Chapters The Route Through Oceanus
The year is 1520, Imperium was in a golden age, it owned nearly half of Mainland Aretia , and trade was bustling more than ever. And at the heart of this trade was the Scismatis Sea. This sea was between mainland Aretia and the Island of Mythos. Imperiums largest trade partner was Tiudunhaim , which was on the island of Mythos .
The route to Tiudunhaim was relatively simple, having to travel to the port city of Teus , then sailing the Scismatis Sea to pass the Kalkara Channel , before landing on Mungibeddu , the nation's largest city. The problem was that this route was full of pirates, who plundered nearly all merchant ships around the area.
But there was another route—a longer, more perilous one. This route involved going through the vast and uncharted Oceanus . The Oceanus was a superocean twice the size of the Pacific Ocean, and nobody has ever circumnavigated it. Rumors and legends have told the tales of various sea monsters that lurk beneath this ocean.
Severnaius Clericus, a Hegemonian merchant, lived in the city of Tycheum , a city just 50 km away from Teus. As he stood upon the docks, he received a newsletter.
Merchants Beware! On August 15, 1520, 3 ships were raided by pirates in the Kalkara Channel; the Kalkaran Navy captured these pirates at Ganneia and arrested them. It is heavily advised for merchants to take alternative routes.
Severnaius frowned. The Kalkara channel had always been dangerous, but with more ship traffic, the more attacks were happening. Mungibeddu was a critical destination for merchants like him, but the dangers seemed to outweigh the cost. So, as Severnaius was standing on the docks, an idea struck him. It was madness, but so was risking precious cargo and his life. His idea was the Oceanus. There were no pirates there, he wondered. If he successfully traveled across this vast ocean, he'd be famous for tales of the legendary Severanius Clericus, who traveled through the wide Oceanus. So, he had made a decision; the next time he would sail to Tiudunhim, he was going through the Oceanus.
Two years had passed since Severnaius Clericus first conceived the idea of crossing the Oceanus. The image of pirates raiding merchant ships in the Kalkara Channel lingered in his mind as he worked tirelessly on plans to take the uncharted route. His name had already been circulating among merchants all over Arhet as the man crazy enough to even consider navigating the perilous superocean. But Severnaius was determined—his ambition had grown with every passing month, and the thought of what lay beyond the known seas kept him going. During those two years, he had poured over ancient maps, consulted scholars in Teus, and spent endless nights meeting with shipwrights to design vessels capable of braving the vast Oceanus. With no known safe harbors beyond the Kalkara Channel, he needed ships that could carry enough supplies for a journey whose end no one could predict.
By 1523, Severnaius had completed his preparations. He found himself in the grand court of Horatius II Minor, vicar of Magius Aeternus, Emperor of Imperium, presenting his plans for the audacious voyage. The merchant's reputation, mixed with his promises of untold riches and uncharted trade routes, swayed the court. The ruler, intrigued by the prospect of expanding the empire’s influence, agreed to fund the expedition.
Severnaius was granted a sum of ₳2,000,000, an astronomical amount for the time, enough to finance the construction of two ships, hire a crew, and equip the voyage with ample provisions. The ships Neptunus and Hercules, named after revered gods of sea and bravery , were built to weather the most turbulent seas. Each vessel was equipped with reinforced hulls and extra storage for food and water.
On a calm morning in early June 1523, the harbor of Burdigala , one of the Imperium’s largest port cities, was abuzz with activity. Severnaius stood on the deck of the Neptunus, the flagship of the expedition. A crew of 120 men stood ready across both ships, handpicked from the most experienced sailors of Aretia. As the final crates of supplies were loaded, Severnaius gazed across the horizon, where the ocean stretched beyond sight.
The time had come.
On this day, they set sail into the Fretum Budigalensis , a big strait that led into the Mare Mercatorium . As they were sailing through the strait, they were filled with an overwhelming sense of the unknown.
A day passed, and they reached the island of Aulon , the largest island within the Fretum Budigalensis. They decided to spend a few hours in Sancta Mariana Insula before leaving.
Three days later they reached the island of Merkatos , one of Imperiums institutional seats. They landed here and sent a report to the Emperor of their arrival, and after just 5 hours they set sail once more.
17 days passed, and they were nearly 3000 km away from Aretia; even though this was a long distance away to Mythos, it was farther than anyone had ever sailed. But, in the distance, storm clouds emerge. His crew members advised him not to continue, but he insisted on going anyway. The storm approached the ship, and before long it started raining. As the ship sailed, the waves became bigger, and the rain poured harder.
The storm raged on, its fury battering Neptunus and the Hercules as they struggled against the relentless waves. Severnaius Clericus clung to the railing, his eyes scanning the tumultuous horizon for any sign of hope. The storm's roar drowned out all other sounds, but his crew's urgent shouts and the creaking of the ship's battered hull were ever-present.
After a grueling struggle, the storm finally began to subside, leaving the two ships limping through the choppy waters. As the clouds parted, a faint silhouette appeared through the mist—land.
