures at hand the rest of the day went by relatively peacefully. Muirean returned from the city with a set of toys for the pets, little balls containing bells and soft blankets. She noticed the graves before boarding and understood what had happened immediately. She quickly changed the subject to her adventures in the city’s flooded waterways. Monsters had taken residence in the ruined tunnels and she joined sets of fog-people in exploring them. The reward she was given after helped pay for the toys. Another thing she bought was a small heating element which is to heat the incubator without needing an actual flame. 

From last nights rest I didn’t get tired until later in the evening. I stayed up watching the incubator with its new heater. Starr stayed on deck with me while the other pets scurried into their houses below deck with their new blankets and toys. Starr seemed to understand how to use the bauble from the swamp better than anybody else on the ship, using it to create small bubbles around herself and rolling around the deck. Her little eyes darted around at the sounds beyond the tent but she made no move to investigate them. The large snapdragon egg made more regular movements through the evening, but nothing forceful enough to crack the shell. 

When it came time to rest in the evening, I walked Starr down to the pet’s room and she walked in without much arguments. Ashina nudged the door closed and Revan’s ward glowed softly at the doorway. I retired to the Wisp, hoping the next day will be better. 

[jettsjournal]

Mortal and Coiled

Upon reaching the deck from the Wisp, I came to find a large python on board preying upon our family of kittens. Ashina, faster than I, swooped past me and scooped the snake off of the ship. The two kittens that were grappled by the reptile recovered and scampered back to their mother. Revan was on board but otherwise occupied by the other kittens and must not have noticed the intruder in time. Ashina returned to the railing next to me once the snake was removed and I could see in the morning light that her feathers seemed denser than normal. She gives me a feeling of greater protection when she is near. In the morning air the trees surrounding us were filled with animal noises, some of which were not pleasant. Glancing over the railing I saw the odd sight of a family of feral cats disappearing into nothingness. I used a small spell and found that the python had in fact eaten them while invisible, which unsettled me a bit more. 

I decided to try and scare off the snake with a quick array of spells which seemed to work as it dropped its meager prey and took to swim away in a nearby river. I decided to rescue the two remaining kittens which survived the snake’s attack on the family of feral cats, since their mother was not so lucky. They’re much smaller than the kittens we already had but they certainly didn’t have a fair chance in this land. The mother cat we have wasted no time caring for the small kittens. The kites on board the Altus only gave the kittens a cursory glance in their nesting state. The adult kites hunt freely for their young in the surrounding trees but seem to know which animals won’t upset the local population. 

Mahtan came over to me while I worked to re-stock the fire under the snapdragon egg. She encouraged me to sell the kittens at the next city that accepts them, or she feared I would get distracted too much. I assured her I don’t expect to take on too many animals and the new kittens are up to be sold on our journey. Her concerns were made apparent at my lack of control over the little ones but I assured her they will learn to take care of themselves while they’re with us. She had yet to finish talking when a hawk came down and snatched Yona in its talons. Ashina wasted no time sensing my intent to retrieve the kitten and flew after the hawk, blasting it with a radiant force once in range. 

I ran toward the falling hawk and channeled my abilities Dagren helped me train in order to slow the fall of Yona. In a moment the kitten was safely back in my arms but in my absence chaos began on the ship again. By the time I had returned I came to find the python had returned and already killed one of the kittens I had saved that morning and had Henila in a grip. The snake moved back into the river with Henila and the kitten struggles to stay afloat in the water. I gave chase and attacked with another blast of magic, only to dissipate an illusion. It seems that Henila was simply knocked into this river, so I made to retrieve her from the flow. By the time I caught up to her, it was apparent she was constricted to death prior to falling in the river. 

Back on the ship, where the real snake remained it gave a great lash of its body to knock all of the cats off of the deck except Starr who managed to dodge the attack. Metara caught Cloud before he hit the ground and Starr used the small bauble on her collar to protect the two baby hares. Fithlesis and Sondossa were not as lucky and fell the full two stories to the hard earth below us. Ashina, with Yona retrieved from the attacking hawk, returned to ship to protect the remaining pets from the Snake. 

In a last effort, the snake grabbed the mother cat and attempted to flee in a different direction. Mahtan and I gave chase after the snake who also had to deal with the mother cat’s struggling. I fired more spells at it using the tome from the pantheon and Mahtan was using the Wisp to keep up with the reptile. Mahtan tossed a coyote carcass we had stored on the Altus in the snakes path and seeing the better meal, drops the mother cat who struggles to shore. The snake, with its new meal in its possession, creates a grim illusion recreating the death of our kittens before disappearing under the murky water. 

When Mahtan and I return to the Altus I entrust Revan to care for the surviving kittens. The single kitten I rescued today sticks out with fur of black and gold. Grabbing some tools from the Altus’ stores I worked to perform a proper burial for the four kittens that were killed off our ship. Fithlesis, Sondossa, Henila, and the small kitten with a coat the color of ocean pearl now lie in the forests of Kadd bordering the farmlands. Their lives cut short under my care, I hope their afterlives are peaceful. 

