Chapter 3 - The Final Voyage

Chapter 3 - The Final Voyage

  As the Lord Admiral watched the fog covered land disappear over the horizon a strange feeling came over him. He quickly rushed over and began to look at the charts Bresian had given him and did not take long to realize that the map Bresian gave him was not of the routes back towards Moonlight Falls but to another land as of yet undiscovered. A note appeared upon the bottom of the map which read "Lord admiral your destiny awaits".

Francis hurried to his chart box to find the proper charts to get him back to Moonlight Falls, back to the answers of why the "Sea Witch" was destroyed, and most importantly back to his home in Notchcliff.  Francis made the calculations and was issuing instructions to the first mate and helmsman when again he was interrupted by a strange feeling, like a presence surrounding him, drawing him back to "that" map, the map Bresian had handed him. Francis wondered if the chanting from the villagers of Berwyn actually placed some form of spell, or curse upon him.

Once again he shook off these feelings and gave the command to the helmsman to change course for Moonlight Falls. As the wheel of the helm spun, the venture would not respond, it was as if the ship itself had a mind of its own and continued on course for the strange lands from "that" map. The first mate, and Francis himself tried everything they could to get the Venture to respond but all attempts failed.  Francis had teams check the ship from stem to stern to figure out what was happening to his ship, all reported back that there were no issues with any of the mechanical aspects of the ship. So it was as if the "Venture" was possessed, and the explorer in Francis became much more curious about their destination.

The crew was informed of what was happening and, as expected by Francis, became outraged. While Francis was trying to calm the crowd a voice rang out from the back of the group, " you are all to be a part of something much greater than you know please have patience it will all be revealed to you soon". Everyone, including Francis was looking around to find the one who was speaking but he could not be seen anywhere on the deck. Francis was sure that the voice belonged to Bresian but did not see him board the ship when they left Berwyn nor did he see him at this moment. 

It was not long after this a cry was heard from the crow's nest "Land Ho, Land ahead". Francis rushed to the bow of the ship and looked upon a chain of 5 large islands just appearing over the horizon. The islands were mountainous and held a beauty Francis had never seen. The ship was getting closer to the shore and a faint chant could be heard coming from the lower decks, the same chant that was heard when the ship left Berwyn Heights. As the ship approached the western edge of the island chain it shook violently as if it hit a large rock and began to take on water. The crew quickly prepared the longboats and emptying the ship of all essential supplies, and as the "Sea Venture" went under the last of the crew made their way to the longboats the last, of course was the Lord Admiral.

Looking back, Francis watched as the "Venture" was finally swallowed by the sea and began a search to see exactly what had she hit to cause her to be ripped open but nothing could be seen. He knew there would have to be a dive team assigned to recover any salvageable supplies that were left on board and would make sure they were instructed to check the waters for the cause of this.

Turning around to the front of the boat Francis saw Bresian sitting there in front of him, jumping back in shock as Francis knew he was not there when he initially entered the boat. Bresian, looking much different than he did on Berwyn, laid a hand on Francis' shoulder and said "all will be explained once we get ashore and your men are all accounted for". Once said Bresian turned to the front of the boat and began speaking in a strange language as if in prayer. 

Once on shore, the first mate reported that all crew members were accounted for, and that enough supplies were gathered to last for a good while. Before Francis could speak, Bresian began to address the men gathered on the sands. "On behalf of my village, its people, and myself, we want to thank you all for rescuing our spirits from Berwyn and the evil of that place. Yes we are no longer a part of this world and have not been so for many ages. This place you have brought us to was our ancestral  home, a land we were taken from by the wizard that inhabited Berwyn and used as he performed his evil magic to satisfy the Reaper himself.  Our spirits can now rest, free of the evil that had once bound us, we can only offer our thanks and offer this land to you as our gift for what you have done for us." and with his final words Bresian slowly faded into nothingness. As Francis turned and looked towards the sea and where the Venture had went under, the spirits of the villagers began rising from the waters and were lifted to the skies.

