Devil in the Mist

[The_Oan_Isles]

This is the history of the Oan Isles from around 1850
[hr]
11 May 1850, Solowasai Island, Konoana (modern day Tranquility Island)
I stared at the dancer. His movements were powerful and ferocious. He wore a latge wooden mask that covered his face and upper torso. The flickering light of the flames made him look like an evil spirit. My cousin and siblings (I can’t tell the difference sometimes) huddled together for protection and warmth as we sat on the bare sand. We were watching a play called the “Devil in the Mist”. It was a legend about how an evil spirit abducted travellers who wandered to close to the top of the Misty Mountains. The narrator spoke in a low growly voice. The rustling palm leaves copied him. I was just a little kid. I was so terrified.

After the play, our mothers brought us food. The kids ate from a large bowl. We had nuanyoni. It was a mix of boiled maize kernels and fish. It was warm and homey. Our mothers served our dads, who sat in their own corner drinking palm wine and talking loudly. In our culture, we call anyone who is old enough to be your mom and dad, “mom” and “dad”. We were like a big happy family. After meal time was over, we went back to our homes. The kids generally slept together while a man guarded the door. The “hut” we slept in was a large room, the floor was made out of wood, the walls were made out of bamboo screens and the roof was made of grass. It was cool and kept the flies out. We slept on layered grass mats. It was cosy and confortable.

I kept hearing someone whisper my name. At first, I thought it was a dream. Then I realised that someone really was calling me. I just turned in the opposite direction and grunted “what do you want?”

“Wake up, wake up!” It was my slightly older cousin Tukelanuaie, but we just called him Tuks. My name is Tolahua, but you can call me Hua. I forgot to tell you my name earlier.

Tuks was always getting me into trouble with his crazy schemes. He was full of adventure and did not listen to his mom. Everytime they had an argument, he would stick his tongue out at her, she would grab him by the shoulder, flip him onto his chest on her lap and smack him on the backside. We always sat in the bushes and watched. We could barely contain ourselves.

I secretly hoped it would happen. Mommy said that when you want bad things to happen to someone else, they often happen to you. But it was so funny! I wiped my eyes, taking the sand out and looked at him. He was very dark, so I could only see his beaming smile and whites of his eyes. I We sneaked to the door., so that the man who was supposed to keep us from getting into trouble wouldn’t catch us. Tuks gently pushed the door open. The light of the brilliant moon poured in. The man was sleeping like a fat pig on the floor. He must have REALLY enjoyed the palm wine. He even held on to the skin he drank his wine in.

We sneaked over to the end of the village. We ran around like energetic monkeys. My mom always called me her favourite monkey, especially in front of my friends and brothers and sisters. It was SO embarrassing! Tuks was making a monkey out of me yet again! He was running into the trees leaping over rocks and grabbing tree branches. I was forced to follow him. I tried to call him, to tell him to slow down, but he just kept going. We eventually reached a clearing, where an old tree had fallen over and knocked down a few of the other trees. When we finally stopped, Tuks looked at the sky. Then he looked at me.

He said, “We are gonna find the Devil in the Mist”.

Before I could utter a protest, he said, " I know what you are thinking! We need a plan first!"

I replied, “I was going along the lines of you are crazy, and we need to go home”.

“Excellent! I knew I could count on you Hua!”

I sat on the floor and listened to him as he stood on a log presenting his hair-brained and totally impossible plan.

“I will be the Paya”, he said, "And you will be the payanana.

“Why do YOU get to be the master?”, I asked.

“So that YOU don’t get into trouble if something goes wrong”.

I couldn’t help smiling. He said he would teach me some stick fighting moves. He had the sick donkey Hidden Cobra, the hippo giving birth Striking Katuna (a big cat), the somehow my one of my butt cheaks gained 300 pounds the Dancing Crane “professional” fighting styles. We play fought with sticks like we often saw our father’s do! We eventually go tired and sat down.

“I wish WE could go to Wakeatoa”, he said.

"We don’t have a Defender anymore, remember? , I replied.

