The Traveling the Gray Sea
As one might suspect traversing The Gray Sea is no easy task. Many lives and ships have been lost in exploring and crossing The Gray Sea. Just sailing into the mists could put you anywhere, or worse, nowhere. There is no knowing where you could be or how long it might take you to get somewhere if lost in the mists. Starvation however is a much preferable end then to fall prey to the creatures that reside in The Gray Sea or to wind up consumed by it yourself. One might question why one would ever brave The Gray Sea, but just a reminder of the great wealth held by a Graywater trader is enough to answer that question.
However there are stable passages in The Gray Sea. This ribbons of reality are known as Mistways and without them travel between the seas would not be possible. While stable traveling a Mistway is still fraught with danger. Mistways are hard to map as they have a tendency to wander, much like river on a flat plane. They also in many places double back or coil upon themselves like a snake. That said, they generally stay in the same area and have relatively similar travel times so travel can be done quite regularly on these lines. This stability however does not offer protection against the denizens of The Gray Sea. Many used the Mistways themselves to feed or raid.
The entrances to the Mistways are also obstructed, often by the mists themselves or by weather or other natural phenomena. Shimmering heat mirages, blizzards, whirlpools and even the mouths of volcanoes are all said to hold hidden Mistways. It’s also said, but this may be more myth than truth, that both the Screaming Sands and the Eternal Blizzard both hide Mistways. Cultures near both of these places have legends of great heroes braving the storms and finding hidden paradise and hidden hells. Little was made substance of these tails until large icebergs were found beached in the jungles of the Jade Sea and a remote valley in the Dowa Shogunate was found filled with sand and a destroyed temple with pictographs of creatures that resembled the Catties of the Amber Sea.
Knowing the Mistways is vital to any sort of crossing of The Gray Sea. Captains will horde and swap information about the Mistways like precious gems. Specific information about a Mistway, like if there have been sudden storms, new phenomenon, or things attacking ships can make or break a trip. To many of the captains the information that they learn while sailing a Mistway is often more valuable than they cargo that their ship may hold. Many trading companies and navies will pay small fortunes for ships brave enough to chart and observe some of the lesser traveled or more dangerous Mistways.
Sailing on the Gray Sea
Sailing the Gray Sea is no easy task. Trips are expensive and harrowing journeys. Even on short trips you can expect your ship to come under attack at least once. Many times it is just warning shots from rival nations or trading companies, pirates testing the crew’s mettle, or sea creatures more inquisitive than harmful trips in the Gray Sea are never uneventful.
Officers and Crew on the Gray Sea
In the Gray Sea having a good captain can be the difference between life and death. Even the most liberal of ships, those whose crew make most of the decisions, still elect captains. While sailing the captain is the unquestionable leader of the ship. Their orders are to be followed and no questions are to be asked (if you are an officer you might be able to get away with a question, but push comes to shove an order is and order and you are to follow.) Only the most skilled or the most foolish captains command vessels in the Gray Sea.
Captains often designate an officer who serves as their first mate, their go to liaison to the other officers and the crew and who can serve in their place if otherwise preoccupied. The first mate is typically in charge of maintaining order of the crew, settling arguments, and dividing up loot and supplies.
Almost as important as having a good captain is having a good navigator. Navigation in the Gray Seas is difficult, to say the least. Not only does one have to have excellent raw navigational skills, they must also be knowledge about the locations and phenomenons of the Gray Sea, along with its peoples, plants, and creatures. In short a good navigator in the Gray Sea is more than just a navigator, they are a good historian, geographer, meteorologist, diplomat and biologist as well.
After the captain and the navigator comes the master-at-arms. The master-at-arms is in charge of the ships weapons and defenses. This includes not only what is on the ship but the guards hired to defend it as well. Masters-at-arms are often skilled warriors.
Cooks and doctors are also common, not just for making rations palpable and for treating wounds but for creating healing potions and salves. These officers often serve other duties, like being the barber or carpenter.
Sailors in the Gray Sea are just like sailors from the Known Seas, if made out of a bit more hearty stuff. They spend their days maintaining the ship and sails. They complain about the grog and their ship biscuit. They sing shanties and tell sea stories. Sailors in the Gray a much more superstitious than those in the Known Seas. They are also always armed. You will never find a sailor for the Gray Sea without his weapons. Most keep a staggering amount of weapons hidden on them, hold out pistols and boot knives are popular.
Trade and Travel on the Gray Sea
For someone booking passage on the Gray Sea the trip depends a lot on what ship they booked passage. Every ship and every captain has a reputation on the Gray Sea and making sure that you pick the one that best suits you is key to having a good voyage. Some ships treat their passengers as little more than crew that have paid the luxury to come along on the trip. Others treat their passengers as royalty with rich meals (as rich as one can get on the rations for Gray Sea voyages) and lavish private quarters.
Passengers are alright money for ships, but the real money is in trade. In the Gray Sea lay wonders that can only be dreamed of in the Known Seas.
No comments:
Post a Comment