Book Review: Solaris (Stanislaw Lem, 1961)

Solaris by Stanisław Lem
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an amazing work to read, almost like science poetry rather than science fiction; even if the science itself comes across as a bit hokey to the well-informed reader of the 21st century. It was a little less so, in 1961 when it was written.

I can see how some readers might be dissuaded by some of the longer passages of philosophical reverie, or dry, academic exposition of the findings of past explorations of the alien world. This isn't an action-filled story. It was somewhat reminiscent in style of Olaf Stapledon, but with a more humanistic feeling (arguably, the only time Stapledon really gave expression to his inner feelings was through the cipher of a hyper-intelligent dog...).

Solaris has been likened to that other titan of classic SF, 2001: A Space Odyssey. These works do bear some comparison. Both explore themes of how alien life may be something entirely unlike the "little green men" or "bug-eyed monsters" of the preceding pulp science fiction era; that it could take forms of vast and incomprehensible power so far beyond us that we are like ants in comparison. The principal difference between them, is that in 2001:ASO, we are creatures of interest to the alien powers that be, who leave behind beacons for us to find when we are sufficiently evolved; but in Solaris the alien lifeform barely notices we exist, and if it notices us at all, regards us as mere playthings.

Seen through the lens of feminist critique, the connection between the male protagonist of the story and his (ostensibly female) "visitor" sent by the alien world for reasons never fully laid bare, accentuated by her total dependence and need for his attention to maintain an unagonised existence, is an unbalanced gender power relationship that doesn't look pretty. I am mentioning this because I think it is worth examining. Whether this represents some malign inner fantasy of the author is highly debatable, in my view. At time of publishing, Yuri Gagarin had just completed the first crewed mission into outer space. Stanislaw Lem might have more adventurously chosen a female protagonist as the focus of his narrative, but this would have been a controversial choice that would distract from the main story; and being a very introspective tale told in first person, he might have felt more authentic writing from the male viewpoint (if he thought about it at all). I think such a critique, while it may be a valid piece of social observation, misses the point because a rewrite of the story with roles reversed would have made no difference to its outcome.

I think that the film adaptations of Solaris have a tendency to make this relationship between the protagonist and his "visitor" the main focus because they want something that audiences can connect to; in other words, the urge is to make it a human story. But this relationship is really a sideshow. The story at its heart, is one exploring the concept that alien life may be so different to our own, that we might debate whether it even constitutes life at all, and even if we accept that it is, we may utterly fail to understand it at all.

View all my reviews

3D Mini Printing Process Walkthrough (Elegoo Mars 3 + Chitubox)

A while ago, I made this 3D Printing Process walkthrough video, which I thought I would share to herald the renaissance of this blog after a few years lying fallow.

Note: if all goes according to plan this should be the first post to this here blog that finds its way to The Gaming Tavern, for which I am indebted to Tom, the Guvnor.

I made the video with more than a little assistance from my daughter Alice, on filming, editing and production.  My purpose was twofold:

1. As a helpful guide to others starting out on 3D printing
2. So that friends thinking I'm now a source of endless cheap minis are aware of the overheads

In it, I talk through setting up a print job on the Elegoo Mars using Chitubox slicing software, highlighting some of the pitfalls to watch out for and how to avoid failing a save against them.

Made in my basement Underdark Man-Cave which I should point out is much less tidy than the areas I share with the rest of my family up in the sunlit realms!  What can I say - it's functional.  

Here is the link to the video in case the embedded video doesn't come through on RSS feeds:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CxKQ3fjfvmQIHRDbCRg7k3iXLwrZvtPh/view?usp=drive_link

(Health and Safety Note: the boiler in the background where I am using the power hose, with the exposed electrics, is disconnected)

Background music is by my friend Dave Diliway and his bandmate Nick Langley, of Cosmonauttransfer, used with permission.

https://cosmonauttransfer.bandcamp.com/music

Campaign Cartographer - Another Sortie (And Some Facts About Hexagons)

It had been almost a year since I treated myself to the CC3+ bundle, and wrote my initial impressions post.  Since then, with one thing and another making demands on my time I just didn't get around to doing much with it, mainly due to the investment of time in learning how to use it that it was clearly going to require.

Recently, I did manage to find a weekend to play around with it again.  I wanted to produce a digital version of some crude hand-drawn maps of a region of my setting in which a sub-campaign has arisen.  This is a heavily wooded area (it's in the Dreadwood, for the benefit of those familiar with the Greyhawk setting), so there were really going to be rather a lot of trees.

CC3 is like a CAD package rather than photo-editing and I have never gotten on with CAD software, and CC3 is no exception. If I can slog up the learning curve the advantages should in theory outweigh the disads.

My starting point was a rather dull but essential ~15 part YouTube tutorial. Then to crack on with my own map.

Some things about CC3 are a giant arse-ache. The most difficult part, is when you have to change something after you've placed it. Selecting and transforming objects is really hard work compared with a photoediting package. Since my old PC was retired along with Corel Photopaint I've had to grapple with learning how to do stuff in GIMP. After a laborious weekend with CC3, I'll never complain about the non-usability of GIMP again!

Often, the only way to select an object that's been placed in an area dense with other stuff is to isolate the layer it's on, hide all the other layers, and then select it. This is made much harder by the fact that there seems to be no simple way to, say, right-click an object and have a dialog box pop up with an option to list the layers and sheets it is on, and there is a lot of trial and error involved.

If you don't get an object right first time it's often less work to Ctrl-Z and just do the damn thing all over again than it is to change it.  I think I am gradually getting to grips with its idiosyncrasies. There are probably ways to make life easier working with it that I haven't found out yet.  Not one for "map-making in a hurry" though.

I think the results weren't too disappointing given that it's my first real mapping project in CC3+.  This is a low-res version of the region I've completed so far.  The whole Dreadwood is much larger but other bits of the overall map are still a work in progress.

This map is for the benefit of the players, so there's plenty of hidden features of the area not shown on this one.

The scale bar, I just couldn't get to work properly and should be disregarded.  Hexes are 7.5 miles.

Dreadwood - Camp Ragfried Environs Map, with 7.5 mile hexes

So, that was that.

