Quartus 26, 1669

So, the global threat is over, but at what a cost? I’ve lost a good man, I’ve upset my most dangerous enemy, I’ve unintentionally performed a “job” for the “most evil man in Vodacce” & in doing so, could have earned the wrath of one of the nation’s most dangerous families. I’ve barely survived this excursion, but I will heal. However, I fear that the fall out from this adventure will remain to be seen, far in the future. For the moment, I’ve ordered a course set to the Pirate Headquarters of the Brotherhood of the Coast at La Boca d’ Cilo. It isn’t far & after the past few weeks I need some time to let off some steam & regroup. How better to do that than among fellow pirates, right?

 Well, I had been nervous to go to Vodacce in the first place & now I suppose I was right to be so, but the length of the trip didn’t help one bit! After leaving San Cristobal, it took 8 downright painful days just to get out of Castillian waters! There was absolutely no wind, no weather to speak of, during that time & then, as if by magic, once in Vodacce territory a nice breeze kicked up & nudged us gently into Villanova Island 4 days later.  I say “into” because the “island” was actually more like a close collection of islands joined by long bridges. Each of them featured several docks, very tall buildings & many, many narrow canals. The center island didn’t seem as crowded as the others, occupied only by Giovanni’s opulent palace & well-tended grounds.

 In the city of Diona itself there were very few roads. Nearly all travel was done by canal. The buildings were the tallest there & joined by long catwalks between them, making the entire island look disturbingly spider-webbed. It was so unbearably hot & oppressively humid there & I’m sure the water everywhere didn’t help that much either.  Vatacine imagery was extremely pervasive, nearly painted or carved into every surface as well as hanging from the necks of most of the mainly male population. The few ladies that I did see out & about were following silently, with lowered head, behind a man. If one could overlook the Vatacine imagery, blatant chauvinism, heat & overcrowded streets, the atmosphere there would actually be quite lovely. Most of the buildings were of old Numan style with high arches & exquisitely carved pillars. The scent of fresh tomato, garlic & fish wafted through the air, titillating the senses.

I traded my guilders in for Senators at a very sad rate (thanks to the Trade War with Vendel) before myself, Erik & Serpente boarded a gondola to the merchant district where we reserved rooms for the night. From there we walked to the University, which was a staggering 13 stories tall! After climbing several flights of stairs, we crossed a dizzyingly high catwalk that lead to the administrative wing. When I introduced myself, I was immediately taken to the Head Masters office. While he welcomed me graciously & was extremely pleased to have the book, he didn’t seem very eager for me to stay. It would be in everyone’s best interest if nobody knew that I had been there, he said & I agreed, simply asking for directions to the local chapter of the Explorer Society. He told me that it was an “open secret” that they were located just across the catwalk. I had intended to stop there, but not until just before we were to leave. All things considered, I didn’t want to be obviously involved with the Society either, knowing how the team the Carleon branch sent turned up. I may be crazy, but I really value my life.

Anyway, on the way to our rooms we stopped by a fragrant open-air bistro for dinner & got much more than any of us bargained for! The meals were incredibly huge & we ended up carrying enough food away to feed us for a week! Ah, but it was excellent food & wonderful wine with an excellent view of a downright delectable man at the bar. As much as it pained me, I managed to resist my urges. After all, this WAS Vodacce.

I joined up with my men again in the morning & shared leftovers for breakfast before heading over to the Society.  And of all of the things I had to fear in this Theus-forsaken country, life had to go & add on a completely unexpected one!  