 Francis took in the wonder of the moment until the last of the spirits could be seen, then turned to his first mate and quickly began handing out the assignments for the crew. Francis and several men began to walk inland to the east to find a suitable area to set up camp. As they walked into the center of the first island they stumbled upon an ancient village which had the appearance of being abandoned for what seemed like centuries. Despite the age of the village it was in very good repair and would make a perfect spot to establish a base to work from. Francis sent a messenger to the designated meeting spot on the shore and directed the men to the village.

Early the next morning Francis and a small team began to explore the second island, the largest of the 5, and came across what appeared to be another small village and just like the first although abandoned for many years was still in good repair. just to the east of this village Francis discovered what appeared to be a graveyard. Walking through looking at the carved headstones the likes of which he had never seen, he stumbled upon one that seemed to call out to him, one that made him immediately fall to his knees in prayer. As he read the headstone tears began to form in his eyes, "A leader, a father, and the strength of an entire village". As he swept away the dirt and leaves that had gathered the final word could be read... Bresian.

The Lord Admiral would spend the rest of his days in this new land, discovering all he could about the origins of the people who once inhabited this wondrous place. He discovered ancient writings about the original settlers and of the first leader of this civilization, Bresian's father Portharian and his mother Alousia, which led to naming this land Portaloosa in their honor. Francis died on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the discovery of Portaloosa and was given a Seaman's burial alongside his beloved "Sea Venture". Francis or his crew never discovered what caused his ship to be torn apart but it is fabled that the spirits on board were to blame and wanted Francis to remain in their lands to ensure their history would be preserved and recorded for other to hear.

Stories of the islands and its history spread throughout the world quickly and led to Portaloosa becoming a very prosperous land both in shipping and agriculture. In later years, it became a destination for recreational divers, vacationers, and explorers which led to the development of the Portaloosa Resort Association which played a key role in the establishment of the "Sea Venture" historic site in order to preserve the remains of the Venture and the memory of Lord Admiral Francis Notchcliff.  Today Portaloosa continues to attract sims from all walks of life to her shores for rest relaxation and a large dose of history.

Chapter 2 - The Storm

Lord Admiral Francis Notchcliff

Chapter Two - The Storm

It has been nearly 25 years since the Lord Admiral, now in his early 60’s, had stepped foot on Notchcliff Isles. As he sat on his balcony overlooking the port, which had become a hub for the trade routes from the old world to the new, he watched as his new ship the “Sea Venture” was brought out of dry dock from the ship works and placed on the ramps for the christening ceremony. He began to reflect on the discovery of this land and how quickly the town grew, the selection of Captain William Forsythe to become the new captain of the “Sea Witch”, and the trips he made with him to the new lands of Moonlight Falls.  He began to think about his meetings with Ayden and “pappy” every trip he made to Moonlight Falls and the constant bickering between them about who had originally founded the town. To Francis it was almost comical the way these two would argue over such a mute point.

As Francis prepared to head over to the port for the ceremony, a messenger arrived with yet another invitation from Ayden to visit him in Moonlight Falls. Francis decided that before he would continue his world travels he would make one last stop and sent the messenger away with a letter to Ayden accepting his invitation. He headed down to the port for the ceremonies where he was greeted by Captain Forsythe and the crew of both the “Witch” and the “Venture”. With a crash of the bottle of spirits the “Venture” slid into the waters of the port, ready for her maiden voyage. And her first stop would be moonlight Falls.

After the ceremony Francis took the time to speak with Captain William Forsythe. William was the first mate of the Sea Witch when the Isles were discovered and was appointed to become the Captain shortly after the settlement was established. He was a strapping young lad with experience beyond his years which is why Francis had no hesitation in making the appointment. Francis saw firsthand that this choice was a good one during his trips with William to Moonlight Falls. William was strong willed, a quick decision maker and able to handle the ship during any number of trying situations. The two talked for a short while and decided that the two ships would sail together to Moonlight Falls.

