Alright so heres what you read already with slight changes, also what I was able to edit and reformat tonight....hopefully Kat and I will be able to finish it tomorrow as it is consuming my life...this will be the third night in a row I have been up past one in the morning working on this...and the last two nights it was four.....thanks much to kat for writing some of the journal entries. It helped me catch your voice and get over a serious plot knot. I would like it if anyone who is crew and reading this and in the story so far would write a couple journal entries....that might be helpful. yes..

ok here goes.

~Ankyl, Bard of The Criminal Dawn




First Journal Entry of Katherine McBride

I Katherine McBride write this account of my voyage in case anything should happen to me on my adventure out to sea. I have stowed away on my father's ship, The Blessed Dawn, on the transatlantic voyage transporting the Ursiline nuns and their strange companions to a new town in the Americas called New Orleans. Father has let me come along on previous voyages to the British Isles but he never would have agreed to let me come with him this far, so I hid on board when they were putting the provisions below deck...Cookie is the only one who knows Im here. I think It's hard for her being the only woman on board besides these strange passengers and their escorts...and her husband doesnt offer much solace...I just have to keep out of sight untill we are too far out to sea to turn back....

Second Journal Entry of Katherine McBride

Two weeks out to sea and the crew onboard the Blessed Dawn have begun to succumb to a mysterious consumption...six men so far were found dead where they slept completly drained of life...I know it isn't scurvy...Cookie doesn't make mistakes....and it happened so suddenly! I hid behind some crates when Lucas Buckthorne came down to haul up some rope and the next morning the crew found his withered corpse under his sheet. Is this what happens out at sea?

Third Journal Entry of Katherine McBride

I approached father today. He was furious to find that I had stowed away on his ship. Thirteen men have died from the consumption so far. I didn't feel safe hiding below deck any longer....especially now that Cookie is so distraught...her husband was one of the thirteen...I asked the nuns if they had heard of such a plague before and recieved only scowls. One of the companions talked to me for a while though. She went by the name Imitatia Camilla McVulvaclap....She said that she grew bored with her old life and traveled around with gypsies for a while untill she was rescued by the Ursiline convent...I wonder where she's really from....

Fourth Journal Entry of Katherine McBride

By the navigator's estimation we are only a day or two away from port. Unfortunately he, my father, and a handful of sailors are the only men who haven't succumbed to the consumption....none of the passengers have fallen to it though...Im beginning to worry...

Fifth Journal Entry of Katherine McBride

We reached port late last night and the Ursiline nuns and their companions left the ship leaving only Cookie, my father, three sailors and I left aboard and alive. We have decided to stay on the ship tonight and not spend money on an inn so we can afford to get more help for our trip back to Ireland. Will we make it anyway?

Sixth Journal Entry of Katherine McBride

A week has passed since my last entry. The morning after we docked in New Orleans the rest of the crew, besides cookie and myself, were found dead just like the others. I am now the owner of the Blessed Dawn and I need to find a financier to get back home to Ireland. The Ursiline Convent offered little help other than to direct me to a man referred to as "The Sultan"...If I can convince him it will be worth his while he might give me enough money to hire a crew to get back home....

7th Journal Entry of Katherine McBride

"The Sultan" is a sick man. But he's agreed to finance my ship. Right now that's all I need. I went to one of the taverns near the port to look for the beginnings of a crew and I found a man named Jubei who knows his way about a ship..... I think he will make an excellent first mate, and he's brought along his associates Shizki and Xian...not to mention he is a fine looking sailor....I think he will make an excellent first mate.

First Journal Entry of Jubei

HA! What luck that I would have found just what I was looking for not two days after arriving in New Orleans. I've been wandering around this damn continent for too long now and I need to move on to something else. Shizki and Xian suggested piracy but how to do that without a boat? It's a SCAM! We simply join with a naive captain and then later on, we mutiny! It won't take me a month to turn this ship pirate!

