This is a follow-up to the first official issue of The Steel Anchor, in which a few hired swords found a sealed chest in a Navy shipwreck. The wreck had charred wood, that of which above the water line was burning. The steel and iron bands that reinforced the hull, deck, and mast were melted to the point the ship was falling apart more than it already was. Anyways, to the contents of the chest.
With the help of a particularly strong man at Sailorβs Lodge and some metal magic we finally opened the chest. Inside were the usual contents: Gold, schematics, weapons, and banners. However, there was one item in particular that caught my eye, or rather, my touch.
It looked to be an empty scroll, but my hands felt something. When I ran my hands on top of the paper, I felt the tell-tale bumps of sketchily made dry ink. This ink is seen commonly by either ruffians who try to scam you, merchants whoβve been tricked, or spies. You see, this ink leaves room for some extra chemical components without losing writing capability. And so, I deduced that whoever wrote this note added some extra salt water and ammonia. I enlisted a fire user at the tavern to carefully heat the paper, and voila. The note reads as follows:
"ππ π»πΆππ½ππ ππΆπ πΆ ππππΎπΈπΎπΆπ πΎπ π―πΎπ·πππΎπΆ. π―π½π πππππΉ ππ» π½πΎπ π½πΆππ π»πΎππππΉ ππ½π πΆπΎπ ππΎππ½ ππΆπππΎπ»πΎπΈπππ ππππΎπΈ-π«πΎπππππΎππΎ, πΏπΆππΉπΎ-ππΆππ ππ» ππ½π ππππΆπ π πΆπππππΆπ πΈπππ πππππ. π―π ππ π»πππππ π―πΎπ·πππΎπΆππ, πΎπ ππΆπ πΆ ππππ·ππ ππ» π½ππ π, ππ ππ½π πΈππππ, πΎπ ππΆπ πΆ ππΎππ ππ» πΉππ»πΎπΆππΈπ. πΈπππ πππ, π½πΎπ ππππΎπΈ πππΎππ π½πΆππππ ππ. π―π½π π΅πππππ πΏπππΎππ ππππΈππππΉ π½πΎπ ππ½ππ πΌ ππΆπ πππ.
π―π½π π’ππΆππΉ π©πΆππ, π πΆπππππΆ, ππ½ππ π½πΆππ πΈπππΆπππΉ ππ½π ππππΎπ»π ππ πΆππ πππΉππ πΎπ ππ½πππ ππΎπππ. ππ π»πΆππ½ππ ππΆπ π·ππ ππ½π πππΆππ. πΈπππ πππ, ππ½π π΅πππππ πΏπππΎππ πΈππππΎππππ πππ πΆππΉπΎππ, π·ππΎπππΎππ ππ½π ππ π πππππΎππ ππ» ππΆππππ.
ππ ππΆππ πΎπ ππΆπππ πΉπΆπππππ»πΎππ, πΆππΉ πΌ ππΎππ π½πΆππ ππ πππππππ."
Either this Aaron Fallenfire character has been apprehended and this note was stored by the Captain of the ship, or Fallenfire destroyed the ship himself. If we seen any more wreckages with his MO, then weβll know which one is true. Stay safe, and I wouldnβt hitch a ride on any Navy or Ravenna ship for a while.