Welcome, esteemed reader, to the Travelers Guide to Aqualon!
First things first! My name is Thadeus Fletcher, and if you are from the High North a little word of advice: our side won the war, so the North is at the bottom of the map; remember that when I talk about ''up'' and ''down''. It's been fifty days since I left the comfort of my hometown of Manastrat, and the Hank & Jordan & Tenzer Corporation has been so kind as to sponsor part of my trip. I am sending regular letters to my publisher at the HJT Gazette, and you, esteemed reader, will be able to reap the fruits of my in-depth field research!
So, ever had an atlas in your hands? No? Well, this is the situation: We got lots of land in the northern hemisphere, lots of water in the southern hemisphere. The former is called the Great Land and the High North, and the latter the Ocean Belt and the Spiral Sea. We got some big island chains in the Ocean Belt, so it's not all wet. Seventeen really big ones in the Corsic Ocean to the West, and a couple more to the East, and they got some huge lakes and rivers in the Great Land too, so we're all nice and balanced. In the middle, smack in between, of course, lies that wretched Iron Belt. Almost a hundred miles of pure iron (where it hasn't rusted at least), a real bitch to cross, but don't you worry, man finds a way!
In fact, here are my first valuable travel tips:
If you wish to cross the Iron Belt to reach the Great Land, there are three great ports you can steer to: Nankô above the Yamato Kingdom, Blacksteel above the Red Sands, and Ísenwyll by Svalbrynd. Now, if you head over to Ísenwyll, I strongly suggest you curb the whole winning the war stick I gave you in the beginning. The Svalbrynd Nords don't take too kindly to that kind of talk. But hey, since they joined the Axis of Steel with Altonar and the Fiefdoms of Ravensburg, they've become a lot more amenable to travelers and commerce, so don't worry about it. Added bonus with this port: you got actual land around it. Do some shopping, get some souveniers, and spend the night in a room without an iron floor. Additionally, you can cross the Iron Belt pretty quickly here: From Rusty Shore to Rusty Shore, the crazy Altonar technocrats built this thing they call a 'railway' where this huge, metal vehicle drives to and fro, getting you across lickedysplit.
If you're heading for the Middle Lands though, you might not want to take the long way around via Altonar or the Yamato Kingdom, so what do you do? You head to Blacksteel. Now this port is pretty big, and they have these impressive installations built into the side of the Rusty Shore for mooring ships and getting people onto the Belt. You can get some exotic goods here too, if you don't mind hitting the shadier corners. But be careful or you might lose your purse. They don't have any mass transit across the Iron Belt here, but the whole section there is Steel Baron territory. For some coin, their underlings are usually good for taking you across in their magnet rollers. These smaller vehicles float a few inches above the Iron Belt and can reach impressive speeds. The Borealians sold them to the Steel Barons apparently and supply the carbonic power cells they use for fuel; smart deal if you ask me.
Lastly, if the Yamato Kingdom is your first stop, well, Nankô it is. The name means "South Steel" I am told, and it is quite rustic. Everything is made out of bamboo scaffolding and you can usually see several impressive barks moored to the piers here, courtesy of the West Yamato Trading Company. Getting passage of one of their ships to Nankô is also a solid option, if you are having trouble finding your way to one of the three ports. Interestingly, the Yamato Folk have built this huge waterway all the way across the Iron Belt. Almost one hundred miles of artificial river you might call it, a comfortable way to make it across to the Great Land.
Well, while the Yamato Kingdom is a beautiful place to visit, my first stop will be the Middle Lands. I want to head to
Aquaris, get a good look at that beautiful Spire of Rahn, everyone keeps talking about! So, Blacksteel it is. I'm on an HJT cog right now, writing this column for my publisher; the captain will hand it over when he returns to Graanshoof, and you'll be able to read more in a couple of issues!
T.F.
