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Rafael
Fear me, I am Admin!
Joined: 07 Mar 2007
Posts: 983
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 Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 11:49 am Post subject: Das Okerlund Manuskript!!! |
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Hallo,
Hier, wie versprochen, das geheimnisvolle Okerlund-Manuskript...
| Quote: | Survey on the Souragne Expedition
by Nathan Okerlund, Cambridge
as transcribed by his assistant Edduard Brennan
August 1817
Excerpt I:
Les Tristepas
"You're right monsieur; it is vraiment très dommage that one of Souragne's greatest
accomplishments -the magnificent roadway that traverses the island- should 'ave earned
so depressing a name as 'the sad steps'. It kind of goes against the proud nature of
Souragne's people, non? "If you are sitting here in Marais d'Tarascon asking me all these questions,
then you have seen how magnifique the road is, how much effort it took to build the t'ing.
What with all the heat an' the bugs an' the bouette an' all the rainy weather… not to
mention the jumbies that might crawl out oft he closeby swamp in the middle of the night.
Back in the day when it was first completed les Tristepas was quite a sight to behold. A
smooth ride, flagstones and gravel had been laid for most of its length, although by the
time the road expansion to Thibaut began it seems they settled on hardwood planks for
shoring up stretches that were more prone to flooding during heavy rainfall. Between Port
d'Elhour and Marais d'Tarascon, every time a tiny stream cut the road, a beautiful, gently
arched stone bridge was built, the sides carved with all sorts of creatures of legend.
An' there are ten such bridges between the two towns… faut l'faire, non? The rows of
towering willows that flanked the road for its entire length were impressive, as were the oil
lanterns that lighted it up at regular intervals along its length. Even the most
insignificant of intersections was marked with a pretty sign. That road made Souragne
a great country. "The slaves that built the road first nicknamed
it les Tristepas because of all the blood, sweat an' tears that soaked the stones
from which it was constructed. Hundreds of men, women, and children died during its
construction from beatings, starvation, exposure, or exhaustion. They marched on it
to their death. My own ancestors died to make this road. C'est triste, non? But I guess
it was necessary… someone had to build it, yes?
"The rich folk once had a different, more proud name for the road… but no one
remember it. Now even the nobles call it les Tristepas. I guess it reminds them that
despite all their big ambitions most still can only go from one end of this island to the
other end and not much further in the big world. Walking on that road always gets me
thinking about what is and what could have been, and what maybe never will be… and
maybe it's the same for the rich folk. Nowadays, a trip along the road seems to dig
up one's regrets, to invite the willows to whisper unhappy t'ings in one's ear. Maybe
that's because the road itself no longer lives up to what it could have been… it's still nice,
but broken flagstones haven't been replaced, some stretches are uneven, there isn't always
oil in the lanterns, signs have fallen, the creatures carved into the bridges look
weathered and faded, and the trees... the trees look sad. Most people are afraid to
travel the road at night; they say that you can hear those who built it crying in the
darkness, walking behind travelers just out of eyesight.”
-- from an interview with Arnaud d'Lute, shipbuilder in Port d'Elhour
Excerpt II:
Rests of a disturbing manuscript found in a pirate's grave near the hamlet of Thibaut:
My name is Captain Edvard Renfus and my crew of the Nevermore mired our ship on one of the
many sandbars that lurk beneath the surface of the Murky Sea in the vicinity of Port
d'Elhour. We were cautiously rescued by townsfolk who marvelled our arrival, for the
local colonists had lost all contact with the outside world for the better part of a year.
We expected celebration or greetin' as heroes but found none.
My crew and I spent nearly one year in Souragne, during the course of which we
tried unsuccessfully to tow the Nevermore out of the shallows before we built a new
ship, La Licorne, in collaboration with some wealthier benefactors, the Mont Mirebalais
family. Meanwhile we also took time to explore the island and get to know its people,
culture, and language. It is a grim and cheerless land, at least in
my opinion. The people are unfriendly and callous with little joy remaining in their
lives. They seem to do little but go through the motions of daily life.
For the following history I rely on both oral history and some intriguing notes on the life of nobleman Antoine Miseroi (born aprox. 1599 BC, died 1635), which recently were found near Marais d'Tarascon. They suggest that prior to the arrival of Captain Renfus, Souragne was but an isolated trading outpost on a sea route linking what its inhabitants call the "Old World" and the "New World." The colony had existed for perhaps a little over a
century when much of it was lost to the mists.
