Jewels of Eriar Financial Anaylisis of Secumum as Trading Port
Section 4/4, Comments and Concerns
By High Pearl Stupup III
I work in the corner office of the pearl and flagsotne way roads near the magpie bakery. From there for the last ten years I have watched the same bakers family grow up and hand off the buisness to their children. I would do what paper work came my way, but little was there to do in way of Spelljamming explortions. I was simply a Giff from off world, one of very few. Then Pikuoil joined the guild.
I don't know what cursed drunk in what tavern spoke of the "riches of Secumum" but Pikuoil stirred the pot. It was in one particular meeting with a inspector of guild effciency asked what we were doing to forward the guilds profits. When my statement of "tracking down elusive Spelljammers." wasn't good enough this year, Pikuoil stated we were looking into investigating expanding operations on the Secumum. The inspector very much liked this.
Now here I am, a week after the worst two years of my life. This report shall be my last work for the guild. Let it be known, don't stick your neck out for coin.
After Pikuoils comments I ended up on the deck of a Spelljammer owned by none other than the Jewels of Eriar leader Sapphire Eriar. The only one in the whole guild. I stared dead eyed at my distant office by the bakery from the stunning heights of the deck of the Platnium Piercer. The first mate laughed saying, "That inspector you got has a silver tounge, no a platnium tounge! I bet you never thought your idea would make it this far up the chain! Well don't blow it now friend, its all on the line on this deck! All on the rigging I should say!" They laughed and walked away. I never wanted stupid Pikuoils idea to make it even out of that meeting.
The trip would take only two days to get from the Eriarian captial all the way to Secumum. Such is the speed of Spelljamming.
"Half the speed of light!" The first mate told me. "Zenith himself told the first Spelljammer that." They said.
"Where did you learn that?" I asked.
"Uh, the Spelljammer of course." They said. Motioning to a tranparent green fellow sitting in a chair of ornate shining adamantite.
"Our Spelljammer I presume." I said.
"Yea, that's what I said." The first mate stated. "Gotta listen man, or do those little stub ears not pick things up?" They said with a smirk. My ears twitched in annoyance. The first mates long pointed ones moved up with their smile. Never could tell what gender knife ears were.
Travel on a Spelljammer was exceedingly simple compared to what I expected. Unlike marine travel there is nothing like the sea of wind wearing on the ship. Because of this the crew was a small dozen. Each would work for an hour or two after lunch then laze about the ship. The Spelljammer themself simply sat in the chair and willed the ship straight up one we weren't tied up anymore. Once Potestatem, our world, had shrunked to the size of one of its four moons, we increased to spelljamming speed in an instant. The world instantly shrunk to a point of light as our speed went from perhaps one or two miles per hours to thousands.
In only a days travel we reached Secumum. Even from above I could tell it was half the size of Potestatem. I noted though it had very little water, meaning more landmass and raw material. It's atmosphere danced with lights of arcane energy much like the northern lights on Potestatem. Secumum I was informed is always covered with these lights. They are the visual manfiestation of a field that prevents teloportation anywhere on or within hundreds of miles of the planet.
We descended through the tumbling lights towards the world. Strange sensations passed over me and the shipped lurched and bumped several times. Glowing runes below the spelljamming helm flickered and spat sparks as the lights crawled across the ships hull. A few times we went into free fall for a second or two but then we quickly slowed too a controled descent.
After five or so minutes of rail grabbing fear we made it into the clouds of Secumum. The lights gave the clouds a festive lighting of colors around the ship. I was told we would land in one of the few large cities on the planet, it was without a name due to its recent creation by a full sliver. The crew would refer to it as Popup since apparently that's what it had done. Popup had been created in one week by a single indvidual of unknown nature. What was known is that they could maniupulate stone and dirt to thrust it up from the ground and then carve it into buildings.
Once the art project was complete the indvidual took to secluded experiments in a large tower overlooking the city from its center. At first timid natives stayed away but eventually an oppurunity for free housing got the better of them. The people flocked in once a family or two remained unmolsted in one of the outer buildings for a few days. Now nearly a thousand people lived in Popup. The buildsing were all four stories tall and cylindrical. Tree's grew from porches and roofs hiding the whole city in light foilage. The streets carved paths in the tree tops to show the life below.
Our ship moved along one of these streets but remained above the leaves. We docked our ship at one of the balconies of a house that had cut it's tree's and waved us down. The person inside had flapped a bright red sheet at us vigoursly and then when we stopped near them said we could park there for a dirt cheap price. The captain agreed and the crew disembarked.