I knocked on the simple, unmarked door & when it opened we walked in… Next thing I knew, I felt the cold barrel of a pistol being pressed into my forehead! I glanced over into the spectacled face of its wielder & sighed; it was Madeline du Bisset! When she realized who I was, she lowered the gun & proceeded, completely unbidden, to share her displeasure at being sent to this chapter, as if ANYTHING could please that woman! She SHOULD be back in Freiburg, she continued, but no! Because she had Porte, they had sent her specifically to communicate with me which upset her to no end. All of this was mine & that rash Carlson’s fault anyway, she said. She was the only Explorer remaining in Diona after the Society’s last run-in with the Caligaris, thanks to us. She pointed to a large pile of firearms on the floor, “but I’m ready for them if they come calling”. Fortunately for him, Carlson had left just before they did, but now it seems that they are on to him & will no doubt be following after. If we hadn’t gone off & started meddling in Society business without permission… blah, blah, blah. Her tirade ended with a shockingly presumptuous, “Now get me a drink!” I think my jaw is still sore from hitting the floor. “Get yourself a drink!” I snapped, “And accept my apologies if you ‘rupture your spleen’ in the process.” High strung, tight-laced bloody noble! She may have left that life behind, but it sure hadn’t left her! Order ME around will she?! Oh, I could go on. That woman really gets under my skin!

So, I left on that note. I must say, I did find it rather odd that she didn’t even attempt to get a final word in. Oh well. I’m certain it’s for the best, but as if dealing with HER wasn’t enough, my poor companions were also forced to suffer my customary “how much I despise Madeline” rant. That is until 2 very large Vodacce men in long, black coats approached us. “Pardon me,” One said in broken Montaigne, “but Senior Caligari wishes to speak to you.” He pointed to a nearby open-air eatery & though every hair on my body was standing on end I shrugged & smiled, “As long as he buys lunch.” It was only then of course that I realized exactly what Madeline was raving about!

We were led through an open gate, past a couple of guards & several well dressed patrons into a far corner where a lanky Vodacce man with a sharp chin & shifty eyes was seated. He looked me over quite extensively, smiling sleazily all the while. I didn’t recognize him, fortunately; I’m sure I wouldn’t want to if I had!   

He stood for a moment, taking my hand & giving his best bedroom eyes as he introduced himself as Antonio Caligari. After inviting us to sit, he snapped & a waiter hurried to his side. We simply HAD to try the Veal Parmigiana, he said before placing an order for us. As he poured me glass of fine Felici wine he asked oh-so-very smoothly about my relationship with Mr. Carlson. He wanted to know where he was going & everything I knew about what he knew. You see, if I were to “share” with him, he would “share” with me. Ach. There was that look again! I really wished he’d quit looking at me like that! I mean, I may be a “lady of questionable morals” but he had an ice cube’s chance in The Pit! I shook my head & asked him exactly what it was I was supposed to know. And at that very moment his eyes widened, blood ran out of his mouth & he slumped forward!  

Suddenly, each & every patron seemed to be completely enthralled with their menus; their faces were planted firmly inside them & nobody seemed to even breathe! When I looked up, I found myself gazing into the smiling face of an absolutely stunning man dressed completely in tight, black leather. In an incredibly charming tone & speaking in impeccable Montaigne, he apologized for the loss of our dining companion, “it was a tragic accident”. Besides, he prefers to speak to his guests in private. And with that, he introduced himself as Giovanni Villanova!  

At the sound of his name, chairs scraped against the ground as everyone rushed to leave. Within moments, the bistro was completely empty… except for us. At that point, I really would have like to have gone as well!  

My heart was in my throat as he casually slid Senior Caligari’s corpse to the ground & took his seat. He commented that it was a shame to waste good Parmigiana & casually began eating from Antonio’s still-warm plate! “By the way,” he said after a sip of wine, the chef had been slipping arsenic into our meal, but he assured us that his men were currently feeding it to him if we wished to watch. I politely declined & he nodded with what seemed to be a slightly amused smile before getting down to business.  

My friend had last been seen heading into a swamp, he said, & the Caligaris had seemed rather interested in his activities. So, what would possibly be important enough to cause them to express such shameful manners as to visit his island unannounced? I played dumb as much as I thought I could get away with, not wanting to come off false. It was obvious from the man’s reputation, as well as his bearing, that he was no idiot. I told him that Carlson was seeking some sort of forbidden knowledge. If a Caligari were following him, one could guess that it would be Syrneth in origin. He asked if I knew any more & I replied that I had only come for my friend.  

He looked at me rather thoughtfully for a brief moment before stating nonchalantly that he would grant me full access to his mainland & allow me to leave in peace for a reasonably small price… “Alfredo Caligari cannot leave the swamp alive”. And so, whether I liked it or not, I had just been contracted as an assassin in exchange for Villanova’s good graces! 