[jettsjournal]

Intermittent Sleep

The sun streamed through the windows of the Wisp and I realized I had not slept for very long. The kittens seemed rested enough and they were scratching at the door to go exploring in the open again. With the help of Ashina I got up and ready as well as possible. Grabbing a flank from our cooling box I decided to cook breakfast, and also feed the kittens. They are starting to eat more solid foods as of late. As i set up on the deck of our ship again to watch over our delicate crew members Mari welcomed me with an all too cheery smile and a cup of coffee. 

I sat down to finish the last few pages of the tome we had found in the ancient temple. Again this one was titled “The Impossible and Improbable Adventures of Starr Azeri.” It seemed to be approaching more of a reasonable goal, as Starr used her Djinn Triton to take down the unlikely enemy of Hera-Is. Separating her into her components, one of which allied herself with our heroine and saving her allies from a dark void. The tome abruptly ended however, for just as the party made landfall on a new island upon their quest, pages were found to be missing from the tome. I’ll have to tell Mephas to keep better care of his library next I see him. 

 The tome and coffee combination did not help my exhaustion and I felt the grasp of sleep come upon me. I sought out Revan to take my place watching over the rest of our pets while everyone else set out for the city. She saw my state and relieved me of my burden after moving her materials to the deck. I returned to my bed and fell asleep in no time. A vision awaited me in my dream. I awoke in a sweeping field surrounded on all sides by a raging sea. A warm breeze greeted me as I stood in light robes. In front of my lay three sparkling items: a bow with the sea-glass scope I had constructed attached to it, a globe of glass with thriving plants and animals living inside in peace, and a shield with a familiar emblem of a blue phoenix. 

As I approached the bow, I was given visions of hunting the blight. Creatures of sickly shadow fell to arrows of blue light piercing their weak points. When I approached the globe, a scene of pure natural serenity came forth. Animals and plants untouched by sickness lived in harmony as life passed them slowly. The shield evoked imagery of protection, a barrier keeping any and all harm firmly on one side. From the smell of salt in the air I gathered I was being a given a choice by Habbakuk. I reached forward and touched the sparkling shield only to have it glow brighter with blue light. The bow and globe resonating with the shield fired off in streams towards the heavens and I awoke with a start. 

[jettsjournal]

Wayfare 17, 1538

It is very early in the morning when I write this but the position of Belpharion tells me it is the next day as I make sure the pets of the Altus are safe. I’ve stayed awake to observe the forest and tend to the snapdragon egg incubator. The surrounding forests are on the edge of farmer land but are teeming with wildlife. I’ve had varying interactions with the animals around me while the kittens snooze calmly next to me.

Firstly, there are hundreds upon hundreds of magical hares, similar to Niamie and her kin from Ezetxian, living in the forest around us. They came upon the ship to inspect our animals and seeing the young kittens found no threat to their well-being. I shared a good portion of the seeds from my garden with the young hares and their families. Their appetite truly lightened the sacks I use for storage. They also seemed much more colorful than their northern relatives, coming in colors of pinks, blues, and light greens. Some of the older hares took their seeds and instead of eating them took them to the surrounding farmland and planted them diligently. 

Secondly, predators are going to be a more pressing problem for our ship. Long brown-coated weasels sneak from tree and burrow preying on the hares I interacted with earlier. They also attack feral kittens and other small animals lurking in the bushes. Finn, Aerethius’ boorish hawk, has been feasting on the weasels in the early night and the kites have also been hunting them. Every once in a while I’ve had to scare off the occasional weasel from preying on the snoozing kittens with a cantrip. Ashina has also stayed with me during the entire night, stoically perched on the railing watching over us. 

The farmers were also active at various points in the night. Some of them came close enough to have a short conversation. From those conversations I learned that they send various search parties out to exterminate the pests of the forests and try to protect the small hares. The hares have been aiding the farmers for generations and only recently have they been attacked by invading predators. When they saw the kittens sleepily looking over the railings as I talked with them they seemed taken aback at their presence. By their words I’ve gleaned they don’t appreciate the felines either. I reassured them our litter were harmless but they seemed unconvinced. 

A few members of our crew talked with me throughout the night while I watched over everything. She offered me words of comfort which I didn’t necessarily expect from her at such a late night. She relayed that her trip into Kadd showed little sign of being followed by cultists or even inquisitors. She also tried to tell me not to mourn for loss in our crew when it happens, casualties will happen in the long run. She bid me goodnight and urged me to do the same. I heeded her words and set off to my room on the Wisp after stoking the fire of the incubator. Metara awaited me with Pebbles the turtle in the Wisp and I requested my friendly fox to watch the kittens while I tried to sleep. It took a few moments for the kittens to fall asleep but I was finally able to get some precious sleep. 

[jettsjournal]

The Rough Landing

Captain Jaako, leader of the guard of avariel who intercepted us greeted us with benevolence. He was much taller than Arras and wore plenty more metal in his armor. Every single one of the guard had shades of navy blue wings as well. They helped us steer our ship with spells towards a safe locale near the city of Kadd. We could see lights reflecting off of the nearby city and the many ships that enter the ports. Large blue towers encompassed white sand coves which reached out to the sea to the south. I asked Jaako about the city’s trade policies and he said the offices were easy to find once we got to the city. He seemed amused how we observed his wings in motion. We explained how we had seen many colors in our travels and this prompted him to mention his red-winged “cousin.” 

