Second Interlude
Swells Over Still Waters (+Audiobook)
(Authors Note: the formatting for the Interludes doesn’t hold up well in Substack, but hopefully they are still readable and enjoyable. They are not essential to the story, but they serve to color in the world. Also some of the most over-the-top and ridiculous voice work is in the interlude spaces, so enjoy that.)
Excerpt From ‘Records of the Oullman of Filkash’
Dōmünfoll, earliest recorded Oullman, who led for 25 years according to tradition from the age of 31 to 56, whence the Oullman was passed to his son
The Great Schism: when the Fāy-Núl Tör seceded from the Sanctum of Souls, occurred during the 22nd year of Dōmünfoll’s leadership
Dōhfass, first recorded blood successor, who led for 25 years according to tradition from the age of 30 to 55, whence the Oullman was passed to winner of Contest of Weights
Gunsha, first recorded winner of the Contests, who led for 13 years from 20 to 33 until his death in a shipwreck, whence the Oullman was passed to his brother
Ushin, second recorded blood successor, who led for 25 years according to tradition from the age of 26 to 51, whence the Oullman was passed to winner of Contest of Breaths
Jesska, second recorded winner of the Contests, who led 20 years from the age of 32 to 52, whence the Oullman was passed to her twin sister
Shuntiss, third recorded blood successor, who led for 10 years from 45 to 55 until her death at sea, whence the Oullman was passed to her younger sister’s son
Law of Reckoning is instituted by King Wonum the Wise of Dintash, existing records of Filkash compiled into an official record by Shuntiss
Ishila, fourth recorded blood successor, who led for 25 years according to tradition from the age of 28 to 53, whence the Oullman was passed to the winner of Contest of Weights
Trowdish, the scorned Oullman, who won the Contest of Weights by way of deception and was discovered after 3 years of leadership, having led from the age of 21 to 24, whence the Oullman was passed to the cheated
Jiya, third recorded winner of Contests, who reigned 25 years according to tradition from the age of 36 to 61, whence the Oullman was passed to her brother’s son
Fortiba, fifth recorded blood successor, who led for 25 years according to tradition from the age of 20 to 45, whence the Oullman was passed to his son
Keelay, sixth recorded blood successor, who led for 25 years according to tradition and who broke tradition with another 5 years of leadership from the age of 34 to 64, who died in the first year of the North War, whence the Oullman was passed by wartime rights to the highest-ranking military general
Wellisham, seventh recorded blood successor, who led for 25 years according to tradition from the age of 29 to 54, whence the Oullman was passed to winner of Contest of Depths.
Gorsha, fourth recorded winner of Contests, who has led 4 years thus far from the age of 62
From The Lineages of the Four Nations, written by Maliabar Handwell in the 93rd Reckoned Year and Revised in the 125th Reckoned Year
Excerpt, ‘Uncommon and Rare Sea Life’
Feverweep are long eel-like fish that reach up to a full tower in length. They have a variety of unique and noteworthy features. They possess six eyes, three on either side of the head, an inner jaw that rests within the throat to be extended out at prey within striking distance, and venomous fangs in the prominent outer jaw. They tend to be found in the Slick Sea and the Broad Sea, though there have been sightings in Strange Sea as well. They will eat anything sizable enough to merit pursuit, including other feverweep, and have even been spotted locked in combat with storm squid, though their favorite meal is the martag ray.
Boiler Sharks are the largest species of shark, typically reaching lengths of 60 to 75 feet. They are normally found in the cooler waters to the west and the south of the Shipwreck Straits. In the few times these sharks have been seen hunting, it appears that they favor whales and wake folders. The boiler shark has a specialized method of stunning its prey where it passes water through its open mouth to specialized heating glands along the gills. The water then expelled from its gills is of such an extremely hot temperature that the prey, accustomed to cooler waters, is stunned into a paralyzed state. They say that a boiler shark can set the waters to boil if it is near the surface, though this has never been creditably observed or verified.
