They appeared in the early morning out of the mist near the small stretch of coastal land between Vothyl Syl and Nistha, a handful of medium trading vessels escorted by smaller, though still just able to be considered medium sized, armored vessels that looked vaguely similar to turtles.
The trading vessels partially beach themselves while their escorts anchor just off shore. From every ship supplies and workers are off loaded onto the shore. Over the course of several days a somewhat substantial and proper foothold is established, complete with defensive walls. The final touch is a large sign above the main entrance gate into the newly risen outpost. Written in the graceful lines of Enshian along it's common translation as Higa, the sign tells all that would approach the name of the new outpost.
In orderly fashion messages are sent via several fair sized eagles to Vothyl Syl, Terel'Liren, Vos Valkear, and Archaia. Each message was the same, a simple invention for merchants, diplomats and scholars to travel to Higa in order to trade and to learn of each others cultures. Each message was translated into several different languages common across the expanse.
The trading vessels partially beach themselves while their escorts anchor just off shore. From every ship supplies and workers are off loaded onto the shore. Over the course of several days a somewhat substantial and proper foothold is established, complete with defensive walls. The final touch is a large sign above the main entrance gate into the newly risen outpost. Written in the graceful lines of Enshian along it's common translation as Higa, the sign tells all that would approach the name of the new outpost.
In orderly fashion messages are sent via several fair sized eagles to Vothyl Syl, Terel'Liren, Vos Valkear, and Archaia. Each message was the same, a simple invention for merchants, diplomats and scholars to travel to Higa in order to trade and to learn of each others cultures. Each message was translated into several different languages common across the expanse.
During a routine fishing expedition in the Western seas, sailors spotted a collection of foreign looking ships. They quickly aborted their expedition and hastily made their way back to the harbour, and informed the Grand Prince. Believing his republic to be potentially under-threat, they sent an assortment of cogs to follow this fleet. The ships being cogs more suitable for fishing shouldn't pose that much of a threat to the foreign fleet. Just for good measure, the ships were adorned with various expendable spear levies and other lower class soldiers in case of violent retaliation. Aboard the ships were also some low profile diplomats and merchants for potential negotiations.
While not posing a immediate threat to the Enshian fleet nor Higa outpost, the unknown vessels that followed it drew an amount of curiosity. After the official message eagles had been sent to the various kingdoms, it was decided to send a falcon out to one of the ships. This task fell to Miki since hers' was the only falcon brought, the other birds brought with the fleet having been larger eagles.
A new message like those carried by the eagles is written up, including the various translations, inviting those on board the unknown vessels to visit Higa. With the message prepared and attached to her falcon's right leg, Miki points at the distant ships before releasing the bird.
A new message like those carried by the eagles is written up, including the various translations, inviting those on board the unknown vessels to visit Higa. With the message prepared and attached to her falcon's right leg, Miki points at the distant ships before releasing the bird.
One of the cogs' crewman saw such a falcon closing in on them. Instinctively, he hollered to his captain. "Hey! Kapitan! Falcon ahoy!" The captain, in his red and white gambeson and messy hair shot up from his slouched position in his quarters and rushed outside. "Kapitan! Falcon..." The crewman muttered as the falcon arrived at the bow of the ship. "Good eyes Darek. As you were!" The crewman saluted with his two fingers and walked off. The captain strode to the landed falcon and noticed the small bit of parchment on the falcon's leg. "Okay, easy there..." Slowly the captain reached for the falcon's leg and gently removed the parchment from it. He opened up the parchment to see a huge wall of foreign gibberish he's never seen before. "What the..." He looked further down to see a language he could recognize; the common tongue him and his people are familiar with. "Hmmmm... Men! Send a dove to the other vessels. Tell them we accept their offer. We seem to have a fleet of traders on our side." In the mean time as they were sending their letters, they stayed on track with the foreign fleet.
