Tsargin's Tale of the Landing
Things were going smoothly, they were, on our voyage home. It had been a long and arduous Journey, and we were running late. A meeting with the counsil in two days hence meant we had to pick up the pace, so Moira was taking every short-cut on the charts. The waters were choppy in these here parts, but the council brooks no offense! (We should Know: We comprised easily Half of them!)
We decided to head straight into The Storm, in a region refered to as The Shallowing; a straight through wich no Other ship had found clear passage, but we decided to be the First. Being a Band known for it's Firsts, this would be one More under our belts! Uncharted lands, Claimed in Our Names! That was Our way! Besides, the the force of the Storm would speed our travel, at any rate.
When we finnaly hit the outer edge, noone was prepared for it's sheer force! The groaning of the hull sent all hand's knuckles white. You never forget a sound like that. (That was when I took up Serious Drinking!) We did what we could to shore-up the walls, but nothing could stop what was pounding to get in!
Moira, the pilot, took us straight into the Winds, in attempt to throw us through the other side. We all had a bit of the Grand-Stander in us, so noone slighted Her for it. Noone had charted this close to The Shallowing before, but we had a long list of 'Firsts' under our belts; this was her turn to Shine.
But noone was prepared for it's Sheer Force. How could we be?
When the Waves started cresting the Prow, we knew, at least, to start sending off the Life-Boats, coming back to pick them up when all was given the "Well & Clear". (We never found what became of them. Hat's-Off to you, My Friends.)The handfull of us decided to guide the ship through, for as the old motto goes, "The Guild Never Abandons It's Vessel".
When the Waves hit, fast and furious, we lost the Look-Out; "Drum" Thagg. Never was there a better Bard. Not a Song or Tale of Note not commited to His Memory, Verbatum! (Tell Da' I said Hi.) We lost two deck with him, and were Washing-Out fast, when we finnally hit The Shallowing.Moira threw us fast-into it, hoping to carve a way through, but the very laws of Nature were agin' us! Ever hear the saying about an 'Imovable Object' and an 'Irresistable Force'?
Most of the Hull was shedded Clean off when we hit!The Rending was Deafening as we lost three more decks! debris flying, and not a Hand left Standing, as the Blow wrenched us from our feet!!
And then Nothing. Quiet. Calm. Silence.
We sat there, stunned, for what seemed like days, Each of us expecting the Calm to end all-Too Quickly! Noone said a word till Smat got 'The Rocks' to open the Hatch, and check 'The What's-Up'.
One-by-one, we stepped out onto the... Well, you couldn't really call it 'Dirt', per-se, (No dirt or rock I'VE seen). The debris-trail went a good league and a half, along Bare "WhateverItWasWeWereStandingOn"! The Remains of our 'Merchantman' capped the Five-Mile Trench!
As they started making a Head-Count, my thoughts turned to a Celibratory Toast. That's when I saw her.
There wasn't enough Time to get her to a Life-Boat! I ran through the Ship, the image of her broken frame, dangling from the exposed Deck, filling my eyes! I Rushed to see if there was still time: If I could Save My One True Love!
I threw the door wide, and Rushed to her Side! I cleared the Table with her cradled in My Arms, her shattered, lifeless body Limp in My hands! I did Everything I could!
I Tried Mouth-to Mouth! I Pounded! I Hammered! I Soldiered! I Rivited! Welded and Glued! ...but My Favorite Still had gone to meet her maker! There would be No Whiskey for The Toast! (That was The Day I Started SERIOUS Drinking!)
We stood there, on the great "Land"; a Dull, Flat, Featureless plane of pseudo-soil all about us. Our number measured Five. We stood there, staring about: "I can't see the edge", said the Doc. "I can't see a single Landmark", said Moira. "I can see My House from Here", I said to break the Tension. "I can't see why you're Bothering to Look", said Azzerac, the Navigator. We Stared at Him. "I need a serious Drink", commented Smat (searching deep in a cabinet) "This is all YOUR Fault", I Hollered at Moira. "If it weren't for your Show-Boatin', we'd be Home right now, safe and sound, we would!" "Shut Up", said the Navigator. "...Noone from Home will Ever Find Us," I Screamed, "Shut UP!", he repeated. "..and We're Gonna' be Stuck here, Forever!!" "Where's a tankard" mumbled Smat mouthing the bottle. I remember Coming-To with a lump on my head the size of my fist.
When I Did come-to, the navigator was giving a lecture on the philosophy of Discovery, as his book came to be titled! Something about Obsevation and Reality, the act of one defining the other, and the principle Foundation of the Magical Philosophies. It went something like "Since noone ever been here before, we sorta' make it up as we go along. Being as how we were the first to make it Into the Shallowing, what we saw, or chose to see made it what it was", or something like that. (I was still pretty out of it!)
And That was the Day that Smat Created The Land. ... which lead me to certain realisations: "Noone from Home WOUKD ever find Us", (They STILL blame that on Me!) "That WE would be STUCK here, Forever!", (That was the Day I Started SERIOUS Drinking!!) ...and that my kinsman, Smat, had Absolutly NO Imagination!!! (and THAT was the MOMENT I considered Drinking as a Life's Work!!) Tsargin of The Five
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