Wolves and Butterflies

 Faith! What a day!

As we docked at Titan Prime, Mimi declares we must go out to the lake. However, the powers that be won't allow us as of yet. Some paperwork or whatever. Just then, She speaks to me yet again! Brother Luther needs assistance about a mile to the East! Well, when duty calls, she'll not find me wantin', so I hoist my shield, let my companions know I'll be back shortly, and set off at a trot.

When I finally spot him, Luther is being menaced by 5 wolves. Now, he's a strapping lad, and handy with a sword, but he does lack confidence, and if I can spot it in his face from 10 yards away, they can certainly smell it on him. So, I rush in, making as much racket as I can, hoping to pull their attention my way. It works for most of them, and we set to work dispatching the beasts. Unfortunately, the noise we've all made fighting (and them dying) attracted yet another creature -- an owlbear! We turn and fight another fearsome battle, and finally overcome. Praise be!

But the praises are not done yet, for Brother Luther was waylaid returning from a ruin in the woods and has even more relics from the dawn of our time! Another painting and a letter to go with it. The painting depicts a bride in her wedding dress casting blue energy out, filling massive cracks in the land all across in the distance. On piece of that land is already floating. It bears the inscription: "As the cataclysm began and the world cracked apart, the heroine gave her heart." The letter (again from Hector Cogsworth) speaks of having created this very painting and how he spreads the tale of how she, the woman he writes to, stopped "the great adversary" from breaking free, how she saved the world for a second time, and how it remains shattered. He mentions this new world being newly named Zepheria, instead of Gailatia (confirming our suppositions). Finally, he says that he will continue to search for her, possibly in or beyond the maelstrom below.

As we exchanged information that we had gathered, Brother Luther and I discussed some of the implications of the relics we had found. We of the order have long considered "Hector" to be a figure of evil, standing in opposition to our good Lady. And we have long assumed The One to been divine eternally before as she will be eternally still. But the narrative told by these letters and paintings (which seem to at least be reliably dated) tell a different tale. One of Hector on the side of good, partnered (*and married!*) to a caster, who, though extremely powerful, was more a person than an unknowable deity. At least, so she was considered by the author of our breadcrumbs. 

It seems plausible, perhaps likely(?) that this caster is The One. That idea will certainly cause no small amount of consternation among the faithful, and may be deemed a heresy. But does She not teach that we follow the knowledge wherever it may go? One cannot learn anything truly new if one discards any information that is uncomfortable. And as for "heresy," the butterfly was once a caterpillar, yet it is still beauty flitting through the air. If She was once a mortal, that does not diminish her divinity. Do we not gain strength from her? I shall sleep well and happily on this when next I have the chance.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

 Things are certainly proceeding! As we tarried in town -- some to drink, a couple to study, maybe some to shop -- the entire island jolted! Then it started to list to one side as a spire grew through the very ground! Spires don't just GROW! I would think it unprecedented! But then, is it? After seeing this nigh-impossibility, I rushed BACK to my studies and looked for different information. It's not UNprecedented, merely astronomically rare. I can find only two other instances: at the beginning of our calendar (presumably very shortly after the cataclysm), and in the year 1000. So, a thousand years between first and second, and a third 620 years later. If this is a recurrent phenomenon, the frequency is increasing (though I'll have to wait a few hundred years to confirm it, apparently). I don't remember whether it was Cole-Bay's idea or my own, but we got an ether compass to see if it would read the new spire. It didn't initially, but started to (very) gradually accumulate a reading. So, it would seem that the ether power didn't cause the growth, but now that the spire is grown, it begins to accumulate ether the way older spires do.

While all this was occurring, our new friend Aerathor caught a pink rat at the bar they were frequenting. It turns out it was more than a miscolored rodent, but a messenger of sorts, for it left an envelope with a letter for the Captain. "I believe our interests are aligning. Meet me on your ship." The implication that the author might be on the ship sped our heels to return quickly. She was not, but soon showed her well-known face. Mimi, whom we know from the bounty boards, apparently has a relic much like a sextant to help magically guide us through the maelstrom. It reportedly shows the path taken by Hector Cogsworth centuries ago. She also has two more of his letters! (I will include transcripts with this entry.) After some discussion, we followed the path the sextant showed and arrived at Titan Prime. We docked and walked toward the lake.

My Goddess! What a remarkable turn of events. I can FEEL the gears of history turning and returning!

Pirates!

 In the wee hours of the morning, I was unceremoniously jerked from my peaceful slumber (and some extraordinarily lovely dreams) by a shout. Pirates!

I suppose it had to happen eventually; this world is not a peaceful one. Sadly, there was no time to don my armor, so I grabbed my mace and shield and headed to the deck. I quickly manned a cannon amidships. Cole Bay assisted Ingrid in making an incredibly daring (and graceful) leap from ship to ship so she could mete out some justice face-to-face. Unfortunately, she was far outnumbered and felt the lack of backup fairly quickly, despite all the damage we were doing to the ship. I switched over to a ballista to harpoon the other ship and create a line to traverse...just in time to be of no use -- the pirate captain calling for a duel.

Of course, Captain was amenable (even eager), so she swung over like a hero from a bard's tale and they faced off. It was truly an epic fight (though quick). In the scuffle, Captain's sleeve was burned away, revealing a distinctive tattoo. It took me a moment to recall where I'd seen it before. It is the same worn by the dread Black Blade! Captain Aveline! Holy Mother, that was an unexpected turn of events. It gave me a shock, that's for sure. But, just as we seek to reform the planet that nurtures us, we must allow people the opportunity to reform themselves as well. For all the dark deeds laid at her feet, there will surely be countless redemptive ones. No sooner had all that raced through my mind than she ran through her opponent. In that instant, the Storm Goddess herself boomed out, naming Captain her champion!

The rest of the day was almost a let down after all that excitement: turning in bounties, purchasing new gear, some experimentation to identify the button-ring. Definitely a day of extremes. Lady Bless!