Journal of Rory Barbarosa
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Log of the Gallivant; as told by Captain Rory Barbarosa

When the gale finally ended, we found ourselves approximately twenty-seven days normal sailing distance due southwest out of Sasserine in an unexplored region of the Shining Sea. We replenished our supplies: patched up the ship, and traded our remaining goods at native Olman villages along the shores of several islands. Some villages were friendly, but others were hostile and those natives attacked on sight. I suspect the hostile villages were filled with cannibals.

We skirted the coastlines of several islands, sailing south by west until we reached a small peninsula cut off from the main island by a massive timber wall. We were well received by the natives of Tanaroa; the small village that guards this wall. The villagers have no name for the large island other than the 'Isle of Dread'. Their own small peninsula is known simply as 'Home'.

The villagers told us a tale about an ancient city atop the central highlands of the isle that was built by the same people who built the wall. The villagers call the builders 'the gods', but I noticed that the names of the gods and the personal names of the clan ancestors were often the same. So, I suspect that their ancestors and the builders were one and the same. I believe that these Olman natives once possessed a much more advanced culture and that the descendants of the builders have returned to a more primitive state.

The inland city is rumored to be filled with treasure beyond imagining. In particular, I heard persistent tales concerning many great black pearls of 'the gods' that still remains in the inland city. The island waters abound with excellent pearl beds, so the rumors I have heard for years of these black pearls found here may well be true.

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The island contains a number of massive structures made from iron, bronze, and stone. Since none of the natives currently has the skills to construct such things, the tale of a lost city built by the 'gods' seems reasonable. I would have liked to explore further inland to verify the rumors, but too many crewmen died in the storm or by the spears of those accursed natives. Only half of us are left, and the survivors are in a state of complete exhaustion. Despite the loss of so many crew, we can still sail our ship well enough. But on land, in hostile territory, we would be helpless. Once back in Sasserine, I intend to recruit a new crew and, perhaps, even a party of professional adventurers. Then I shall return to claim some of the great black pearls.

One thing I managed to do before leaving. We sailed completely around the island and I made the best map I could. We were afraid to land, since village fishermen had warned us that the coasts were rocky, with no beaches, making it extremely dangerous. As a result, the map only shows the coastal areas we could chart from aboard the ship. but it is better than nothing.