Cassandra's Thoughts

## Author

Cassandra

***Cassandra's Thoughts*** was a book written by Cassandra.

The journal chronicled her obsessive search for Tortuga as she sank ever deeper into Milk of the Poppy addiction before eventually succumbing to madness.

The book was an essential part of the Finding Tortuga questline. It contained the process for reaching Tortuga, masked by red herrings and extraneous information.

*Cassandra's Thoughts* was purchased directly from Cassandra herself in Morpheus' Cave for the price of 1 gold nugget.

# Content

#### **6E:104**

I had the dream again.

A starless sky. A ship sailing on air. A mysterious man named Morpheus. We dance on deck. He offers me a glowing poppy. I take it with a blushing curtsy. Without warning I fall into a deep slumber.

When I wake, I find myself on a magnificent floating island filled with incredible treasures—resilient armor, strange alchemy, magical tools, a pair of beautiful angel's wings.

No one believes me. No one but Skamandrios, my dear twin brother.

Their loss. We'll find it together and reap the rewards.

#### **6E:109**

News from Sanctuary:

A massive airship named *Oneiros* has arrived, said to be crewed by the dead.

Is this the ship I see in my dream? I had it again tonight.

#### **6E:110**

Today I braved Satan's Alley, a sleazy house of ill repute, where I met the captain of the *Oneiros*, an unpleasant brute whose skin had rotted away long ago. I allowed him to buy me a drink, some foul yellow brew I left untouched.

Drunk on grog, he bragged about his vessel, saying that it only goes one place, a pirate cove in the clouds called Tortuga. Ignoring his fetid breath and the eldritch stink of his bones, I asked him about this place, but he said he and his crew can never go there, for the *Oneiros* is a “dreamship” and they never sleep.

My brother Skamandrios joined us after evading the gyrating hips of some raven-haired stage hussy named Sophie. In the restroom, he overheard two visitors talk of an exclusive VIP lounge with a private bartender named Morpheus, just as in my vision.

We searched Satan's Alley but found nothing of the sort, only brooms and back rooms.

#### **6E:112**

Rumors of a "shadow broker" who's been to Tortuga led us to a tiny cabin on a floating isle in Sanctuary, but all we found was a lazy ocelot. I grow tired of these red herrings.

The crew of the *Oneiros* may not sleep, but *I* do, and every night their dreamship takes me to Tortuga.

But when I wake up and I'm at home in bed, far from floating isles and treasure.

The undead captain said I already know everything I need to get there. What am I missing??

#### **6E:114**

Skamandrios has learned of a hidden grotto in Hammerlea the locals call “Morpheus' Cave” where beautiful poppies grow in the dark.

We found it just before sundown, beyond a gloomy passage obscured by hanging vines. The secrets we seek must be here.

Maybe the only place I'll find an answer is in my dreams. I've had enough Milk of the Poppy to knock out an ender dragon. The room is starting to spin.

I think I'll lie down.

#### **6E:121**

Seven days later and we've learned nothing.

Skamandrios says he's worried about me. That I'm drinking too much Milk of the Poppy. That we should leave and go back to Sanctuary. That the way to Tortuga is found in Satan's Alley and the dreamship Oneiros.

But I don't want to leave. There's something here. Besides, I get nauseous every time I get too far from the grotto.

The answer is close, I know it. All I need is a little more Milk of the Poppy, just to bring on the dreams. Then I'll start weaning myself off, to put Skam at ease.

Right after I find Tortuga.

#### **6E:122**

So tired, but have to push on. Saw him in my dreams. Morpheus. Tending bar in that place. Giving me a glowing poppy. Mocking me. It's a trick. A trap. The answer is here. In this cave...

CAVE crave
cave SLAVE

what
was I doing
where is skam ???

anyway i'll write later
so tired

#### **6E:???**

ehehe im awake

but im dreaming

CAVE crave

cave SLAVE

TOMB gloom

cave GRAVE

is a dream a lie

if it dont come true ? ? ?

floppy poppy

soppy poppy

smother brother

choppy poppy

ehehe

who need a ship im flyin

cave CRAVE

CAVE slave

ROOM broom

cave SLAVE

ehehe i found tortuga

you just [illegible text]unlock the broom closet, buy the poppy from Morpheus, and then sleep on the Oneiros[end illegible text]

easy queasy

copies poppies

floppies poppies

skin twin

poppies poppies

ehehe

# Behind the Scenes

*The following is out-of-universe information about the real world Dragonhollow.*

   Tox wrote the book for the Finding Tortuga questline he developed with Retro which ultimately led to the secret token shop of Tortuga, originally created by Acey but never completed. It was purchased from Cassandra herself in Morpheus' Cave, also designed by Tox.

Cassandra herself is a reference to Cassandra from Greek mythology, a Trojan priestess who was gifted with the ability to see the future but the curse of never being believed. Skamandrios is a reference to Helenus of Troy, also called Scamandrios, the twin brother of Cassandra. Tox chose both characters because of his desire to continue Acey's tradition of borrowing from Greek mythology in shaping Dragonhollow lore.

The book actually revealed the exact sequence of events needed to reach Tortuga in a single line—"you just unlock the broom closet, buy the poppy from Morpheus, and then enter a bed on the *Oneiros*"—but the text was hidden with an obfuscated formatting code and could not be read.