I was told to find them if I needed help, but otherwise I had one month to study the world. Not too much time for a whole planet but with a flying ship it couldn't be too hard. I figured seeing if I could meet Popups creator would benfit my knowledge the best. The creator obviously had immsense arcane talent. Anyone who could do this would have some idea of what the world had to offer, or know someone who might.
I spent my first day talking to the owner of the house we berthed at while moving my stuff into an empty room, of which she had many due to the nature of the city. She said she was the only one here and that no had bothered her about all the space. She wore wool spun clothes but lived in a house a low nobleman would be jealous of. Secumum indeed has potential.
I learned from her that the creator would often leave their tower at night riding on a small dragon. She had seen them return within a few hours each time. Besdies that the creator stayed at the top. No entrances too the tower were at the bottom or even middle of the tower, only the open archways of the top weren't covered in glass or stone.
I spent the day gathering the crew from various pop up taverns in the streets of the half ghost town. The grumbling crew pushed us off and towards the tower as evening came. We approached the tower and shined some lights and reflective metals towards it but no response came. We moved at a snails pace towards it and still no one came. Eventually the ship turned to the side and glided gently to pull along the open archyway. Inside openend crates and magic items lay strewn about.
"Hello!" I yelled inside. A grumbling came from within. Quiet thought it was, the sounds of the hungover could not be mistaken. I summoned my courage and stepped from the ships deck onto the towers floor. I moved towards where the grumbling had sounded behind some crates. The form of a laying humanoid under sheets came into view. They were on a bed of plants that grew from the stone. "Um, excuse me your... excellency." I said.
"Whattt." They groaned.
"Are you the towns creator? Where are my manners. I am..." I said and then was cut off.
"Shut your trap. What do you need done." They said. The figure turned over and I saw them for the first time. I was a wood elf woman of young age. Likely in her prime but I didn't much fancy elves as a Giff 'hippo person' I liked meatier humanoids.
"I was hoping to ask you some questions about this world." I said.
"Alright shoot." She said.
"Is it alright I stepped in? I could leave and come again, or even meet you somewhere." I asked.
"No this will do." She said.
"Well if you say so." I said. What an odd one, to be comfortable in this situation where somone came into a tall tower with no entrances and woke her up. It was like she was detached from this world and felt no danger. I guess slivers like her see life diffrently then us mortals. "I was sent her by the Jewels of Eriar to see if trade could be established. Perhaps even people hired to extra resources and create civlization!" I said.
She looked at me sharply at this.
"This world does not need more civlization. It's free of that plauge as it is. I created this city so an example of a natural syncroncy with the world could be shown." She stated fervently. Standing up she wore heavy armor and many items adorned her that looked magical and ancient. "Tell your guild they would be blown out of the sky by a hippie like me before a tree was logged." She said.
"Ah, I see. With your guidance perhaps we could help in another way then?" I asked.
"No we have a good thing going here. Guild always bring sidequests, and sidequests create new slivers. AKA problems. I'm enjoying the absnece of sidequests, monsters, and weak peasents who need saving right now." She said. The fervent boilding anger simmered to a low boil in her shoulders. She sighed and walked to a desk that grew through cracks in the floor.
"Is that all? I'm sure we could come to a deal that would benefit you, and nature, and the guild! Perhaps we could bring animals from Potestatem in exchange for your assistance!" I purposed. She paused and thought at this.
"There are a few creatures I miss. But none that I can't create." She stated bluntly. I stood lost for a minute. The power at her fingertips far exceeded my ability to bargin with. What could I possibly have this this woman who made a city in a week couldn't do herself?
"Well thank you for your time. I will see if I can come up with new offers. If you see my ship, let me know if there's anything we can do for you." I said. I turned and walked back onto the ship. There the crew had gathered and watched.
"Well what did she say?" A young human sailor asked.
"It seems the guilds vast resources aren't enough to convince her we could be useful enough to deal with." I said. The crew chewed on this. "We shall sail elsewhere on this world and see if someone in need exists. Perhaps these demi gods aren't the best target." I said.
The crew moved and we plotted a course to a small village a tavern owner had come from. The ship began cruising under the Spelljammers command and the womans popup city curved away.
The village came into view a few days later. Only a dozen buildings sat there. It was odd to see such a place without stake walls or with burned buildings at the edges. A world without monsters was surely peaceful. Perhaps I could retire here in a few years and live in one of those tall buildings the druid made.
In the village the people seemed happy. Their farms prospered and sickness was absent from everyone we saw. We were quickly directed to a large centeral building that acted as a tavern. Inside we found a slivered bard.