Once we got close enough to the city the guard parted ways, Jaako leaving a card of blue steel with me. We anchored the ship in a series of wetlands on the outskirts of the city where mainly farmers dwell. Once we had landed we took stock of the damage the Altus had sustained. There remained gashes in the hull and sails, a handful of doors on the upper deck were blown off their hinges, and the fans and rudder lay damaged in their rigs. I designated half of the crew to stay behind and set up a covering for the deck and begin minor repairs while the rest of us headed to the city.

Kadd exploded into view as we walked forward as different architectural styles intermingled in the seaside city. Small houses nestled against larger buildings cut out from small hills in between six rivers leading to the sea. The first person we met when we entered the city was a large bipedal frog standing slightly shorter than a man but with bright lime-green skin. I asked the frog-man for directions to the trade offices and he wordlessly pointed me to a large building near the water’s edge. As I approached the offices I could see a submersible vessel breach the water and begin unloading goods with its crew of mer-people. The easily identifiable buildings each stood apart from each other as if they were built on a large grid.

Mari accompanied me, a set of shades on her eyes to block the afternoon sun and conversed with me about my plans. I want to find Inazur on the nearby Jewel Islands to the South of Kadd and hopefully receive some of his wisdom. After that, travelling to the Shadowlands to the East to try and meet with the Archon of Shadow on behalf of our allies in Akhades. Finally, after mulling over Ozur’s prophecy, I believe we need to try and find a way into the Pure Lands for I believe there to be something inside that will aid us. While explaining the plan we walked upon the Central Trading Offices of Kadd adorned in gold. 

We entered just as the main officiator was about to take a break but she sat back down seeing our crew enter the premises. After sizing us up, they informed us that the fee to trade goods in the city limits was 1500g a month or 10% revenue each day we sold goods in the city. We decided to go with the 10% option considering we did not plan to stay too long in the city. After signing a sheaf of documents with the official we were accompanied back to the ship and they took stock of our goods. Seeing everything in order, they signed a few more forms and headed back to the office. With that taken care of, I got out some of our spare materials and began to make some temporary repairs on the Altus’ hull. 

Once a few of the major gashes were taken care of I returned to our now tented deck. The family of kittens outsmarting Revan to huddle near the incubator and its warmth. I offered to continue to watch our pets so she can go into the city and pick up some enchanting jobs during the evening. The kites which we picked up in the airship graveyard have miraculously stayed on the ship and were making more permanent nests in the out-of-the-way areas of the ship. Metara also appeared at my side, with a very watchful gaze lingering over our pets. Ashina took the time to stretch her wings and ward off any birds of prey attempting to fly off with our small furry friends. Sitting with the kittens I finally came up with names for the rest of them. The sand colored kitten I named Sondossa, the two grey kittens Yona and Henila, and Starr’s twin brother Fithlesis. 

[jettsjournal]

Wayfare 16, 1538

Early in the morning I worked in the ship’s workshop on a few more of my projects. I worked dutifully to complete my first foray into alchemy, a Herensuge potion. Mahtan laughed at my enthusiasm over my completed potion but it was a big deal to me. I also finished inputting the enchantment into my Aether Wood stock of my rifle, strengthening the structure and dampening the kick. I had high hopes for what the day would bring. 

We’ve packed and prepared to fly ourselves further Southeast to the Jewel Coast. The closest city to us is the port town of Kadd, a popular destination for Oasis and Liokhai traders alike. The kittens on board of the Altus were very active and have decided to overcome their initial fear of the egg in search of the warmth the incubator provides. Revan told me she was worried the kittens would be unsafe so I assured her that I would stay by it and watch. The kitten that was awakened by Shiro in the separate land of Erunn was the only one who kept her distance. I decided to name that one Starr, after the heroine in one of the old tomes we recovered from Mephas’ temple. 

Not even an hour into our flight, we were transitioning over the swamps we had explored earlier in the week. Unnatural storm clouds started to swirl around our ship and a pair of skulls formed out of the clouds. The foreboding storm centered on our position enveloped our ship in a grip like ash and a howling wind sprang upon us. Our kittens scurried below deck and the kites on the railings spread their wings wide, lightning arcing between their feathers. Several faces peered at us from the clouds, and we recognized the cultist party we engaged days previous among them. I pull the globe-sized object that held the same enchantment as Hashemal’s towers and held it close, its light flickering weakly in my arms. In its light a woman’s cloaked face was revealed that lingered longer than the rest. I commanded she leave the ship at peace.

Then the storm converged its force onto our ship with a great shriek. The winds slicing through our hull, ships balloon, and the sails and knocking some of the crew unconscious. The first thing I realized is that we were slowly losing altitude. Mahtan hurried to start mending the tears in the balloon and sails. I applied a quick heal to Revan to regain her consciousness and then I heard the cries of one of our kittens. The white-furred kitten from our litter had been flung out through one of the many holes in our hull and Ashina had been ripped apart by the storm a moment ago. Acting quickly I downed the sky sail potion I had in my pack and flew towards the kitten. Once I got close enough I used the technique Dagren taught me to lower ones descent and caught him safely. The little one, still scared, scurried under my cloak. Getting back to the ship I returned the young kitten, I’ve named him Cloud, to the room with Chase.