Kongō, the falcon that delivered the initial message, was quick to take off once the message had been read. Once airborne the bird circled above until it caught sight of the answering dove, dutifully taking a place above and behind the bird as if insuring the message reached it's proper destination. Naturally a crowd had formed on shore, with Miki at the front holding a ships telescope to watch her Kongō's trip. Since it had been Miki's falcon to deliver the message, the responsibility fell to her to handle the visitors should they accept.
"Th-they send back a dove? Strange...those are prey birds. Haru...." She takes the telescope away from her right eye to look up at her younger sister "We'll slide out to the ships if they accept the invitation. As when council members visit home." Haru simply nods her agreement just as the dove arrives, with Kongō landing nearby. Pulling the parchment from the birds' leg Miki hands it to one of the scholar's that could read common. Once the acceptance of the invitation is read a loud, the crowd quickly disperses to begin preparations of food, products and most importantly, teas. There was still time before the ships could dock, but they would pass quickly once everything was in motion.
After a couple of last minute teachings from the chief diplomat of the group, Miki and Haru take to the water in the direction of the visiting vessels, moving along the top of the water much like how one would skate on ice.
"Th-they send back a dove? Strange...those are prey birds. Haru...." She takes the telescope away from her right eye to look up at her younger sister "We'll slide out to the ships if they accept the invitation. As when council members visit home." Haru simply nods her agreement just as the dove arrives, with Kongō landing nearby. Pulling the parchment from the birds' leg Miki hands it to one of the scholar's that could read common. Once the acceptance of the invitation is read a loud, the crowd quickly disperses to begin preparations of food, products and most importantly, teas. There was still time before the ships could dock, but they would pass quickly once everything was in motion.
After a couple of last minute teachings from the chief diplomat of the group, Miki and Haru take to the water in the direction of the visiting vessels, moving along the top of the water much like how one would skate on ice.
((Edited))
"Kapitan! Incoming uuh... people ahoy!" Called a crewman. The captain looked from the bow of the ship and readies a telescope to take sight of the women. "What in the... Men! Hold your fire!" He called to the bombards below. He had never seen something so odd as women walking on water before. Doubtless, an act of aggression to them may seem foolish, especially in regards to the massive turtle-like vessels escorting the trade ships.
As the women approached, the crew had been organized. No longer would they have been strutting about doing their duties, but more stood at attention in the direction of the women. The crew began to talk amomgst themselves about the approaching women. Were they diplomats? They have a firm grasp of magic, that seemed certain. The captain blushesd slightly at the thought of negotiations. Such dealings often made him nervous. Smiling nervously, he raised his hand. "Witaj! (Vi-tai) Do you speak common?" He asksed in his trilling sounding accent, obviously very foreign compared to the other denizens of the Expanse. (Think Polish/Russian)
"Kapitan! Incoming uuh... people ahoy!" Called a crewman. The captain looked from the bow of the ship and readies a telescope to take sight of the women. "What in the... Men! Hold your fire!" He called to the bombards below. He had never seen something so odd as women walking on water before. Doubtless, an act of aggression to them may seem foolish, especially in regards to the massive turtle-like vessels escorting the trade ships.
As the women approached, the crew had been organized. No longer would they have been strutting about doing their duties, but more stood at attention in the direction of the women. The crew began to talk amomgst themselves about the approaching women. Were they diplomats? They have a firm grasp of magic, that seemed certain. The captain blushesd slightly at the thought of negotiations. Such dealings often made him nervous. Smiling nervously, he raised his hand. "Witaj! (Vi-tai) Do you speak common?" He asksed in his trilling sounding accent, obviously very foreign compared to the other denizens of the Expanse. (Think Polish/Russian)
In Archaia's place, a quirky little messenger with a heavy accent arrived with a small crew in a little cutter.
"Dyoo tae a bet of a cevil uproisin', Archaia wan't be eeble tae trade fur sume toime," he said loudly. It was the only sentence he knew how to say in the common tongue, and he sounded out the words carefully and very poorly, as he had practiced the entire voyage long, much to the annoyance of the crew. After he had finished his one sentence, he beamed proudly and went back to the ship, which sailed away.