The crew, exhausted but relieved, maneuvered the Neptunus towards the shoreline. They anchored just offshore, the rain still drizzling lightly, creating a somber atmosphere. The crew’s relief was palpable, and Severnaius knew they had to act quickly to assess the damage and make necessary repairs.
Severnaius looked at his maps; there were no landmasses at the location they were in. This was a new island. So, they turned the ships to a small bay. Upon reaching the shore, Severnaius and his crew disembarked, carefully unloading their supplies and equipment. They began a preliminary assessment of the Neptunus’s damage. The ship's hull was deeply scarred by the storm, and several of the rigging lines were torn.
Meanwhile, Severnaius spotted something—a stone road. The road itself was not anything peculiar; in fact, it was somewhat like a generic, stone road you would see in Imperium.
“Hey! There seems to be a road here! ”Severnaius calls his crew.
Severnaius and 4 of his members walk on the road cautiously heading north, and after around 10 minutes of walking, they find a village. The village was somewhat picturesque, with stilted houses and an elegant design. But it was not the architecture that intrigued Severnaius, nor the surroundings, but the inhabitants. The village inhabitants were not humans, but something much more peculiar, small, colorful unicorns?
The Land of Colorful Unicorns
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.
The following morning, around 5AM, Severnaius and his crew were already hard at work. Severnaius and his crew gathered on the deck of the ship. The village of Õsametes still seemed distant, but the memory of the colorful unicorns and their peculiar culture lingered in Severnaius' mind.
"We need to make progress," Severnaius said, addressing his crew as they stood before him. "Today, we will return to the village. But we must proceed with caution. We know little of their customs and less of their language. Our goal is to build trust, and to teach them Hegamonian to gain understanding."
Laurentius nodded in agreement. "We should also see if we can gain more from that scroll. It might hold more secrets than we realize."
Severnaius gestured to one of the younger crew members, Cretheos. "Cretheos, Bring the scroll with you—we’ll need your eyes and insight. I also want you to bring a notebook, And to the rest of you, continue fixing the ship. We'll be back by noon."
So, Severnaius, Laurentius, and Crethos walked on the stone road once more. As Severnaius, Laurentius, and Cretheos made their way back to Õsametes, the sun rose.
Upon reaching Õsametes, the trio was met with curious glances from the unicorns. The unicorns had gathered in small clusters, resuming their daily tasks, and seemed to be discussing the visitors among themselves. Severnaius noticed that some unicorns were peering out from behind their homes, clearly interested but somewhat scared.
Severnaius and his crew approached the village of Õsametes with renewed determination. The morning light cast a warm glow over the quaint village, making it seem even more inviting. The unicorns, while still curious, appeared more receptive to the visitors as they observed the trio approaching.
Severnaius knew that teaching the unicorns Hegamonian (Latin), would be a complex process, but it was crucial for building a bridge between their cultures. The first step, he thought, was to start with the basics—simple words and phrases that could help in everyday communication.
As they entered the village, Severnaius spotted a group of unicorns engaged in various activities. He decided to approach a unicorn who was tending to a small garden. The unicorn had a Orange coat and a rose on her flank.
"Salve," Severnaius greeted with a friendly smile. He gestured to the unicorn and then to a nearby flower. "Hoc est flos ," he said, pointing at the flower.
"Flos?"
"Bonum, quid est tuum verbum pro flore?"
The unicorn simply looked at him, not understanding Severnaius.
"Hmm, maybe I should try another way, iryga sasaki? (what are you)" Severnaius pointed at the flower.
"Ẽjatoḟu, Va mi Ẽjatoḟu. (flower, that's a flower)"
Severnaius motioned for Cretheos to step forward who was holding a small, leather-bound notebook. Cretheos began jotting down each term and its corresponding object.
Severnaius called the Unicorn again, and pointing to himself, said "Ego Severnaius," He hoped the unicorn would understand he was referring to himself. The unicorn blinked, tilting her head as if trying to make sense of what he was saying.
"Ego," Severnaius repeated, pointing to himself, Then he gestured to the unicorn.
"Roid mi Ḻestẽma Kolga (I am Heart Cloud)" The Unicorn responded
"Lestema Colga, Hoc est tuum nomen? (Lestema Colga, that's your name?)"
"Nomen? Iryga mi nomen ? (name? What is name?)"
Severnaius then pointed at himself, saying "Nomen mihi Severnaius est. Nomen tibi est Lestema Colga? (my name is Serevaius, your name is Lestema Colga?)"
"Nomen… novur? (name?)" Ḻestẽma answered. Thinking novur was name in their language, Severnaius responded.
"Ita! Novur mihi Severnaius est. (My name is Serevaius.)"
"Se, wer, na, yus. Sa." Ḻestẽma repeated.