Returning to the deck I used a bit of my remaining flight to help steer our gentle descent and Ashina soon reconstituted able to help further. It was then we saw the wings in the distance. Six sets of blue wings larger than Ashina’s speeding towards our ship, and Mari used her scope to investigate our approaching avians. Jaggan actually knew the sigil painted on their armor, the royal guard of Kadd.

[jettsjournal]

Wayfare 15, 1538

Today I awoke to begin constructing an incubator for the large egg we retrieved from the swamp. The best option I could find was a basic wooden cabinet with a few layers for the necessary components. In the bottom a small fire would lay on a grate to vent warmth up to the egg above it. The egg, large and colored in splotches of green and brown, will be set in a glass tank full of water with sand above it to keep it nice and warm. I’ll have to tend to the fire to keep it going at the right temperature but I’ve asked Ashina to help keep an eye on it when I’m unable to. The incubator had to be set on the deck of the ship to allow the smoke from the underlying fire to vent properly and not smoke up the ship. The kittens of the ship were curious of the incubator but remained uncertain of the egg in front of them.

After finishing my incubator by mid-morning I set out to the canals to catch a meal for the ship. With the use of Mahtan’s elixir the fish swarmed upon my fishing pole allowing me an easy catch. Alasdair also requested while I was out to grab a sack of potatoes to add to our garden. The vegetables were inexpensive and I returned to the Altus with arms full of food. Alasdair also mentioned he found an old family recipe to make a crispier fish using vegetable oils which also worked on potatoes. He cooked the crew a wonderful lunch and I sat to play with our animals. 

We have plenty of animals on the ship now; a full litter of kittens, my turtle, and the two foxes that we picked up in Hashemal. Pebbles, the turtle with a colorful shell needed to be taken out of his tank today so he could wander the ship. Some of the plants we picked up in the swamp makes good waterborne food so I planted some in his tank to eat when he gets hungry. The plants can also be cut and their fibers make surprisingly strong rope. 

While relaxing on the ship I talked with the rest of our crew members and we decided to begin preparations to move to Kadd on the Jewel Coast. To help in our journey I returned back into the town to meet with a group of carpenters to strengthen the doors of our ship. It was a trivial cost and they set off to work on for the next few hours. Our shop did well on its final day, selling a few hundred seeds and the excess Aether waters I’m able to mix simply from my Storm Bells. Kismet, the white fox that Alasdair took a shine to, helped run the store today with charm and flair. Metara, his adopted sister prefers to head out to the city and explore when she is not playing with the kittens. 

[jettsjournal]

Trespassers Abound

With our bauble in tow, we continued deeper into the swamp towards the sound of rushing wind. Klytos continued to part the way with his armor and we saw more unique flora and fauna surrounding us. One of which were small frogs with colorful skins and protrusions almost like feathers. Mahtan made the comment that the frogs were extremely poisonous and we proceeded carefully. It didn’t take long until we found the remains of a stone path sunken into the swamp uncovered from the water around us. We followed it further, the crew noting signs of other activity on the path before us. It didn’t take long before the waters behind us rippled with stalking snapdragons and our party worked on defending us as we moved.

The path we followed continued to show past activity as we saw a fresh footprint in the mud and even cloth torn on nearby thorns. The trees became more gnarled but less dense as we continued towards this ancient path and along the way I picked a series of plants Mahtan pointed out as uncommon. After a couple hours we could make out an unnatural darkness ahead of us and I pulled up my scope to observe the occurrence. The scope revealed blots similar to the cultists we encountered earlier in the desert. Our adventuring party switched into more of a tracking stance. We found this glow came from an encampment in which the blots converged in a single point. Aerethius sent his familiar towards the camp in order to recon our targets but the familiar tripped a glyph hidden in the swamp and was dispelled. 

The members of the camp were alerted by the glyph and began to mobilize away from us. Unnatural darkness swept through the trees towards us and we moved back up the stone pathway. The darkness left after a short wait but the members of the camp seemed to have left further down the path. As a precaution I summoned some animals from my bag in order to trigger any glyphs they might have left behind. We decided to continue tracking the strangers further into swamp with aid of another of Klytos’ abilities granted by the armor. He summoned a small portion of the Aether Sea and some mountable fish-folk to move through the swamp. He explained he was only able to activate this power about once a day and wanted to wait until we needed it. The water was light and breathable and stayed with us as we swam fast through the roots. 

It did not take long before we encountered the strangers again. The blight spots I could see were contained in odd objects on an over-sized pack. I could see many canteens, clothing items, and the occasional weapon. The strangers started to spread out as we got closer and their garb did nothing to indicate importance. Deciding these strangers were cultists by their uniforms, we readied spells and charged forward only to be met with a black lightning bolt aimed at us by one of the strangers. The cursed aether fired upon us confirmed our suspicions and we engaged in heated combat with the group of five. They used odd tactics to fight as one fighter continued to blink from position to position attacking his targets. Another of the fighters seemed to meld into the shadows and only appear to attack at our vulnerable positions. 