                                                                                                                                     

Some Facts About Hexagons

Today, I returned to my mapping efforts with Campaign Cartographer, and I was immediately reminded of how non-intuitive the program feels to someone who usually works with raster graphics.  Despite having spent a whole weekend on it quite recently, on firing it up again I struggled to accomplish anything and was spitting in frustration.  "How are you supposed to select anything?"  In pretty much every graphics package I've used before there is a Select tool.  It took me a little while to recall that in CC3+, you decide what you want to do first and pick the tool for the operation; then it prompts you to select something.  Anyway, hopefully with regular visits to CC3+ the old dog will eventually learn these new tricks.

The order of the day this time was to explore how to expand maps once they've initially been created, to add new territory.  I also wanted to tinker around with hex grids and implement a scalable, layered hex scheme in which each hex can be broken down into a pattern of smaller hexes.

The Fantastic Voyage - Hellions of the High Seas I

Read the previous installment here

Into the Vohuon Ocean

It is the 6th day of the Imp's departure from Port Stolm, and the 20th since leaving Gradsul with the Enterprise.  They are following a southerly course around 60 miles off the East coast of the Amedio Jungle; the weather is clear aside from some light clouds and the sun beats down warming the waters near the surface.  

The wind has shifted direction, from a brisk Southwester to a light breeze from the North.  At times one or more of the Imp's complement spend a while airborne.  Cerys taking "Bat" for a fly; her pixie attendants Echo and Pumpkin stretching their wings; Louteah going for a flyabout; or anyone else skilled or brave or foolhardy enough to hang on to Crystal the Griffon, which Cerys will be willing to loan out. 

At times, Sufyan will request a rest stop for a while so he and his fellow Janni can escape the claustrophobic environment of the Imp and go for a fly about.  Their flying speed is not that great and unlike the other fliers they can't keep up with the Imp even at cruising speed.

Technical note: the Janni could, of course, pop off to the Elemental Plane of Air at any time via Plane Shift.  This is not as straightforward as it sounds though.  Plane Shift is inherently inaccurate.  On their return to Oerth, they could end up anywhere up to 500 miles in any direction from their intended destination, and they have no Teleport capability so rejoining the Imp will be difficult.

Around midday, vessels are sighted ahead on the open sea.  A large number of vessels, and as the Imp and her crew draw closer it becomes apparent that some vessels are trading blows, shooting at each other with ballistae.  Cerys casts Telepathic Link on Louteah and she flies on ahead, being their fastest flier.

Louteah reports an apparent pursuit in progress with a smaller group of larger, heavily armed vessels chasing a flotilla of smaller ships many of whom are just fishing boats, though a few of these smaller vessels have weapons and are fighting back.  There is a stricken vessel whose sails and rigging are on fire and she has fallen behind the rest of the fleeing vessels (either that, or this ship was leading the pursuit).  As Louteah watches, she sees one of the pursuing vessels starting to turn in on what could be a collision course with this ailing ship as its occupants battle to extinguish the flames.

Meanwhile, Dray Turini has been casting an Augury, asking his divine patron Zilchus for some indication as to whether there is profit to be had from becoming involved in this conflict.  He unrolls his rune mat and says a prayer over his coins before casting them on the mat.

Holy Symbol of Zilchus

"Zilchus shows us there are two sides to this conflict; there is potential for profit to be made either way, if we choose a side to assist.  Though there will be moral considerations of good and evil for some in our party, in deciding which side to align with; that will outweigh maximization of profit."  Dray sighed.  Isn't that always the way?

Jess decides to take action.  She hands control of the vessel to Samson Marcher (who is a little more seasoned than Kantelleki when it comes to combat maneuvers) and exits via the airlock having cast Fly on herself.  She follows hard on Louteah's heels towards the action zone.

Dray begins casting some spells on a few people who will sally forth with him in search of the profits that Zilchus has signified; preparing them with such magics as Water Breathing.  His bodyguard Emmun; Earl Whitewood; and Quaenas Lorlann.  Tsai Ying will join them but her magical glassteel helm already grants her aquatic capability.

Once Dray has finished his preparations, the team he is leading move to the airlock, where Cerys awaits, Batazoax coiling about her in snake form.  "If you are all quite ready...let's venture forth.  Once outside Bat here will go full size.  All grab hold and we'll swim to the surface together.  I'll provide you with some transportation once we are out of the water.  I'm heading for a different target."

Earl: "Just to clarify, miss...is it this sea monster of yours we are grabbing hold of, or you?"

"You could try to grab hold of me...and see what happens."

In the event, he wisely decides not to take that chance.    

They surge upwards and emerge into the sunlight.  They see the vessels bobbing on the swells around 500 yards away, smoke and flames rising from one of them.

Cerys rises fully up out of the water under power of magical levitation, and makes a series of mystical gestures as she utters words of eldritch power.  A misty cloud blooms in open space before her, and emerging from that cloud...a Djinn.

Mubizaan the Djinn

"Mubizaan, I apologise for such inconvenience as this summoning may cause, and implore thee to serve my will for a short time.  I hope I have not interrupted some moment of intimacy or family joy.  Your aid in battle is needed here.  Tell me, how fares your commander, Captain Ezkabar of the court of Al-Shafari?"

"Oh dread mistress, it is always a joy to answer the call of one so gracious and willing to exchange pleasantries, unlike typical summoners to the mortal realms who simply bark commands to slay this, create that, and so on.  Captain Ezkabar fares well enough, and I am aware you and he are on excellent terms, but I am ready to serve in his stead....in any capacity you may desire, and at any time."  Slight arch of the eyebrow.

Cerys laughs.  "I wonder what your Captain would have to say about you making such an offer.  Pleasantries and flattery aside, I am afraid I do not have anything terribly exciting to occupy your time, Mubizaan.  Just convey these mortals at your swiftest pace towards the battle you see taking place yonder.  We will be out of contact I think so follow this man's commands in my absence, or those of any other he delegates that authority to." She indicates Dray.  "And do battle, or use such other powers as you possess, at their request also."

