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Salt and Blood - Chapter 38
<< Chapter 37| Table of Contents| Chapter 39>>1.38 - Consequences Breed HumilityThere are three moments in every pirate’s life that will stick with them forever. The first is the moment they left home to seek glory and riches on the seas. Second is their first drink. Third is the first time they have to kill a man. I’d argue that the first drink is the worst, as it almost always leads to ten more. So does the second..,-Excerpt from ‘A Pirat...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 37
<< Chapter 36| Table of Contents| Chapter 38>>1.37 - Eyes Bigger than your LiverThere are perhaps no weapons quite as famous as Wavecarver. The blade wielded by Castell Saltbeard during his final voyage, it gained its name from the supposed ability to slice the very sea in twain. Certainly, it sliced many of his enemies into two—or more—pieces.-Excerpt from ‘Armoury of the Deep; Nine Blades of Heaven’ by Xen DiamondeyeThe blush had only j...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 36
<< Chapter 35| Table of Contents| Chapter 37>>1.36 - Winds of FateWhile the Tide is perhaps the greatest driving force in this world, it is far from the only one that holds sway over the lives of men.-Excerpt from ‘Divining the Great Blue’ by Lexiss KairmontBefore she knew what was happening, the giant had grasped her other hand in his and rushed off. His grip was firm, yet light. They whizzed past houses, merchant stalls, and restaurants tee...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 35
<< Chapter 34| Table of Contents| Chapter 36>>1.35 - Seagulls and SmithsSeagulls weren’t Baxter Fudd’s first choice of courier, but his other birds kept going missing. Every morning he’d wake up and find a seagull perched on the open window of the sorting office. Eventually he caved to the fiend. The tradition stuck. Not that we have much say in it.-Quoted from Guillermo Fudd, Chief of the Bluestone Postal CompanyRose had asked for a tour o...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 34
<< Chapter 33| Table of Contents| Chapter 35>>1.34 - The Gates of MinenblumThe Bluestone Sea is a tiny corner of the world. What they call nations we see as backwater villages. Minenblum might pass for a town, but the royal family are an arrogant bunch.-Excerpt from ‘The Scale of the Sea’ by Joshua HumphriesTrent was fast asleep in the cabins below deck, recovering from yesterday’s fearsome clash. Rose was at the wheel—her navigation prof...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 33
<< Chapter 32| Table of Contents| Chapter 34>>1.33 - Titans of the OceanMost people get really, really good at one skill. They might even hit the cap and earn themselves a star before the end of their natural life. You wouldn’t consider an old codger who’s an unnaturally good butcher to be a superhuman, though. What if he’d also spent his life running through the forest near his home? Earned a second star. Fella can run faster than the wind...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 32
<< Chapter 31| Table of Contents| Chapter 33>>1.32 - The Aetherstone StraitAre you able bodied and willing to defend your fellow citizens, all while learning how to sail a ship and make fantastic new friends? We need you! (Malicious rumours of new recruits being mistreated are slander and punishable by court martial) Sign up for the Royal Navy at your nearest port or harbour—we pay better than fishing!-Excerpt from a Minenblum Royal Navy Recrui...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 31
<< Chapter 30| Table of Contents| Chapter 32>>1.31 - Armed and DangerousStraits are strange. They’re either the calmest of waters or the deadliest. It’s best to avoid them.-Excerpt from ‘The Ten Laws of the Sea’, author unknown“A convergence?Don’t lie to me, Rose. That’s the stuff of legend. They aren’t real,” scoffed Felix. His legs dangled over the edge of the deck, between two railings.Rose rested her head on her arms, lookin...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 30
<< Chapter 29| Table of Contents| Chapter 31>>1.30 - Surprise at SeaI can think of many great pirates who began their quest as a stowaway. One of the most legendary in fact, was a boy wearing a straw hat. He dreamed of being a king—King of the Pirates.-Quoted from the Lorekeeper of LyrThe shadow picked up speed as it fell and at first Rose thought the man had misjudged his landing. She should’ve had more faith.A deep thud echoed across the ba...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 29
<< Chapter 28| Table of Contents| Chapter 30>>1.29 - Clean BreakIt can be fun, swinging on the rigging and leaping from yard to mast. It’s a lot less thrilling when the rope snaps and there’s nothing between you and the solid deck but empty air. I heard there’s a tribe in the Polemic Ocean that makes a sport of jumping from the backs of their flying beasts. Sky-Diving, they call it. You know what I call them? Nutjobs.-Excerpt from ‘Lesson...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 28