8th Journal Entry of Captain Katherine McBride

With the first mate and a few sailors signed up I decided to head out and see if I could find a carpenter or a blacksmith...you know someone who would be able to fix things when they broke....I think our last carpenter was named Johnathan Pintle....Father told me that without him the ship could have sunk countless times....after surviving this trip sinking is definately not an option. I found a rather pretty young man who goes by "Buttons" who happens to be trained in smithing AND carpentery...It's nowhere near the size of my father's crew but with a few more sailors I might be able to get back home.

Diary of Buttons the Smith

Im sick of New Orleans. It was great at first. No one gave me any shit. Then someone figures out Im a woman and I lose respect AND my customers. Im going to move on to some land where they have stronger women. I've heard good things about the Norse....I just have to scam this Captain McBride into thinking Im interested in staying onboard for an extended period and once I get to another port I can jump ship and sail to the Norselands.....I've built houses before...how different could a ship possibly be?

9th Journal Entry of Captain Katherine McBride

I think I've found a few more sailors! I was in the tavern where I met Jubei and a brawl broke out between a rather strong looking man and a lad who couldn't be older than 17. It looked like pretty rough odds and the barkeep was about to throw them both out so I stepped in and asked if the larger man was available for hire. He said his name was Mem~bar of the Broken Scabbard and that he was currently looking for work aboard a ship, and the younger lad, who is now known to me as Zeigler, thinking I saved his life has agreed to offer his services to the ship in any way he can...Im beginning to think a few more weeks here in New Orleans and we will be ready to set sail.

Personal Record of Mem~bar of The Broken Scabbard

So Zeigler and I are at Inconstant Carlotta's Tavern an' we were planning to get in a fight to get our asses thrown out after we've both had a few drinks cause gods know we dont have the coin to pay...but right in the middle of our scam some Irish chick came up to me and tells me she's the new captain of a ship called the Blessed Dawn and she needs sailors....now I've never been as good at sailing as I am at fightin or drummin, but I agreed hoping that she would pay our tab...luckily the barkeep was too distracted at the prospect of a female captain to notice we'd slipped the bill. a'course Zeigler overplayed his gratitude to this McBride and now he's offered ANY of his services to the captain....trust me cap'n....theres some services ye'd be better served without... Anyway now I've got some coin in my pocket and as soon as I've got enough stowed away I can slip off at some other port and start again!

10th Journal Entry of Captain Katherine McBride

It has become clear that our ship is in need of a medic....I can't have my crew succumb to the same consumption that took my father and Shizki has come down with some sort of malady...Tomorrow I will head into town and search for one.

Shizki's Diary

.....it burns....

11th Journal Entry of Captain Katherine McBride

It seems that "The Sultan" didn't keep track of his funds as well as he should have. Jubei approached me today and told me that "The Sultan" had been murdered in the night....not only murdered but a bloody masacre. Locals say blood had run out of his home and pooled in the streets, and now the gang of debt collectors that did this to him is coming after the Blessed Dawn. Luckily I was able to hire on a medic before we had to leave. I met a younger, darker skinned chaplain woman in town selling voodoo potions and poultices...she told me that hers work better than anyone elses. Her only special request on coming aboard was that she bring her apprentice Dae'izha along with her. I didn't have time to argue...we had to get out of port....only the first mate and I know that the ship is being chased...I wonder if I should tell the crew.

Diary of Buttons the Smith

Well fuck. The ship is being chased by muhammadan debt collectors. I still dont know what the hell Im supposed to fix. And do you know how fucking hard it is to nail a board on something that keeps moving back and forth?

Cookies Journal

I wonder when Kathy is going to tell us about the debt collectors....I wonder if she knows we know....I wonder what kind of spices we can pick up in the next port. Ooh! I think Ill try that recipe I picked up for mushroom empanadas!