"Dyoo tae a bet of a cevil uproisin', Archaia wan't be eeble tae trade fur sume toime," he said loudly. It was the only sentence he knew how to say in the common tongue, and he sounded out the words carefully and very poorly, as he had practiced the entire voyage long, much to the annoyance of the crew. After he had finished his one sentence, he beamed proudly and went back to the ship, which sailed away.
Approaching the lead ship and mirrored by Haru, Miki thumps her chest over her heart with one arm before giving a large overhead wave in greeting. With both girls drawing along the sides of the lead ship Miki replies slowly, carefully sounding out her words as she looks up at the Captain of the vessel "Yes! Di-Difficult but yes. Please lower boarding rope?"
After the Council had made decision to establish a trading outpost in the expanse, those chosen to make the initial landings had been given a crash courses in languages common to the expanse both before and during the journey. Considering Enshia's isolated location inside the Shrouded Sea this meant that even Enshia's most well versed in the languages had a fragmented understanding at best. The truth was Higa outpost is as much a learning exercise as it is was functioning trade post.
The language barrier presented itself in regards to the sudden arrival and departure of Archaia's messenger. While the spoken message would be worked over by the group scholars, the general tone was understood to be 'No'. With the ship though came the return of Haru's eagle, the bird landing in near the docks.
After the Council had made decision to establish a trading outpost in the expanse, those chosen to make the initial landings had been given a crash courses in languages common to the expanse both before and during the journey. Considering Enshia's isolated location inside the Shrouded Sea this meant that even Enshia's most well versed in the languages had a fragmented understanding at best. The truth was Higa outpost is as much a learning exercise as it is was functioning trade post.
The language barrier presented itself in regards to the sudden arrival and departure of Archaia's messenger. While the spoken message would be worked over by the group scholars, the general tone was understood to be 'No'. With the ship though came the return of Haru's eagle, the bird landing in near the docks.
The captain nodded and called out to his crew to do so. The men complied and threw the rope overboard for either of them to climb on. They made room for the women to come on board, whilst chatting amongst themselves of the foreign accents they had. The captain smiled and unsheathed his arming sword and threw it right in front of the women before kneeling. This was a greeting from the Wilkans whenever consulting a foreign nation of potential negotiations.
"Good day to you mesdames. I am Kapitan Vadik of Purna. I... I'm quite an illiterate when it comes to negotiations, but I'll try my best." He looked and smiled nervously.
"Good day to you mesdames. I am Kapitan Vadik of Purna. I... I'm quite an illiterate when it comes to negotiations, but I'll try my best." He looked and smiled nervously.
Staring down at the sword, Miki speaks to Haru in Enshian. The tone of her voice made it clear that she was asking several questions, with Haru replying in a lecturing tone. After several moments of this Miki hurriedly motions for Vadik to stand, smiling nervously as she speaks "P-lease rise. Different meaning for us. We do not wish your death....not kaishaku." It was a terrible explanation for what the gesture meant in Enshia, but it was the best Miki was capable of giving due to the language gap.
With her best attempt at explaining over with Miki waves her hand palm up towards Haru before touching the tip of her right pointer finger to her nose, speaking as she does so with clearly rehearsed lines "We are pleased to meet with you. Kobayashi Miki and Kobayashi Haru. M-mages of...Far-Deep Point. W-we honor your arrival to Higa." despite being rehearsed lines, it was plain that Miki struggled with certain words.
With her best attempt at explaining over with Miki waves her hand palm up towards Haru before touching the tip of her right pointer finger to her nose, speaking as she does so with clearly rehearsed lines "We are pleased to meet with you. Kobayashi Miki and Kobayashi Haru. M-mages of...Far-Deep Point. W-we honor your arrival to Higa." despite being rehearsed lines, it was plain that Miki struggled with certain words.
