page 1, Januray 1st (retroactive)

I was never a light sleeper whether on shore or land but even less so at sea. It was not a place I liked to be. I preferred the openness of my beloved moors or the comfortable breezes of my even more beloved forests. Had it not been for my responsibilities to the rest of the nobility no man would ever have gotten me on a ship, though I had the wanderer’s love for almost all travel. My dislike for the ocean was the primary reason I had regretted it almost every day of the long journey which had already seen us afloat for several months. The captain and his crew no doubt trembled when they saw me appear on deck for I was always irritable and usually on the verge of seasickness.

The captain had begrudgingly cleared a space for my daily practice with the rapier. Though I had no opponent worthy of the name on board ship yet I was unwilling to see my considerable skills diminish. At first the captain refused, taking as his right the status of absolute commander of the vessel per the rules of the sea. The second night out a brief discussion regarding family status and consequences for his loved ones at home should he persist in denying me my practice rectified that difficulty to my satisfaction.

As I look back on it now I think that was an abuse of power but at the time it was legitimately the only path I saw available. Lahanash politics were not known for their niceties. We of the nobility knew there was only one use for power and that was to wield it. But it was not mere selfishness that caused me to exercise it to assure my continued rapier practice. It was we the nobility who kept our home protected and should we waver in our dedication to the martial arts then our little island nation might soon be overrun. Therefore it was paramount that I maintain my skills while at sea, particularly in light of my role.

We were on a tour to visit the Ogres, the kobolds, and the Orcs on a tour of goodwill. I was the diplomat to be sure, but also the enforcer. My fellow nobleman, Smitters and Larvel were my equal or perhaps even my superiors in the art of negotiation but they were at best average with the rapier. Nor did either of them have my interest in it or perhaps they would have provided much wished for sparring partners during the interminable hours we spent bobbing about the ocean like a cork.

I had to be careful during the particularly bad moments when the ocean demonstrated its capacity for violence. I could not for the life of me understand how the monstrous power of the waves could be withstood by the rather thin wooden walls of our craft. Although I was too proud to let my fear show outwardly, inwardly I shivered in abject terror every time a wave crashed against the boat, fearing at best to be capsized and at worst to see the wood splinter and shatter before the might of the waves.

 For several days we had been struggling against particularly bad conditions. The captain was as skilled as any in the entire Lahanan fleet but he admitted he was nigh powerless against these winds we had encountered. We had been blown further and further off course for days or perhaps even weeks. My fear of the sea no doubt made it seem longer than it was.

I mentioned that I was always a light sleeper. That proved to be my salvation for one night my fears regarding the power of the sea proved to be well founded. I woke early when my hammock slammed into the wall. Cursing and nursing my bruised shoulder I fought my way out of the tangled mass of the hammock and strapped on my rapier. 

It may sound strange that I would do so but it was an act as natural as breathing and not even one I consciously thought about. To go anywhere unarmed is something no self-respecting Lahanish noble would do.

I struggled a bit with the ladder as the ship was pitching even more than usual. Even after months at sea I had not developed the knack the more experienced sailors had of moving with the ship and it was difficult climbing the ladder but somehow I made it.

I do not know enough of the sea to put a name to the horrors I saw when I reached the deck of the ship. The height of the waves inspired awe and terror in every fiber of my being and the howling wind was so forceful I was immediately flung across the deck. Only when I slammed forcefully into the bulk-head did my slide come to an abrupt stop. I scrambled to my feet as quickly as I could and hastily looked around to see if anyone was laughing at my clumsiness. Had they been I would have cut them down where they stood for their effrontery. However, they were all much too busy at their work to notice my problems.

I was certainly no sailor so every wave looked terrifying to me but I had never seen a wind such as this one. The sailors tried to scramble aloft to fix the sails. Even I could tell there was a problem with the way they were fluttering madly to and fro, whipping the ship about in madcap circles of a type I had never experienced. I watched in terror as even these experienced men of the sea were unable to perform their assigned functions. Several were swept from their positions amongst the sails by the brute force of the wind. Their cries as they were flung into the sea were horrible to hear, although the noise of the sea and wind probably drowned them out. I have oft wondered if I actually heard the screams of the men or if it were only my own fears screaming their siren song in my own head.

For a brief moment I thought I saw the captain pointing at me and screaming something but then one of the masts snapped and if he had been about to direct someone towards me his attention was immediately drawn to the danger to his ship. 

One set of sails had come with the mast and now it was dragging in the water, acting as an anchor on our ship. The wind buffeted us one way, the waves another, and now the sail acted as a dead weight that effectively kept the captain from turning his ship to meet the waves. It occurred to me we were doomed even as a second mast splintered as some object was hurled from the sea, our misfortune being for it to strike the mast full-on. The brief glimpse I saw of it made it look like some huge fish, perhaps even a whale and the brief, terrifying thought came to me that if the sea had enough power to hurl animals like that then certainly our ship was doomed. 

