Buttercup
Princess of Florin
Tales Told to Landlubbers
Ye landlubbers are lookin’ a bit green. Haven’t got your sea legs yet, I see. Well, drink this tea—it’ll settle your stomach. I’ll tell ye a bit about your destination. Ye best listen up now, while the sea’s calm. By the looks of ye, ifn the waves kick up, ye’ll be hangin’ o’er the bow pukin yer guts up.
The Serpent’s Teeth are comprised a four islands an some reefs, ‘bout 15 day’s sail (assuming we don’t get becalmed) from the mainland. Legend has it that the Serpent’s Teeth are actually the teeth of the Lost Serpent God. Accordin’ ta myth, he was killed in the War of the Gods that brought the last world to an end an gave this one its start. The other Gods chopped the Serpent God into bits, and threw them god-bits into the freshly made sea, where it created the lands on which people would live. Ye can believe it or not, as you please. But there sure are lots of snakes on the islands. Makes you wonder.
Be that as it may, the largest of the four islands is called A’Val, which is supposeta mean “Home” in ancient Valossan. Freeport’s snugged into a sheltered cove on the south end of A’Val. The smallest island is called T’Wik, which is Valossan for “Little One,” so they say. I ain’t sure where people got this idea, since the Valossans are long gone, and nobody even knows for sure what they were. Still and all, that’s what people say. The other two islands just have regular names, being called Windward and Leeward, cause that’s what they are. The whole thing’s nearly surrounded by a barrier reef about 8’ to 20’ below the surface, what makes the waters around the Teeth nice and calm, though navigatin’ them can be tricky ifn you don’t know what your doin’. Don’t worry though. Jask, our pilot, ain’t hardly never wrecked a ship on the way in, and even when he has, most a the crew and passengers survived. Now, where was I?
Oh, yeah, the barrier reef. There’s a gap in it, north northwest of Windward, so that’s the route most ships take. You’ll see that the island looks like nothing but bare cliffs. But on the other side there’s a real nice sandy beach. Some rich toff from Freeport got the idea to start a resort on the best section of beach, an all the other rich toffs come out there to relax an get away from us what ain’t rich.
Now, the Leeward island, it used to have a settlement. Libertyville, they called it. It got burned down, some say by the Captain’s Council. Then it got built again. And burnt again. They played at this buildin’ and burnin’ for about 50 years, until the builders just gave up. Whoever was behind it, they got their way in the end, ‘cause there ain’t nothin’ there today except charred bits stickin outta the sand and pokin’ outta the jungle.
As for T’Wik, it’s a bitty thing, no more’n a mile across. There’s an old lighthouse on it, but the Sea Lord has been buildin’ a new one for nigh on 10 years now. I heard tell it should be finished this year. I know the folks in Freeport will be happy to see it done, since the taxes the Sea Lord levied to build it have been bleeding the town dry. Speakin’ a which, I could use some grog. I don’t suppose you want to join me?
Ye landlubbers are lookin’ a bit green. Haven’t got your sea legs yet, I see. Well, drink this tea—it’ll settle your stomach. I’ll tell ye a bit about your destination. Ye best listen up now, while the sea’s calm. By the looks of ye, ifn the waves kick up, ye’ll be hangin’ o’er the bow pukin yer guts up.
The Serpent’s Teeth are comprised a four islands an some reefs, ‘bout 15 day’s sail (assuming we don’t get becalmed) from the mainland. Legend has it that the Serpent’s Teeth are actually the teeth of the Lost Serpent God. Accordin’ ta myth, he was killed in the War of the Gods that brought the last world to an end an gave this one its start. The other Gods chopped the Serpent God into bits, and threw them god-bits into the freshly made sea, where it created the lands on which people would live. Ye can believe it or not, as you please. But there sure are lots of snakes on the islands. Makes you wonder.
Be that as it may, the largest of the four islands is called A’Val, which is supposeta mean “Home” in ancient Valossan. Freeport’s snugged into a sheltered cove on the south end of A’Val. The smallest island is called T’Wik, which is Valossan for “Little One,” so they say. I ain’t sure where people got this idea, since the Valossans are long gone, and nobody even knows for sure what they were. Still and all, that’s what people say. The other two islands just have regular names, being called Windward and Leeward, cause that’s what they are. The whole thing’s nearly surrounded by a barrier reef about 8’ to 20’ below the surface, what makes the waters around the Teeth nice and calm, though navigatin’ them can be tricky ifn you don’t know what your doin’. Don’t worry though. Jask, our pilot, ain’t hardly never wrecked a ship on the way in, and even when he has, most a the crew and passengers survived. Now, where was I?
Oh, yeah, the barrier reef. There’s a gap in it, north northwest of Windward, so that’s the route most ships take. You’ll see that the island looks like nothing but bare cliffs. But on the other side there’s a real nice sandy beach. Some rich toff from Freeport got the idea to start a resort on the best section of beach, an all the other rich toffs come out there to relax an get away from us what ain’t rich.
Now, the Leeward island, it used to have a settlement. Libertyville, they called it. It got burned down, some say by the Captain’s Council. Then it got built again. And burnt again. They played at this buildin’ and burnin’ for about 50 years, until the builders just gave up. Whoever was behind it, they got their way in the end, ‘cause there ain’t nothin’ there today except charred bits stickin outta the sand and pokin’ outta the jungle.
As for T’Wik, it’s a bitty thing, no more’n a mile across. There’s an old lighthouse on it, but the Sea Lord has been buildin’ a new one for nigh on 10 years now. I heard tell it should be finished this year. I know the folks in Freeport will be happy to see it done, since the taxes the Sea Lord levied to build it have been bleeding the town dry. Speakin’ a which, I could use some grog. I don’t suppose you want to join me?
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