Before the two headed to their respective ship to begin preparations for the voyage north, William decided to give Francis his letter of resignation. He explained to Francis about Evalynn, a beautiful young lady he had met in Moonlight Falls and his plans to bring her back to the Isles settle down, and raise a family. He Told Francis that this would be his last trade mission, and when he returned from China he planned to turn the ship over to his First Mate and leave the sea life behind with his new bride to be. Francis knowing this day would come accepted the letter with no regrets.

The trip to Moonlight Falls was uneventful, with the exception of having to slow the “Venture” down so the “Witch” could keep up. When they arrived at the docks Francis made sure that William heard about his old slow ship and talked about when they would depart. Francis planned to sail from the port together with William then part ways shortly after just for one last look at the “Witch” before he continued his journey. As the two left the docks Ayden arrived with “Pappy” in tow along with another whom Francis did not recognize. Ayden greeted Francis and invited him for dinner.

During Dinner Francis was more formally introduced to the person who had accompanied Ayden to the port. Abigail Duler was the original creator of the “widow’s Island” lighthouse and had been commissioned by Ayden to design a similar lighthouse for Notchcliff Isles. Francis knew that a lighthouse was needed for the isles and already had prepared to commission it’s construction with someone local to Notchcliff. Francis found it amazing that a woman could design such a structure and wanted to hear more of its history.

After dinner the three sat and talked more about Widow’s Island and its original construction. Abby, as she was referred to by Ayden, told Francis that shortly after Ayden and Pappy’s arrival to Moonlight Falls she approached Ayden with the design for the lighthouse. Ayden loved the concept and had it immediately commissioned on a small island just outside of the harbor entrance. It was completed swiftly but, it came with a price, a price that would doom the shipping industry in Moonlight Falls for many years to come.

Once Abby had received the ok to build the lighthouse she called upon a craftsman by the name of Fricorith Tricou to complete the construction. Abby became more and more demanding during the construction and told Tricou to speed the process up as quickly as he could which infuriated Fricorith to the point of cursing the entire project by claiming that by speeding up the construction the shipping industry will cease within two years after the completion of the project. The lighthouse was completed, Tricou vanished shortly after that and, as Tricou predicted, within two years a very large portion of the trading ships stopped arriving to Moonlight Falls.

Growing up Francis had heard tales of those who had the power to curse others with misfortune, sickness and even death but never did believe any of those old tales but this one, after looking into Abby’s eyes, made him think otherwise. Francis could see the pain that Abby has gone through since the completion of the lighthouse and the decline of the trade ships into the harbor. He could also sense that she felt totally responsible for what has happened and the reason the lighthouse went neglected for so many years. Looking at the clock Francis realized he needed to get back to the docks to meet with William and prepare to leave Moonlight Falls. He thanked Abby for sharing her story, said his farewells and headed for the docks.

Walking back to the docks Francis decided that he would first return to Notchcliff send for Abby and have her begin construction of a new lighthouse for the isles. Francis saw in Abby a want to make amends for her mistakes in Moonlight Falls and this new project just might be what she needed. William was cursing Francis as he arrived at the dock being almost an hour late, but after explaining his evening with Abby William calmed down and understood the reason for his tardiness. With a hardy hand shake and a quick farewell, the two men returned to their ships and prepared to sail.

Once again the “Venture” had to slow to allow the “Witch” to gain ground. Francis ordered the port cannons loaded for a farewell salute to the “Witch” and as if William knew what Francis was thinking ordered his starboard cannons loaded for the same send off. Just as the final volley was completed the skies turned black and the storm hit from out of nowhere not giving either crew a chance to brace for it. It was a violent raging storm and both ships were being tossed violently, Francis being the more experienced seaman was able to gain control of his ship and steer it out of danger. As he looked toward the “witch” he watched in horror as the ship was struck by a lightning bolt, broke apart and was swallowed by the sea, and with that the storm disappeared as fast as it came upon them.