Mossfin Turtles are the rarest of the eight observed species of turtles, reaching a length of 15 feet across and 15 feet in length. When seen from a ship, they resemble a mossy rock or a mound of tower vine. The shell of a mossfin is soft and pliable, lending little in the way of protection. They live primarily among the floating forests, favoring the fallen fruit as their primary food source. They have been seen out in open ocean, so it is assumed they stray from the forests for other food sources when the fruits are not in season, though it is not known what else they eat.
Slump Fluke are a slow, lumbering fish named for their prominent caudal tail fin, which extends far above their dorsal fin and far below their pectoral fins. They are not commonly seen, so the general size is an average of the documented specimens thus far, which is a length of 8 feet, and 17 feet from bottom to top of the tail. They have very small and almost useless pectoral fins that remain flat against the body, a small dorsal bump, and the standard two eyes on either side of the head. There is a clear, luminescent gland beneath each eye, resembling a thick tear being shed. This has led to the slump fluke being nicknamed the sad fluke. It is as yet unknown what the purpose of these glands is.
Martag Rays are classified as a ray, due to their long thin tail and their two wing-like fins, however, when spotted below the surface, they more closely resemble a fodderfin. The body of a martag is believed to be an average of 4 or 5 feet long, and half that in height. Martags can only be distinguished as a ray due to their long, thin tail that bears a pointed barb toward the end. Their pectoral fins look like a typical fish when below the water, being vertical to the body. Between the vertical portion of fin and their body however, is a thin horizontal fin that can extend outward, giving the martag a wing with a rudder on each end. They are capable of launching themselves from the water, unfolding their wings, and gliding for large distances. While not good for eating, they are still hunted by some for their strange pectoral fins, which whalers believe bring favorable winds when mounted to the figurehead.
Translated From the Filkish Text, Sea Life of Yath, written by Remull Mawgard in the 100th Reckoned Year and Revised in the 124th Year
Excerpt, ‘Natural Phenomena’
…There are several known rock formations and underwater mountain ranges that stick out above the water. I am of course discounting the mountainous land of Broadfell Keep, which is too large to be considered merely a rock formation. One of the most famous of these formations is known as the Face of Dōmünfoll, which can be found in the Filkish Oullman, near the southernmost portion of the Sea of Saints. I could find no historical record for when this formation was named, however records do show that there was an Oullman named Dōmünfoll far back in Filkash’s history. I was unable to determine if the name stems from a likeness or is simply a title. I was able to observe and can say that the formation does vaguely resemble a face, though the suns must be in just the right position to give the proper effect. It is worth a visit in the right lighting, though is mostly unimpressive otherwise. It is this traveler's advice to visit the site just before second sunset.
Another such natural phenomena I was able to observe is the immense rock wall that lies at the northernmost reaches of Broadfell Keep. It is known as The Great Unpass, presumably because it is an impassable mountain with no way through it or over it. The Unpass extends high enough into the sky that clouds typically obscure the upper portion, rendering it a truly breathtaking site. I highly recommend this site as a place that should be seen by all. During my time in Broadfell, I was never able to observe the upper heights of the Unpass. The secrets of The Great Unpass, if there are any, are closely guarded by the Fellpost’s of Broadfell. I was able to attain a brief interview with Fellpost HelBenTorkinlock, though it consisted mostly of grunts and denials. I was only able to dig up one more fact, a nickname the Fellbin’s have for The Great Unpass: They call it the ‘Stone Storm Wall’.
While I was in Broadfell, I also observed the Bay of Boiling Waters, which is mostly viewed from the coast line below the Caves of Vohmun-Steeck. It is sight for certain, though is not as impressive as the name makes it out to be. The Bay gets its name from the hundreds, if not thousands of sharp rocks that jut up through the surface of the water. When combined with the crashing waves, the water becomes a frothy white foam, as though it were boiling. This is not the only place where rocks poke up through the water, but the reason this particular place is more noteworthy is due to the unique combination of crashing waves and rocks, leading to the resemblance of boiling water. There are also many large vats of glowing millie juice carefully placed around the rocks, so as to warn off sailors from piercing their hulls. It is this traveler’s advice to visit the site during a night with a blacksmith’s moon, to better see the glow.
