Creus Meta - Primer
Hey chief, here's the first part of the article. I don't know if all of it's publishable, but there's a lot of juicy stuff here so I didn't want to cut anything out just yet and I wanted to send over what I had so far while I'm still out here. Let's fix it up when I get back to the Capital, alright? Thanks.The Stagonids have always been the go-to destination for Etoileans of all stripes to take a much needed second season break. No matter where you are, in the teeming bustle of the Capital City or surrounded by endless machination in Patino, from the northern shore of Letis-Mua to the vast southern forests in Koffa, even the glory of Progress can become tiresome to the average citizen. To that end, the Stagonids, the hundred islands of paradise just off the coast from Port Yves, beckon, offering a calm and natural respite for the mind and body. That is, if the advertising in every journal (disclosure: including the very own Etoilean Monitor in your hands right now) is to be believed. None have ever accused us of being afraid to bite the feeding hand, so our very own team of intrepid muckrackers went to see what the folks there (fellow citizens of Etoile, need I remind the reader) really think. And no, this was not an excuse to take a vacation to the Stagonids. Journalistic integrity is of the utmost importance to all of us here at the Monitor. --- Surprisingly for such a major tourist destination, the trade roads do not lead directly to Port Ives but bypass it in favor of linking Maivai and Harvann directly. The turnoff to Port Ives is a rustic one, and travelers are advised to put some extra padding on their power-wagon seat if their suspension is worn. Port Ives itself is little more than a ferry landing and service stop, but with plenty of thru-travelers coming and going. It's there that I met my first contact, a fisherman by the name of Pyr Nito, and we boarded his outrigger boat to travel to Nenuph directly. Reader, permit me to describe these boats, which are entirely unlike the familiar power-sail. Long and thin with two secondary hulls for stability, these vessels sail under wind and manual power, just like in the olden pre-Principality days, and require a steady and firm hand at the rig. Imagine being at the whims of the wind, with the clear blue sky and clear water, surrounded by birds and fish, the salt spraying over your legs as the ship rolls in the waves. A beautiful scene full of romanticism, marred by the massive power-cruiser in front of us dumping waste into the water. I asked Nito how long this had been going on. "At least twelve years, since the UTC (Unified Trade Consortium) started sending the cruisers here. We've complained to the district commander, but all he sees is the florins coming in from the tourists, while at my village we've got to clean the filth off the beach when it washes up. They only dump where it won't wash up at the resorts." I must note here that Principality law requires that all ocean-going vessels must minimize their waste dumping, and that power-sails are built with large septic catchments that can be pumped to onshore tanks for disposal. A UTC spokeswoman I spoke with later confirmed that they obey all Principality laws and promised an investigation of this incident. Aside from that incident, we arrived at Nenuph by the evening. The island-city is an imposing sight from a distance, its ring wall a reminder of its history as a fortress in the era of warring kingdoms. Within the walls is a portrait of the Etoile Capital City in miniature, with yesteryear's power-wagons trundling around a small grid of cobblestone streets. Power generation here is driven by the trade winds that swirl around the city, with large generator fans anchored in the sea keeping the relatively small grid rotating. The District Commander of the Stagonids is based here, but his Eminence was apparently too busy to meet the likes of me, leaving me instead to loiter at the Cafe Noblisse in the middle of town. My second contact met me that night; she was easily bribed with a cup of coffee sourced from the Timbers, but I can assure my readers that Karla Tevins, an old friend from the Academy, is a reliable source. "Some troubles are brewing at the eastern islands. There's a new cruise supply depot being built way out near Privateer's Point, but it's caught fire twice in the last season. Rumors say arson and that the Copperheads (an informal name for the Copper and Ironworker's Brotherhood, an incongruously named trade conglomerate) are going to be hiring mercenaries to protect the site. There have been more than a few magistrates and mercenaries coming around than usual in the past season." The hostelries in Nenuph were packed full, so I instead was able to secure a place to sleep on the roof of the cafe after they closed for the evening. Ferry service in the Stagonids runs through the day and night, so I dozed off with the ferry lanterns moving about in the darkness like fireflies in the distance. Unfortunately, I merely brought a sleeping roll and not a full on tent, so I would strongly advise my readers who are averse to insect life to bring a shelter of some kind should they visit the area. While the night was clear, the next day threatened rain, so instead of another open canoe outrigger journey, I decided to take the morning ferry out to Espid Island, the largest luxury resort in the Stagonids, run by the UTC. If the journey here was full of natural beauty, Espid was a testament to the splendor of Etoile, as the first thing a visitor would see is the towering glasswork observation platform, supposedly the largest glassblown object in existence (experienced Monitor readers would remember this claim being debunked in Ed. 15 of the Monitor, 721). True or not, it remains an incredible work of artifice, allowing visitors to climb a hundred feet of into the sky and see the vast sea spread out beneath them through the glass floor, then subsequently descend thirty feet underwater in a glass viewbox to see coral formations without ever getting your feet wet. The rest of the resort is a fountain of luxury to rival any pavilion in the Capital, attracting more than a few recognizable faces (many of whom would have recognized me, and who I had to studiously avoid to keep from getting kicked off the island...). It was here that I met my third contact, a mercenary by the name of Wudao, on retainer to a Foremost family that was vacationing at the time. "Not sure what you want me to say, I'm just paid to look intimidating. What I do know is that they can't build hostelries or resorts fast enough to accomodate all the visitors here, and the locals that get hired end up working 12 hour shifts because there's not enough labor to keep all these nobles fat and happy. I've heard that there are some unsavory dealings happening to buy up the land needed to build these new resorts, but it's all rumor and speculation, of course. Unless you want to pay my contract, it's none of my business." Seeing as how the Monitor doesn't pay me nearly well enough to stay the night on Espid, I took the ferry to Gardi Island, a small trade village that may be the last community in the Stagonids to not cater to the tourist trade.- Deidre
Someone tell Deidre that she's not paid by the word, please.- Martin
Want to pay my way out to the islands so I can tell her in person?- Alisa
For a bit of the feel of exploring Creus, I suggest pairing this primer with the following track.
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Author's Notes
I felt like the easiest way to explore any world is to join someone's journey through it, and I hope that this piece conveys some of the flavor of this part of Creus that I'll be exploring this Summer Camp 2020.