With the exchange we nearly killed the cultists but they rushed to make a retreat further into the swamp. After a quick look through my scope I could see the spots move away from us at a brisk pace. I told our resident trackers to follow the group and report back while the rest of us healed our wounds. After a short rest Mari and Aerethius returned from tracking the group and informed us of an ancient temple hidden in the swamp. The cultists seemed to have made it a base of sorts with dozens of them congregating on the property. Not wanting to commit to a suicide mission we decided to return to Tokhar before the day ended and inform Bakhral of what we found. 

Mahtan reminded us of the spawning pool where the Snapdragon eggs were and how she wished to get one. I would be lying if I did not also wish to try raising a snapdragon for myself. So we concocted a plan to set up a cover of fog over the eggs in which Mahtan and I could place one into my pack. Mahtan would then use her magic to teleport her and myself away from the pool and we would move back to the Altus. I also checked the book of Incantations I received from Mephas and it happened to have a spell able to make walking in this terrain a bit easier. We gave the rest of the crew a head start and then Mahtan and I enacted are plan successfully taking a Snapdragon egg from the swamp. 

When we returned to Tokhar we met with the officials of Tokhar about our findings in the swamp. Bakhral and the officials were interested in our findings and gave us a small reward. They also gave us a stone enchanted with a messaging spell allowing us to converse with the offices while our ship is away from the city. I also returned to the library to give more information on Snapdragons and also learn how to make a rudimentary incubator for our new large egg. Hopefully I can hatch this egg successfully and not have it eat all of our pets on board. 

[jettsjournal]

Parting the Swamp

After perusing the library in Tokhar I headed back to the Altus with an ambitious idea of entering the nearby wetlands. Plenty of our crew seemed interested in the prospect of exploration. A large group of us started towards the wetlands and felt the soil squish under our boots. The terrain changed immediately into a thicket of low bushes and trees with gnarled roots and vines. Sounds of animals assaulted our ears as we walked into the unknown landscape. I grabbed the compass and gave Jaggan one of its paired stones as he guarded the ship so we could find our way back. 

The foliage was dense enough to block out the mid-day sun and as we walked the water crept up our boots. With a twist of my ring a series of lights sprang up around us lighting the way. I asked Klytos if his armor we got for his birthday could do something to clear a path through the swamp water and after a flash of his cape a dry path parted away for us. Slimy fish and other water-dwelling creatures scurried from our path as we walked forward. 

Off in the distance we spied a very intentional shift in the landscape where a set of large eggs laid in a series of circles. As we approached it Mahtan exclaimed the material would be perfect for a project in mind. From what we could see the dozens of boulder-sized eggs were left unguarded but as soon as Mahtan touched one, a spine dripping with poison lodged itself into a nearby tree trunk. We agreed it might be best to try and retrieve one of the eggs on our way out of the swamp and left them alone for the time being. On our way further into the swamp I noticed a series of white flowers growing in the tangle of trees and vines. I was able to pick them expertly and stowed them away in my pack. 

We started moving South toward a sound of rushing wind and Mari pointed out an odd stone rooted in the water. We approached it and it seemed to smooth to be natural. Mahtan could sense something imbued with old magic and we began excavating the object. It had odd carvings of animals and seemed to be some sort of small tomb. It was taking a while to excavate the object and while we disinterred the object we spied sets of spines slowly moving in the shallows towards us. Chase projected to walls of hard light to block some of the spines and I sent Ashina to protect Klytos as he worked the object free. Ashina was hit by one of the spines but the poison trickled off her metal feathers harmlessly. Chase’s walls didn’t hold up long to the volley of spines for very long. I prepared a bolt of lightning in the palm of my hand when the next volley was to be fired upon us and the attackers made themselves known.

The bolt sailed into a large lizard which twitched violently and retreated out of range. Unfortunately a spine also found its way into my outstretched shoulder and liquid fire burned its way into my arm and chest and the spine worked its way further into my muscle. Mahtan rushed over to me and she broke a round container causing a fine dust to congeal to a liquid in my wound and then ripped the spine out of my shoulder. The “spine” on closer inspection had many intertwining barbs on its surface which rotated and twitched after firing like some crude saw. 

After a few more exchanges by the crew on these lizards which much be the snapdragons I read about they decided to leave us alone. They must think we’re not easy prey anymore, and we were able to finish our little archaeological dig. Once we got the tomb out of the water we could tell it must have been too small to be a normal human and whatever was in it was long gone. A blue light emanated from a small crystalline bauble and it sprang to life when Klytos neared it. The bauble floated mechanically around the old soldier and then moved around the other members of the crew. Revan was able to figure out it places some shield on whoever it orbits. I tried my hand at observing the crystal but couldn’t determine anything new. In the blue dim light of the bauble and the flickering lights from my rings we recuperated before heading further into the swamp. 

[jettsjournal]

Wayfare 14, 1538

It’s another day in the sleepy town of Tokhar, and I went fishing to relax myself. The town itself sits upon a series of seven canals which feeds into the many vineyards but there are also many natural waterways surrounding the city. The pole I bought earlier in the week came with a series of hooks and lures as to not harm the fish if I so chose. I walked to the southern part of the city which bordered a swamp to start fishing. I was not alone in the waterways as plenty of locals also cast their lines into the water. Downriver to the South a sign was posted before the trees took over the land which read “Danger” in both the common language and Tokhari. As I set up on the shore I inquired to the fishermen close to me exactly what the sign warns about. They told me of large reptilian creatures called “Snapdragons” and other carnivorous fish that inhabit the swamps. 

