A boat rocked in the Moonsea, the boat was headed to the Astendan Isles. Many people were packed on, most were going to the isles because after the attack of Taras many refugees fled to the isles. Towns were placed helter skelter across the islands as trade and fishing hubs. Of course settlement had created pirate problems.

On the boat that was headed to one of the islands, Minolun, sat Posuda. His curly hair and beard was whipped to the side because of the wind. Posuda looked around, and wondered who else was on the ship. Old scraggy fishermen sat bored in the ships cabin. Honestly, the journey was rather boring, on the horizon was blue and that was it. He took over a unoccupied hammock in the inner cabin and nodded off to sleep. After waking he looked around, they were still in open sea. Posuda started twiddling his thumbs to occupy his mind away from the boredom. He still wondered if there was anything to do.






OOC: Potential for pirate attack. And is this canon okay? Is it alright to say Tarasan refugees occupy these isles?

It was out there, somewhere, that mystical line that none crossed. People had tried many times before to escape Imythess and find a haven elsewhere in the world. Whether it was for more food, wealth, adventure, or to escape punishment, people tried that desperate voyage every few decades and failed miserably. They sailed, sometimes for days, and sometimes for weeks. But eventually they all came to the cloudwall. A massive wall of a cloud reaching from the water to the sky, it struck fear into any who saw it for the first time. Only he had seen it twice. It was a living thing, some thought, coaxing sailors in to swallow them up. For Melmoth, it was different. It was safety.

Three times in his life had he made it to the wall. Three times had he braved the sudden storms that sprang up within. Each time the ship and crew were lost, with only he to return to the shore, damned to stay. Food was a thing he could easily get anywhere, wealth had never drawn his eye, and he had far too many adventures. He ran to the sea to escape his memories and fight his demons. Some time soon he would make another trip toward the cloudwall, and would brave its terrible power once again. But not today. Today he could only long the unknown on the other side that promised to let him forget the things he had done and calm his mind for the things he would do.

He turned from the mast a different person than he normally showed to the world. He was bigger, muscles bulging on his frame. His hair was a black mess that hung around his face in a greasy tangle and partially hid a scar that ripped his left cheek. Eyes the color of an iceberg stared out from under bushy eyebrows, and a mangled nose completed the illusion. Today he was a seaman, captain of the ship Reignwall.

The old captain lay dead, of course, at the bottom of the sea as befitting a mariner. Melmoth needed free rein of the ship for this voyage, and what better way than becoming the captain? Keeping the sailors busy was not so much a task, but keeping them from finding out their captain was not who they thought he was was more than he had expected. If only the ring had allowed him to read the captain's mind before he died.

"Helmsman! Wake up back there! If that whale hadn't moved right then we'd all be treading water!" He gestured towards an empty patch of sea and hoped the damn fool would stay awake this time. If any trouble actually did show, a snoozing man at the wheel would spell doom.

"And you there!" he said, pointing at a passenger idling around on deck. "Why in the nine hells are you there? He's trying to tie off that line, can't you see?"

Definitely the one. He matched the description perfectly. Melmoth waved to a safe portion of the deck and made his way there as well. His agents had done well indeed to get such an accurate drawing of the man to him as well as the obligatory oral description. If he were the one... Even if he wasn't, he could be useful.

Posuda had now kept himself busy staring at the cloud wall, the though of why the trip had to come near the feature eluded his mind. But the wall was a rather odd sight, the monolithic cover of clouds jutting straight from the sea was a very bizarre sight. Thoughts on the origins of the cloud cover, why was it made, who made it, and how the wall continued below the ocean surface coursed through his mind. He had a large deal of questions, but nothing to a single question. He leaned his head against the wood wall of the cabin, and sat there half asleep.

Another man had taken claim of the hammock above him, and another man took the hammock above the one that was over him - it started to become rather tight quarters were one could barely move at all. There was a man who looked like the captain, he would of stood and asked him straightforward a question of his - but that would risk his possession of the hammock he sat at.

But he simply let that go, he stood from his hammock and walked towards the captain, he spoke in the broken fragments of common that he was able to speak Why are we at a such a odd course? Respectfully, sir, but... would it be much better if a direct course was taken?


OOC My estimates that these isles are 50-65 Km from the shore, the wall is like 100-150 Km. Also, what is the barrier like overland?