Our host dabbed his mouth lightly with his napkin & reminded us that we were only alive at his discretion; he could have let Antonio Caligari kill us. With that cheery note he stood, bowed slightly & walked away.  

The moment he was out of sight I turned to Dio, who was looking unnaturally pale, & mentioned my recent lack of appetite. He agreed & we wasted no time in our departure. 

Back on the ship, Mr. McKrimmon had everything prepared & ready to go. He was beginning to wonder if we’d ever be coming back. Me too! Its not every day one meets Giovanni Villanova & I didn’t feel like making a habit of it. I never, ever want to return to Diona as long as I live! 

As we sailed, I began to really think about the position I was in & I didn’t like it one bit! I felt like a pawn in the grand game of Villanova & Caligari & I don’t even want to be on the winner’s side in this game! I struggled with the idea of being sent to commit a murder & the more I thought on it, as ill as the idea made me, I knew I would have to defy him. Both fortunately & unfortunately, it wasn’t a decision I would have to make, but I’ll get to that.

We arrived at a small, sleepy port on mainland Villanova territory on the 20^th of Tertius. There was nothing there but a quaint little village & farmland; acres & acres of farmland as far as the eye could see! I had absolutely no doubt that my poor crew was in for the most boring shore leave of their lives. Things were about to start getting interesting for me, though.  

I managed to hire a coach to take Serpente, Dupré, Otto, Erik & myself to the edge of the farmland & one week later, after having endured a nigh unbearable ride in that cramped carriage in the sweltering heat, we arrived at the edge of the swamp.  

Let me just state here that I take back everything I said about how horrible the climate on Ill d’ Betê was; it had nothing on this place! The entire environment was close & imposing; the air was rank & left the sensation of having breathed stagnant water. There were twisted, low hanging trees which simultaneously kept all of the sunlight out & held all of the oppressive heat in. Solid land was a commodity there; most of the surroundings were putrid bogs & ponds. Sometimes it was hard to tell the difference, as everything was either covered with moss or a thick layer of slime. Seemingly unnatural animal & bird calls rang through the air, running chills down my spine. As if all of this wasn’t enough, millions of strange insects took an interest in us & within moments, we felt as if we’d been eaten alive.  The swamp was obviously unexplored; there wasn’t even a hint of a trail! Travel was excruciatingly slow as we had to cut our way though.

I’m not sure how many hours had passed when I noticed signs of hastily made markings on some of the trees. I couldn’t make out what they were or what they meant, but even so, given the climate, they couldn’t have been done too long before.  

As the day progressed, if one can imagine it, the surroundings crew closer, hotter & even more humid & finally I determined that we needed to rest. I found a relatively dry spot beneath a gnarly tree beside a brackish pool. It wasn’t my idea of a top rated inn or anything, but at least the ground was solid! Some time later I was woken by a strange keening in the distance & decided that was definitely the time to move on. It sounded like one animal I would rather not meet.

By then my men & myself were all covered in a thick layer of slime, which I made many futile attempts to scrape off. Oh, it was SO disgusting! 

We traveled along, skirting around a very large pond & about half way across an odd vine-like tentacle grabbed Dio, pulling him up, over a branch & down towards the water! I pulled out my rapier & swung at it like a mad woman, but there were more coming after the rest of us & I kept missing it! Suddenly, one of them had wrapped itself around my waist & knocked me off my feet, pulling me as well! I hacked it with my main gauche until it spurted black ooze & finally went limp! I struggled to my feet & ran to my men. One of them had Otto! It was pulling him in quickly & he was screaming, frantically grabbing for the shore! Erik had just gotten to him & grabbed a hold of his arm. I took the other & we pulled with all of our might until he fell out onto us! When I looked to see what everyone else was doing, I caught sight of Serpente pulling Dupré free. How he got away himself is still quite beyond me, but I can’t even begin to express how relieved I was!  