The fishing pole led me to a series of deep cerulean pools with its finding enchantment and I cast my line for a few hours in the mid-morning sun. My catches were not too spectacular, mostly a red fish which I had seen grilled in the markets though a colorful small fish did wind up on my line. I took my small bucket back into the city to inquire about selling my catches. The grills took the red fish off of my hands for a few silver but they recommended I take the smaller fish to the local pet store. When I approached the pet shop they offered me quite a bit of gold for the small fish and I asked why it was so valuable. They told me that the fish grows to a much larger size and absorbs ambient aether to change the color of its scales. They encouraged me to create some aether to see the effect and with a bit of effort from myself faint white stripes started to appear on the fish. It intrigued me but I decided to part with the gold from the pet store instead of keep the fish.

The mysterious seed which I received from Sathira has yet to flower but I could tell it is gathering aether in its leaves. I saw that some of our more uncommon flowers had also flowered and I requested Mahtan as our resident alchemist to brew their respective potions. She also heard that I spent the morning fishing and gifted me a small potion which she explained would attract fish more plentifully. She was proud to share such a simple brew and even explained it would last a few doses. We then entered in a discussion of the nuances of alchemical substances. 

Engines - Liquid applications that create their effects over time.

Charges - Liquid applications that have an effect once per day.

Tinctures - Liquid applications that have an effect that is triggered by a certain action

Elixirs - Liquid applications that grant a permanent effect.

Unguents - Limited use objects that increase abilities for a limited amount of time.

After checking up on the ship I decided to visit Tokhar’s library to research the swamp’s Snapdragons. After finding a bestiary in the quiet building I found out they are not dragons proper but they are large quadrupedal reptiles with speeds comparable to a riding horse. They are usually kept in check by the local kites and their limited lightning ability but are able to launch poisoned spines from their tails. Their hunting habits include dragging their prey under the swamp water to drown them before feasting on a carcass. 

[jettsjournal]

Old School

Tokhar was once a bustling tourist attraction as traders came from both North and South to promote their wares. Currently the town is in decline as the Northern cities are dealing with Granzian politics and the Southern cities are wary to deal with the Oasis. This has led to plenty of abandoned structures on the outskirts of the mesas. One such structure is the old spellcrafting school that I uncovered. The locals were fine with me exploring the old auditoriums as the school had been cleaned out and abandoned long ago. I found an entrance into the old school and began a personal exploration through the halls.

The building is smaller, only two stories high, but the rooms inside are expansive. I estimate the school had a couple hundred students at the height of its popularity. Thinking some things might be hidden in desks or floorboards i ran a detect magic spell over the rooms. A faint signature came from a dusty ledger from under the teacher’s desk in one of the rooms. It was filled with names of teachers and students in surprisingly legible conditions. I recognized Eshnun as a visiting lecturer and even Veren had appeared in the past. The enchantment seems to focus on the clasp of the book as well as the ink in which all the names are written. 

I pocketed the book and kept looking around the old building. On the blackboards were many old symbols and equations linking eight different objects in different combinations. I could discern one of the symbols as an essence of fire but I had no inkling as what the other objects meant. It was obvious whoever was writing this had erased part of it, re-written the formula using scratch work on the side. Loose papers on the ground also had similar symbols so I decided to collect as many as I could and placed them in my old copy of Spellcrafting for Novices. Perhaps somebody more experienced will be able to explain it to me. The rest of the building was stark and empty, liquidated to repay for the lost property so I decided to return back to the bar. 

Jaggan welcomed me back with a drink in hand, striking up a conversation about city property. It is cheap to buy the abandoned buildings in the slow town so Jaggan told me he had bought a few select houses in case refugees from the West needed renovated living situations. I congratulated him on his business sense as I scanned the patrons of the bar now that the evening was upon us. One group caught my eye, a few wearing Liokhai symbols and one man in particular wearing jeweled bands. I approached them asking if they had been served adequately in our small bar. He smiles at me and requests two of each of our products and starts downing them quickly when they arrive. Once the row of glasses were empty I inquired if he desired a refill and he held his cup aloft in response. 

We struck up a conversation after I asked what brought a Liokhai official to Tokhar. He turned out to be a retired soldier betrothed to the daughter of the city;s head councilor. Liokhai has been in a centuries-long war against the local ogre, orc, and goblin populations but the tide has been turning recently in favor of the Liokhai kingdom. I asked him about the Jewel Coast and its surrounding islands and he gave me descriptions of their untamed beauty. I had originally thought them to be partially colonized but it seems that Liokhai’s Queen Lhodi has decreed them to remain as natural as possible. I noticed while we were chatting his guards did not move from their position nor request any drink and surmised them to be part of the autonomous force Liokhai employs. They act as one unit with little human qualities, making them great weapons in war. 