“Why do we need a Defender to have Initiation anyway? Do we have to stay boys, just because we don’t have a king?”, he asked.

“We aren’t Oatunu. And with the fighting going on, we don’t really know what’s gonna happen”.

We sat in silence for a few moments. We heard some chanting. We walked towards it. We hid in the shadows, and climbed up onto a high rock. We were on a hill, far above the beach below. What we saw terrified us.

We saw men marching to the village. They were carrying spears and wearing the same large masks that the dancer was wearing during the play. We watched in horror as the large group of organised soldiers marched towards our home like a swarm of locusts. We were scared out our wits, but we were fixated on the men

I finally blurped out, “We don’t have to look for the Devil in the Mist. I think the Devil has come to US!”

[Dylan]

Montecadra, 1855

It was late afternoon. The glazing red and yellow sun was strewn across the calm, open bay, partially blocked by RSNV Sentinel, a colossus war ship. The bay was a spiral of merchant vessels dancing sporadically around the rocky islets and swarms of laying gulls. Apart from this constant irregularity, everything was calm. A toucan had landed on a splintered wooden outcropping a little distance down the beach. It slowly gnawed at a small lizard it had picked up.
Baltair Dubhghall, a senior Justelvardic officer found amusement in analysing the Lizards trauma. After several minutes, the lizard let out a jerk, slouched back and came to a halt, pronouncing its death.
Baltair, lightly grooming his clean, bony chin, moved his unpredictable glare into the horizon. Behind him, his office door slid open, yowling with aged creaks. Baltair continued to study the horizon, unmoved yet wary.
“Lord Admiral. We successfully received two batches. We are still waiting for the last.” choked a young voice.
“Excellent work, captain. When will we expect an arrival?” Baltair asserted a firm and subtle smile.
“Sir, in less than a week.”
Baltair removed his hand from his chin. He slowly dressed himself with his large decorated hat and straightened his jacket. He swerved around to confront the officer.
“Do not fail me, we have already prolonged our promise to Lord Haissinger by four days.”
“Sir, I will account every soul in charge of this mission responsible if they fail.” the nervous yet compelling voice struck.
“Good.” Baltair stared at the captains uniform until he looked directly into his eyes. Baltair viced his jaw tight and with his sheath arm, firmly grasped his weapons handle.
“Dismissed.” The captain bowed and hastily exited, leaving Baltair to fix his stare back on the horizon.

[The_Oan_Isles]

The world was different in 1850 CE. The Realm of the Oan Isles was a constitutional monarchy ruled by hereditary monarchs called the Defenders together with wealthy merchants and landowners located between 155°E to 165°E and 15°S to 35°S. The country was undergoing rapid industrialisation. New factories were being built. Cities were expanding. People were moving to the cities in search of work.

The islands to the north of the Oan Isles collectively called Konoareatu. It was generally underdeveloped. Small tribes and city-states, the most profound of which are Harmony and Tranquility City, were scattered throughout the island groups. There was a portion of the islands which were ruled by the Morstaybishlian Empire. For a time there was peace and to some degree, prosperity.

There was a King in the north, the leader of the Wayatunuye tribe who wanted to unite and enslave the people of Konoana under the rule of the Wayanatunu called Kila the Terrible. His troops were trained to be loyal and cruel. They were deployed to tribes and villages, pilfering their treasure, destroying their homes, enslaving their people and crushing their spirit.

The people of Konoana were afraid of the spreading menace. There were stories that they employed the most cruel methods of torture and dehumanisation. Rumours were spreading that they were using more advanced weapons such as cannons and muskets purchased from The Morstaybishlians in return for Oatunu slaves. There was a great deal of speculation and little evidence to substantiate the claims, but it was enough to put the Oan Isles government on alert.
[hr]
On 11 May 1850, a village on Solowasai Island was attacked by the Wayanatunu. Two boys Tuks and Hua escaped the attack. They watched in silence as their village was attacked and torn to the ground. Terrible atrocities were committed and affected the boys. Whereas the experience emboldened Hua’s resolve to defeat them, it created a fear in Tuks that wanted to serve them, for his own safety.