Severnaius smiled, encouraged by Ḻestẽma’s attempt to pronounce his name. He could see the curiosity in her eyes, even though she still didn’t fully understand what he was saying. The exchange had sparked a small connection, and that was enough for now. So Severnaius took the scroll which was in his bag, and showed it to the unicorn. He pointed in a series of glyphs in the center, and with his little knowledge of the language, he asked
"Iryga? (what?)"
Ḻestẽma Looked at the scroll, and she read the text.
"Õsametes" she replied, and Cretheos noted the word, and its Amatekian translation as:
Õsametes -
Severnaius continue to ask Ḻestẽma to decipher the map, and Cretheos noted each word down. The process was slow, but it was methodical, and progress was being made.
Before they new it it was nearly sundown, and Severnaius said farewell to Ḻestẽma and went back to the ship.
Later that night, Cretheos was up attempting to decipher these glyphs, they already had transliterations, they just needed to find out how the writing system works. The writing system was an alphasyllabary, with each glyph representing a consonant-vowel combination rather than a single sound. Cretheos looked at the Latin transliterations of the scroll. He wrote down each glyph and what he believed was its Latin correspondence, and Crethoes neatly arranged them in rows and columns, but then Severnaius knocked on the door, looking tired but hopeful.
"How is the deciphering?" Severnaius asked, peering at Cretheos’s work.
"I believe I've managed to match most of the glyphs to their Hegamonian counterparts. However, there's an issue with these what I call Letterae quietae , they seem to be present after vowels and I'm not sure what there for."
Severnaius thought for a moment. "Could they be silent or have a secondary function? It could be like Patrian (French), certain letters or marks serve to modify pronunciation or denote specific sounds, even if they aren't pronounced themselves. They could also mean they were once pronounced."
Cretheos nodded again, looking thoughtful. "That seems plausible. We need to understand their function better, but it’s challenging without hearing the actual sounds."
The next day, Severnaius, Laurentius, and Cretheos returned to Õsametes, and the Hercules was fixed. The Neputunus was still damaged, and Severnaius ordered them to put all attention on fixing the Neptunus.
As the trio entered Õsametes, the unicorns greeted them with curious eyes, though they seemed more accustomed to the trio’s presence now. Ḻestẽma, the unicorn who had helped them the previous day, waved as they approached her garden. Severnaius returned the wave with a smile, grateful for her continued cooperation. The early sun illuminated the village, casting long shadows across the ground.
As they approached Ḻestẽma, Severnaius, took the leather notebook from Cretheoss bag and wrote Õsametes and asked Ḻestẽma to read it.
"Cretheos, Laurentius, put all attention on the way she says the word." Severnaius told them.
"Õsametes ." Ḻestẽma read the glyphs.
"Hmm, There seems to be some kind of sound in the first vowel." Cretheos noted. "It's not just the written symbol. It seems to be influenced by the nasus "
"What do you mean 'influenced by the nasus'?" Laurentius asked.
Cretheos paused, looking over his notes again, before explaining. "What I mean is, the first vowel sound, it's not just a pure vowel. There's a hint of nasalization, like in Patrian when some vowels are followed by an 'n' or 'm,' and they take on a nasal quality. In this case, it's subtle but distinct."
Laurentius frowned, thinking it over. "So you're saying the first vowel in 'Õsametes' is nasalized? How would we note that down?"
Cretheos nodded. "Exactly. In our Latin transcription, we could mark it with a tilde over the vowel, like in certain Vulgar languages"
Severnaius nodded thoughtfully, taking in Cretheos's explanation. The discovery of nasalization was another step toward understanding the unicorns’ language, and he could sense they were on the brink of a breakthrough.
"Good work, Cretheos," Severnaius said. "Let’s note it down carefully. This detail could be essential for properly understanding their speech and making progress in teaching them Hegamonian."
Severnaius and his companions continued their linguistic work with Ḻestẽma and the other unicorns for the next two weeks. Each day was a step closer to unlocking the mysteries of their language, and with every breakthrough, the trio felt a growing bond with the village. They had learned that the Amatekian writing system was not as impenetrable as it seemed, and the unicorns, for their part, became more willing to help, eager to share their culture with the strangers from afar.
Despite the progress, Severnaius knew their time in Õsametes was drawing to a close. The repairs to the Neptunus were nearly complete, and soon they would have to return to Imperium.
Two weeks have passed and Severnaius and his crew have fixed the Neptunus and Hercules, during this time, Severnaius had also taken the opportunity to learn more about the unicorns and their culture. He also decided to return back to Imperium to report back to the emperor about the new island.
"Salve," Severnaius called Ḻestẽma and she trotted, her eyes curious. The merchant had prepared a small ceremonial necklace, adorned with precious stones from Aretia, as a gesture of goodwill and respect.
"Salve," Severnaius said with a smile. "Vis nos (Come with us)" He said, whilst going on the ship.
Ḻestẽma nodded and went on the ship. After some preparation, they set sail. Ḻestẽma looked at the island, knowing it'll be a long time before she'd see it again. The island became further, and further, and before they knew it was open sea once more. On his time on the ship, Ḻestẽma continued to study Hegamonian.