The island was discovered by one Capitaine Ferdinand Miseroi and his crew of maritime explorers from Andalusia. Ferdinand Misroi, who was widely whispered to be an ambitious and scheming man, initially considered claiming the island for himself without alerting the Emperor to its existence. He quickly concluded that it was only a matter of time before rival explorers, from France or some competing power, reported his discovery and he would need to fight to keep his land against usurpers. Misroi, who had always had a reputation as a highly independent type, decided that it might be wise to present the island to the King as a gift and a sign of unquestionable loyalty, hopefully in exchange for being granted title and rule over the island. This anticipated reward would in turn grant him the defensive support la Marine Impériale de France whenever he might require it, as well as a secure base of operations to launch his continued forays into the New World.
>Text missing<
The people of this island are of two races. At one time slaves from other distant colonies
were also brought to Souragne. The conquerors did what they could to dominate
the native inhabitants of the island, subjugating hundreds and slaughtering
thousands who would not yield to their will. It is said that Souragne was much larger
then than it is now, the island stretching almost 100 miles farther to the south of the
Tristepas. There was also land rumoured to exist southwest of Maison d'Sablet, but few
settlements were ever established there.
> Text missing<
While Ferdinand was granted title and deed over a respectable parcel of fertile land close the edges of Maison d'Sablet, the Tarascon clan quickly developed the wealthiest holdings on the island. Of the four Tarascon sons who came to Souragne, Pierre by far was the most successful. He was arguably the most prosperous landowner in Souragne and attracted many labourers and craftsmen to his estate, which, in but a few short years, grew into the town of Marais d'Tarascon. His good fortune was due in part to the quality and size of the land as well as to his intuitive understanding of the agricultural techniques that could be applied most effectively to the Souragnien context.
Moreover, as the eldest son of the Tarascon clan, he had inherited a small fleet of merchant vessels from his recently deceased father. With this fleet, he easily could export his crops and timber back to Spain at little cost, while also being able to charge hefty, yet still competitive, shipping commissions to other land owners of more limited means who sought to export their exotic goods back to the Old World.
The first decade after the storm was a tumultuous time. The world had changed and the rest of the island had been washed away by the hurricane. The populace felt detached from their old lives, removed from humanity. A disgruntled apathy settled across the minds of the people and the period was marked be a series of particularly cruel and humiliating acts. Strict and harsh laws were enacted, punishments for disobedience were severe and plantations isolated themselves from their neighbours. The few ships that had survived the storm made no attempts to seek other lands. It was on 1645 that life was finally seen to have stabilized. In an abrupt shift cheer was restored to the people. Most of the new laws were repealed and forgotten and homes were again reopened to neighbours. The shock of being cut-off finally wore away and shipyards sprung up and trade was renewed. This was also the remarkable year that the nobles "freed" their slaves. They openly claim to have done this because they thought it was uncivil to keep and trade men like animals, and therefore decided to do the respectable thing by paying their workers. Admittedly few workers managed to save enough to buy their way out of servitude and most continue to work just as if they were slaves, but most nobles remind doubters that change takes time.
> Text missing<
They have begun to explore the seas more aggressively, hoping to establish colonies of their own on forgotten, yet resource-rich islands. Souragne strives to become a world power, but it lacks the intelligentsia and innovators who can efficiently harness those ambitions into effective action. Likewise, the never ending treachery between noble families (and in particular between the Tarascons, Misrois, Dessalines and the Mont Mirebalais) inhibits the collaboration that is required for Souragne to play a more influential role on the world stage. For all their talk of being the epitome of rational and civilized society, most Souragnien nobles are very superstitious and have an arguably healthy fear of the spirits that are worshipped by the commoners-and of the Lord of the Dead in particular. It is rumoured that the Lord of the Dead may actively oppose the plans of some of the families. This likely will affect the extent to which the expansionist ambitions of Souragne's nobility are or are not realized in time.
>Text missing<
>>End of the Okerlund manuscript as transcribed by Edduard Brennan.<< |
Sorry wegen der vielen englischen Texte!
Wenn jemand was nicht versteht (ist ja durchaus nicht selbstverständlich,
daß man so gut Englisch kann, helfe ich gerne.
Leider habe ich keine Zeit, sämtliche Texte zu übersetzen...
Bis bald,
R
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tarlyn
Champion of Ezra
Joined: 03 Apr 2007
Posts: 166
Location: Lost in my mind
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| Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 12:03 pm Post subject: |
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Where did you get that, Rafael? That is of course Nathan, right? Good ole Fallenleaf with the scary face and excellent DM as well as a FOS brother 
_________________
Pinky: What you want to do tonight, Brain?
Brain: The same thing we do every night, Pinky.
Pinky: What's that, Brain?
Brain: Try to take over the world, Pinky! |
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Rafael
Fear me, I am Admin!
Joined: 07 Mar 2007
Posts: 983
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| Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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 DM Secret. Will PM you. |
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