We were all weak & frazzled but we pressed on, map in hand. We cut through more vines & trees, passed through the underbrush & then... we were there! We could have easily walked right past it without having any clue of how close we were! Without the map it would have been hopeless, but there we were, standing on a mosaic floor which spanned hundreds of yards! Strange, moss covered towers jutted high into the air & large, oddly shaped stones lie in peculiar patterns on the ground.  A new scent wafted through the air here, an unexpected & wonderful scent, the glorious aroma of… breakfast!

We stepped carefully, following my nose, to a small camp of tents. From behind some trees, I was able to make out about 6 to 8 men nearby clearing some underbrush, & one woman sat near the campfire sketching down some symbols. None of them were heavily armed & their sausage & bacon just smelled SO good! When I asked the men what they thought our course of action should be, they all agreed on breakfast. “Besides,“ Serpente added, “they might know something.”

When we walked into the camp their entire party jumped, grabbing their weapons. I raised my hands & continued slowly, asking if anyone had seen Reginald Carlson. “Yes.” The lady replied, “He lead our expedition.” Before long, we were all sitting around the fire, eating & sharing information. They assured me that Carlson was fine, just very busy. He had found the entrance to the ancient building & was currently exploring & mapping it with the rest of their group. He had only been away for a few hours & we were welcome to find him if we wished.  

It was then that I remembered; we weren’t the only ones who wanted to find him! I had just been so tired & hungry it slipped my mind! I told them of the Caligari & that they were being followed. It was understandably very disturbing news for them & now it wasn’t a choice; someone had to find Carlson & let him know. I gathered Erik & Serpente to come with me, but left Dupré & Otto up top to help keep an eye on the camp. I took out Dupré’s blooded handkerchief & instructed him to Porté to me at the sign of any danger. Had I only known what was about to happen, I might have stayed with them! 

The door they led us to was approximately 8 feet tall & 3 feet wide, fitted into the corner of a nearby tower. The stone around it had been marked with bright white chalk. On the inside there were two sets of stairs, the collapsed remains of an unusual staircase that had once led upward & an extremely sharp spiral staircase leading nearly straight down. It was very hard to keep balance at such an angle, but we moved forward slowly, eventually arriving at a large, arching hallway.

The walls, which were carved with all sorts of unusual patterns, reflected the light of our torches back at us. There were so many rooms off to either side, but we stayed with the trail of chalk marks. Eventually we entered into a large chamber. A gigantic stone looked like it had fallen from the ceiling, but stopped in mid air! I walked around it curiously, finally noticing a crowbar jammed into some nearby gears. The chamber entered into another, relatively short hallway where we found a man pinned to the wall like a bug in Science studies! On the ground were two “x” marks in chalk, one on either end of the hall. I jumped over the first “X” & when nothing happened we continued of, sure to avoid the other. The corridor began to twist & when we followed it, we met up with 4 more explorers who were busy examining a large hole in the floor. They all looked rather shocked to see us, but once I’d told them the story they informed me that Carlson had gone down & pointed to the rope below. I, of course, would go first with my men to follow immediately behind.

 Dio handed me the other compass & I began the bone chilling 60-foot climb into an absolutely mind-bogglingly large vault. The ceiling looked just like the night sky, compete with softly glowing stars & constellations! The constellation of the Erebus Cross pointed down below… to an enormous machine, so enormous that it filled the entire vault! As in, the SMALLEST of the devices that I could see was the size of a small house! It was so incredible with all of its huge gears, globes & tubes, spanning out over the area like an enormous spider web! Crystalline shafts reached high into the sky, nearly touching the ceiling. Even having seen it with my own eyes, it is still hard to picture a machine so extraordinarily colossal, much less describe it! Catwalks spread out in all directions meeting in a centralized location, presumably the control center. A single man stood there, torch in hand. He was the one I was looking for! 

I dropped down onto a walkway below, carefully traipsing through the machine & up beside him. I looked over the console briefly, taking notice of two very familiar looking slots, surely where the compasses were to go. When he didn’t notice me I simply said, “I’m not used to being stood up.” He turned, smiled & replied with such enthusiasm, I thought I might have found the wrong man! He was so glad to see me, he said, & he was SO extremely excited by the find! He just didn’t know why the Society wouldn’t allow… I interrupted him. Very quickly, I shared the story of Ill d’ Betê & what I had learned from the mechanism that had so rudely & painfully invaded my mind, followed by “…and the Caligaris are following you.” His face suddenly became serious & he took a seat, stunned, looking like a man whose entire world had just collapsed.

