Nova Terra Equestriae

Severnaius was intrigued. Sure, he's seen lots of unusual things as a merchant who traveled through all over Aretia: the desert nomads of Sakkatri, and the horde-like nature of Miangad-Uls, but this was something else.

The horses had a remarkable range of colors and features, and many of these horses had curious symbols on their flanks. He approached the village, which was named Õsametes. The village was quite calm and featured stilted houses and colorful inhabitants. The unicorns had unique symbols on their flanks, which Severnaius guessed might signify something important to their culture. He could see that these creatures were curious about the visitors but also cautious. He went to one of the unicorns, who had a deep blue coat and a silver star symbol on its flank, and started talking.

"Salve, nomen Severnaius Clericus mihi est, ubi sumus? (Hello, my name is Severnaius Clericus; do you know where we are?)"

The pony looked puzzled, his ears flicking in confusion. The language he spoke was foreign to him, and his incomprehension was evident, but then he replied:

"Iryga Sasaki? (What are you?)"

The phrase was unfamiliar, and Severnaius could not understand it. From the pony's tone, he could tell that it was a question. He believed it meant 'Who are you?' or 'Where are you from?', so he decided to reply:

"Humanus sum, et de Imperii sum, iryga… sasaki? (I am a human, and I'm from Imperium. What are you?)" Severnais replied, whilst repeating the phrase just to make sure that this interpretation was correct.

"Roid mitu ãmateka (I am a pony)"

Severnaius nodded, realizing that direct communication might be challenging. He decided to use gestures and simple phrases to continue understanding. He motioned to himself, then to his crew, and pointed towards the village.

"Ubi est? (Where is this?)"

The pony seemed to understand the phrase and replied,

"Va mi Õsametes (This is Õsametes)"

Severnaius knew he needed to make a record of his findings. He decided that a detailed map of the area would be essential for reporting back to the Emperor and validating the significance of their voyage, so he decided to attempt to get a map from the ponies.

Severnaius approached a small group of unicorns who were busy with their daily tasks. He noticed that some of the unicorns wore necklaces and had other decorative items that seemed to have symbolic significance.

Perhaps these items could serve as a form of trade or tribute. Severnaius decided to use what he had at hand—some of the exotic goods he had brought from Aretia; he considered that the unicorns might have their own system of exchange or currency.

“Ubi est mercatus? (Where is the market?)” Severnaius asked, hoping to find a place where he could engage in trade. They seemed to understand his intent and gestured toward a central area of the village. Severnaius and his crew followed the unicorn to a bustling area where various items were being displayed and traded among the villagers.

The market in Õsametes was vibrant, filled with colorful goods and a lively exchange between the unicorns. Severnaius observed that many of the goods were handcrafted and carried an artistic flair. He approached a stall where a unicorn was selling scrolls.

“Salve,” Severnaius greeted, trying to bridge the gap with friendly gestures. He then presented one of the exotic items from his cargo—an Oud perfume from Sakkatri, which he bought some years ago.

“Vendo hoc (I sell this),” he said, pointing to the Oud. He carefully removed a map from his satchel and unfurled it on a nearby flat surface. The map depicted the known lands of Aretia. He said:

"Charta (Map)" whilst pointing at the map. He proceeded to name some of the places on the map. “Volo hoc, habesne? (I want this; do you have?)”

The owner of the stall seemed to understand the general idea of what Severnaius was searching for. She motioned for him to hold off before going to a nearby cottage.

She came back after a little while bearing an abstract scroll that was nothing like the conventional maps Severnaius was used to seeing. He could only assume that the scroll's complex patterns and interwoven symbols represented the area's geography or even a type of symbolic cartography.

With a polite nod, Severnaius accepted the scroll and looked it over carefully. Despite being abstract and dissimilar to traditional maps of Aretia, it appeared to hold important information about the surrounding area. Knowing that he had been able to successfully obtain a record of the new island.

"This could be our key to uncovering new trade routes," one of his officers said, tracing a finger along the coastline. "If this map is accurate, there may be more to this place than just this village; heck, this might even be an entire continent!"

Severnaius nodded, glancing back toward the village where the unicorns continued their daily routines. There was much they didn’t understand about this new land and its inhabitants, but his instincts told him that they had stumbled upon something truly extraordinary. He knew that returning to the Imperium with this knowledge could change everything—not just for himself but for Arhet.

But first, Severnaius and his 120 crew members needed a place to stay for the night, so he and his 4 crew members left the village and walked back on the road to the ships.

Night fell, and they decided to use the ships as a sleeping spot for the night. On the deck of the ship, Severnaius set a lamp, looking at the scroll. “We need to decipher this,” he muttered, leaning closer to the firelight to better inspect the scroll’s intricate symbols. “It could be the key to understanding this place.”

He gazed at it, just before one of his officers, Laurentius, approached him. A tall and sharp-witted man with years of experience in navigating foreign lands nodded thoughtfully. “There’s something more going on here, Captain. These unicorns… they seem organized, even advanced in their own way. If we can communicate with them properly, we might learn something incredible.”

"You’re right, Laurentius," Severnaius said, eyes still fixed on the scroll. "These unicorns—if they have this level of artistry and craftsmanship, they might possess knowledge and technology beyond what we’ve encountered. But first, we need to understand their language and culture more deeply."

"But we need to get some rest. If we're going to go back to the village, we're going to have to be well rested."

"You're right, we're not going to get anything out of this scroll they gave us if I'm tired."

So, the two slept, and night passed.