Rumrunning

With privateering gone and too few noob merchant ships around, it's turning to the good old time-honoured trade of rum-running.

At least we have a couple of lucrative orders:

8 crates Mauser rifles
14 boxes of cartridges
48 bottles of Sanchonite rum
1 barrel tobacco

Collection of posters, scantily clad Gorean freewomen

Delivering to
Ms. Kayeelah
Freewomen tribe of Luhati, Gor
(rifles, ammunition, rum, tobacco)

Mr. P. Smutty Esq.
Caledon Cay
(posters)

L$ 19 200 - rifles
L$ 700 - ammunition
L$ 1 440 - rum
L$ 800 - tobacco
L$ 12 000 - posters

Expenses

L$ 4 000 - bribes
L$ 1 707 - spoils, Fellowship of the Coast

Back in Sanchon

Sanchon
Lat. 83 dgrs 11'52"S, Long. 48 dgrs 42'30"E


After a long sail from Caledon, rounding the north continent and the Mayneland, we have once more reached the small port of Sanchon, home of the independent sailors.
Here we will do some P&P R&R for a good while, meet old friends and acquaintances and practice gunning, before planning the rest of the voyage.

Cap'n working hard hardly working

It is also with a great honour that we welcome aboard our newest crew member, none less than Commander Tiny Newt of some notoriety, who will take the position as a well experienced Quartermaster. Welcome aboard the Žaneta, Cutter!

Just before we arrived to Sanchon, another dispatch from Caledon reached us about a prominent citizen. The dispatch is top secret, which means that in true, delightful Caledonian traditions it is probably considered the hottest gossip on the town.

Peace! (Love & Understatements)

Eastern South Sea
Lat. 77 dgrs 52'30"S, Long. 72 dgrs 2'21"E
Well, we received the news today, through a Turing-coiled pidgeon, that Caledon is no longer at war. Or to quote a (somewhat) reliable (semi-) official source:

The Independent State of Caledon is NOT engaged in hostilities with Neualtenburg, has NEVER engaged in hostilities with Neualtenburg, you cannot conceive of a time when such hostilities EXISTED, there will NEVER BE hostilities between the Independent State of Caledon and Neualtenburg and the Neualtenburgers are our friends and cherished allies.

So instead of heading northwest again for some ripe Neualtenburger merchant ships a non-existing enemy, the crew decided to continue south in search for booty improving diplomatic relations between Caledon and foreign nations in the Great Southern Lands.

Reminder to self: Send message to the Fellowship of the Coast, that the crew of Zaneta will no longer claim Privateer status, as the end of the war means that any Letters of Marque be revoked. Mr. Trenton will however retain his Caledon Captaincy alongside with his Lieutenant's degree of the pirates free sailors of Sanchon.

Avast! Break out the rum kegs, me hearties and smartly! I need a grog!! And set sail for Sanchon!
Lubbers, the lot of them.. There goes the booty..

All Quiet On The Eastern Front

Eastern Sea
Lat. 16 dgrs 47'11"S, Long. 56 dgrs 21'34"E

Since things are a bit quiet right now in the conflict between Caledon and Neualtenburg, we are setting sail southeast towards the small island of Enseha.



If no orders are dispatched further, we will probably head for the coast of Sanchon after that.
But right now, things are pretty quiet..
Just the ship and her crew, the winds and the waves.

Welcome aboard!

Eastern Sea
Lat. 4 dgrs 28'51"N, Long. 48 dgrs 31'19"E

It is with great joy and pleasure that three crew members are welcomed aboard! These three fierce Ensehans are:

Berford Action - Boatswain
Mikaila Tani - Master Gunner
Nic Paravane - Galley Wench

Pictures of the merry crew are bound to be added later, as Berford "Berfie" Action is also a skilled photographer.

Right now, we are leaving the Maynelande behind us and heading SouthEast for the islands.

Port Neualtenburg

Port Neualtenburg
Lat. 5 dgrs 04'11"S, Long. 18 dgrs 43'04"E

Last evening, at 23:21 SLT (06:21 GTM), we opened fire on Port Altenburg, in retaliation of their act against Caledon.

The bombardment of our guns went well and from our position, we had time to aim and adjust the cannons.
In addition to this, we placed a Caledon flag on the docks, together with an anchor, and a written challenge to the brigantines of Neualtenburg to meet us on open waters.
A copy of the challenge was dispatched to Captain Paris in Caledon.

War!

Falconi
Lat. 5 dgrs 37'30"S, Long. 22 dgrs 09'23"E

While on our way to Sanctum Sanctorum, a dispatch from Caledon reached the ship, through a mechanical pidgeon, powered with Turing coils or what they call it.

Caledon is preparing itself for the upcoming war with Neualtenburg!

We changed course and rounded the northern coast of the Northlands, before sailing down towards Neualtenburg.

We had a brief encounter with the "Spirit of Puca", a Neualtenburger ship, but though shots were fired, none of the ships were really damaged.

Currently we have anchored just outside the mouth of the river that leads to the enemy harbour. Captain Paris as well as the Ministry have been informed about our position, and we await orders.