Amongst the crowd of levies, chuckles were heard. Obviously finding amusement in the way they spoke. Of course, being peasants, they had little understanding of what they were saying regardless of language. Vadik, -despite being a szlachta-, was fairly uneducated in the diplomatic fields. Yet, he and his family could afford the education required to speak common. Even though it may seem broken at times, he tried his best. Vadik let out a shush at the chuckling levies, to which they ceased noise almost immediately.
"Hm? Oh! This isn't 'death' or anything." He looked down his dropped sword and picked it up, before sheathing it back in its scabbard. "It's a custom amongst our people when dealing with foreigners. Never mind that- quiet you peasant dogs!" The thought-to-be-gone giggles of the levies ceased once again.
"K-k-koboyarshe?" He enunciated, obviously butchering the pronunciation. "Y-you're both named koboyarshe? Wait wait wait... um... Haroo? Mekey? I'm sorry, I've never heard such strange names before. Care to guide us on shore dear ladies?" He asked, getting straight to business.
"Hm? Oh! This isn't 'death' or anything." He looked down his dropped sword and picked it up, before sheathing it back in its scabbard. "It's a custom amongst our people when dealing with foreigners. Never mind that- quiet you peasant dogs!" The thought-to-be-gone giggles of the levies ceased once again.
"K-k-koboyarshe?" He enunciated, obviously butchering the pronunciation. "Y-you're both named koboyarshe? Wait wait wait... um... Haroo? Mekey? I'm sorry, I've never heard such strange names before. Care to guide us on shore dear ladies?" He asked, getting straight to business.
Paying no mind to the chuckling crew of the ship Miki uses the same up palm gesture as she had just used to 'point' at Haru, saying quickly to clear any name confusion "Kobayashi is...f-family name. W-we are sisters. But yes...to shore." giving Haru a quick command in Enshian, Miki steps back as her sister turns and steps directly back off the side of the ship. Once back on the water Haru slides to the bow of the ship, keeping a fair lead as she holds both arms high in the air in a effort to guide the ship to shore.
Giving Vadik a smile Miki says " Please tell helmsmen to f-follow Haru. She will lead. Please bring any ill here. I am ishi...." pausing for a moment Miki seems to be unable to pronounce the common translation of her role. After several moments with a embarrassed look she reaches inside her robe and pulls free a small piece of parchment, holding it out for Vadik to read while pointing to the translation in question, the word 'healer' beside the word 'ishi' with arrows pointing between both words.
Giving Vadik a smile Miki says " Please tell helmsmen to f-follow Haru. She will lead. Please bring any ill here. I am ishi...." pausing for a moment Miki seems to be unable to pronounce the common translation of her role. After several moments with a embarrassed look she reaches inside her robe and pulls free a small piece of parchment, holding it out for Vadik to read while pointing to the translation in question, the word 'healer' beside the word 'ishi' with arrows pointing between both words.
"Oh! I see... I've never heard of people saying their family name before their given name... odd..." Vadik gave them a quick nod as Haru disembarks off the ship.
Vadik bore a confused face as she stopped at 'ishi'. His understanding suddenly came to him as she showed him the translation for 'ishi'. "Tak tak! We'll do so once we reach dry land." He turned his head to the opposite direction. "Helmsman Vlad! Follow Haroo!" With that, the cog disembarked from its stationary position in the water, and began trailing Haru.
Vadik bore a confused face as she stopped at 'ishi'. His understanding suddenly came to him as she showed him the translation for 'ishi'. "Tak tak! We'll do so once we reach dry land." He turned his head to the opposite direction. "Helmsman Vlad! Follow Haroo!" With that, the cog disembarked from its stationary position in the water, and began trailing Haru.
Nodding as she puts away her parchment, Miki says "For s-safety none shall leave the ship be-before I have checked them...Yes?" Her tone was one a healer might take when ordering a stubborn patient to lay still. It was hard for her to express the tone verbally, but the stern expression that accompanies her words should at least convey the message.
