The High Seas And Water Elementals

## Entries

These are the unedited notes of Smiling Within Records as he set off on his second exploration on the high seas

*Day 1*

*After arriving back home at Castlegrasp, I spent a couple of days at The Vague Olive, visiting mother and helping the Inn run, as I used to as a kid. It was nice to see everyone, but I came back to charter a boat to learn to sail and explore the sea for a while. So I went to the docks. As I went around to the various ship captains and after explaining my situation and what I was planning to do, I was rejected passage time and time again. Right before I lost hope that I would never get to experience a true sea adventure or see the wonders that it beholds, I heard a voice at the end of the docks calling to me. Wondering who it could be, since I was dressed in my adventuring gear I doubt the one calling knew who I was, but still turning to the voice I saw what looked like a Knotsider woman wearing a makeshift captain’s attire. Being the curious person I am, I walked over to see the reason I was called. Upon reaching the location of the Knotsider woman, I gazed at the sea-faring vessel before me and behind her, a ship of medium length but rather tall, with what looks like wings that rested in the water, two masts shot from the vessel, a symbol that I was unfamiliar with that look almost drawn on. This captain looking woman spoke to me, I quote, “ Hey, I may have overheard you talking to the other lame captains on the dock. They are all just scaredy cats but I and my crew aren't, we take you anywhere up and down the Omerian sea...for a fee of course” she ended her statement with a greedy grin. Having no other choice really, I accepted the outrageous amount of 10 gold a day for her and her crew's help. I have just finished moving my stuff into their “guest room” which doesn't seem to be more than a small closest just big enough to lay down. Though small, I have made it very cozy. The captain, named Kal Bane, informed me that we will set off tomorrow to Cabel. I hope I get to see what this omerian sea has to offer in stories and adventures it will hold.*

*Day 2*

*As I stirred in my “room”, I began to feel nauseous unexpectedly. Since the sensation was a little much to bare I went to look for the captain to ask when we would set off. I made my way to the deck of the ship only to have my eyes greeted with vast ocean and waves galore. I was startled by a voice coming from below me. I quickly looked down to be pleasantly surprised to see what could only be an Ong-Ong wearing a mixture of what I could assume was pirate and adventure gear. The Ong-ong’s is called Treemen by the crew and he is the first mate. As I greeted him, handed me a mop and said: “ come with me the captain wants to talk to you.” I followed Mr. Treemen while holding the mop and bucket, to the captain. As we arrived, I saw her using her spyglass to look out at the ocean. It was very sunny but the captain seemed to have a grave look on her face. I asked her why she didn't wake me to tell me we have left, and I was answered with a hand outstretched without even turning to face me. I reluctantly paid the ten gold, and she then answered my question, “spouts are ahead, the Marids must be fighting again…”. I wanted to ask more but she just turned me to and explained my first part of the training will be mopping the deck, apparently, it's how all “great” sailors start, I don't remember reading anything like that but I will not take the experience for granted. I finished my day trying to adjust to the movement of the ocean, meeting the rest of the crew, and mopping the deck.*

*Day 3*

*After getting ready, I spent the day mopping and meeting the crew of the ship they called The Windflower. The Crew is made up of 6 people, that oddly somehow run this very large ship. There is Kal Bane the Captain, she takes care of what she calls “boss business”. Then there is her first mate, an Ong-ong named Treemen, he seems to give the day to day tasks to the other crew members. Apparently, The Windflower runs on a magic engine, hence why a small crew can man it and it's all possible by two individuals a Dinzer engineer Named Turbinnie and a Krig that she affectionately names Specks, due to the multi-eyed goggles she built for the Krig to help with seeing smaller parts. Seeing them work together is fascinating and awe-inspiring, the way they work on the engine is very unique and well crazy. Amazingly their artillerist and self-proclaimed combat expert is an Olyothyrian! I've never seen an Olyothyrian before, his name is Di’alshinay and I hope he didn't mind that I sketched him and bombarded him with questions, he stood stoic and explained every piece of weaponry on the ship, which would have took mins if he didn't explain every single part with verve and detail….which I put in a separate journal because it was undeniably interesting. And last but surely not least a canid with a long snout and a puffball of fur named Franklin Steward, he is the ship chronicler, ship manager and takes care of all the “paperwork”. As I mopped the deck of the ship and conversed with everyone, the crew seemed to warm up to me. Even though I was starting to feel welcomed, the captain still held out her hand, and 10 gold pieces were placed in her hand by me...ugh*

*Day 4*

*Today was uneventful, the captain looked tense and in a pensive mood, as she peered out at the ocean with her spyglass. Only day four and I’ve seen a ton of odd ocean flora and fauna, trees that grow tall out of the ocean itself, fish that jump out the water in large groups that reflect light and water droplets to make a rainbow as they cross over the ship. It was amazing to see but it did cause more mopping.*

*Day 5*

*While I was mopping the deck and watching Turbinnie and Specks work on the engine, truly fascinating, I heard the Captain curse and say “well it can’t be helped” and put away her spyglass and go over to Di’alshinay and whisper something to him and both went below deck.*