They trekked through the jungle in silence for a day until they reached a small village with a harbour. Ships were sailing to Tranquility City. The village was evacuating. The boys stowawayed on one the vessels.They hid in the empty wooden crates.

The First Mate was searching the cargo when he saw them sleeping in the crates. He woke them up violently. He brought them in front of the Captain and crew to be punished and humiliated. He was rather disappointed when the Captain had mercy on them. He decided to let journey with them to Tranquility City. The journey took a few days and they were greatful to be alive.

Hua could hardly sleep, while Tuks woke up in terrible fits from nightmares. They eventually made it to Tranquility City and had to resort to begging to survive. They could barely get a meal a day, until they were found a gang of boys who were orphaned or who wilingly left home. The gang welcomed them into their home and taught them how to steal to survive.

They had rivalries with other gangs in the street, but it was generally peaceful. On 18 August 1850 things changed. Tranquility City was attacked by the Wayanatunu. The city managed to resist the attack, but there were many casualties and damage to the buildings.

Hua and Tuks had been trying to steal bread from the bakery when the attack began. The alarm bells tolled, warning the people of the city to hide or run and calling its defenders to protect it. Tuks wanted to take advantage of the situation. He crawled through an open grate and stole several loaves of bread. As we was about to escape, a Wayanatunu warrior grabbed. He tried to struggle, but he was to weak. He was severely beaten.

Hua was frozen, watching his friend be beaten. He ran and ran. He was driven by the primal instinct of survival. He hid in a cupboard in one of the abandoned houses and remained silent and still for what felt like hours.

Eventually the battle stopped. He went to the usual meetingplace of the gang. He hung his head in grief and shame and told the rest of the gang what happened. They were disappointed with his cowardice and decided to expel him from the gang to punish him.

Hua wandered the streets. As supplies grew scarce and people became uneasy, Hua struggled to find food. His hunger made him desperate, desperate enough to steal food from a pub frequented by criminals. He overheard them talking about boys being sent to the Oan Isles to be trained to fight, to liberate Konoareatu.

Hua had heard that the Oan Isles was a wonderful country. Food was plentiful and the state was merciful. There were opportunities there that he would not find in Konoareatu. He decided to enlist to go to the Oan Isles.

He stood in the queue as the Marshall inspected the boys. He tried to put on a brave face. When Marshall got to him, he laughed and told him to leave. Hua refused. The Marshall pushed him. In his weak state he easily fell to the ground. The other boys laughed and taunted him. Hua remained defiant and earned the Marshall’s respect and a place in the army of the Oan Isles.

He was angry with himself for letting Tuks die at the hands of the Wayanatunu. He was ashamed of himself. Things were different from what he thought they were.

Tuks had been captured by the Wayanatunu, and he was to be sold as a slave to the harsh Morstaybishlians. He told them he wanted to be soldier. The Wayanatunu Commander decided to test him, expecting him to fail. He gave Tuks a knife and told him to kill one of the slaves. Tuks slit her throat without flinching. The Commander was impressed by his ruthlessness and made him a soldier in the Wayanatunu.

Tuks hated Hua for abandoning him and turned his hatred into a hardened and vicious killer. Tuks and Hua developed in parallel. They rose quickly through the ranks and became Captains. Tuks was acclaimed for his cruetly and Hua was praised for his determination. They were fated to meet in battle: The Battle of Tranquility City, 1855.

[Dylan]

Bossy and Tailfan were deckhands aboard RSNV Pugilist. They had been scrubbing the gritty, dark oak planks for what seemed like forever. Every waking hour of every living moment since teenagers they had repeated the exact same pattern. Scrub the stairs, then the several cannons laid out across the starboard side. It was obvious the work was not healthy. Both of them, Tailfan especially, had been sick many times. The deckhands were under the command of Kerling Redrugus Frinch, one of the most respected senior Morstaybishlian Admirals. Although they had enlisted in hopes to serve under him, they did not expect what they were given.