Francis quickly turned the “Venture” to where his old ship was, yelling to the crew to look for and prepare to receive any survivors. Sailing through the debris there were no signs that any of the crew was to be found, and all that remained of the “Sea Witch” were a few planks and  some torn pieces of sail floating on the surface. Francis tried to hide his emotions by focusing on how far they were blown off course, and ensuring that his crew was safe and accounted for, even though all the crew standing around the Lord Admiral could see in his tears that his heart was broke into thousands of pieces. After receiving the word that all the crew was accounted for Francis could begin to get back on course.

It was not long after this that the weather once again affected the voyage. The sky turned grey and overcast and a fog had begun to build around the ship. Just before the fog became to heavy, a cry from the crow’s nest rang out “Land port bow”. Knowing that they could not sail under these conditions Francis carefully guided the ship towards the land and found a small cove in which to anchor. As the crew dropped anchor and lowered the sails a voice was heard yelling from the distant shore in a language that was not immediately recognized. Francis had no choice but to remain where he was as to not endanger the crew trying to sail in these conditions. Once again the voice was heard yelling from the shore this time more understandable and not as threatening.

Francis gathered and armed a small landing party and went ashore. He was met by a wall of a man, towering over him and much stockier than anyone he has ever seen. Francis began to tell the man what had happened and that they only planned on staying until the fog lifted and with that the man let out a huge laugh. “If you wait for the fog to lift, you will wait a very long time” the man said explaining that the fog has been a part of his 40 years on this earth. The man lead the party to his village and they were greeted warmly as the town has always welcomed outsiders who visit this place. “Welcome to Berwyn Heights” the man said, “my name is Bresian, the appointed leader of this town”. Francis introduced himself and again explained the events that brought him here. Bresian listened intently and when Francis had finished , told him that the storm was not a natural occurrence, but one of wizardry driven by anger and meant to destroy everything in its path.

Bresian called for others to come and help prepare quarters for the crew of the “Venture”. Francis thanked Bresian for his hospitality and began to ask about this strange land. Bresian was happy to tell the story…

 “ Berwyn Heights has been here since the beginning of time itself, or so the legends say. A prosperous place,  and after the discoveries of other lands, became a stopping port for trade ships and explorers from all around. We did not always live in this never ending fog, my father would tell stories of how death himself came to collect several souls here and looked upon this land and made it his own. Once he took residence here upon the mountain, the fog soon followed and the sun would shine no longer. It was as if hell moved to our world. We have had only one other visitor to this place, he now resides in his manor near the eastern shores. As you were exposed to the wizard’s spells of the storm, I suspect that he is the one responsible for what took place out there on the sea. Be careful if you face him as he is known as the most powerful wizard you will ever cross. You are known to us Lord Admiral and your travels and discoveries have also been told throughout our lands.  You are welcome to stay for as long as you need and I will continue my story when you have the more time but now go take care of your crew”

Francis again thanked Bresian for his hospitality and vowed to return to hear more of the history of Berwyn Heights. Gathering the landing party and walking back to the ship a slight break in the fog revealed a large manor sitting high on the mountain. As Francis gazed upon the Manor he remembered the words of Bresian and the story of death taking residence upon the mountain, was this in fact the home of the reaper himself? It did not take long for Francis to decide that he needed to leave this place a fast as possible. Being a man of his word, he will stay long enough to hear the rest of the Berwyn Heights history before leaving.

Back on the ship a small team was selected to remain onboard to prepare the ship for departure and the rest of the crew split into groups to rotate on and off the ship with supplies and assist in preparations. Once the assignments were given and the crew moving about, Francis returned to Bresian to hear more of the history of Berwyn Heights.

“I fear it is not the history of this place you are interested in but to hear more of the wizard which cause the storm you encountered. Fricorith Tricou who resides in his manor located on the eastern shores of this land is the one you seek. He is known for his sorcery and has powers to bend the elements of nature at his will. face him with due caution he is not one who accepts visitors and is known to have a quick temper."