Shizke's Diary

We left port today...It's a good day for sailing...also we're being chased by the ones who slaughtered The Sultan and everyone in his home at the time....The burning stopped though...

Imitatia's Notes

haha! I feel kindof bad for stowing away on this ship...especially since things didnt go so well for the crew on my last trip. But Im so tired of those old nuns...my sisters can stay if they want but I have tasted wanderlust and Im not calling anywhere home ever again.... I hope we escape the muhammadans....

Dae'izha's Ledger

The Chaplain got us a sweet job aboard a ship called the Blessed Dawn. The captain is female so I guess she doesn't care that we are. That scam selling known medicines as Voodoo cures really did the trick. Now I can continue my medical studies and The Chaplain....well...her voodoo has never been the healing sort...but at least we're out of that place. The Captain hired the two of us on kindof quickly though...and we set sail as soon as we got to the ship...eh...I guess we're being chased or something.

Personal Record of Mem~bar of The Broken Scabbard

We hauled ass out of port today cause the ship has a muhhamadan bounty on it...I dont suppose there's any way to turn it in if Im ON the ship....I guess we'll ride this one out. Cap'n McBride hired on two more wimminfolk today, a chaplain and her apprentice....I wonder if the apprentice has taken any vows of celibacy yet! what do you call a chaplains apprentice anyway? Do chaplains normally apprentice?....Dae'izha.....

Second Journal Entry of Jubei

After we set sail the Captain invited me to her quarters to discuss the muhammadan threat and where we were going next. We decided to port in Boston...then I turned to leave but she beckoned that I stay...........whoa....

12th Journal Entry of Captain Katherine McBride

we are a day and a half out of New Orleans and I told the crew of our plight. None of them took it as poorly as I thought they would. In fact I didnt see a single shocked face. This is turning out to be a really strong crew. Im proud of them. Our Next stop is Boston so we can get some more sailors, and stock up for our transatlantic voyage.

p.s. Jubei is a VERY good first mate.

Imitatia's Notes

Well I saw this one coming. We were turned away from Boston Harbor because the authorities there feared repercussion from the muhammadan collectors....I guess we have to find a pirate port...

13th Journal Entry of Captain Katherine McBride

We were turned away from Boston Harbor because the authorities there feared repercussion from the muhammadan collectors. Who could have known that their influence reached all the way to boston? We need to find another port. Jubei has suggested Newport, Rhode Island....I dont know what makes him think we will be welcome there when we aren't welcome here, but we're running out of supplies and we need to make a stop.

14th Journal Entry of Captain Katherine McBride

Before reaching Boston Harbor I decided that we needed to re-christen the ship to commemerate it's new ownership.....also to escape the bounty....Jubei has informed me that it would be our best course of action considering others who would be docking here might turn us in if they knew of it. So now I am the captain of the Criminal Dawn....that's different enough right? I just want to get back home. I've Hired on a Boatswain named Padraig who joined rather quickly and then wanted to know everything about us! I think he's fond of our crew already. I've also hired on a navigator who says he has made the transatlantic voyage many times before. He's been entertaining the crew the entire time we've been in harbor....I thought he looked a little young to have made the journey that many times but his stories are compelling and he was very determined....I think that's important in crew...determination....

Ankyl's Notes

I've made it aboard a ship. As soon as we've made it out to sea I will be free of the land and your ghost, Tolanto.....as my luck would have it there's a fucking chaplain aboard this ship. Isn't that bad luck anyway? If I could have gotten us away! If I could have stopped you from listening to them! What was the lure of their false gods Tolanto? What drove you into the madness that-...now is not the time for this. I have got to make preparations to leave.... somehow continue this scam that I know how to navigate, and figure out what to do with that chaplain.

