piratejournal | [Handwritten] Field Notes + A Request

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[Handwritten] Field Notes + A Request

[It was hot and still in the south. Uncomfortably so, and the suggestion of monsters lurking in the depths had Piers on a reasonable level of alert. He had no doubt of his own abilities, but he was concerned about how well his crew would be able to work together in a crisis. They all got along well enough, but no one knew much about the others' talents and skills.

That, and the young lad that they had taken aboard with them, Leo, had vanished from the Alcyone's decks.

It was disconcerting, but it was probably a way of life here. He would need to get used to it, but there were many more things that he needed to get used to.

As did they all.

Thus, he started writing again.]

II.

I've noticed through the network that there are many of us here who are unfamiliar with the basics of handling ourselves at sea. I'll note a few things here, although they should be common knowledge.

1- Secure a food source. Pack rations, make sure not to forget to properly store them. Some of you may have different facilities on your ships. If so, do not be afraid. It will take a little time to get used to the differences, but the tools are not dangerous in and of themselves unless you misuse them.

Fruit and salt are important. Do not forget that.

2- While salt is necessary, you shouldn't attempt to drink the seawater. It will dehydrate you, which is the last thing you need. Take care in storing fresh supplies. You don't want them compromised.

Keep in mind: Water that is too pure cannot hold life. Anyone with a connection to the element should know this before they try to help.

3- Collect the proper tools. The maps may not be trustworthy, so gather a compass and a spyglass to observe the world. Get yoursef some paper and a way to make notes for yourself.

4- If you don't know how to fight, prepare to learn a little. If the Dog is correct, then you may need it in the future

5- Make sure you know something about emergency medical situations. Even minor injuries can be dangerous if they're not properly cared for. If you don't have someone on your ship, make sure you can contact someone.

Having a healer is much better, but not everyone has that luck.

6- Most importantly:

Do Not Argue With The Dog.

Note:

I would like to propose an idea that may be useful to everyone in the future. We have all set out in different directions, and the maps we were provided with do not give many details about the islands themselves. If anyone is willing, I would like to gather a collection of what everyone observes on these islands. Information about the Climate, Geography, and People are especially needed, because we need to have an idea of what we're in for.

I will also suggest that we communicate with eachother about how long it takes to travel from one island to the next, with Empieza as a reference to start with.

This is a large undertaking, but it may prove useful.

C. I know you do not agree with me, but this is something I will not back away from. We may disagree and I do not ask that you understand. Just know that this is not something to keep a secret from everyone.

Your's Truly.

Piers.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

An odd course of action to take. Anyone who goes to sea without knowing those basics doesn't need to be there. The oceans weed out the ignorant.

And yet one of my crew has only had experience with ferries before. The people here all have different experiences, so we can't expect them to understand what we're dealing with.

The only way we're going to find the gem is if we work together despite everything. That means that we must survive.

Edited 2013-10-01 18:53 (UTC)

This is really helpful! Thanks a lot! After we get our boat fixed up and we're ready to sail again, I'll make sure to let everyone know what we found here! We're on some spooooky deserted island and it looks like a lot of ships have wrecked here, so people should know about it.

[Piers is just going to stare at the text for the moment, all but hearing the girl's cheerful voice.]

I'll thank you for that. The more information we have, the better.

How was your ship damaged, and how are the repairs coming?

We were really bad at landing it! It ended up in the sand a bit and there's a hole in it, but there's lots of wood here to patch it up with. I have a bunch of tools, so we'll figure it out.

[Let him translate this for a second...]

You crashed it on a shoal.

[He's internally weeping, but he shouldn't have been surprised with what she said.]

Did this happen during the storm? Where are you at? What is the temperature, weather?

[He might be able to figure out the general direction with the Dog's weather reports. It would definitely be useful information for later.]

Edited 2013-10-03 01:12 (UTC)

It was after the storm! We kinda sailed around until we found land and then BOOM! It was pretty cold when we were at sea, but it's not so bad on the island! I guess we're north-ish.

A comfortable island that's surrounded by hazardous shoals and situated in the north. I'll make a note of that for the future.

Thank you for the note about the wrecks and the crash. It's very good to know.

You're welcome! I'm glad I could help out!

...Sea water is bad for humans?

Drinking sea water can be. The salt content is very high, and it can cause dehydration in humans. They won't have enough water in their system, and they could die because of it.

We're astonishingly delicate creatures when we're in the wild like this.