The Djinn bows deeply.  "As you command, O mistress, so shall it be."  He turns to the others, bobbing on the waves.  "Now, if you please, all join hands....now, you sir, take my hand, that's it yes..."  He closes his eyes in a moment's concentration and together they are all transformed into a vaporous form, ready to Wind Walk to the conflict zone ahead.

Cerys swings astride Batazoax, ready to ascend skywards.  "Good luck everyone."

Beneath them, Samson engages full thrust on the Imp, and she powers forwards underwater.

Anything can happen in the next half hour!

By the time Jess arrives on the scene, the vessel Louteah saw making a turn towards the stricken vessel has rammed her on the starboard side; the ships are now in a grapple and there is a boarding action taking place with the defenders on the rammed vessel getting the worst of it.  

Strategic Sea Battle Map and Vessel Identification Chart

Jess sees a vicious looking ogre lumber forwards swinging a greatclub about as a plucky group of defenders led by (as they will later learn) Watch Commander Vegner Wynton try desperately to hold the deck against the invaders.  Hobgoblins swinging spiked chains advance on the ogre's flanks.  A prejudiced assumption it may be, but Jess instinctively feels drawn to aid the defenders against this incursion.  She lets herself drop abruptly out of the sky towards the deck and Feather Falls next to the beleaguered watchmen.

Captain Jess, Commander Vegner,

Hobgoblin Slaver, Ogre Pirate

"I'm Captain Jessica Del Rio, and I'm here to save you.  Stand back."  The ogre is caught off guard and in seconds, she unleashes a Lightning Bolt down the port side of the attacking vessel, roasting one of the hobgoblin boarders, and a line of piratical looking humans who were pouring crossbow fire into the defenders; meanwhile, a Quickened Web spell over the forward mast and bow of their ship traps a slew of other attackers.  She ends the maneuver by lunging and stabbing the ogre with her elven thinblade.  Which only makes it angrier, but still.

The commander and his men rally, their hopes for survival renewed.  "Thank the gods, help at last!" he exclaims.  Jess grins fiercely.  But the ogre roars, and, despite strands of web hindering it, it swings at Jess in a rage.  The fury of its sudden onslaught surprises even her and although she is nimble and well protected by magic it catches her a glancing blow that winds her a bit as she dances back.  Battle has been joined!

There are still plenty of pirates aboard the attacking vessel ready to pitch in against this new threat, but then terror from the skies descends on them in the form of Louteah.  As she flies down at them, the dragon-fear seizes them and all but a braver few souls scatter in a panic, some diving overboard in their efforts to escape.

Jess and Louteah intervene

A watching figure on the pirate warship, is Grennem Oceanshard.  He has narrowly escaped being struck by Jess' Lightning Bolt.  He realises that these people are going to be tougher to defeat than expected.  At this stage, he does not know for sure that these newcomers are not associated with the refugees his band have been pursuing for the past couple of days before a change of wind gave them the advantage they needed to catch them with their superior oar-power.  Regardless, reinforcements from their floating pirate palace, the "Maphistal's Glee", are called for.  He produces a wand, and uttering a command word, vanishes from the deck of "Preys-On-The-Weak" to go and fetch some additional brute force to deal with this troublesome half-elf and her (reassuringly small) dragon ally.

Grennem Oceanshard

Light Raider "Poisoned Lightning" gets a surprise visit

Dray, Tsai Ying, Quaenas, Emunn and Earl have meanwhile been racing over the water in Wind Walk, courtesy of Mubizaan the Djinn.  They see a vessel below, which is being rowed in pursuit of a fishing boat crammed with fearful people.  The pursuing craft has a mixed crew; human sailors and artillerists, a couple of hobgoblins with spiked chains, and skeleton rowers.  They are reloading their ballista ready for another shot at the already damaged fishing boat.  If they breach the hull, the vessel will take on water and they will catch them for sure.

Skipper Lothar Querd, Pirate Crewman, Skeleton Rower

Anatol, Commander of Skeletons

Dray commands Mubizaan to take them in lower over the Raider.  Then as they come in closer, the decision is made: "Drop us on the deck and dispel your Wind Walk.  We'll take this vessel."

Things happen very rapidly.  They get the drop on the pirates and take them completely by surprise.  Emunn slices Lothar's frock coat and shirt open with one great swipe of his huge falchion as it materializes out of vapour, leaving a red gash across his chest as he throws himself back in surprise.  he grabs for his rapier ready to fight for his life against these interlopers, but before he gets a chance, Tsai Ying, focusing her psionic energy through her crossbow to increase its power, fires from the hip and a bolt pierces the pirate Skipper right through the heart, ending his career.

Meanwhile, Quaenas has taken a pirate by surprise, also, and drops him with a clinically executed shot from his longbow through the centre of his chest.

The hobgoblins decide to make a break for it.  One is cut down by Emunn as he tries to dive off the side of the vessel.  The other looks like he might get away, but as he swims for it Tsai Ying pumps a rapid succession of well-aimed bolts his way from her repeating crossbow of speed.  The artillerists manning the ballista close by surrender.

Anatol, the commander of the skeletons aboard the Poisoned Lightning, does not fare well either, shot once by Quaenas and then harpooned in his escape attempt by Earl.

Dray commands the skeletons.  "The power of Zilchus...compels you to serve me.  Halt your rowing."  And they do his bidding.

The remaining crewman immediately surrenders.

The Poisoned Lightning is taken

Dray decides to turn the vessel about and head towards another vessel, a light caravel to their south.  They aren't sure at this point which side that vessel is on.

Hostile Takeover

During these events, Cerys and Batazoax have had time to fly upwards to survey the scene, get a visual fix on a warship on the south side of the battle zone, and Teleport nearby the vessel.  Cerys activates her Dazzling Beauty (for effect really, though it would give a small advantage in a combat; but she is aiming to avoid that altogether).  They then swoop in and land on the deck causing immediate terrified reactions from the crew to the sudden arrival of this monster out of nowhere and its awe-inspiring rider.

That "Game of Thrones" shit with a ballista won't work here

The vessel's name is "Joy of Damnation"; its master, one of the most vicious of halfling pirates to sail the Vohuon Ocean, Captain Stradrun Dolaho.