The Bard was a plasmoid. A semi-translucent ooze humanoid. It played a flute and a set of trums at the same time. It's body shifted and flowed to dance as well. Me and some of the crew watched and after what felt like a moment the song ended. The sun had gotten low and we found ourselves upliftted. The music had been divine, a moment of bliss. I moved to approach the bard.
"Excuse me sir, your music, it is resplendant!" I said.
"Thank you kind Giff. I have not seen you in my village before, what brings you here?" The plasmoid said.
"I am Stupup, a member of the Jewels of Eriar." I said. The plasmoids body shifted and I saw a flash of a spell. My vision blurred and my thoughts bent.
"You will give me your vessel old friend." The plasmoid said. Their voice seemed, familar, famial even.
"Yea, sure, anything for you." I said. Something seemed off. The Plasmoid, didn't I just meet them? No, I knew them! They were... to be trusted.
"Tell your crew to all come here and stay the night." They said.
"Consider it done!" I said. The crew in the tavern nodded when I told them to stay. The rest of the crew at the ship didn't hesistate when I told them to head to the tavern. Talk of drink, game, and a nice bed went without saying. As they all walked off the Plasmoid walked on.
"Now go join them." They said.
"Yesir" I said as one word. I wonder how when I'm gonna get to use the ship to get home. The plasmoid can be trusted thought. They would come back. What was their name again? These full slivers sure are something. I let my thoughts wander as I lumbered off the ship. As I did so the whole ship rose into the air and began flying away over the city.
A long time passed. A whole night in fact. Somewhere along the way my mind snapped and I was out of whatever trance the plasmoid bard had put on me. "Fuck these people!" I yelled in my tavern room. I realized what had happend. The plasmoid has charmed me with some spellcraft as if they were buying me a drink. They didn't even stop to consider! Just like the druid, they were disconected from reality. Surely someone on this world had an eye for profit, long term goals, or was sane!
Our crew spent the next year living in the village. Many of them lost any respect for me after the incident. Lucky the villagers were happy to take in a crew of able bodied people. Unluckily we learned this village was where that bard dumped three things, people who knew they were an asshole, their lovers, and their lovers children. I had to have the polymorph spell explained to me to understand how the Plasmoid had children of eight different races who weren't half plasmoid. I ended that same conversation when they started to explain the plasmoid bards bedding abilites as a plasmoid.
After some time we packed up and journyed back to the druids city in hopes that she could help us with her powerful magic.
The rest of the report has scattered entries. While Stupup did submit the report, he refuses to elaborate. further than what is written. The guild believes he was attacked and tramutized by the world of Secumum so thorughly he retired early, and changed to hate the guild due to its giving of the task to go to the world.
Day one on the road. I have never seen so many dragons.
Day two on the road. We found the druid woman early. She had flown to engage the dragons in combat. Their battlefield caught us in the crossfire unfourtuntaly. Three crewmebers were turned into powerful beasts and have joined the druids forces against the dragons. The dragons have started hunting anything that moves to prevent the druid from creating more soldiers.
Day five on the road. Me and the spelljammer lost the rest of the crew as we fled into a forest to escape the dragons. The druid has most of the crew as large beasts that fight for her. Their battle is on a scale I have not seen before. A mountain was half destroyed, fissures in the earth formed, and the land was scorched and regrown thrice over.
Day fifteen or sixteen on the road. The Spelljammer has manage to get us to the druids city. The city was destroyed by dragons. A few surviors live in a still standing building.
Day seventeen. The survivors were dragons.
Day thirtyish. I fear the rest of my days will be spent on this world. The druid has beat back the dragons. I made contact with a crewmember she had turned into a giant eagle. They said the druid has refused to change them back unless they slay the ancient dragon in the mountains. I ride the crewmember eagle to the mountains now. I hope to steal something from the dragons hoard that may return me home. The battle should be the final one and the druids army will clash with the dragons forces. If I die tell that bakery back home I won't need anymore biscuits.
Day one hundred and twenty. The war is over. In short the druid won. The ancient dragon was slain by her and her army. It's children were either killed or turned into birds that live in cages now. I write this from Potestatem. In my corner office. The ancient dragon had a scroll of teloportation I was able to use with some help from a crewmember turned into a digging creature of some kind.
I say this to any who wish to go to Secumum. Your fate will be decided by a person who has not felt fear, nor a strong sense of anything for many years. The world is peaceful, yet so turbulant that a map would be useless too make. A advise no one to attempt to build something they care about their. That world is in the hands of the gods.
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