The soldier, I never did receive his name, left after downing nearly a score of our drinks and leaving a generous tip along with paying his tab. While we were closing the bar up Muirean approached me with a request on a sheet of paper. She wondered if there was a way to make her pistols which she kept on her waist as light as a feather. It would cut down the time it takes for her to draw them and not weigh her down as much. I gave it a thought and surmised there was definitely a way for me to enchant the hilts of her pistol to make them lighter than ever. With a smile she helped close the bar and bid me a goodnight. 

[jettsjournal]

Wayfare 13, 1538

I was able to finish a couple projects that had been cluttering my desk on the ship. Aerethius’ ring which he employed from me before the blight storm is finished and it makes one feel a bit more confident. Another thing I finished was a metal snack for Ashina, an enhanced arcane focus to make my spellpower a bit more potent. Her beak crunching through the metal focus in an interested manner although not like a creature that needs to eat. When I left to explore the Tokhari markets further I saw a patron sleeping off some of our ale on a nearby bench. I worked to help him back to his abode and during so he babbled something about a city in the sky which passerby’s snickered at. When we neared his home a few more locals came to my aid and I asked them about the man’s drunken ramblings. They assured me it was mostly nonsense and that the old man was a regular drunk that meant no harm. 

After some brief conversations about the rarities of certain avariel feather colors, I headed off to the markets. I decided it was time to update my personal set of armor and gravitated towards those stalls. Their collection of armors was peculiar as there were many grades and styles but they did not make any complete sets. Their most expensive armors also did not seem to be the best made so I inquired the blacksmith why they were priced so. He explained that the most expensive armor he was selling contained a spirit of a deceased warrior. It remained well out of my price range so I inquired about something more reasonable. The smith pointed me toward a half plate made locally in the city. The construction, the smith assured me, would help dissipate damage from heat and, after looking me over, mentioned it would be slightly lighter than the earthen scale I was wearing. I bought the armor and changed in one of the changing rooms the shop offered to paying adventurers. 

I placed my old armor on the empty armor stand that once held the ancient breastplate of Ilyr when I returned to the Wisp. After the blacksmith, I walked off to Tokhar’s most popular destination: their wineries. Their grapes were large and the scent of their fermenting liquid hung thick in the air. I made my way to the small cottage that lined the vines and was welcomed by the growers. They were happy to hear that I planned to purchase a set of casks of their famous wine and rolled out two barrels with haste. I stored them in my pack and walked back to the ship. The bar was still quite this early in the afternoon but I changed our placards to show we were selling another product. 

[jettsjournal]

Mechanical Graveyard

With the accursed items taken care of in Tokhar’s furnace we were all in good spirits. I told some of our crew about what Bakhral told me about interesting things to do around the city. Jaggan mentioned he had been to the Graveyard before on security detail. I suggested we go for a quick exploring trip in the graveyard and the crew obliged. The mass of wrecked ships loomed to our North about an hour out in the dusk light. We landed on the outskirts of the wreckage and saw more sand scorpions perched in scrapped hulls. Muirean, Klytos, Muirean, Revan, and i geared up to do some urban spelunking while the rest of the crew protected the Altus. 

On our way into one of the smaller ships in the graveyard Mahtan tossed a bottle of something highly explosive at the scorpions to scare them away. The rest of us in the exploring crew commented we may need a more careful method in the precarious environment. As we moved through smaller ships I came upon an encampment of brown-winged birds. They all crowded around a series of boxes shifted to the ceiling of an overturned ship and watched our exploratory team with unblinking eyes. Jaggan told us these were the local kites and are slightly touched in lightning magic, though it was odd to see such a large group of them far from water. I sent Ashina in to mingle with the storm-touched birds and they shifted nervously for a moment before accepting the blue phoenix. 

I moved to cautiously enter the hull with the kites and they did not make any hostile movements. The hull seemed odd as the weather shifted to almost cool and the wind died down. A large crate seemed to be located in the center of the kites with a nest of fledglings sleeping on it. Jaggan commented we could open the box from one of its sides to see what is inside so we started carefully opening the old crate. Once we opened the crate we could see a glass orb perched on three golden feet with a riverside landscape encased within. After a quick investigation of the item I could tell it keeps a surrounding area in perfect climate conditions. Jaggan convinced me to try and remove the orb from the wrecked ship, and with the help of Alasdair’s floating carpet that Revan borrowed, we were able to remove it without any trouble. The kites followed the orb and called small clouds to move their nests onto the carpet. 

Moving on to the rest of the graveyard we could see fresh footprints in the sand surrounding the larger ships. From a distance we could see somebody perched on the broken bows of one of the ships. In a moment, raven-like wings unfurled from their back and they flew off into the night. We entered a small vessel not unlike the Altus to continue our scavenging, peering under floorboards and checking for any hidden treasures. Our search was fruitful with two large jars of Edinnan spices bearing the mark of Queen Lhodi and a small chest of gold. Jaggan tasted the spices and his face lit up exclaiming, “This is the real high quality stuff!” 