Cap'n Stradrun Dolaho.  Aaaarrhhh.

Cerys fixes Stradrun with an imperious gaze as Batazoax bares his teeth, nascent electrical charge crackling in his throat ready to belch forth lightning.  

"Hello boys.  Nice boat.  Think I'll take it."

The force of her will is supernatural and overpowering, even without the added incentive of her straddling a 10 ton mutant behir.  For a moment, he thinks indignantly, This is a ship, not a boat.  He  realises one wrong move is liable to get him on a one-way trip into the interior of a behir's stomach, though, alive or dead, and this dame doesn't look like she'll take kindly to pedants.  If she says its a boat, then it's a bloody boat.

"Anyone feel like.....arguing?"  she says, looking around at the crew and then back to the halfling at the wheel.  Her angry gaze scorches them like a foretaste of the eldritch power she could unleash against any who would gainsay her will.

"Okay, okay miss....no need for violence, huh?  You've got us fair and square.  I'll do whatever you want.  Please."

"You aren't the commander of this fleet.  I can tell that much from your gutless and immediate surrender, you worm.  That large vessel?" She points.  "Is that where your commander can be found?"

"Yes, yes...Kardos is there, he's our Admiral, we have to do what he says or else.  He's responsible for....everything.  He makes all the decisions, okay?"

"What of that vessel?"  She gestures in the opposite direction.

"The Bloody Jewel.  That's Muzgonk's sh....boat."

"One of yours?  Pursuing those other boats?"

"Yes, yes."

A pattern glows on her skin, then rises outwards from her and transforms into a huge Air Elemental.  She gestures towards the Bloody Jewel, dispatching her servant towards that vessel with instructions to sweep its crew off into the waters.

"Now turn your vessel about.  I want you to head towards the big ship where your admiral is."

From there on, things develop quickly

• The ship Jess is aboard, "The Starfish", is rammed by another Light Raider, "The Pillager".  More raiders attempt to board
• Jess finishes off the ogre barbarian pirate, then turns and quickly dispatches Doretta Sourvale, Skipper of "The Pillager", who had led the boarding action and moved in to the attack.
• Louteah meanwhile is also helping to hold off the incursion from "The Pillager"; panicking the human and hobgoblin crew, destroying half the skeletons with her lightning breath weapon, and crunching on the bones of the few skellies that get aboard.
• Things are looking on the up and up for the defenders - but then Grennem Oceanshard returns by magic, bringing with him another two ogre barbarians who move in to attack Jess.
• Jess tumbles nimbly past an ogre and stabs Grennem causing a grevious, but not fatal, wound.  They exchange words, with Jess offering him a chance to surrender and work for her, while he turns out to have heard of her reputation, and suggests she might wish to join him serving under Kardos Daythorn - a name of some notoriety that is familiar to her from her Wild Coast days.
• Louteah takes some hits!  She is shot with a poisoned hand crossbow bolt by Krix Gaanos, a goblin pirate up in the rigging of "Preys-On-The-Weak", and suffers damage to her Constitution.
• She is also walloped by an ogre barbarian.  She starts to think maybe it's time to withdraw.
• Cerys asks her how she is, via Telepathy.  "Oh, so the big nasty ogre hurt you?  Don't worry, I'm heading your way; I'll soon sort him out."
• The defenders have some teeth of their own!  Before Cerys' elemental gets far towards pirate Light Raider "The Bloody Jewel", the vessel is lit up by a Fireball launched from one of the refugee vessels.  This destroys its skeleton crew and sets the vessel ablaze, though the crewmen are not all slain.  The survivors set about putting out the fire, but the vessel is effectively dead in the water.
• Cerys recalls her elemental.  By now, she has grown bored already of sitting on "Joy of Damnation", and having ordered the halfling captain to maintain his new heading, she and Bat have flown off.  The elemental catches up with them as they draw close to the trinity of grappled vessels "Preys-On-The-Weak", "The Pillager" and "The Starfish", where Jess and Louteah are battling.
• The Imp has been accelerating towards a possible target for a ram attack, pirate War Caravel "The Demon's Lust".
• This vessel has also been on the attack against Jess, having shot a Targeting Ray spell at her, and a heavy ballista bolt (neither of which found their target).
• As "The Demon's Lust" approaches on the port side of "The Starfish"...The Imp breaks surface and the turret swings round.  Pumpkin takes aim and fires an almighty disintegrator cannon blast at the enemy warship (good job it was an enemy warship ahead, because Pumpkin is gung ho and would have fired upon anything...).  She completely destroys a section of hull.  
• The Captain, Stefania Malwyn, is competent and manages to command efforts to quickly shore the breach before the vessel sinks, but this occupies her time and will put the vessel at a disadvantage.  With the Imp fast approaching for a follow-up ram attack!

Cap'n Krix Gaanos and Skipper Doretta Sourvale (RIP)

The battle for The Starfish continues

Dray and Friends Discover Boats Don't Move Very Fast, And Other Things

• "The Poisoned Lightning" turns out not to live up to its name as its (literal) skeleton crew rows south towards where the action currently is.  And rows some more.  And some more.
• Growing impatient, the Djinni Mubizaan is asked for further aid.  He has used up his Wind Walk power for the day, but could carry some lighter people at his regular flying speed.
• Dray commands Mubizaan to carry Quaenas and Tsai Ying southwards.  Which he does.
• They fly towards a Light Caravel.  As they approach the vessel - "Sentinel" - they see and hear people arguing on deck.
• A flamboyantly dressed gentleman is arguing with the captain of the vessel.  He seems to be trying to assert his authority over the captain and order him to turn his ship away from the conflict and make an escape while their attackers are occupied.  The captain insists however that he will not abandon The Starfish to her fate.
• A noteworthy woman is also seen on deck, who appears to have a pet leopard.
• Tsai Ying and Quaenas are both scratching their heads at this.  "Are these the people we are meant to be helping?  Or are they part of the bad people?  Should we signal to Dray to Flame Strike them?"  Neither of them seem to have the brain power to figure this out.  
• Mubizaan, who has no real understanding of the situation into which he has been summoned, is not much help either.
• Tsai Ying happens to have an intelligent magic ring - her Item Familiar, in fact - that is smarter than her and has a better capacity to Sense Motive.  It suddenly chirps up - "You dummies!  These people are the ones we're meant to be helping.  Give me strength!"