<< Chapter 27| Table of Contents| Chapter 29>>1.28 - A Minor DistractionThere’s no better time for revenge than during a festival. Anyone who might care to stop you is either drinking, already drunk, dancing, or trying to slip into someone’s knickers. We got Turin Firebeard while he was at Nuringuard’s Dance of the Depths. His crew were drinking not two metres away and they didn’t realise it was his blood dribbling down his beard and not ...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 27
<< Chapter 26| Table of Contents| Chapter 28>>1.27 - Even the Best Laid Plans Go AwryNever trust another man to do a job that you can get done better yourself-Quoted from Elmer Saff, of Saff & CompanySkill up!Athletics 2 > 3Skill up!Athletics 3 > 4Rose lay panting on the deck of the ship, not caring about the loud thuds she’d made when slamming into the hull or clambered over the edge of the railings and slumped against them.That was incredible...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 26
<< Chapter 25| Table of Contents| Chapter 27>>1.26 - To Steal a CrownThere’s little more tempting than a free meal. Except free money.-Excerpt from ‘Silversea Saga’ by Norris HowellOne thing Rose realised, as she tried to sneak her way onto the docks, was just how blindingly bright a city was.When she had run away from home it had been pitch black, even with the light of the moon sneaking through the clouds.Tonight the blanket of clouds was...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 25
<< Chapter 24| Table of Contents| Chapter 26>>1.25 - Academic PursuitsSome say there’s little difference between a thief and a pirate. Those people forget one crucial thing. A pirate has the whole ocean to escape to. A thief is landlocked.-Quoted from Baldwin SilverhandRose mulled over her status for the umpteenth time that afternoon. Maybe divine inspiration would strike and reveal some fantastic way to utilise them for a heist. Or not.Name: R...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 24
<< Chapter 23| Table of Contents| Chapter 25>>1.24 - The Crown of SaltAll the great pirates stole their first ship. And most of them—their second and third. I only stole one, but that was because I never lost her. Work smarter, not harder as they say.-Excerpt from ‘Learning the Ropes’ by Blackeye FennRose stumbled through the cobbled streets of Highbream. Despite it being her first time drinking—and being drunk—she was having to support...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 23
<< Chapter 22| Table of Contents| Chapter 24>>1.23 - Nothing Like the Ocean BreezeThat first breeze you feel on your skin when you return to the real world. The Kiss of Salt, we call it. The most beautiful sting you’ll ever feel.-Quoted from Captain Quett, of MinenblumAttempting to harvest [Direwolf Fangs 19]...Harvest success![Direwolf Fangs 19] obtained!Rose grinned. She hadn’t damaged the treasure this time. It was far lower level than the...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 22
<< Chapter 21| Table of Contents| Chapter 23>>1.22 - Pruning the PackThe weak often gather in great numbers to resist the strong. Most of the time it is a futile effort borne of cowardice or desperation. The world is cruel to the masses in more ways than one. Then again, what predator is more feared in the forests than the humble wolf? Pack hunters, yet none would dare look down on them.-Excerpt from ‘Bleakmoore’s Bestiary’ by Aron Bleakmoo...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 21
<< Chapter 20| Table of Contents| Chapter 22>>1.21 - When is a Flower Worth your Life?There are not many differences between monsters inside a convergence and those out in the world at large. Nothing physical at least. Desperation and hunger can make more of an impact than you’d think, however. I’d take a Kraken from The Black Strait over a plain old boar during a breach anyday.-Quoted from Fleet Admiral Gullar, of ZoriaRose turned to the sou...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 20
<< Chapter 19| Table of Contents| Chapter 21>>1.20 - Dangerous GroundA convergence is a discrete world of its own. It doesn’t follow the same laws as ours. Anything is possible with the power of the tide, and there’s no place that’s more true than in the heart of a convergence.-Excerpt from ‘Charting the Tide: Esoteric Phenomenon and More’ by various contributorsTrent coughed violently. Only twice this time. A small improvement to the f...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 19
<< Chapter 18| Table of Contents| Chapter 20>>1.19 - First HarvestI got utterly scammed out of my first corpse. Arcane blood from an injured Thunderhawk I stumbled upon in the mountains. Merchant saw a dumb kid and took advantage. His shop was the first to burn when I returned home from my inaugural voyage.-Quoted from Cyl, the Pyrelord of FairfallowRose didn’t understand what he was telling her to do. They needed to find a way to escape the co...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 18