Francis asked Bresian to accompany him to this see this wizard, Bresian agreed and the two men left to the east. It was not a long journey to arrive at Tricou Manor and when they arrived the gates opened as if they were expected. Francis wallked up knocked on the door and waited, Bresian was still standing outside of the gates. The doors opened and revealed a skeleton of an elderly man, pale and looked as if death was to be upon him quickly. 

"I will take you to the master" he said. "And he already knows why you are here Lord Admiral". Francis was taken aback from these words as no introductions were made. They arrived in the great room and were met by the wizard himself, an older man but fit and well dressed. Before Francis could introduce himself, Tricou raised his hand and said "I know why you are here Francis and it was not me who called for the storm which destroyed your ship."

" Long ago I had taken on two young apprentices, their family could no longer control them and became deathly afraid of them and brought them to me. Mara and Moira Dredd would remain here at my manor learning everything I could teach them, and they both were excellent students and learned the arts very quickly. Unfortunately they both became even more powerful than I could imagine and I decided it was time to send them off into the world to begin teaching others the arts."

"Yes I built Widows Island." he continues, "I built it for Mara and Moira so they could continue their  work and study of the arts. This is why the island was cursed, to ensure that no one would take residence until these two were ready. It would seem that one of them sent the storm to destroy your ships, I do not know why but if you truly need answers speak with them. You have your answers, now leave."

Francis wasted no time in departing Tricou Manor, Bresian was still waiting by the gate and the two headed back to the village. during the short trip Francis recounted what had happened inside the manor and told Bresian he would be sailing as soon as they returned. They arrived back to the village, Bresian quickly ran to the market to ensure that the ship had all the supplies necessary for the return to Moonlight Falls. Bresian and several others from the village escorted Francis back to the "Venture" wished them a safe voyage and began chanting in a language Francis did not recognize, but as the chanting grew louder and stronger, it gave Francis a calm and peaceful feeling as he left the shore.

With a map Bresian had given him, Francis would be able to navigate his way through the fog and begin his return to Moonlight Falls. The ship's anchor was lifted and as the "venture" began to move a slight breeze picked up and directed the ship safely out of the cove and stayed with them until they cleared the fog. Francis knew that is was the chants of the people of Berwyn Heights that provided this guiding wind.

Francis was now out in the sea and heading back to Moonlight Falls, but Fate would have something else in store for the good Lord Admiral............... "To Be Continued".........

Chapter 1 - The Begining

"Land ... LAND HO"!

  The cries from the crow's nest was a welcome sound to the admiral. Lord Admiral Francis Notchcliff, the famed explorer of the early 1500's, was elated that this journey was coming to an end, a journey which was doomed from the start. As the islands drew closer into view, the Lord Admiral took a moment to reflect on the events leading to this moment.

The admiral had just returned from a successful archeological expedition when the news of the discoveries of Christopher Columbus were being told throughout the township. A call was made for brave explorers to continue the world exploration and the Lord Admiral, tired of looking at the past, was quick to volunteer for this chance to discover the future.

   Arriving at the dock Francis was greeted by his Captain, Victor Chesterton, a rough looking seasoned seaman with the look of vast experience, Francis felt comfortable with him. Chesterton was barking orders to his crew of the "Sea Witch" as a man approached, appearing as if from thin air, seeking passage to the new world. He seemed eager to sail, but would not give a reason for such a request but Francis felt there was something special about this man and convinced the captain to take him on. This choice proved to be a grave mistake made by the Lord Admiral.

With the "Sea Witch" prepared the crew of nearly100 made the ship ready and the expedition was underway. It was during his first nightly walk that the Francis had the opportunity to chat with the man who had joined them at the docks. "Ayden is my name" he began "and like yourself I am also an explorer to some extent, a man in search of a dream." Ayden was a tall man and unusually pale with mysterious eyes that seem to captivate and hypnotize any who gazed upon them. The two men walk the upper decks and talked through the evening until sunrise when Ayden quickly dismissed himself saying he needed to go rest.