Padraig's Diary

Dear Diary, It's my first day on boad the Criminal Dawn as Captain Kidd's spy...................................sorry...someone was walking by and you know I read aloud as I write. So, yes! I am a spy for Captain Kidd because he wants to know what the Criminal Dawn is doing in HIS harbor!.....................................................sorry. reading aloud again...the only problem is that I think Im in love....we sat down to eat together and were served by an angel carrying a meat cleaver. I stood at the entrance to her galley this morning (no one is allowed in while she is cooking) and I saw her skin a rabbit with her bare hands...and I think her teeth.....i need to meet this heavenly creature and make her mine!

Scrawlings found carved into a board with a severed chicken's claw

This ship is messed up! I was out on deck the other day and a beam swung around and knocked me overboard! I could have drowned! One of the lines just snapped and the beam came around and hit me square in the gut. Luckily Mem~bar pulled me out of the water before some sea demon pulled me down. I even lost that damn crucifix I was using to disguise myself as a chaplain....oh well...It's not like I need that anymore. I think the crew might be on to me...Dae'izha say's I complain about the lack of goats too much.

Ankyl's Notes

I am completely, and utterly lost. I have no idea how Im supposed to use the damn compass, the spindle keeps changing direction, we could be anywhere on this damn map and the only thing that has kept the crew from realizing this is that they're all too busy complaining about how hot it's become. We've been sailing on some course for about a month now and if I dont figure out where we are soon or how to get to a nearby port to figure out directions we're going to be in trouble....just keep the sails full of wind right?... I've had a couple chances of getting rid of that chaplain. I cut a rope to knock her overboad and she floats. I cant utilize poison because cookie threatens anyone who enters her galley with death and the only reason I cant get to her in her sleep is that she snores so loud it keeps the rest of the ship awake....I am getting used to her I guess.Getting rid of her is no longer worth my time...and she plays a mean drum for a chaplain.

15th Journal Entry of Captain Katherine McBride

Over a month since my last entry now....Its hot...its getting hotter every day...The sun seems to be the gaze of the devil himself. Im beginning to worry about our course....Our navigator has assured me that we should be arriving in Irish waters within two weeks. I have no reason to doubt this but I have noticed a rapid warming of the general climate that I do not recall from the first crossing. I also have a strong feeling that we are very near to land. It's as if we are following the coast, just ...out of sight. Never having studied navigation myself, I must trust him. The crew does not seem concerned so I will echo their show of faith in him. After all, they are each more experienced than I and such honest, good upstanding people. I have been blessed to have found such a crew. I am growing quite fond of them all.

Dae'izha's Ledger

we are completely out of apple cider vinegar and the aloe vera poultice and people are getting burned...badly at that...I think that Shizki, Jubei, Mem~bar and Xian would all be medically classified as "Crispy". The rest of the crew either doesnt burn or has been below deck enough to avoid the sun...the heat is inescapable though...I kindof pictured a cold stormy trip to ireland but I don't think I've seen a cloud in a week.

16th Journal Entry of Captain Katherine McBride

I saw a fucking seagull today. You don't have to be a master sailor to know that those filthy winged- rats don't go out to sea. This little shit IS following the coastline and taking us God knows where. It has become so stiflingly hot that is difficult to keep the crew to their water rations. Still no one has mentioned the heat as unusual. If I inform the crew of Ankyl's deceit, and that I have been duped by this boy, I will surely loose their respect as Captain and they will undoubtedly blame me for putting them in the danger we now face because of it. Water supplies are running low. I know they trust my leadership. I cannot risk them turning on me. I am unsure what to do. They cannot know that I have no idea where we are.



Ankyl's Notes

Ever have that feeling you are being watched? The Captain has been on me like a hawk for the past three days. I fumble with the navigation equipment as if I know what I'm doing and go about my duties as if all is according to course. Every time I turn around her eyes are on me. For some reason, I get the distinct impression that First Mate Jubei would throw me overboard if the Captain would just look away. I think they know how off course we are...or else they know of my attempt on the chaplain...maybe I should put their minds at ease.....

.....continued in part 2.................