Expeditio Tritogenis

== Manuscript Origins ==
The "Expeditio Tritogenis" is a section of Theodore di Fiorenci's journal (Diario) that documents his voyage from Eldham to Abexilas. The journal details the events surrounding the Iristor Comet Event, beginning with Theodore's departure from Taras, Aurea. He maintained the journal as a daily log to document his voyage created as a tribute to his late mother, Catherina. The original manuscript, written in its original language, is stored in the vaults of the Library of Livoratti. A copy of the section has been donated to Viridian, from where it was published and translated by the Grand Library of the Chronos Arbor. 
== Expeditio Tritogenis ==
=== Partenza ===
(Departure) On the day we departed from the docks of Taras, I spent most of my time unloading my belongings which mostly contained the precious documents, scrolls, cartographic maps and other valued treasures bequeathed unto me by my father. Within an hour of my arrival, the trierarch gave the command with the sound of a piercing whistle, silencing the crowd gathered around the docks to witness the departure of the triremes. With a mighty effort, the fleet of the triremes proceeded, the crewmen unfurled the billowed sails displaying the glorious banner of the Tarantine emblem, a symbol of Taras’ military prowess. The sails fluttered in the afternoon breeze, casting shadows over the deck below. This was then accompanied by the rhythmic pounding of the oars striking the water beneath. The triremes were well provisioned with food, supplies and materials imported from the mainland, carrying remnants of Tarantine combat armaments and equipment. During the brief interlude, the forthcoming Megas Doux ‘Archeanias’ addressed all onboard the trireme, announcing the formal departure of ‘Tritogenes’ from the docks of Taras and the promised arrival into a new, cherished land. He called upon the Tarantine citizens and the former councillors of the city and declared us “House Tarantine”, establishing the formation of the Tarantine knighthood under his command. Only after, did I catch a final glimpse of Taras and her magnificent shores before it all disappeared into the surrounding mist; the wooden boards of the deck creaked as the crew were told to get back to their duties. Away from the blinding city lights, the night sky aboard the trireme was crystal clear, bedecked with goblets of fire that shimmered like jewels and silver coins. Tonight, Artamis offered her gentle, cool glow, casting a shimmering silver path upon the dark, tranquil waters below. She revealed to me, a mesmerising beauty of duality between the sea and the sky, where the celestial sphere of the heavens meets with the vastness of the ocean beneath. The horizon merged seamlessly, a sense of endless expanse that stretched outwards in all directions; a moment of reassurance for the crew who sailed under her watchful eye. 
=== Passaggio ===
(Passage) Bygone weeks at sea were met with turbulent waters and weeps of tempestuous gales. I grip my compass in hand, trying to steady its needle as the ship lurches forward and sways with the force of the storm. From my cabin, I could hear the oars striking through the torrent of raging waters with similar rhythmic precision. The wooden hull of ‘Tritogenes’ creaked and groaned as the ship surged up and bowed down, propelled by the sheer force of the oncoming wind filled with the salty spray which hung in the air, stinging my skin and filling my lungs with its briny scent. Dark clouds did loom on the horizon, casting a menacing shadow over the open sea. The once calm waters now churned angrily, white-capped waves crashing against each other and onto the hull of the trireme, tilting the deck to and fro. The sailors on board the ship braced themselves against the upcoming storm, it was as if the vessel was tossed about like a mere toy in the hands of an ill-tempered giant. The trierarch and the Blessed Doux frantically shouted orders, their voice scarcely audible above the deafening roar of the storm - amidst the indecisive crew. The adjacent, smaller galley, ‘Euphemia’, banked to one side, tilting perilously as water rushed over its gunwales, greedily claiming the lives of the passengers aboard. A collective gasp echoed across the remaining ships as they witnessed the tragic spectacle; the crew of the capsized vessel, their faces etched with terror and despair, clung desperately to any fragment of the ship that could offer their salvation. But the maelstrom showed no mercy, engulfing the ill-fated vessel beneath its surface, swallowing it whole. The following morning, after the storm did abate, a crew tally revealed the 3 hapless souls on the ‘Tritogenes’ were claimed by the wrath of the wretched waters. The trierarch recorded the total casualties lost to the sea, murmuring anxiously: “225 men and 400 talents (12 tonnes) of supplies lost on ‘Euphemia’, 3 men on ‘Tritogenes’, 12 on ‘Trianae’ ” his face was expressionless, tightly gripping his notebook held in hand. The rest of the week following the storm was solemn, to say the least, wives wept for their fallen husbands and children clung to their mothers; a lasting comfort within their warm embrace. 