Mubizaan, Tsai Ying and Quaenas approach the Sentinel

Captain Brios Crestmight of the Sentinel, with noteworthy passengers

Strategic Map Update

To Be Continued....

The Fantastic Voyage -Through The Olman Straits

Read the previous installment here

Mastering the Ship of Lost Lirea

The controls of this ancient artefact of a bygone culture are not easy to comprehend or master for those who now lay claim to this vessel.  Until this voyage, only three people managed to understand their workings; Jessica Del Rio; Samson Marcher; and the ill-fated Kanaka Jackson, who was rescued from years of captivity by the harpies of the Moaning Isle, beneath which lay the watery cavernous lair of the Kraken Im'po'potle and his Dagon-worshipping Sahuagin followers.
  
Subsequently Kanaka met his end in the cold life-draining clutches of the psychic undead horror known as the Caller In Darkness, created by the foul arts of Lashimire and then foolishly released by one of the band of explorers of Lashimire's lair, one Kuda Maskall.

The Caller In Darkness

During the Growfest week prior to setting out on their voyage, Jess took her gnome protegé Kantelleki out in the magical submersible for some training.  After several days of effort, he managed to master its complex steering controls, adding to the list of people able to pilot the ship.  He also manages to figure out how to operate the sonic disruptor field.

Kantelleki Bachin.  

Any resemblance to Peter Lorre coincidental.

However, understanding of how to control and target the disintegrator cannon continues to elude him.

After the ship parted company with the "mothership" Enterprise at Port Stolm, Kantelleki spent most of his time piloting and navigating, so others attempted to learn the necessary skills.

Pumpkin Pepperweb, pixie cohort of Cerys Landry's constant companion and helpmate Echo, has an excellent eye for hitting distant targets with ranged weapons, one of her specialisms in fact.  She is an excellent choice for operating the disintegrator cannon (provided her enthusiasm for causing mayhem can be reined in a little).  She also has the necessary intellect to grasp the alien controls, something that eludes the party's other ranged combat specialists Quaenas and Tsai Ying.  Pumpkin is actually a rather clever little pixie.

Pumpkin at the controls of the Imp's disintegrator cannon.  What could go wrong?

Samson helps her to learn how to adjust the settings and activate and target the deadly ray.

"Wahaaaaay!  I'm going to have so much fun with this....!"

To her disappointment Pumpkin is given very strict orders not to enter the turret and mess around with the disintegrator cannon without the say so of both her boss Lady Cerys and Captain Jess.  (And Echo and Cerys can both see invisible so are able to keep tabs on her).

The other person who turns out to have a surprising talent for working the disintegrator cannon is newlywed janni Yasmina (who is clearly the smarter half - Sunaeco just scratches his head in bafflement at the controls).  "Oh, don't look so sad dear - I didn't marry you for your brains.  You're still the best at stabbing sea monsters with your spear.  You stick to the leviathan hunting and leave the complicated stuff to your Yas."

The Newlyweds: Sunaeco and Yasmina

However, neither of these two ladies are able to figure out how to work the sonic disruptor in spite of Samson's helpful instructions - at least, in the few days that elapse between Port Stolm and the Olman Straits.

There is no doubt that Cerys and Echo are intelligent enough to figure out how to work these contraptions.  Potentially, their guest Reynardia, also.  But they airily dismiss invitations to come and learn.  

"Later, maybe."  

"Yeah, if we feel like it."  

"Haven't you got enough people already?"

Cerys Landry and Echo Dawndreamer

(Not to scale; Cerys is taller than Echo)

In fact, they seem rather disinclined to help out generally with the running of the ship, and spend their time in their forward observation deck / boudoir laughing, frolicking, restyling one another's hair, trying on outfits and jewelry Cerys conjures magically from her extra-dimensional wardrobe, playing music, dancing; making a fuss over Cerys' mysterious blue-scaled snake Batazoax that seems to have recently become her favourite pet beast of choice; and drinking fine wine and smoking intoxicating substances from an ornate bejeweled hookah.  

Just too busy doing nothing down here.

That is, when the doors are not firmly closed and wizard locked with an Onyx Dog figurine of wondrous power and a Dire Bear standing guard outside...though they have made no open declarations it is hardly a secret that Cerys' relationship with Reynardia is more than just friendship.  And there isn't much that she and Echo won't willingly share, so draw your own conclusions.  Such a ménage-a-trois would be considered scandalous back in the courts of Keoland and even more so in the eyes of public opinion.  But out here, it doesn't seem to matter overmuch aside from Captain Jess tutting about Cerys not pulling her weight on board ship.

Anyway, after a few days, a picture of the operational roster of the "Imp" emerges:

Imp Operations Table

The Ship of Lost Lirea has no periscope and no magical navigation aid is so far evident (unless it is an as yet undiscovered function of the mysterious arcane control panel on the bridge).

Navigation is accomplished by occasional surface visits to obtain a bearing from the sun or stars.

Bridge, Captain's Office and Armoury

Fenelda Nefertari is an invaluable aid to navigation.  As well as being a healer, she is also a sorceress and can cast Arcane Eye up to four times daily lasting eighteen minutes.  If the submersible cruises close to the surface her Eye can reach a height of a couple of thousand feet in this time to give a high altitude view of the Imp's surroundings, which can sight the coast at a distance of many miles.  The spell requires an unbroken line of effect which means a stint in the airlock with Water Breathing and the hatch popped.  Fenelda has Water Breathing cast on herself around the clock so this is no problem.

Tsai Ying feels concern about leaving the hatch open, and offers to accompany Fenelda in the airlock to give her some protection.  Tsai Ying has a most marvelous suit of magical glassteel banded mail and matching helm that provide her with aquatic capabilities.  

Earle Whitewood, overhearing their conversation, gallantly offers to accompany these two into the airlock if someone can share with him some of this water breathing magic he has been hearing about.

