NW:1 Slaughtered Pig
Starring: 
Sedeq, 
Brenton, 
Pitor, and 
Falcon
Guest Starring: Eleanor Oaksey, Billy Younder, Sergeant Major Halden, Master Sergeant Malcolm West, Ernest Younghusband, Ester Frey, Crayborn Frey, Arry Frey, Tom Quickly, The Mountain, Edwin Bainbridge, Marjorie Pelham
Challenge: Slaughtered pig mystery
Location: Aboard the The Stranger's Bride
Date Played: 18 Jan 2010
On the Open Seas
Brenton: At least I'm on a ship. Already a week into the journey and it has felt like we've gone nowhere, despite the obvious visual signs. Sea travel; and inferior necessity. Perhaps I can find some light wood in the new world and make some sort of air ship. Oh, my flights of fancy!
It is shockingly hard to borrow some equipment on this ship. My search for a spy glass proved difficult and drew me to many false ends. My search for a man named Davner, whom I later found to be named Sedeq, brought me to my desired end. I was stricken with such great disappointment in finding that Miki's Majesty was beyond sight. I could do nothing even if it was, but I still like to cling to the comforts of having my query within the grasp of my eyes. Oh, how I do wish for a proper field journal.
I eventually made acquaintance with two men named Pitor and Falcon. Pitor seems the type with a good deal of income to spare. If I am lucky I may be able to pull a grant or two for some more research while on this new world.
Falcon... really nothing extraordinary about this man except for his scowl. He looks well armed, but lacks the military training of the mercenaries on this ship. I guess he is one of those adventurers that you hear about in bards tales and the like.
Pitor: I am so very glad that I packed well. There is little as interminably boring as an unending sea voyage. It's utterly terrible and boorish. No one should have to suffer under such conditions, yet here I am. Still, there's the promise of adventure, and there's plenty of wine. I think my art will flourish under these hardships.
In any case, as the weather finally settles, I sought out the real people that populated the vessel. The authentic types, who haven't had the advantages that I've had. That search connected me to Sedeq, the brutish horseman from the steppes. He's ferocious and primal, yet cultured. Obviously, the sort that aspires to greater things. Among his companions are Brenton- a bookish and learned sort who has obviously had some unfortunate experiences. The scars written upon his flesh would make a good sketch, and perhaps a poem. He's clever, but limited, I think. More given to science than art. Falcon, on the other hand, is the silent brute, always looking for an opportunity to battle. I certainly won't want to offend him, and would greatly like him to come to my aid in a scrap, but at first- I found little there. Of course, I learned that I was mistaken.
He is, as I discovered, of noble blood! Technically. Ah, the MacAllister clans, those heathens from the northern sea. From what I've heard, they're barely civilized- there are more sheep than people. And you can imagine what that results in.
Falcon: Time is sea has not been dull. I found myself alright company. Brenton is rapid talking and tinker type follow who trys to be helpful for the most part. Then Sedeq is from strange land. But has keen eyes and ears which have proven well needed alright. Then Pitor comes from noble lines is that good thing or bad thing that is yet to been seen ethier way.
Sedeq: Being cramped up on this ship so long is going to get me in the end. That alone might make this a one-way trip. Going back east would take even longer. Most of the people here are good people, though they're quite filthy, even when I forgive them for the conditions aboard the ship. The colonial arrangements seem to be good. Most of those on board have skills to contribute to founding a new society. I say most. Those in charge, at the upper tiers, as usually true of Western society, are useless. The captain is never seen. The famed explorer is aloof. The financiers are condescending -- that will get them starved come the first hard ship. This one man, a noble named Pitor is the worst of the lot. He's a likeable man, but that's it. He doesn't bring anything to society. There's apparently another noble, one Falcon who's given up on his heritage and tries to make himself a good man in spite of it.
I do not understand how these societies have lasted and grown so strong when their leaders separate themselves from the people. In my culture, everyone top to bottom contributes.
Porky Problems
Brenton: On one of the countless days at sea we heard a scream of intense fear from below deck. Falcon and Sedeq ran below deck with great haste; headlong into what could be a dire fate. Pitor and I debated the worth of going down or letting those with the responsibility to do such. We eventually settled on going down, Pitor for the fact it was a feminine scream and mine for the curiosity of it all, and were stopped by some card players. It was Crayborn, Tom Quickly, and The Mountain if I recall correctly. I've never been one for cards, so I continued on.
My excitement died quickly. It appears that someone slaughtered a pig and it caused great distress in the fey-touched woman who took care of the animals. A slight glimmer of hope in me died as at first I thought I saw a case of spontaneous explosion. Alas, it was simple and crude butchery with a knife. Seeing as how most people on the ship carried one, suspects were in a surplus. I am simply writing this off as sea madness, as the available variables for what magic could be procured with a pig are immense. It would be best not to dwell on it much.
Pitor: The galley is the central social focus. As I learned of my new acquaintances in the galley one evening, we all heard a scream. Sedeq and Falcon thought this a terrible thing that must be dealt with. I'm not entirely sure why. In any case, the thought of seeing these two throw themselves into the fray struck my fancy- Brenton and I followed.
Someone had done a terrible job slaughtering a pig, and a young fae-blooded girl wept over the poor creature. While my fellows sought to puzzle out the mystery, I leant a sympathetic shoulder to Elaine. Elanee. Ellen? Regardless, I was most sympathetic. And she was fairly attractive. So, anyway, there was a dead pig, and the steerage utterly reeked of animal.
In any case, Lord MacAllister decided that he must forever "stand guard" over the livestock. We all know how his mind truly runs.