At that very moment, a blood-curdling screech echoed throughout the machine. Dupré jumped out of the bleeding Porté hole & uttered five frantic words: “They’ve come; everyone is dead”! 

The Explorer jumped to his feet & we all ran down to the hole in the floor, but the rope was gone. “Well, hello there.” I heard an all-too familiar Montaigne voice echo from above… It couldn’t be! I still don’t know how it could be, but it was! I looked up into the eyes of Lucien Merchant! His face was marked with a scar where Erik’s bullet had gone, but there was absolutely no doubt! He demanded we drop our weapons, but I refused. I told him if he didn’t let us go we would start the machine & when he told me to “go ahead” I stomped back to the control center. I remember poor Carlson grabbing my arm with a panicked, “You’re not going to do it, are you???” I laughed & shook my head. Merchant wanted us to drop our weapons, so that we would. I had my men throw over all of the weapons they could bear to part with & hide as many was they could. We would go back to him wearing only what we could drop for show. 

We returned to the hole like dogs with our tails between our legs & I “reluctantly” conceded to drop our weapons. When we did, a rope came down, followed by 6 large Vodacce men, all brandishing pistols. The next man to come down was absolutely breathtaking! I’d never seen him before but I certainly wanted to see more of him, if you know what I mean! That luscious specimen was unfortunately, but inevitably, followed by the Montaigne menace, Lucien.   

M. Merchant cast a wry smile at me & then at the beauty by his side, introducing him as Alfredo Caligari. I think my heart may have skipped a beat with that announcement! Senior Caligari unsheathed a pair of bloody rapiers as he stepped up to me & said in the sexiest possible Vodacce accent, “I look forward to making you bleed, Seniorita.” I replied with a breathless, “Oh, so do I!” Lucien seemed completely oblivious when I asked my men to go fetch my sword & while his companions looked a mite confused, they went along with his non-response. Once I had my rapier & main gauche firmly in hands, I urged the stunning Caligari further out onto the catwalk. I sauntered down to the far end & turned to him, assuming a perfect Valroux stance.  

As alluring as he was, I knew I would have no time to toy with him… & I was right! The moment we met in the middle, I was struck several times with the flurry of his blades! I managed one hit on him, but he swung down, I blocked & that’s the last thing I remember. 

When I woke I was sprawled out on the catwalk & I felt ill. I turned my head to see my men, all laid out on the walkway as well! Caligari & Merchant were standing at the console with Carlson, the Vodacce’s knife to his side. The other men, or five of them that is, were guarding the rope. I looked back at my Dio & to my relief, he stirred ever-so-slightly. Perhaps there was hope yet!

Then there was a ruckus on the platform! Lucien said something to his companion; Caligari stabbed Carlson & threw him over the side! I bit my lip to stop the gasp that almost escaped. Merchant started putting the compasses into the holes! “Wait!” I yelled, forcing myself back onto my feet, “I was dueling for those!” Alfredo wasted no time in coming after me. He’d killed me too quickly last time, he said, “It shan’t happen again”. A deep metallic groan rang through the air as I charged him full-force, screaming wildly! I stabbed, parried & stabbed, and the gorgeous Alfredo Caligari fell dead, impaled on the tip of my rapier.  

I’d lost my senses for a moment looking into his lifeless eyes, that it took a few moments to realize exactly what was going on around me. An immense whirring sound filled the vault; a sound so powerful that the entire machine shook, nearly knocking me off my feet! I looked upward & noticed that the enormous crystalline shafts had begun to glow! As they pulsed, the very air itself began to take on a tremendous, terrible & oppressive energy, a force that I felt deep in my bones! That sensation increased as the whirring grew faster & faster until everything quaked violently. Suddenly, deafening screeches of metal on metal ran chills down my spine & sparks began to fly. A colossal sphere broke loose, careening madly into a maelstrom of spinning gears. Something was terribly, terribly wrong! 