"In case you ladies need my strong arms and my harpoon to protect you from danger."

Tsai Ying in particular has recently faced horrors that would quite literally turn Earle into a gibbering wreck.  She is about to give him some scornful words, but Fenelda laughs and comes to his rescue.

"You're a bold one, I'll give you that.  I'll cast a spell of watery breath on you, Earle."

The truth is, while Fenelda appreciates Tsai Ying's protection considerably more than that of Earle, conversation isn't really her strong point.

L to R: Fenelda Nefertari, Tsai Ying and Earle Whitewood

(Sure I've seen that chap Earle somewhere before)

The Bear Necessities

Oberon, Reynardia's dire bear, is able to subsist on Janni-created food, but prefers to hunt.  He'll happily pursue fish but prefers clubbing salmon with a paw as they try to swim up freshwater rapids and is not really built for hunting fish on the open sea.

Reynardia and Oberon

Reynardia has taught Oberon a trick. She is able to donate a use of Wild Shape to a chosen ally. She will use spells such as Commune With Nature first to identify the location of a nearby shoal that's more or less ahead of the Imp, and ask if they can make a small course adjustment in that direction.

When they go out on the hunt together, exiting via the Imp's airlock, she gives Oberon a Wild Shape and then she Wild Shapes herself into a dolphin. The trick she has taught Oberon is to copy her Wild Shape. So Oberon turns into a dolphin as well.

They can swim faster than the Imp if the submersible sticks to its 6 mph cruising speed.

Sunaeco will also enjoy joining them at the hunt, and transforms his changestaff into a harpoon or net as seems most suitable to the size of prey involved. He will catch fish to bring back to the Imp for cooking.  Yasmina will tag along for the pleasure of swimming beside her new husband. She has a Pearl of the Sirines (courtesy of Sunaeco) and can manage a decent turn of speed in the water.

Louteah Learns To Shoot

Quaenas finds Louteah the young bronze dragon passenger they picked up from Lashimire's Isle fascinating.  He wants to learn more about the ways of dragonkind.  There are reasons for this interest that go back to Quaenas' unhappy past...

When Reynardia first came upon Quaenas in the Dreadwood, he was in a bad way.  A green dragon/elf hybrid, most likely the product of a doubtless unwitting union of elven mother and the deceitful, shapeshifting ravisher Vaectorfinyairuxo on one of his wanderings.  But Quaenas had a unique problem that had seen him exiled from the wood elf community of his birth.  He was unable to control the discharge of his breath weapon, a thing that had led to great harm and sorrow.

Reynardia had a solution; she knew of a dryad called Amarantha, custodian of a marvelous harp that could transform a willing being into a Woodling, a creature of living, animate wood though some sacrifice of themselves was required.  For Quaenas, that sacrifice was the draconic half of his heritage - an aspect he surrendered willingly.  

Now, he had embraced his new existence as a Woodling.  Yet some small trace of draconic blood remained mingled with the sap of his new veins as a reminder; and thus, his fascination with Louteah and a wish to cultivate her acquaintance.

Quaenas Lorlann of the Dreadwood

To make conversation, Quaenas offers Louteah the opportunity to learn to use a bow.  They clear a length of corridor on the passenger deck and warn people to stay in their cabins, setting up a target in the hold.

Louteah is able to draw Quaenas' bow without difficulty; looks are deceiving and she is stronger than he is.  Soon there is a clattering of arrows bouncing off bulkheads.

Well, it passes the time.

Quaenas now feels emboldened to ask Louteah a string of questions...

"What do you eat? Do you eat less when you're a human? If you eat dinner as a Human and turn back to a Dragon are you hungry again? How fast can you fly? How high can you fly? Do dragons poop? Do dragons poop while flying? Why did you pick this humanoid form? Is it your favourite form? What's your second favourite form? Do you do magic? What sort of magic do you do?" 

And so on...

The question of what Louteah prefers to eat will soon be resolved: she prefers to hunt for her sustenance, in dragon form and can swim and breathe underwater without difficulty.  And she joins the other hunters to feed.

Louteah does not eat quite as much as Quaenas might have imagined as she is not a very big dragon. She is Medium size in dragon form (though at the bigger end of the Medium range). Her food requirements to sustain her dragon form are greater than human requirements so she can eat less if she stays in human form all the time. If she then changes to dragon form without having eaten enough she will feel hungry. But any food requirement deficits "reset" on a daily basis when she rests so she doesn't accumulate a "nutrition debt" by staying in human form and only eating like a human for ages.

She will say "mind your own business" when asked about her excretory habits. She will use the latrine when on board like anyone else though.

She can take other human forms. Her favourite adopted form is that of a human "childminder" her parents sometimes employed when she was just a wyrmling, when they were busy with affairs of state in the Mist Kingdom. Her name was Itotia. "She's old and married now. Well, human-old I mean. At least 30. I'm about the same age she was when she used to look after me. Sixteen. I liked her so I adopted her as my favourite human form."

She can do some small magics. "I can make a magical shield for myself, and detect magic. I can make spooky noises. I can talk to animals ('Hi Oberon!'). I can zap people with electricity by touch as well as with my breath. I can whisper to people at a distance."

Louteah will also be very curious about the world in general and also ask many questions.

Crossing the Amedio Bay

So far the vessel has been cruising over the continental shelf around 100 feet from the ocean floor, gradually moving away from the east coast of the Hook Peninsula on a South-By-Southeast bearing.  Late afternoon on the fourth day out from Port Stolm, the sea bed falls away beneath the Imp and a dark lightless chasm yawns beneath them.

Dray, visiting the forward observation lounge, peers out through what everyone hopes is magically reinforced glass like Tsai Ying's armour.  

"Has anyone yet tested how deep this vehicle will travel?"

The answer appears to be a negative.

"Let's not go down there, then."

Dray Turini (top), with Tamarra Fane, Xie and Emunn

For several hours they proceed suspended over the bottomless pit of the ocean deeps.  Then, suddenly a cliff rises ahead of them.  Someone prods Kantelleki awake on the bridge and he frantically throws the magical propulsion into reverse and engages the braking fins as he steers upwards.  There is a bit of a commotion as people are jolted forwards and then scrabble to keep their footing as the vessel inclines up.  They rise up over the lip of the land shelf and the moment of danger is averted.

