• Completed • Mapping Another Adventure

[Syhera Ki'hadi]

"Lead me unto still waters, and travel safely through the storming sea."

• 80th of Ymiden, 716 Arc
  
  Hera was preparing for possibly her most important navigational excursion yet.
  
  Poised over a table in the city library, a fresh map of Idalos was stretched and held in place by two heavy paper weights in the shape of brass ships. On either side of it were her splayed hands, propping her up as she poured over it. She had to be very careful in her calculations for this job. Messing it up might mean leading astray the most important man in the country, more important than Peake or even his father. More important than all the other noble houses combined - The king himself.
  
  Carefully she retrieved the discarded pen on the table and lined a ruler along the edge of the map. She made a tiny mark halfway on the paper and used it as a point of reference. Spinning the straight edge horizontally, she lined it up with the dark dot and in one fluid motion, slid the utensil against it. She repeated the action once more until she was left with a thick black line that split the image in two - The equator.
  
  The ink reflected the light as it dried, and Hera was careful not to smudge it. She waited patiently until she was sure the liquid was secure, and continued. The same method was cast again, only this time along the top of the parchment. Down the line cut, splitting the paper with a vertical barrier. The prime meridian was no in place, meaning Hera could begin placing the rest of the coordinates in place. By each new line, the equator and prime meridian, she labelled it it - 0°, using it to begin measuring new dots and notches along the edge of the map. Each one was set and marked carefully, the Biqaj holding her breath without realizing it. When she released the air she had been holding, she smiled at noticing how tense she must be. Everything needed to be perfect and this was ideal practice.
  
  From the equator, she move outwards from the center, north, and then south, scribbling the meaning of each mark she had just made and skipping every other one. Notch, 20°. Notch. Notch, 60°. Notch. Notch, 100 °... She continued on each of the four quadrants, stopping when she counted to 180. When she was finished and numbers encompassed surrounded the outer edge, she set down her pen and flexed her fingers.
  
  Pride swelled her heart and nerves squirmed inside her stomach. She was being chosen as one of the navigators to embark on a mission in three days. Not the only navigator of course, but one of them. To Sirothelle, they would go, in search of a new queen and if they were successful, entrusted in bringing her back to the capitol safely. The red head knew little of politics, but she was very aware of the dangers, not just in accepting this job, but socially as well. The people would not be happy giving half the kingdom to an Aukari, a race Hera had recently read to be quite... difficult. Excluding, but not forgetting the bursting into flames part. Money was money, and finishing this job could open up further opportunities. If she played her cards right, maybe... just maybe she could oversee the transport of merchant fleets for the royal household. Or... even be gifted her own vessel. With a secure job, she would be able to fix up her mother's shop, buy them both nice things they were always denied... Make a difference in the lives of whoever she wanted, be it ill or good fortune.
  
  She would have power!
  
  But only maybe. Grinning in excitement at the future to come, she couldn't help but feel that her luck was turning around. Peake had come through on his end of their game, and as a result, she was given work. A detail that seemed to surprise everyone. Thankful, she contemplated writing a letter to the lord, but stopped just as she was reaching for the paper. No... She had to work, not craft playful letters to another man. This was her big break, and not even a baron to be would distract her from that.
  

[Syhera Ki'hadi]

"Lead me unto still waters, and travel safely through the storming sea."

• Beside her were a stack of books, carefully copied by hands not her own. Their spines faced her and each stitched title stared back, waiting:
  

  • The Coordinance of Idalos
    A Navigator's Guide to Constellations
    Weather Patterns for Sailors
    The Dos and Don'ts of Aukari Culture

  She had spent most of her morning picking them out from the walls and walls of tomes and novels, asking more than once for the help of the librarian, who had pointed out a number of other interesting titles after noticing her particular interests. The first of her current stack would be one of the more useful ones in her current task, with the second an honorable mention. The last two had been to expand her knowledge a bit, both for her own benefit and the trip to come. Navigating was far more than just getting you from point A to point B. You had to know what to expect. The open seas, and the even the lands you travelled to, could be quite dangerous without proper knowledge.
  
  Her hand quickly reached out and to snatch up the top two up, but she began thumbing through her first choice. A short introduction, which Hera skipped, and then a list of alphabetical names, nearly every known location in Idalos. Many of which she had never heard of, gone to, or could even imagine. Hera refused to be discouraged, and flipped through the book. Trailing a fingernail down the page till she found the name she sought. Under "S", a few lines down was Sirothelle, and beside it, carefully written calculations. The exact degrees of the city as seen in the world, and Hera produced a blank page of parchment from the desk she stood over. It had been left by the helpful librarian, along with pen, pencil, and divider. She scribbled down the coordinance of the city and returned to the book, flipping back a few pages to find another name - Andaris. Further in the tome was a list of port cities on the continent of their destination and she copied these as well, and snapped the book close, tossing it aside for later. It had given her the information she needed. A number of names that she labelled in curved script waited - Sirothelle, Andaris, Etzos, Valaris
  
  Hera retrieved the pencil and with slow, very deliberate and light strokes, she began to connect her notches vertically and horizontally, curving them ever so slightly to indicate the curve of the globe. More than once she had to pause and erase, and by the time she had finished half of them, she was tired. She wanted to get this right. It was likely when they shipped off, she would be supplied with a more perfect version, one she wouldn't have to draw herself, but Hera was a stubborn woman who liked to be prepared. Improving her own map making skills and topography would only make her better at her job, not hinder it.
  