Switching tones Miki slowly explains about Enshian naming "Enshia has...many islands. Each mother keeps books of...l-lineage to trace f-family to other islands. Mothers copy their book for daughters. Daughter adds their tale to that book later. A f-family's history...good or bad is in each. So f-family name is much honor...or dis-honor. Teaches children to not go the dishonored paths. Also keeps from marrying close f-family from other islands." The 'family books' were sometimes confusing practice but it was the most efficient way to keep track of family spread across numerous islands.
Haru stayed dead center in front of the bow, arms raised above her head, dipping a arm only when she indicated a change in direction followed by correcting herself to the proper heading as well. While it might well have looked strange to the Wilkans, a woman 'walking' on water to guide their ship into port, it was nothing new for any of the Enshian mages. During Higa's construction all of the Enshian mages had been instructed to learn the in and outbound ship routes and ever other detail of the shore they had landed upon.
For Haru, guiding the vessel was not a challenge but simply a slow affair. The differences in vessel design caused her to bring the Wilkan vessel at a slower pace compared to how she would handle a traditional Enshian vessel of the same size.
Switching tones Miki slowly explains about Enshian naming "Enshia has...many islands. Each mother keeps books of...l-lineage to trace f-family to other islands. Mothers copy their book for daughters. Daughter adds their tale to that book later. A f-family's history...good or bad is in each. So f-family name is much honor...or dis-honor. Teaches children to not go the dishonored paths. Also keeps from marrying close f-family from other islands." The 'family books' were sometimes confusing practice but it was the most efficient way to keep track of family spread across numerous islands.
Haru stayed dead center in front of the bow, arms raised above her head, dipping a arm only when she indicated a change in direction followed by correcting herself to the proper heading as well. While it might well have looked strange to the Wilkans, a woman 'walking' on water to guide their ship into port, it was nothing new for any of the Enshian mages. During Higa's construction all of the Enshian mages had been instructed to learn the in and outbound ship routes and ever other detail of the shore they had landed upon.
For Haru, guiding the vessel was not a challenge but simply a slow affair. The differences in vessel design caused her to bring the Wilkan vessel at a slower pace compared to how she would handle a traditional Enshian vessel of the same size.
"Of course madam." Vadik nodded. The crewmen suddenly stood at ease and went back to their idle chatter. Amongst the chatter, there were uproars of laughter, possibly in relation to the Enshian women.
Vadik smiled as Miki explained their genealogical system. Funny, the republic could never have the capacity to afford so much paper. Perhaps, their land had access to such massive supplies to paper. But what of the scribes? They must've earned a fortune with that much production. "I see... back in Nowia, our names are traced from the beginning of a Household via a Wladlin (V-lahd-lin) who is basically the patriarch of a household. The republic traces its roots and names from the founding Talmerik family of Orelivo and its 'Stepclans'. But, that's a story for another time, Mekey." He extends a hand toward Miki, smiling. "Is it appropriate to shake other's hands in your culture?"
The crewmen (although having acknowledged the peaceful nature of the Enshians) still brandished their spears and shields, in preparation for an ambush. Vadik thought it unlikely that would be the case, but, he wouldn't punish those who were on high-alert.
Vadik smiled as Miki explained their genealogical system. Funny, the republic could never have the capacity to afford so much paper. Perhaps, their land had access to such massive supplies to paper. But what of the scribes? They must've earned a fortune with that much production. "I see... back in Nowia, our names are traced from the beginning of a Household via a Wladlin (V-lahd-lin) who is basically the patriarch of a household. The republic traces its roots and names from the founding Talmerik family of Orelivo and its 'Stepclans'. But, that's a story for another time, Mekey." He extends a hand toward Miki, smiling. "Is it appropriate to shake other's hands in your culture?"
The crewmen (although having acknowledged the peaceful nature of the Enshians) still brandished their spears and shields, in preparation for an ambush. Vadik thought it unlikely that would be the case, but, he wouldn't punish those who were on high-alert.