"Good job we weren't going at anywhere near full speed."

Fenelda, Tsai Ying and Earle go for a stint in the airlock as Fenelda surveys the surrounding area with her Arcane Eye.  It is sometime in the small hours and land cannot be sighted, but by the stars and moon their course heading should still be good.  They reduce speed though until morning when they can take a proper look.

By the following morning Fenelda is able to confirm that they are on course to pass through the Olman Straits later that day.

Reynardia Departs

"It's been a lovely few weeks away from all the intrigue, but I am needed at Court.  My request to be heard by the High Council to plead for formal recognition of Coryn's Hold has been granted.  After that, well a few matters that I need to deal with have been piling up back in the Dreadwood.  I may be able to rejoin you all at some later date but can't promise anything."

There will be fond farewells from Cerys, Echo and indeed Pumpkin; and Oberon gets lots of hugs and kisses on the nose.

"Quaenas, I'd like you to continue the fine job you're doing as my agent and representative of the folk of the Dreadwood, and accompany this voyage to its conclusion.  If I don't see you before, I'll expect a full report on your return."

Reynardia will be Wind Walking to the mainland and finding a tree with which to transport herself to Sasserine.  There she will use the teleporter pad maintained by Cerys' people to teleport up to Ashton on the Sheldomar river, and thence a short continuation of her Wind Walk up to the capital of Niole Dra.

After Reynardia's departure, Cerys and Echo emerge from the lavishly pillowed and perfumed haven they've set up in the forward observation lounge and take more active interest in the operation of the ship.  Cerys actually rolls her sleeves up and reveals her hidden talents by cooking everyone a really tasty lunch.  (This is in contrast to Tsai Ying's efforts of the previous day, which were a culinary experience best to be avoided though everyone was too polite to say so.)

Feeding Time For Batazoax

The Imp happens upon a school of huge sharks.  This leads to a revelation, regarding Cerys' mysterious pet snake Batazoax, which, knowing Cerys as they do, some have speculated may be more than just an unusually coloured serpent.

Cerys makes her way to the bridge, turning heads as she sashays through the corridors as she is provocatively attired in a revealing two-piece bathing costume made of red dragonhide that leaves little to the imagination.  (As famously worn in the "Diplomacy" adventure, whereby she seduced Sharlocke the Chief Librarian of the Tower of the Arcanaloths of Gehenna; a distraction that ultimately lost him the contest, though he considered himself to have come out on top as far as the personal upsides were concerned.  Incidentally, this striking garment was fashioned from off-cuts of softer parts of the hide of the dragon Androchynus of Monmurg infamy.)  

Batazoax is curled about her.  They gaze out of the forward viewport at the massive sharks chasing down their fishy prey.  Cerys talks softly to the serpent, caressing his scales.  "In the mood for some shark-meat, my lovely boy?  Yes of course you are.  Time for the hunters to become the hunted.  Let's go, then..."

They vanish from the bridge and are seen through the viewport to appear ahead of the Imp, in the water, right amidst the shark-pack.  The sharks begin to turn on them, but Cerys is far too agile for them to gain a purchase on her with their jaws.  Then the snake transforms, growing larger at an alarming rate...sprouting a series of clawed limbs....massive jaws...curling horns...wings....Batazoax is now revealed as the colossal Behir that Cerys charmed during the Stormbringer Juggernaut adventure.  Since then, he has been taken care of at her stronghold The Beacon (fed on cows regularly supplied through the teleporter pad link by Ashton-based livestock trader Lord Charles Bohan of Willesden.)  

Batazoax, formerly a pet creature of the wicked giantess Arozza Stormbringer, has by now become thoroughly co-opted to Cerys' cause, and serves as a willing cohort.  He has also received a number of enhancements provided by his new mistress - the wings being an obvious, tangible addition.  

Batazoax the Mutant Behir

The watching audience on the Imp see the incredible sight of sharks being swallowed whole by this mighty creature.  Cerys hangs on to its neck, riding bareback, assisted by her magically extending golden hair that binds her more securely to the beast.  She revels in the thrill of the hunt.

Earle Whitewood is astonished.  He has ambitions one day to do battle against sea monsters with his trusty harpoon.  "Just how in the name of all the sea gods do you fight a thing like that?"

Jess advises him: "Your best hope of survival is to let it swallow you...then fight it from the inside."

"I've fought against worse monsters quite recently"  She adds.  "Imagine something bigger than that...with three heads."  She is referring, of course, to Dahak, the three-headed dragon spirit of death that was released from the Golden Palace of Za-Hadrash, after 4000 years of imprisonment, when Godratt's Barrier came down.

The remaining sharks flee.  They are faster swimmers than Cerys' monstrous mount and make their escape.  After this, she and Batazoax surge upwards and break surface and go for a fly around.  They return by teleportation sometime later.

"I saw some shipping up ahead.  Quite distant at the moment.  A larger vessel and a few smaller ones.  I couldn't make out the flags.  Crossing the straits from the South Olman Isles to Ludarectla by the looks of it.  I just thought you should know."  And with that, she saunters off with a satiated Batazoax in snake form coiled about her supple form once more.

Let's Be Murderhobos

Jess orders Kantelleki to "Take 'er up Mr Bachin".  As the forward viewport on the bridge breaks surface and the waters run off Jess peers through her spyglass.

"It's a Scarlet Brotherhood galley, a large one.  Quinquereme.  Three pinnace escorts."

Scarlet Brotherhood Quinquereme

(or something approximately similar)

Keoland is not officially at war with the Scarlet Brotherhood yet, but relations are not good and there are sometimes flashpoints.  The Brotherhood are nominally "friends and allies" of the Olman nation of Ludarectla, using the Yuan-Ti insurrection of the Amedio of a few years earlier as their excuse to invade and "liberate" Ludarectla from the control of Empress Meladuna (rather like Keoland did with Shelloraztica and Timborexa, in fact).  However there were indications at the time that the Brotherhood had had some involvement in the Monmurg conflict providing support for Terractus and his schemes.