Edited 2013-10-02 22:35 (UTC)

Himmelen is to the North East we were at see for 2 weeks before making land. It seems the island is rather cold all year long. The shore is mostly cliffs accept for where the ports are. Rest of the island is rather flat and I've heard there's a large lake to the southeast. The people seem to be know for Astronomy navigation and Clocks.

Himmelin. I believe my crew and I were heading in that direction before the storm blew us far south. It's hot as blazes here, but we haven't seen any monsters.

Any information on navigation is helpful. Particularly if there is a single point to guide us. Are you able to get copies of these charts?

Well this is what I've gathered so far:
There is a red pole star in the northern hemisphere known as the Devil's Eye or the Maiden's Eye.

The southern hemisphere there's not really one good fixed star and most people there navigate at night by using the Mermaid. I think Dog mentioned this at one point.

Yes. I recall the Mermaid.

[He kept a look out for her nightly. The problem was the still seas...]

Surely we'll be able to see the pole star in the south, as it is a fixed point. It's difficult to navigate if you don't know what to look for.

Thank you.

H, H, H!

What in the Maker's name are you doing? You cannot just give away our position like that. Did you clear that with the Captain? You are going to ruin all of the effort I have put forth for the past weeks.

Please try to be more circumspect. What if the Captain sees this?

-E

I didn't even bring up the fact the storm likely gave us a push. We are at least a week away from any ship and the by the look of things one of the few that knows how to sail.

[someone here thinks number six should be underlined and circled like five times for emphasis]

Thanks for the tips, Piers-san.

The Shepherd wound up on an island called Green Breeze, by the way. I can tell you everything I've learned about it so far.

[Piers does not understand this '-san' that's being written, but he figures that it's some strange quirk of language or culture. He's visited enough of them to know that concepts can differ wildly even between settlements that are relatively close by.]

I'll be grateful for whatever you're willing to share, Kaito. I plan to do the same once my crew escapes these doldrums we're in.

[He gives a laugh, though of course Piers can't hear it]

Doldrums, huh? Where did you guys wind up, anyway?

South. It is extremely hot. The closest island listed on my map is called 'Manila'.

We will see what that means when we arrive. Soon, I hope.

[There's a pause as Kaito consults his own map, just so he can pinpoint Manila's location himself. Only then does he reply]

For your sake, I hope it's an island with plenty of fresh water.

[Kaito couldn't hear it, but it was Piers' turn to laugh. He was aware of the dangers far too well...]

I hope so too, but we'll find a way to manage if we must.

[At Piers' own expense, he feared.]

You're pretty smart, so 'm sure you will.

That reminds me, though. Got any advice for those who run out of water on their voyage?

I do have some advice: find a pot, sea water, and a way to heat it. Once the water boils, you can collect the steam and siphon it into a different container, such as a jar. The salt will be left behind in this process, leaving you with clean water.

You will need the right materials, but you're also smart. You also might have tools that you're more familiar with to use.

[huh. That solution was so obvious he almost feels silly for asking]

We've got plenty of tools to do that with, don't worry. Not that we're anywhere close to running out of fresh water.

[It was doubly silly for Piers, because of the nature of his talents.]

Good. I have one more piece of advice:

Water that is too pure is unhealthy to drink for long periods. No nutrients remain, so try to maintain a balanced diet.

There is no need to fall ill while we're here. Be safe.

Heh, don't worry, I knew that much myself. And I made sure we packed plenty of fruit before we set out.

Good. Let's hope that others had the same foresight.

[Because, from the sounds of things, he doubted it.]

I'm sure most of 'em did. Even for people who don't sail, it's common sense, right?

[He doesn't lack that much faith in the population here. . . yet, anyway]

I wouldn't be so sure. Common sense isn't so common.

[There was, after all, that crew who didn't think to tie down the sails when the storm hit.]

. . .

That depends on who you're talking about, I think.

That is case by case. You seem to have it.

I'm adaptable, that's why.

Like the sea itself. That's the best way to survive out here.

[he makes a face at the journal]

I dunno if I'd compare myself to the sea. Maybe something less. . . ocean-y.

It's the best analogy. There's nothing else I know that can be so unpredictable.

I'd say the weather, but we've actually gotten pretty good at predicting it where I come from.

That suits the weather well for me, but I simply enjoy the sea more.

That's where you and I stand fundamentally opposed, Piers-san.

Perhaps. I don't expect others to appreciate the sea nearly as much as I do.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Handwritten] Field Notes + A Request

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