Eating the Sails
"You tell me you westerners eat your sails? Then you get your rings marked with rigging?" Two sailors, Jaimon Tanagra and Jalad Temba were arguing fiercely, before leaving their ship, they were the last aboard.
"They're sea algae, perfectly safe to eat."
"Not the same as tasty! It's like a stringy, slimy lettuce!"
"It's tradition that each member of the crew eats a bit of the sail, usually a not so big bit, to show you're not going anywhere, for a while."
"And the attraction of the tradition?"
"We've been on this ship for three months, and you're telling me you don't want to go onto shore, eat and drink, mingle with people who don't stink of the sweat we get on board ship?"
"Oh, so it's 'I'm going to do something else, try and stop me' as a tradition?"
"More or less, it's also celebrating the fact that we did cross the Fenici ocean, not that many people do, although there's usually a crossing a year."
"Yeah, the storms don't make it easy, nor the distance, and carrying enough food... I bet some rich folk get some food skycuttered in."
"We did, too, at the halfway mark, like most people who actually make the crossing."
"What, we went in with only half the food?"
"No room for it on board ship, and this is a roomy one, can't imagine the crazy lunatics who try to do it on a sailboat half the size."
"I hear EMS Ambulon did it."
"Yeah, the one time she wasn't crewed by cadets, they had a crack crew of sailing experts, one-third her normal complement to save on food... Still more food per crew than we had today, for that reason."
"Oh, and they made it?"
"Just barely, it's not a pleasure cruise, but the Kagomine are a proud, cagey bunch, and some of their priests are pretty lively on a ship."
"They had priests? Couldn't they just conjure the food?"
"I imagine, if we ever run into them, that we should ask..."
"Not likely many of them here, at Lai Dang."
"So many visitors, what's with the crazy amount of people?" "Apparently, there's a trade conference here at Lai Dang, with at least the G-12 nations well represented, but more than that. All of the Asiranian and Eurani nations are in attendance. Where you from?" "I'm an independant trader, out of ɑm foʊ̯ lueɪ̯mmef dsæo, bearing Fenici flag." "Your nation is here too, your president even." "The old commander-in-chief? Good for them! He'll talk some sense into things." "There's a Kagomine Non-Com there... Remember what we were talking about?" "Yeah, I remember, what makes you think he'd know what you were talking about?" "The fact that his cap is lettered EMS Ambulon..."
"Gentlemen." The massive foreigner's non-commissioned uniform carried enough ornate braid to make the two merchant marines pause. His smooth, easy command of Moniqan, the local trade dialect, did as well. "Welcome, valiant traveling warrior. We were wondering if you'd let us buy you a drink, while you answered for us, what we hope is a simple question. "I'm under orders not to start anything, so let's just do that, shall we? I am Tadros." The corded muscles on his shoulders rippled, as he sat down, looking for threats. "We are Jaimon Tanagra and Jalad Temba, we are merchant sailors from Abendeen." "I recognized your accent, I've served with many an Abend in my day, military ones, containing the Tsou." "We are honoured, what will you drink?" "Does Lai Dang make ale, dark ale?" "Ah, no, but we have acquired the taste ourselves, abroad. Let me talk to Taibilan!" He gestured to the innkeeper. "Taibilan, three Dark Blegian Dragons!" This being the local trade name of trappist ale on lees from Blegia, his companion winced, he knew the price of that ale, traveling this far. "This is a fine strong ale on lees, indeed! Taibilan, bring us all another, I have to repay these gents for introducing me to such a fine brew!" "You've been here before?" "Aye, I am what you call a bodyguard, I keep some of our diplomats safe." "Is that where you earned that medal?" He pointed to the conspicuous emerald hanging from the green collar at his neck. Tadros wanted to swear, tutu-perpetrating regulations! "Ah, well you could say that, I earned that protecting someone, and they were very kind in saying thanks." "We were curious, your cap says Ambulon... But obviously, she's not ashore..." "Why do you say that? There's no place on Arnd Ambulon's sail cannot take her crew!" "She is a mighty fine ship indeed, and I meant no disrespect, I however, know she is too famous to be here and us not be told. The port would be blocked with throngs of folks if the third oldest ship still extant was visiting, or any of the other two." "I hear the BVV Phoenix was taken for repairs." "That old relic? It's still seaworthy?" "I was taken on a tour of that famous ship, I'd speak of that grand ship with more respect, if I were you, lest I catch a fist with my mouth..." Which, at 1m95, 175kg, Tadros could evidently throw quite effectively at diminutive Jaimon, who grinned sheepishly. "A point well made, so the Phoenix is still a grand ship, and the Karel Claus?" "I doubt that one can go anywhere without a minder or three. More's the pity, a grand ship, so neglected." "And Ambulon?" "Ambulon shamed so-called 'modern' vessels in an engagement fifteen years ago, just in time for the Kagomine 800th jubilee." "Which ship did she shame?" "You have to ask? The pride of the fleet, Meihomei's own personal cutter, EMS Great Kagome, and escorts." "A cruiser?" "Battlecruiser or Grand Missile Cruiser, escorts are cruisers themselves." "And Ambulon was a 801 year old wooden frigate?" "Wooden carrack."