From my vantage point I could still see Lucien, desperately trying to work the controls. I ran towards him, recklessly dodging large pieces the machine that had begun breaking off & flying through the air at impossible speeds! As I approached him, it was obvious that he was quite hysterical. He knew things weren’t going as he’d planned. “Now is not the time!” He cried, before frantically opening a Porté hole & spiriting away. Panicked, I looked over the controls. I frenziedly tried to pry the compasses from it, but they had firmly fused into the device! There was no way!  

Not knowing how to stop it, I screamed as loudly as I could over to a vertical Dio, telling him to get the others out. Meanwhile I looked over to see, much to my relief, a beaten & bloody, but living, Reginald Carlson lying on a catwalk below. I jumped down & yelled to my men for rope. What can only be described as lightning began to shoot across the vault, from all sides, punching holes through everything it touched as the rope lowered. Pieces of ceiling crumbled & parts of the machine spiraled out of control as I aided Carlson in the first part of his climb. When he had cleared the rope, I took hold & began my climb as a mammoth cog smashed through the catwalk beneath my feet, just missing me! Below my feet were depths of chaos, lightning & collisions of gigantic objects, but nowhere to land! As I climbed, I remember being very glad that Captain Hicks had sent me to the crow’s nest as often as he had. The catwalk above shook, shooting violent vibrations down my rope, but thanks to his sending me up during many a storm, I had the experience.  

Up top, Serpente & I dragged Dupré while Erik leant a hand to Mr. Carlson as we raced down the rattling catwalk, up the rope & back into the hallway. We ran as fast as we could up the crumbling stairs & out the door to the bloodbath that had once been the explorer’s camp, but we still weren’t safe! Earsplitting, menacing noises came up from the beneath the ground & everything around us quaked viciously. The ground began to crack & beams of light shot up from the crevices into the sky. Carvings on the ancient towers began to glow & that unnatural lightning shot across the scene, boring holes into the buildings. We ran with all of our might now, huffing & puffing, but we knew we couldn’t stop & suddenly there was a colossal, earth shattering “boom” that literally threw us into the swamp! Giant chunks of rock, stone, dirt & fell down around us, mud splattered all over us. And then it was over. A disturbing silence followed, that is with the exception of our collective sigh.  

Finally, feeling the damage dealt by Senior Caligari, I drug myself to drier land & passed out cold. When we woke, we were all hurting & took turns bandaging each other with remaining pieces of tent before staggering back to the village at the edge of the swamp.  

It was Quartus 14^th when we arrived back at port & as I made for the old-world inn for a meal & a bath, Mr. Carlson stopped me. He was leaving; traveling northward into Eisen. He felt the need to let our patron, Eisenfurst Heilgrund, down easy concerning the compasses. “I owe you my life.” He said, & after a brief hug he turned & walked away.  

The cheap bath in a small, cramped tub felt like heaven after being encrusted in slime for days & I was happy to return to the ship clean.   

As soon as I stepped foot on board, my pudgy little Allende ran to me as fast as he could, jumping into my arms. I was sore, but it didn’t matter. For a few moments there, I never thought I’d see the little guy again! Sometime mid-cuddling, McKrimmon asked for our course &, for lack of a destination, I said “La Boca”. And why not? It’s the closest pirate-friendly port before Canguine. Besides, who knows, maybe we’ll find something to do there. Meanwhile, I really need plenty of time to think.

Everything that has transpired over the past few weeks has only just begun to sink in & the implications are… discouraging. For example, Lucien, the lunatic nutcase who I saw shot in the head at Ill d’ Betê is alive & well & therefore the knowledge of who I once was still lies in him! What if he blames me for the destruction of his precious machine? He’s not sane; he just might! And then what? I can’t have anyone too important getting their hands on that journal, after all!

Then there’s the Caligaris! If Lucien really wanted to be difficult he could easily share my information with them, or at least tell them who is responsible for the death of Alfredo. Ah, but that’s thinking like a rational human being, which he is far from. However, with or without Lucien, what of Giovanni Villanova? Are we square, or does he think he has me in his pocket now?  

Ah well. I should be going. The dear Doctor has just staggered in & wants to change my bandages. I’ll write when I can.