  For the next trial, she drew these lines, keeping the minor arches as perfect as she could and quickly growing frustrated by her lack of artistic skill. 'They're just lines, Hera. Get over it.' When she solidified the last line, she pulled back and admired her work for some time. More adjustments. Another tweak. Perfect.
  
  The coordinance of Sirothelle and Andaris were pulled back in her line of view, and she used her pen to note them. Then the others. First, her finger trailed down the line in the proper quadrant, her eyes followed from the other measurement. She double checked her work and with a sharp dot, indicated their destinations. She did this again with Andaris, and soon, two dots were bold on the page, each in the proper countries, and locations. The starting point and end goal.
  
  It was then that Hera realized just the task she would be taking on. The ship would cross the sea that separated their own island to the large land mass to the west, and inside that country, after some travel on solid ground would they reach the volcanic city of a fiery race.
  
  And it would be there, that they might find the next queen.
  

[Syhera Ki'hadi]

"Lead me unto still waters, and travel safely through the storming sea."

• "Hmm," Hera realized just how long this expedition would be. She grabbed the divider and adjusted the distance to reflect the compass rose that had been printed on the corner of the map. With it, she lined the tip of it to Andaris and began careful rotating it till the other foot touched the map. Her lips mouthed the miles, calculating them as she went. She continued this, directing it to one of their options - the northern city of Valaris. From there, they could travel by mount to Sirothelle. Or perhaps they wanted to go another route? Options were always necessary, say one way was blocked due to ill relations, or bad weather.
  
  Hera used the divider to direct routes from Andaris to Valaris to Sirothelle, followed by Andaris to the river opening Etzos rested on, then up to the city, and lastly to Sirothelle again. At each point, she wrote down the calculated mileage on the side of the map and returned again to the book. Frowning, she skipped to the back, releasing a long breath, and pleased to find estimated travel times between cities. From Andaris to Valaris, with proper conditions and good nagivation, they could expect to be there in... 25 days, give or take.
  
  Her eyebrows rose. That wasn't too bad. And by land to Sirothelle? Hera turned the page, searching. Valaris to Sirothelle... with a good mount - 32 days. In total 56 days, assuming they had perfect conditions. Her heart sunk a little and she slumped into the chair behind her. She had known it would be a while, but she would be leaving her mother and their shop for at least a season. She would be away on her birthday, and she couldn't help but feel a bit of sadness from the distance. 'It would be worth it', she told herself, 'Mama will be fine.'
  
  But was it her mother she was really worried about? Despite the strong Biqaj blood that flowed through her, Hera had been landlocked much more than her seafaring brethren. With help, she would be leading a large vessel to a foreign country that had no love for outsiders. It was hard to feel deflated, surrounded by all the things that could go wrong. And with Benji and Gojira prowling... 'No,' she steeled herself, 'I'm going.' When she got back, she would have more money. She would have a chance of protecting Gwynthera. It was necessary.
  
  She tried not to think about the voyage... and how long she would be stuck with Peake. No better time to learn of her fiance than being stuck in the middle of the ocean for weeks at a time. Hera pushed it all from her mind and continued her calculations. Going from Andaris to Etzos and then to Sirothelle... 32 days plus...30, a total of 62. Not a huge difference. Ultimately it would be up to more than just her, but she leaned back and mulled over the information.
  
  
  

[Vluharqih]

Rewards

Syhera Ki'hadi

Skills
Collaboration 0/5
Structure 5/5
Story 5/5
Basic Knowledge
Cartography: Latitude and Longitude Uses and Definitions
Specific Knowledge
Navigation: Calculating Distances by Divider
Navigation: Plotting Latitude and Longitude by Hand
Research: Librarians Provide Excellent Assistance
Rewards/Injuries
N/A
Fame
N/A

Remarks

:

A good story, not an uninteresting read for sure. It was cool to see how they used to navigate, and I can tell you did some research beforehand.

As a side note- I hadn’t actually noticed that the world was round, and was going to put a note here asking if you had talked to someone about that. But I then looked at the travel paths, and noticed one that wraps around the world. Something good for me to learn I think.

Send me a PM if you have any questions or comments!