"So many visitors, what's with the crazy amount of people?" "Apparently, there's a trade conference here at Lai Dang, with at least the G-12 nations well represented, but more than that. All of the Asiranian and Eurani nations are in attendance. Where you from?" "I'm an independant trader, out of ɑm foʊ̯ lueɪ̯mmef dsæo, bearing Fenici flag." "Your nation is here too, your president even." "The old commander-in-chief? Good for them! He'll talk some sense into things." "There's a Kagomine Non-Com there... Remember what we were talking about?" "Yeah, I remember, what makes you think he'd know what you were talking about?" "The fact that his cap is lettered EMS Ambulon..."
"Gentlemen." The massive foreigner's non-commissioned uniform carried enough ornate braid to make the two merchant marines pause. His smooth, easy command of Moniqan, the local trade dialect, did as well. "Welcome, valiant traveling warrior. We were wondering if you'd let us buy you a drink, while you answered for us, what we hope is a simple question. "I'm under orders not to start anything, so let's just do that, shall we? I am Tadros." The corded muscles on his shoulders rippled, as he sat down, looking for threats. "We are Jaimon Tanagra and Jalad Temba, we are merchant sailors from Abendeen." "I recognized your accent, I've served with many an Abend in my day, military ones, containing the Tsou." "We are honoured, what will you drink?" "Does Lai Dang make ale, dark ale?" "Ah, no, but we have acquired the taste ourselves, abroad. Let me talk to Taibilan!" He gestured to the innkeeper. "Taibilan, three Dark Blegian Dragons!" This being the local trade name of trappist ale on lees from Blegia, his companion winced, he knew the price of that ale, traveling this far. "This is a fine strong ale on lees, indeed! Taibilan, bring us all another, I have to repay these gents for introducing me to such a fine brew!" "You've been here before?" "Aye, I am what you call a bodyguard, I keep some of our diplomats safe." "Is that where you earned that medal?" He pointed to the conspicuous emerald hanging from the green collar at his neck. Tadros wanted to swear, tutu-perpetrating regulations! "Ah, well you could say that, I earned that protecting someone, and they were very kind in saying thanks." "We were curious, your cap says Ambulon... But obviously, she's not ashore..." "Why do you say that? There's no place on Arnd Ambulon's sail cannot take her crew!" "She is a mighty fine ship indeed, and I meant no disrespect, I however, know she is too famous to be here and us not be told. The port would be blocked with throngs of folks if the third oldest ship still extant was visiting, or any of the other two." "I hear the BVV Phoenix was taken for repairs." "That old relic? It's still seaworthy?" "I was taken on a tour of that famous ship, I'd speak of that grand ship with more respect, if I were you, lest I catch a fist with my mouth..." Which, at 1m95, 175kg, Tadros could evidently throw quite effectively at diminutive Jaimon, who grinned sheepishly. "A point well made, so the Phoenix is still a grand ship, and the Karel Claus?" "I doubt that one can go anywhere without a minder or three. More's the pity, a grand ship, so neglected." "And Ambulon?" "Ambulon shamed so-called 'modern' vessels in an engagement fifteen years ago, just in time for the Kagomine 800th jubilee." "Which ship did she shame?" "You have to ask? The pride of the fleet, Meihomei's own personal cutter, EMS Great Kagome, and escorts." "A cruiser?" "Battlecruiser or Grand Missile Cruiser, escorts are cruisers themselves." "And Ambulon was a 801 year old wooden frigate?" "Wooden carrack."
History
When, in 113AK, Fenici Benevolent, first Benevent to cross the Fenician Ocean, arrived in ɑm foʊ̯ lueɪ̯mmef dsæo and ate his sails(unlike later renditions of the tradition, he asked the natives for salad dressing, and he and his crew ate the whole thing). The natives thought this was uproariously funny.
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