<< Chapter 17| Table of Contents| Chapter 19>>1.18 - Oceanic OverloadThe few notes we’ve obtained over the years all point to one thing - that a convergence is a poor solution to the underlying problem. They tend to go wild if left unchecked and cause even greater damage to the surrounding environment. It’s fortunate then, that there are plenty of brave idiots who seek them out for personal gain.-Excerpt from ‘Charting the Tide: Esoteric Ph...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 17
<< Chapter 16| Table of Contents| Chapter 18>>1.17 - Washed AwayBeing inside a convergence is sort of like dreaming. It feels like you have infinite power at your fingertips, but every time you try to actually do something it slips from your grasp. I usually escape with a great deal of benefits, but at the cost of a portion of my wits.-Quoted from The Unchained Bard, Captain of the Six SymphoniesTrent had told her not to worry until he could be c...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 16
<< Chapter 15| Table of Contents| Chapter 17>>1.16 - Castaway IIII once heard a tale of a pirate stranded at sea who made his way back to shore on a raft of sea turtles, tied together with rope made from the hair on his back.-Quoted from an unnamed dock worker in ClissoltHer skin was clammy and there was sand stuck to her arms and legs from where she had tossed and turned in the night. Rose dragged herself to her feet and spat out a mouthful of w...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 15
<< Chapter 14| Table of Contents| Chapter 16>>1.15 - Castaway IIWe were sailing through a frozen archipelago and there we discovered these fascinating little creatures. White bellies and blue fur, with big fins instead of arms and tufts of feather plumage on their heads. While us rough buccaneers were freezing our asses off on the ship, they clumped up in a big pile and I didn’t see a single one of them shivering. Pretty smart of them if you as...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 14
<< Chapter 13| Table of Contents| Chapter 15>>1.14 - CastawayThe only thing worse than being lost at sea is being stranded on an island. At least if you’re on the ocean, with no food or fresh water and in constant danger from the deadly beasts that lurk below, there’s a level of certainty you hold towards your fate. When you have shelter and food, you have hope. And being hopeful is a slow and painful way to die.-Excerpt from ‘Lost in the W...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 13
<< Chapter 12| Table of Contents| Chapter 14>>1.13 - Love, LostStrange thoughts enter your mind when you believe yourself condemned to death. I often feel compelled to throw myself into danger to kickstart the creative process. Now that I have retired from buccaneering, I no longer have the same spark I once did. I imagine I’ll meet my death trying to rekindle that old flame. No lover’s kiss can compare to the cold embrace of the ocean, howev...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 12
<< Chapter 11| Table of Contents| Chapter 13>>1.12 - Boarding PartyThere was only one survivor when the great ship Monumental crashed into an iceberg, dooming what was supposed to be an indestructible vessel and hundreds of men, women and children to eternity in the depths of the abyss. The rescuers thought it strange that only one woman had survived, given that the large wooden board they found her floating on had plenty of space for another per...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 11
<< Chapter 10| Table of Contents| Chapter 12>>1.11 - Pirates!Some say the worst thing you can spot at sea is a ship bearing the mark of the broken chain. I disagree. It’s far worse to see two of them.-Excerpt from ‘Pirates and Perils: How to turn a profit at Sea’ by Edgar StettIt had been rather surprising to Rose to discover the crew had a war footing. Far from what many common people believed, merchant ships were not easy pickings for pir...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 10
<< Chapter 9| Table of Contents| Chapter 11>>1.10 - Tempting OfferPatience isn’t always a virtue. You can lose out on a great deal by waiting for the perfect moment. Dive headfirst into life and see how many doors open up along the way. My first skill was sewing, and it led me to open up shop all those years later. Follow your curiosity.-Excerpt from ‘Building Tidewalker: The Life and Lessons of Greev Quebb’ by Ceil Quebb“Eighth of Dolmer...
Salt and Blood - Chapter 9
<< Chapter 8| Table of Contents| Chapter 10>>1.09 - The Final StraitNo one knows why, but it seems to be that the greatest misfortunes always strike right before the end of a journey. That’s why I intend to never stop sailing until the day I drop dead on the mast.-Quoted from Admiral Fenn, of BlackshireSkill up!Reading 8 > 9Skill up!Writing 2 > 3Rose wasn’t sure if reading had been close to levelling up already, or if the difficulty of interp...