The largest ship was the next in our graveyard adventure. The ship was larger than the Cirrus but it had three large gashes in its hull which exposed it to the elements. The shelves were picked over and sand had piled in many of the rooms. A skeleton was revealed by the shifting sands when we entered. It had an ornamental flower crown resting on its skull that looked freshly placed. I consulted my taxonomy of plants and it listed them as an ornamental flower. The room after that contained what was left of a garden, but whatever was growing there had been lost to the harsh desert environment. Jaggan stopped me before entering the room and triggered an obvious tripwire leading into the room. It took a hearty kick to a nearby wall but a couple quarrels of darts flew by the party embedding themselves into the opposite wall. We then entered the room without hesitation and Jaggan picked a crossbow out of a compartment, noting it’s Liokhai in origin. With the sands shifting a beautiful red flower revealed itself in the pale evening light. I moved to carefully pick the flower to be transplanted back into our own garden. 

It was at this point we heard the sounds of many hounds and crates opening from across the graveyard. We moved to exit out of the graveyard and we noticed the sands shifting unnaturally around the ships. A group of cultists could be seen across the way with plenty of hounds. The exploring party hopped on Ashina and the flying carpet to safely leave the area. During our exit we saw a giant snake-like creature emerging from the sands to attack the cultist’s party and the raven-winged figure watching the events unfold. A few of the cultists were lost in the snake’s great maw as it came down upon them. We moved away from the raging monster as some cultists attacked it with inhuman strength. Black thunder erupted behind us and the snake unzipped down the middle with a force seemingly impossible. A few of their hounds had been ordered to attack us but Mahtan had a multi-chambered flask ready to be thrown at any attackers. We left the graveyard unscathed, with a few interesting items even. 

The ship was well protected by the rest of our party and we began to start tallying our spoils. Jaggan said if we sold the two jars of spices in Akhades, we could easily afford a ship twice our current size. The kites perched upon our ship when we affixed the orb to our main console, its aura enveloping our ship in a perfect weather sphere. The birds were actually very mild-mannered considering how close they were to the crew but they never made a move on any of our crew, including the smaller pets. I transplanted the red flower into my garden and remembered Mahtan had yet received a set of Storm Bell seeds to use at her discretion. We re-docked in Tokhar and prepared to settle in for the night, the day having been a success in review. 

[jettsjournal]

Wayfare 12, 1538

The air here in the valley is full of life from the nearby wineries and the underground reservoir. I took to exploring more of the city in the morning and Jaggan mentioned we should look on their bounty boards for things to do. A multitude of bounties upon the board targeted the Deathless terrorizing the nomads in the area. Jaggan mentioned he was going to talk to the officials to show we dispatched some Deathless on into the town. He had visited the sleepy town in his travels beforehand and he had an inkling of the layout of the city. We stepped down to a structure carved out of the mesa with wooden frames where a middle aged man, which Jaggan identified as Bakhral, greeted us as we entered. Jaggan didn’t waste time and produced a pitch black chalice which I could feel was heavily tainted with blight. This was one of the objects we had taken off of the Deathless in the desert. 

Bakhral was elated to see the item and hear we took out a small band of cultists. He produced a bottle of local wine from underneath his desk and poured each of us a drink in celebration. He also handed us two large denomination coins we had only seen before in Tor Caillean, a Tor. I inquired about how they plan to dispose of the tainted item and he told us of the Furnace. A large contraption powered by pure Aether able to burn through the items and their curse-like properties. Bakhral asked if anybody on our crew would be able to help them power the Furnace. I said we would oblige in exchange for some activities in the surrounding areas. Bakhral recommended we go to Tokhar’s wineries and if we were experienced enough perhaps we could investigate the Airship Graveyard to the North.

We returned to the Altus to gather all of our capable spellcasters to help power the Furnace. Revan, Aerethius, Mahtan, and myself returned to a large open hall where a platoon of warriors were busy outfitting themselves in their armors. All prepared, Mahtan took a flask of brilliant liquid and poured it over a small collection of tainted items. Apparently the city had not been able to fire up the Furnace with ease and had a small collection of items ready to be disposed of. The liquid erupted into flames shortly after being poured and screams emanated from the items engulfed in the flames. Creatures began leaping from the flames with blight-like bodies only to be impaled upon the soldier’s spears. 

While I worked on keeping the Furnace aflame, I motioned for Ashina to help out. She used the wooden bracer on my arm to shift to her more natural form and started radiating a celestial aura. The aura was not kind to the blightspawn crawling from the flames, as they started to melt when they came near. It was a long process, but no more tiring than a day of enchanting. Soldiers rotated out as shrieks and cries from the aberrations fell from their weapons. A bird with brown plumage also joined in, releasing some sort of lightning-like effect from its wings.  It was some time before the soldiers called for barriers to be placed between the Furnace and us. I launched a final spell into the midst, causing rips to form in the blight’s form. It lashed out one last time before taking one final blast and shattering into pieces in the hall. The air calmed and the spirit of the room noticeably lightened in the afternoon sun. 

The soldiers cheered and thanked our crew in revelry. They told us it had been quite some time since they had such a successful cleansing. Upon returning to the Altus I talked with Klytos about how well the storefront was able to do today. Given how quiet the city is, it was surprising how much we were able to trade. The crew agreed the atmosphere in this tourist destination was much more favorable than the on-edge setting of Hashemal. I sat down for a meal on the ship and played with the pets on the ship. The kittens were all clueless except for the black one Shiro blessed, she watched us with intent eyes.