Some said that open war with the Suel-racial supremacist Scarlet Brotherhood was an inevitability.  There was no appetite for it as yet though, what with Keoland still recovering from Monmurg and the Amedio conflict, still working to stabilise Sterich and perhaps liberate Geoff from giantish control, and lending aid to Furyondy in the North against the forces of the mad demigod Iuz.  Also, there were Suloise nobility at court in Keoland who were sympathetic to the Brotherhood if not openly supportive of them.

To Dray and Jess, stood on the bridge of the Imp regarding the distant vessel, these subtleties of realpolitik did not feature much in their thinking.  The Brotherhood were bad guys, everyone knew that; Jess' piratical streak and occasionally reckless nature conspired with Dray's nose for a quick profit: 

"Let's go sink it, shall we?"

Shortly after there is a knock at the door of the observation lounge.  Echo answers.  "Hello Jess.  Watcha want then?"

"We've come to borrow your monster."

The plan is to attack the galley below the waterline, using the disintegrator cannon to weaken the vessel's hull, then ram it with the Imp, then send in a huge water elemental and maybe some conjured sharks to make general mayhem.  The monster will be a useful thing to cover up the involvement of a submersible and make it look like a random attack by some leviathan of the deeps.

Cerys is not immediately convinced.  "Is it really worth our while?"

Jess: "Come on, what's the point of a submarine with a disintegrator cannon if you don't sink a ship with it now and then?"

Dray: "There could be rich pickings."

She sighs.  "I suppose it might be fun.  What do you think, Batazoax?  They want to use you.  What's that?  You want to help them?"  The snake makes an obvious nodding notion.    She turns to them.  "Well, it looks like you're in luck.  Bat's up for some wanton destruction.  You've got to let your pet monsters off the leash sometimes.  I'll just watch from the bridge though to keep an eye on him."  

Gentle reader, Cerys, though she generally fights on the side of goodness, is sometimes given to amoral behaviour.  Perhaps increasingly and inexorably so, with the waxing of her arcane powers.

Various people aboard the vessel have differing opinions about Captain Jess' decision to make an unprovoked attack on a ship that probably has crew on board who are not evil, just ordinary people obeying orders.  Fenelda, though she has no love for the Scarlet Brotherhood, thinks it would be wrong.  Louteah's instincts are against doing such a thing, but she does not feel sure enough in her understanding of the world outside the Mist Kingdom to voice a strong opinion (and as a recent addition to the ship's complement she doesn't really get a say in the matter anyway).

Sunaeco and Yasmina are too involved in each other to care (Sunaeco just shouts "go away" when someone knocks on their cabin door, and there is ribald laughter from within from the pair of them.)

Sufyan does not approve, on the grounds that it is taking an unnecessary risk and was not in the plan that they made.  In fact, he objects quite strongly.

Sufyan Al-Amara, flanked by his bodyguards

Leila Mansouri and Bachir Bourka

Cerys smooth talks him, and gets him to calm down.  She explains that the Scarlet Brotherhood are enemies of Keoland just as the Sultan of the Efreeti is their enemy, and would he pass on such an opportunity?  Also, the capabilities of the Imp have not yet been battle-tested.  This enemy vessel should be an easier target and lesser danger than challenges they might encounter on their way to the City of Glass.  "It will give the crew useful practise in operating the weapons and so on."

Sufyan will back down, and admit she makes some excellent points.

Cerys comes to the airlock to release Batazoax, along with the people doing conjurations.  And as an afterthought, she conjures a huge water elemental to accompany her monster and obey its commands (for it can speak when not in snake form, and is actually smarter than some crew members...).  This is in addition to the one Jess summons with her magical Bowl of Water Elemental Command.  Dray meanwhile, by the grace of Zilchus to whom he will of course tithe some of the profits, calls forth a fiendish huge shark.  Jess blows her Horn of the Tritons to summon more sharks.  While this happens, Pumpkin is zapping the hull of the galley with the disintegrator cannon in several places; not enough damage to hole it (yet) but enough to weaken it over a wide area.

Then there is one big blast from Pumpkin's cannon and the Imp powers forwards, ramming the vessel in the same place at half its top speed.  This causes massive hull damage and this cascades across the already weakened hull sections.

Surprisingly, though, the vessel does not sink right away.  These huge galleys are built to survive large amounts of damage.  Within, damage control gangs rush to try to shore the breach under the command of capable and experienced officers.

And they might have succeeded, were it not for the colossal mutant behir and a pair of huge water elementals that surge through the breach and begin smashing and biting and clawing anything and anyone in their way.

One of the elementals forms a vortex that sucks sailors and marines alike out of the breach and deposits them right in the middle of a waiting pack of conjured sharks.

Some spellcaster aboard makes efforts to dispel the elementals, but these do not succeed.

Still, the mighty vessel does not surrender to the waves.  Pumpkin continues delivering blasts with the cannon to soften the structure up for one of the water elementals to smash.  The sub makes some more ram attacks, at lower speed to save their own vessel from taking too much damage.

It is not a clean fight, but messy and brutal and it takes more work than expected to sink the ship.  But at last, she lists heavily over and starts slipping down, the waves washing over her decks.  By now most of the surviving crew and marines have abandoned ship, cramming into launches or just swimming for it hoping to be picked up by one of the small escort vessels.  He'd be all for giving chase, but Cerys calls Batazoax back in telepathically.  She's seen enough destruction for one day.

Afterwards a team of people emerge from the Imp under Water Breathing spells and pick over the sunken hulk of the vessel.  Spells of Detect Magic are employed to find some enchanted items that went down with the vessel.  There are some other more mundane items of value found close by.  To completely strip the ship will take a long time, so they just take the choice picks and then leave.

Having obtained a reasonable haul, and deprived some mothers of their sons and daughters, and possibly triggered a war between The Scarlet Brotherhood and Keoland if the subterfuge is uncovered, the Im'po'potle's Trove and her crew proceed southwards beyond the Olman Straits and the Densac Gulf into the vast expanse of the Vohuon Ocean.

The Journey So Far

Read the next installment here