Falcon: We came a pig that put to the knife for no good reason. What such wastle of food. Back in the green wood hog that size could feed family for a good while. I stand watch because it will help crew ship rest easier and help kill times and keep away from the others as well.
Sedeq: I will be very busy in this new society. These people don't even know about pigeye. They find a dead pig (under mysterious circumstances) and, what do they do? They play with its carcass. They save the meat! They know nothing of basic sanitation. When any animal -- but especially a pig -- dies like this, you discard it. Pigeye is an unpleasant disease. Your eyes swell shut, your brain swells and your lungs stop breathing. It's an unpleasant death that the peoples of the east have known to prevent for hundreds of years.
I admit, this is a mystery to be solved. Madmen being their practice on animals, afterall. After some sleuthing, mostly by Falcon, a few candidates are narrowed down. It's no coincidence that the crew is already leery of them as witches. (I must be careful.)
Star Mapping
Brenton: I'd guess about three weeks into our journey we were starting to notice signs that we are a little off course. The consolations seemed a bit tilted and the journey seems to be taking longer than expected.
I was commissioned to produce a new compass as I found out much later that the original one was broken and thrown overboard. It would have been much easier to fix the original, but I do have some extraordinary skills with magnetism that will let me make a simple one in it's place.
Pitor: Elan and I had many fine evenings in my cabin. Apparently Ellane normally sleeps in a hammock below decks. How utterly beastly! I do my best to be a good host. And she is most… solicitous in return. Sedeq constantly grumbles about how having women on a ship like this is bad luck, but it does make the boring days and nights pass much faster. I think women should be a regular feature on ships.
Regardless, there are rumors. Rumors that our course is off, that the compass is useless, and so on. As one of the better educated among the crew, it falls to me to investigate. Sure enough, we are a bit adrift, but Mr. Younghusband is correcting our course. I admit, I become a bit suspicious. This mysterious man promises so many riches. I decide to seek out his company.
He is not lying- not so far as I can tell. And I've got a nose for such things. I can't completely allay my suspicions, and I do discover that the crew are hiding some navigational problems- the compass is true and well fucked. Still, that's hardly the only navigational instrument we require, so I don't worry much.
Sedeq: The ship is off course, though not wildly so. The shipsmen should be forward with this fact. The secrets and rumors only serve to make the problem worse.
Warriors Mass
Brenton: I was drawn to the deck of the ship one night as the seas felt unusually calm. I was relieved to see that the course has been corrected for the most part and that my making of a new compass will now mostly be an exercise in utility as opposed to need.
We were greeted by brutish looking woman named Marjorie that proclaimed herself as a priestess of the Warrior. Most of my scholastic endeavors have left me with little time for the faiths of this world. I put more faith into the sciences and ways of man then to really give much credence to the powers that may sit above. Nonetheless, I agreed to go to her service for observation. I found the discipline intriguing and quite a necessity that most are lacking. Still, it was a bit too brutish for my taste.
Pitor: Some warrior priestess invited us to her dawn mass. Dawn? That's usually when I go to sleep, not when I awake. It sounded rather beastly anyway. I didn't miss anything.
Falcon: Warrior Mass great practice of skill and faith. Remind me of the green wood back home traning with the hood.
Rough Seas
Brenton: Another great commotion was had a few days later. I constructed as best I could an improvised mirror on a pole to see why everyone was trying to look on the side of the ship. After a little construction I found that there was a sigil on the side of the boat that looks like it was drawn in blood.
I spent the next few hours looking over the small about of text with me to determine what it was. I learned that it was a sigil of safe passage. There seemed little harm in that so I wrote up a small report of it and its history on the plate I used to make the sketch.
Yet again the ignorance and ingratitude of man shone through as my research was literally thrown overboard. The first mate would have nothing to do with it and then accused me of causing some of the problems. Well, once I finish the compass see what help they get from me again!
The stupidity of these men also turned out to be the least of my problems. A strong storm hit later that night and threatened to capsize the ship. I was on deck as the swell was drawing to its maximum. To my surprise, I saw Miki's Majesty sailing toward us. I couldn't stay on deck any longer and had to retreat below.
In the morning we were all banged up, but lived. To my surprise there was a great deal of Miki's Majesty's cargo strewn about. I really hope that some of my stuff survived. My research journal is also almost full. Oh, yeah, it looks like there is a survivor as well.
Falcon: Many day into voyage we came arcoss the destory ship that was ahead of us. I help with resurces and salavage effort best I wish I could do more to help..
Pitor: I awoke to some sort of froo-fra on the decks. Apparently someone had painted something on the side. "Painted" anyway- it had all the craftsmanship of a "kinder"s handi-work. Blah, it was made in blood, etc. Well, people got upset, Brenton decided it was a sigil, and one for good travel, and they all deduced that the old lady on the ship was responsible.
So it fell to me to question her. Sigh. Yes, she was responsible, and yes, her son was doing his best magicks to provide for our safe passage. Storms and portents and all sorts of horribleness were portended. And then- this crone struck me. No one- no one has ever raised a hand to me before. And nor shall they again- I told the bitch that I'd have her tossed overboard if she ever tried to invade my person again. She's fortunate that I'm used to spending my time among commoners. I would have been within my rights to have someone kill her on the spot!
Anyway, the crew washed away her sigil, and as promised, a storm struck our vessel. I sheltered with Ellie in my cabin. When it finally passed, one of the Kean & Vogel ships was off our starboard side- Miki's Majesty. Everyone aboard was killed but one. I told Mr. Bainbridge to adjust the budgets as appropriate to the salvage and returned to my cabin.
Sedeq: Some people don't have the common sense to want to go belowdecks -- and stay there -- during a hellish storm. After this storm, we did rescue a girl from the wreckage of another ship. I shall be tending her.