Then there was no more time to think for I was swept overboard as a wave tilted the ship to starboard…or perhaps port, I never could straighten in my mind which was which…and the ship began to take on water so fast it was only a matter of time.

Though I disliked the sea I did know how to swim and I did so, madly, frantically, driven with a power born of fear. I had no idea where I was swimming to. There was no way to determine which direction land lay in even if we believed we were anywhere near land. Even worse, there was no way to deal with the force of the waves.

Again and again the waves crashed over me, forcing me to hold my breath for painfully long moments until I was able to gasp in another precious lungful of air. But there was too much pride, too much will to live to take the easy path and surrender to the inevitable. Though I was certain to drown, I would fight for my life to the very bitter.

I kept struggling, knifing through the water as I had been taught. And then my hand struck something. I could not discern the shape, nor did I care. All I knew was here was relief from fighting the ocean alone. Here was a chance to rest, even if for only a few seconds. I grasped it and held on for dear life. Whatever it was, it was round…and it reminded me of the forests back home. I assumed it was some portion of the ship but to this day am not sure for after a few minutes I lost my grip and it was torn from my grasp to whirl away and never be seen again.

Yet fortune continued to smile upon me for just as my strength was giving out the wind and the waves suddenly calmed to a glassy smooth surface. To my amazement I saw the battered remains of some portion of the ship bobbing atop the waves just a few hundred yards ahead. Renewed hope gave me a burst of strength and I struggled towards this new miracle. While it no longer resembled a seaworthy vessel but rather the hapless efforts of a youngling to build a raft it was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. I struggled aboard and collapsed in exhaustion.

I do not know how long I slept or even if I slept. Yet my destiny was not to die on the sea alone and forgotten, for when I was again aware of my surroundings I was surrounded by the flotsam and jetsam of our ship. Somehow, some way I was able to fashion a remarkably crude sail. I had no idea how to use it to my advantage but I figured whichever way the wind guided me was more hopeful than just allowing the sea to carry me to and fro. I also pulled aboard a couple of flatter sections of the wood floating by, no doubt debris from the ship, which I was then able to use as oars.

I was not used to such physical labor as rowing, however. My hands blistered and cracked and blistered again and still I saw no end to the torment. My back ached in every muscle but I would not quit until the last breath was torn from my body. My will to live was stronger than ever.

Slowly hope returned when it occurred to me I could see moving figures in the sky in the distance…birds? Could it be? Surely that could only be birds and I must be close to land? My energy returned with that faint hope. 

Ignoring the pain in my back, my shoulders, my arms, my hands, I pulled upon the oars with all my might. The makeshift raft shot forward with all possible speed as I struggled towards land. Then a gentle breeze kicked up…pushing me away from the land. Crying in frustration I leaped to my feet and ripped loose my rapier. In a frenzy of fear, anger and frustration I slashed loose the tattered shreds that comprised my little sail and kicked them into the sea.

In my struggles, however, I also kicked the oars overboard. I was stranded yet again, but this time almost within reach of safety. Throwing caution to the wind I replaced the rapier in the scabbard I always wore across my back and leaped into the sea once more.

Powerful strokes drove me towards that faintest of hopes. I did not allow myself to think about the possibilities that perhaps these birds circled an isolated island and that I had doomed myself with my rashness or that they were further away than I had imagined. All I could think about was driving my muscular body through the pounding surf as rapidly as I could.

After what seemed like an eternity I saw there was indeed land. Laughing maniacally I drove myself forward, harder, faster, expending all my energy. I swore to myself that if only I could reach land I would never go upon the sea again. I only hoped I landed among the Ogres, for if the Kobolds or Orcs were to find me in such condition my relief would be short lived indeed.

Finally with my last flagging strength I dragged myself up on the beach. I crawled as far from the sea as I could get before exhaustion overcame me and I collapsed into a deep sleep such as I had never had before.

I woke to a sharp pain in my side. Startled, I sat up. It was a foolish gesture as the pounding in my head immediately notified me. I heard a gasp and looked around. I was surrounded by creatures such as I had never seen before.

They were whip-thin, more stout than the kobolds yet not so stout as Orcs or perhaps even goblins. They wore their hair long and some sort of blanket as a garment. Their footwear looked to be some sort of worked deerskin and had colors and patterns of a beauty that amazed me. Various adornments hung from their ears even though they were men. Had I not been so close to them the jewelry might have caused me to mistake them for women such as the Lahanish maidens from home.

One of them spoke but his words were as gibberish to me. I tried several tongues for I had mastered not just the basics of the major powers but also the trading tongue and several local dialects. They understood none of my languages, nor could I understand theirs.

At last we resorted to a crude sign language. Presently it became clear that they recognized my weakened condition and wanted me to return with them to their village to rest and eat. Thus it was that I came to encounter for the first time the People. Though I did not know it then, they would be my constant companions, friends, enemies…and yes, sometimes lovers for the rest of my life.