*Night 5*

*I awoke to a rumbling and turbulence, I heard yelling from above deck, I got dressed and ran to check it out, this page in my hand and pen at the ready. When I got up to the deck I saw something that I’m even having a hard time to describe, my hands are still shaking but I will do my best to explain the event. As I crested the floor of the deck I saw what I can only describe as a monstrous dragon-snake like creature made or torrents of ocean water with glowing green eyes. They were huge and some had multiple heads, they roared, jumped over the boat and rammed it from time to time. I was later told these rogue elementals are called Waterspouts. Barely hanging on I saw the crew spring into action. Mr. Treemen started casting a spell, I think, and as the Waterspout attacked Turbinnie and Specks used a cannon to shoot what looks like a blast of cold energy and seemed to freeze it in place. From the other side of the ship, Di’alshinay, ran holding what looked like a maul made of exquisite metal, he spoke elven and the maul became as lighting, then he jumped up and struck the elemental. Then all of a sudden the ship rushed forward at incredible speed. When we were safe, the captain walked out of the engine room looking smug and accomplished. Turns out she cast haste on the magic engine, which sent Turbinnnie and Specks into a frenzy running down into the engine room visibly upset. During all of this Franklin Steward just sat there watching and writing up what needed to get fixed, calm as ever. The Captain put her hand on my shoulder and said we are good for now and I should get some sleep. I lay here writing this, still shaking, but shaking with excitement for what might happen next. This has already been more eventful than my first expedition.*

*Day 6-10*

*These last days have been utterly brutally boring. Most of the time I'm either moping, helping the crew with odd jobs, or playing cards with them. I am grateful for the quality time but I went on this trip to see wild and amazing things that only those who sail would see and bring it back to the people of Omeria. I’ve seen some very fantastical flora and fauna. Turtles with aquatic plants growing off their backs, they seem to feed fish with the plants on their backs. It is a fascinating ecosystem, the Omerian Ocean. Besides some occasional encounters with a large squid that past by then attacked by some omerian sharks, it was quite a sight, nothing eventful happened. Though I thought I saw a figure staring at me from under the water, but it had to have been a trick of the mind.*

*Day 11-12*

*The water has been rough for a few days now and the sky has been becoming greyer lately too. The Captain says we are about 3 to 5 days away from our destination, and I'm thankful for that due to the dwindling funds that this expedition has cost me. I was hoping to see something wondrous as I saw in the Desolation. Though it hasn't been as dangerous or exciting as the first expedition it has been a nice time getting to know each of the crew members, so much so that the captain lowered my few for the next 5 days….to 5 gold pieces…. Awesome.*

*Day 13*

*So I may have spoken too soon. I woke up early this morning. The water was rough and thunder could be heard roaring above the grey sky. I looked out to the ocean only to see the ship wading toward two powerful looking figures, they had to be at least 18ft tall, standing 50 to maybe 70 feet away from each other. I saw that the ship was heading between them, they seemed not noticing or not caring about us. We all went to the front of the ship and were enamored by the sight of these beings, they gave me vague remembrance of my time in the Desolation, I became gitty. One of the figures looked humanoid besides its otherworldly ocean like beauty, its skin was a greenish-blue with long blue-black hair, seeming naked except for a flowing cloth that covered it at times, oddly moving as if it was underwater though it was standing on the ocean’s turbulent service. The other looks more fish person, bloated adorn in gems and jewels, wearing a vest yet a swirl of water cover it from the waist down. The Humanoid figured spoke in a language I didn’t understand, snapped its fingers, and 4 figures rose from the ocean and walked on the surface like the being they stood next to it, all with hair that moved as if underwater still. The fish one yelled in opposition, of course in a language I didn’t know and reached into the ocean and as if they ripped them from the ocean themselves, humanoid figures clawed and crawled from the water to rest on the surface. They were monstrous-looking carrying make-shift armor and weapons that looked horrific, their faces contorted by fish features and unnatural elongated faces and limbs. Our ship crept ever forward, but all of us unable to move or change course, the storm raged on above. At a moment’s notice, the figures that stood next to the humanoid one created various weapons out of the water and then took shape and charged forward in a uniform formation, while the other creatures rushed forward with reckless abandon thrashing on the surface. Our ship crossed between them as they met! As if they didn’t see us they crawled over the deck and clashed before our eyes. Blades against blades, spells cast, it was a chaotic swirl of combat that all we could do is watch as they tore up the deck of the ship. It felt like hours, but soon only 2 of the humanoids with the moving hair stood. The Being, they came here with, called them back, and spoke again, the Bloated one seemed to seeth and disappear into the crashing waves. The one with the moving hair turned and walked into the ocean as if going downstairs. As I looked around at the disaster of a deck, holes in the sails, cracks in the hull, a broken mast, the captain looked like she was going to lose it. She exclaimed and I quote: “ WHAT ARE THE ODDS THAT WE WOULD WALK INTO A SEA GENIE WAR, I MEAN COME ON! FREAKING MARIDS AND THEIR PALADINS UGH, I need a drink…”*

*Day 17*

*We spent the last 4 days of the trip, just trying to stay afloat. We made it to the dock this morning and I’m glad to be on solid ground and ready to set off from Cabel. I heard a devastating disaster happened here but I won’t publish in this expedition. It was a treasure to meet these wonderful crew members and I would highly recommend their services!*

This is the end of the journal of SWR, during his expedition across the omerian sea
[[Category:P