Calculations

The NorthWest High Seas
Lat. 36 dgrs 35'18"N, Long. 61 dgrs 12'29"W

Right now, we are heading for Sanctum Sanctorum, but I calculated the position of Enseha, the friendly harbour where my good friends wait and where I feel at home. Much as I love travelling, exploring and being at sea, the company of good friends, the jolly banter are things every man needs, I think.

According to the Ahern navigation, the island is at Lat. 64 dgrs 01'00"S, Long. 86 dgrs 40'08"E.
This means we will travel down the west coast of the Maineland, head for the Azure Islands, before turning east. It will take us away from the straight course to Sanchon, but from what I have heard, the dear old Sanchon has deteriorated a tad lately.
Do you know the difference between a griefer, a newbie and a munchkin?
The griefer we all know. Aimed for mayhem, disruption and not really interested in interacting with others than peers, or even not that at times.
A newbie has one, important excuse. He or she is on a learning curve, even if possibly at the beginning. We all have had our boxes on our heads. We all have been newbies. But this is just a stage, before we develop and learn.

The munchkin, a popular term in classical roleplaying, is something else. Learning is aimed at not learning how to interact with the world, or other people, but how to "beat the system". Self-gain, empowering, bending the rules without breaking them, these are the goals of the munchkin. Social interaction is completely uninteresting, collaboration unheard of. They toss their half-witted prim-bloated projects around, and claim power in the absence of any moderator or landowner.
Sanchon always have had its shares of griefers and newbies. The altter, we happily have been helping, just like back home, in Caledon.

But now, it seems the munchkins have arrived to Sanchon. Oh, well. I will talk with old friends, visit my humble cottage and for the rest? There are always other places, where you meet interesting people.
After Sanchon, we will probably head southwest, for the legendary islands, like Rome, Samurai Edo and others. But there is still a long way to go before we reach those destinations.

The High Seas of NorthWest

Lat. 39 dgrs 25'04"N, Long. 74 dgrs 55'42"W

The compass. A Captain's best friend at sea.

The passage between Caledon and the Northlands, the northern mainland, is a switch between open sea with no land visible, and clusters of islands, threaded like pearls on a string.



To say these islands make a symphony of variations, must be the understatement of the century (and consider this century has just about only started). Gaudy, gloomy, commercial, tropical, fay, seclusive havens, every kind can be encountered.

I know some people that have lived here a long time sometimes lament the floods of immigrants, and the numerous islands blooming up. I am no newcomer to worlds like this, and have been part of the early adopters/explorers in more than one community, even if I have not been here for that long.
I don't lament that fact, because even if the fairy enchantment can be seen as fading by those not flexible enough to adapt, the world is getting more diverse. What one of the old ones cried has been turned into "tedious banality" is just the simple fact that you have to look to the person, the individuals, not the eloquent, flowing, poetical garb.
Funny how it may seem.. a person in a purple garb may be as unimaginative as a person in a t-shirt and jeans may be a poet.
Good old Oscar said "It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious." Or New or Old, Immersionist or Augmentor.

This world is a mirror of the other world. Because we are the same people in both worlds, no matter what guise we wear.

Treasure Island II

The locals of Treasure Island, Captain Ace and Commander Sunny, the undisputed Pirate Queen of the island.

Since both parties knew of each other through reputation, the encounter was friendly and polite.

A stronghold of pirates

Treasure Island
Lat. 41 dgrs 44'22"N, Long. 126 dgrs 49'22"W



This small island lies just north of Caledon. The inhabitants generally keep quiet on the whereabouts of its exact location, but thanks to a map that a captain better unnamed showed me one evening, I was able to memorize the approximate bearings.


The terrain is mountainous, with a prominent river dividing it in a northern and souther part.
Tall mountains, waterfalls and the river all make the land quite untouched and wildlife exists in abundance.

Apart from the steep mountains, the two most prominent features are the number of pirate ships anchored in the area..





These are scattered around the coast, as well as the ship of Captain Sunny herself anchored up the river.

And also the arena, where they settle their scores in a forthright manner.



The brief time we spent there, we didn't see anyone around the place. However, when heading back the to the ship, we could hear the clang of steel behind us, evidence that these buccaneers were at least practicing.

After a brief meeting with Captain Newt, comparing notes and orders, we rested, before setting sail again, to the east.

Preparations

Lt. Sin Trenton Esq. on the docks of Port Caledon,
just before going aboard.

Leaving Port Caledon

Port Caledon
Lat. 29 dgrs 17'30"N, Long. 121 dgrs 42'11"W

Supplies have been taken aboard, and the ship is ready to set sail. The port is not too far from Caledon, being Treasure Island, where a rendez-vous with HMS Endeavour is planned.


HMS Zaneta is a brigantine, carrying 8 large guns on deck and is an agile ship.

While looking simple, these looks can deceive, since the ship is sailable (not just rezzed on waters and then sitting there) and her guns are working! The SPD system means that these ships can not only sail, but damage each other and even sink.

HMS Zaneta is currently flying the colours of the Independent State of Caledon

(The latitude/longitude used is estimated according to the Ahern system)