=== Avanzata ===
(Advance)Each morning greeted us with the same grim reality, for the sun rose reluctantly over the horizon, casting a pale light on weary faces filled with fatigue. Our rations did grow thin with each passing week, our provisions dwindling like the final flickers of a dimming flame. In the evenings, I would sit on my deck, staring into the boundless yonder, catching glimpses of the lights from the other fleet. Amidst the cold sweep of the night seas, sailed my brother Simeon, bound to a ship of his own. The expanse of the ocean felt less daunting, as if we were all bound together by some yearning purpose, adrift yet connected in this journey through the unknown. I tried to grasp the feeling of loss that had engulfed us. I found myself often clutching my charts, tracing routes that might, by some providence, lead us to where we would call home. In the quiet hours, as the stars turned above, I pondered if perhaps Artamis had conspired with the fates to keep our haven veiled, testing our resolve with each league sailed and each wave summoned upon us. The Hierus of Taras withdrew into his quarters, his voice barely audible above the roaring winds. There, he cast himself before the effigies of Posōidan and Aíolous, pleading with fervent whispers for reprieve. His hands shook as he prepared the offerings of a cup of precious ointments, a drachma of coins, and a silver-tipped potērion filled with a thick concoction—each a tribute to gentle the gods into granting us calm waters and guiding our fleet toward safe harbour. Let their favour be shielded in their darkened waters, until we find rest in the havened shores that await us.
=== Orizzonte ===
(Horizon)Each morning arrived in muted light, but today, a strange haze lingered over the horizon. I stood at the deck’s edge, scanning the misty expanse, when a subtle scent—a faint breath of earth, green and alive—seemed to rise from the distant waves. A glimmer of white moved toward us—a lone dove, pale as the clouds of morn, carrying a sprig of olive in his beak. It was then where a hushed awe rippled through the men; even Achilleios, our battle-worn Polemarchos (Commander Mercenary), stood in great reverence. The Hierus of Taras emerged, his golden laced robes billowing as he stepped forward, eyes lifted in silent gratitude. Archeanias extended a trembling hand, brushing his fingertips upon the dove, before lifting his gaze toward the obscured horizon. “Hoi theoi ou planōsin hērmas; to poreoesthai hata mēnin agei proso eudaimonian” he declared, (O gods lead us not astray; our journey under their wrath to be guided toward fortune). His voice deep as the sea. The men cheered, relief softening their faces, each one gleamed in hope by the promise of land and safe sanctuary beyond the mist. I traced my compass once more, my fingers trembling as I studied the needle. The land we had seen on the horizon—was it all a mirage, a promise concealed by the cloth of my imagination? I re-examined our course at sea, but the coordinates and the needle spoke unaltered. I could feel the eyes of the crew upon me, their silent hope resting in my hands. I sighed, barely audible over the soft creaking of the ship. The fleet pressed on, sails taut and hearts alight, bound for a shore whispered to us by the winds and shall Eleos grant the dove gentle flight. 
=== Venuta ===
(Arrivals)
I awoke to the familiar creaking of the trireme’s timbers, the rhythmic lapping of the waves against the hull, and the soft rustling of the sails, which strained under the early morning breeze. My limbs were stiff from the long nights spent in uneasy sleep, and my mind, foggy from the relentless journey, struggled to focus. The air was cool, tinged with salt and that familiar smell of damp wood. Megas Doux Archeanias stood at the prow, his cloak fluttering behind him, calling the crew to attention. His voice, rich and commanding, echoed on deck. "Mighty Tarantines, the stars have granted us our favour! Land is in sight! We shall chart our course toward a natural harbour. Steady your hearts, our journey soon comes to its end!" The crew thundered in unison: “Let History be Made!” I made my way to the deck, each step heavier than the last as I fought the overwhelming exhaustion that clung to me. As I stepped into the open air, the sight before me stole my breath away. Before us stretched a vast expanse of luscious green land, emerging from the mist as if conjured by the gods themselves. The dense forests of oak and birch reached toward the horizons, their boughs swaying gently in the morning breeze, leaves clothed in myriad shades of emerald and viridis. A river, silvered in the first light of day, wound its serpentine path down the mountainside, cleaving the forest asunder, its waters glittering like strands of molten treasure in Dameter’s embrace. The ‘Tritogenes’ angled toward the coast, its sails billowing in brisk wind, the oarsmen working in perfect unison, their movements as fluid as the waves that carried us forward. As we drew nearer, the details of the land became clearer—a sandy shore, framed by the protective arms of a rocky bay. The scent of the earth was unmistakable, rich and green, mingling with the salt of the sea. The ship came to a slow halt as we entered the shallow waters near shore, the sound of the waves lapping against the hull now accompanied by the scraping of the anchor. The men rushed to prepare the gangplank, to step foot on the solid ground.
=== Principii ===
(Beginnings)I stood at the bow, gazing at the untouched shore, as my heart quickened with anticipation. The moment had finally come. The last step of our journey was upon us. I gingerly climbed down the gangplank, my boots striking the soft, golden sand with a satisfying bloom below my boots. The sensation of earth beneath my feet felt foreign, comforting, as if I returned to the shores of Taras that I had long forgotten. The men quickly noticed that the rest of the fleet had anchored at various points around the harbour, their ships scattered like dark shadows across the bay. News soon spread through the ranks—that the Empress of the Empire had also arrived safely, though in distant northern lands. Had the stars granted us safe travels throughout our journey? Had their favour covered us from the wrath of Séphyros and the depths of Posōidan’s lair? Archeanias shovelled a spot to implant the glorious banner of our Tarantine emblem, the auburn red banner gleamed in the warmth of the radiant sun. Before me, the azure Main mirrored the image of myself, a reflection of the endless horizon, yet something within me stirred—an unspoken recognition and fervent that here, alas, a place to call home. This, I thought, was the beginning of something new. Theodore's Seal and Signature