It was 7 in the evening, and the sunset had faded into a blue-grey paste, which accompanied with the moonlights glow, illuminated the ship. The ship was anchored several miles off from Tranquillity Island, which it had done since earlier in the day. Everyone and everything was completely silent. Even though there was no sunlight, humidity plagued the crew. Taifan and Bossy were sat on the steps. Taifan was half asleep, lent directly to the side of Bossy’s shoulder. Bossy had been staring at the relaxed sails for about ten minutes. In his left hand held a bottle of rum, given to him by the Lieutenant as a token of appreciation. Such delicacies were harshly given, and although Bossy considered himself a true sailor, he still hadn’t acquired the taste. Taifan rustled slightly, leaning in deeper until Bossy let his head slide down his side. He lent his arm over Taifan and, without realising, nodded off.

Taifan jumped, waking Bossy up. The crows nest was shouting orders to another deckhand, possibly attracting the Admirals attention. After several painful seconds, a silhouette emerged from his cabin, accompanied by a short postured figure.
“That’s the Admiral!” Taifan whispered, glancing quickly at Bossy and back to the figures whilst seizing his hat from his head, which had begun to flop backwards.
Taifan felt a heavy breath down his neck, as if an angry monster was sniffing him out.
“No shit.”
The Admiral looked towards the direction of Roddy and Kidney, who were shouting for him.
“They’ve sent the signal!” One of them cried.
Instantly, it was all hands on deck. Everyone had been waiting for this moment, especially the Admiral. He let out a distinctive laugh, one which the crew began to appreciate. As Taifan ran past the Admiral he heard a faint “Fucking finally, I can go home after this.” to which Taifan smirked it off. Several longboats had been dispatched and with them held several officers.
It took the longboats several minutes to reach the port. From the view of RSNV Pugilist it was impossible to make out what was happening. A skirmish. One of the people being pushed onto the longboats retaliated at one of the officers, immediately getting shot by what looked like the Slaves’ previous owner. The loud bang lit up the night sky and sent chills down everyone’s spines. On the distant cliffs and beaches, several natives let out a war cry and pranced around.
“They seemed pissed off.” Bossy snarled. At this point, the entire Pugilist crew were staring at the direction of the trade. All of the slaved had been chained into place ad were actively guarded by two of the officers. From out of nowhere, dozens of natives littered the seafront, shooting arrows and slinging rocks at the direction of the officers. A ripple of gunshots cut through the night, killing many of the natives. Eventually they retreated back behind the bushes and the conflict stopped. It was evident an officer had been hit during the skirmish as a wail was heard. The boats made it back safely, cutting lost time.
The slaves were steadily unloaded and escorted straight down to the cells under the watchful eyes of the Lieutenant, which was located on the bottom deck.
The officer hit was immediately cast into the medical room. A slurry of cries and morphing words followed. Thereafter, the ship set sail once again, cruising at good speed back to Montecadra.

[The_Oan_Isles]

The generals of the Oan army were pleased with the report from their scouts. The Morsts had played into their hands. They had revealed several things: the fact that they were collaborating with their enemies, the fact that they were taking slaves and their location. The real question was what to do next.

The general ordered several ships that were stationed farther south between Tranquility and Montecarde to intercept the Morst ship. The wooden hulls of the ships drifted slowly by menacingly towards the Morst ship. They recognised the Oan naval jack, and hoped that the cordial relations that their country shared would protect them from an attack.

Unfortunately they were wrong. The ships flanked the Morst ship and fired flaming tar at the hull and onto the deck. The force cracked the wood and the flames burnt it. While the panicked crew was dealing with the fire and leaks, Oan soldiers boarded the ship and began ruthlessly butchering every Morst on board. It was a difficult fight.

Cannons fired onto their ships. They fired back. The Morsts and Oans fought with swords, muskets and short spears. Both sides were damaged but under Hua, the Morsts surrendered. The Oan slaves were rescued.

Hua approached the Captain and menacingly said to him, “Tell your people that any friend of the Wayanatunu, is an enemy of Heaven”. They left the heavily damaged ship and the rest of its surviving crew, to deliver, this declaration of war.