 This was the first of only two times that Francis would see Ayden. It was shortly after that night that the terror began. On the seventh day of the journey the "Sea Witch" discovered a small port city, needing to resupply Francis had the crew steer the ship to the docks. It was a welcomed stop as the crew was getting a bit restless and needed to unwind. As Francis made his way off the ship he noticed the moon high in the sky, full and bright. Only a small group of men decided to remain on the ship and when Francis returned with some of the supplies he would find some of these men lying on the deck ripped apart as if attacked by a wild animal.  he began to search the rest of the ship and discovered more lying below bleeding from the neck from what appeared to be two stab wounds. only a few survived the attacks but could not give any accurate account of what had happened.

 As the rest of the crew returned and witnessed the aftermath of the attacks many began a search of the area and discovered several bloody wolves lying in the city square shot by the locals who claim that the wolves were seen coming from the ship. One local man, known only as "Pappy" was rambling about a curse placed on the city, and begged the crew to take him with them. The crew did not want to stay to hear the full story, took the man,  boarded the ship and set sail as quickly as possible.

The "Sea Witch" sailed for many more days until the next sighting of land. Francis was hoping for another chance to give his crew a much needed rest but unfortunately the land mass turned out to be a small island nothing more than a small sandbar. The crew was getting restless, more and more of them turning up missing, several refusing to work during the daylight hours, and others seemingly losing their minds repeating the story of the curse mentioned on their last port of call. Francis feared a mutiny would be forthcoming.

The final night before this new land was discovered another full moon appeared in the sky, shining brighter than any moon Francis had ever seen. Shortly after the dinner meal screams were heard coming from lowest decks of the ship. Francis bolted quickly towards the terrifying sounds to find what appeared to be a wolf standing on its hind legs attacking one of the crew.Without hesitation Francis drew his pistol and fired  his single shot at the beast hitting it directly in the heart. The beast let out a huge roar and ran past Francis up to the upper deck more crewmen took shots at the beast driving it from the ship into the waters below.

Returning to the wounded crew members in the lower deck Francis was met by Ayden who was tending to the wounded men. As Francis looked around he noticed the same injuries as the first attacks the night of the port of call, some of the men torn apart others with the same stab wounds to the neck. He turned to Ayden and noticed traces of blood from the corner of his lips. Asking if he was injured Ayden told Francis it must have come from the crew he was attending to. Francis began to search for the captain but he was nowhere on board no one had seen him all evening.

 A flash of the encounter with the beast ran through Francis' mind "The beast was wearing a shirt belonging to the captain...but that is impossible". "Could the tales of the curse that was told to the men be actually true?" As the sun began to rise many of the men rushed off the top deck and Ayden also excused himself and retreated to his quarters. Pappy was sitting up near the bow of the ship his clothes torn mumbling to himself, Francis approached him fearing he too was attacked but as Pappy rose and turned to Francis no injuries were seen. Pappy looked at Francis and recognized his confusion, placed a hand on Francis' shoulder and said "it is better you do not know." and with that Pappy walked away.

 

Another call from the crow's nest brought Francis out of his reflection and to the situation at hand. The long boats were prepared to take the landing party ashore. The anchor dropped and the boats lowered, Francis and his small team made way to the shore. As the party drew closer to the shore a crew member shouted a body lying ahead and when they could see clearly it was discovered that the body was that of the Captain. Francis jumped from the boat and rushed to Victor, noticed that the shirt he was wearing, torn by the many bullet holes that were fired, was in fact the same as the beast from the night before. Francis decided that the crew will never know this detail and that it would be best to tell them it looks as if he battled the beast and was thrown overboard.

Camp was set up quickly and the scouting party returned with fresh game as the boats from the "Sea Witch" began to come ashore with supplies and the body's from the attacks of the night before. Francis knew that the first priority was to give those crewmembers a proper burial. The remaining crew, 30 in all, were broken down into teams to begin mapping, scouting and establishing a strong base of operations...... (To be Continued)