One natural phenomena I was not able to properly observe was the massive whirlpool known as The Flower, just above the Shipwreck Straits. I attempted to charter a vessel for this purpose but was viewed with great suspicion of madness and I eventually settled for a whaler that said they would come within viewing distance of the thing. We approached from the Slick Sea, sailing south toward the whirlpool. I was told we had arrived and was then handed an eyeglass and told this was as close as we would get. I was able to observe a slight sinking in the surface of the ocean, and I could see the currents were quite strong, but this was all I was able to observe for myself. Because of the danger, and thereby difficulty, in seeing the Flower, it is this traveler’s advice to forgo a visit altogether. There are dozens of accounts of ships being lost to the grasp of the Flower. I was also able to locate the source of the name, which came from the ship log of an old Dintish exploratory vessel that had the good fortune of surviving a close encounter. The captain referred to the thing as the Flower, and warned off other sailors, though not very successfully, I might add.
After ridding myself of the whaler and its regrettable smells, I chartered a new vessel to see the infamous Pits of Vare Doh-shah. The pleasure barge I chartered from Folders Fill had several high lookouts from which to view the submerged holes. It is this traveler’s advice to ensure such a vantage is possible, as it renders the Pits mysterious and consuming. The captain of the vessel regaled me with stories of how an ancient cult known as the Vain Ulltor, or some such nonsense, used to sink the bodies of their victims and any unusable stolen goods down into the unplumbable depths. I doubt there is any truth to this story, though it was a fascinating anecdote. The captain also told me that there are old folktales that say the name means Pits of Blue Fire in some long-dead language. I have my suspicions about this tale as well, but it is fascinating none-the-less.
My final sally into the far reaches of the map was to see a place I was not sure existed at all. I had heard rumors that there was the body of a mythical beast, long dead, somewhere in the eastern area of the Strange Sea. The place, as I heard it called, was Deepfoot Shoal, and it was a long stretching island said to be the shell of some ancient mythical creature called a Deepfoot. After much difficulty, I managed to attain a charter from Balehorn Mass southwest through the Strange Sea, then north again to make port at some man-made trade port by the name of Sailwind Stop. The trade port was not on my map, but I trusted my charter. Unfortunately, I never did see this elusive Deepfoot Shoal, however I was able to see the Floating Forest of Domevole, which this traveler does recommend a visit to. This floating forest is tinged a dull black from the Strange Sea, with bright white leaves covering the branches.
From An Honest Travel Guide, written by Teller ‘Tell All’ Delkinmast in the 3rd Reckoned Year
Excerpt, ‘Rules of the Contests’
The Contest for Oullman shall be chosen by the current Oullman, should no blood relative desire the position. The following are designated options for Contests, however a new Contest may be formed by way of a vote.
The Contest of Weights is intended to be an exhibition of an Oullman’s ability to weigh and measure the immaterial, such as truth and justice, as well as the material, such as taxes and goods.
A large, measured portion of material is to be set in the center of the Fill for all inhabitants to see, then guess the weight of the material, with the closest guess receiving the title of Oullman.
The Contest of Heights is intended to be an exhibition of an Oullman’s ability to brave the heights of leadership, as well as ascend to them safely.
All desiring contestants will gather at Windrock Cairn with their personalized marker and set to climb the highest up its sheer face without any ropes, thus receiving the title of Oullman.
The Contest of Winds is intended to be an exhibition of an Oullman’s ability to navigate the nation of Filkash through great distance and perils.
All desiring contestants will gather at Nunfee Fill and set sail north across the Deep Sea to Frozen Fill, being the first to arrive, thereby receiving the title of Oullman.
The Contest of Breaths is intended as an exhibition of an Oullman’s ability to withstand great pressures and dark situations.
All desiring contestants will gather at the Face of Dōmünfoll and swim down its length while bearing a measured rope, with the deepest dive receiving the title of Oullman.
Translated From the Filkish Dictum, Oullman of Filkash, written by Oullman Dōhfass in the Unreckoned Years and Revised in the 50th Reckoned Year