SHIP'S LOG:

The Crystal Skull

Merlina the Magician 3/23/2025 8:36pm

This, as you can see, is a map of the Madness Zone.

Spiral of Infirmity, The Wild of Winds, Spitting Distance, The Distinctly Harrowing Hills, The Wandering Wastes, Chisholm's Standing, Fester Bridge, The Needles...

But it's here, Reaper's Peak, that we're interested in.

"Nobody's ever made it 'round Reaper's Peak" @Mandy Pigtail said.

"Or done a touch and go landing on it," I said. "But there's a magician up there, and we need him picked up."

Mandy Pigtail 11/28/2024 11:52pm

"Well, it's not like we can do miracles," the magician said.

@Andrew, the zombie attack survivor, still hadn't said much after I found him in the wardrobe. He was able to follow instructions, and in fact was an excellent ship's hand, and I figure really had been a captain once. Before the attack. But his mind still seemed a bit wrecked.

"We can try him a bit with the tin hat. Here."

The magician shuffled around in a cupboard and pulled out a witch's hat made out of tin foil. He led Andrew to a stool in the corner and put the hat on Andrew's head.

"Let him sit like that a bit."

"Will that clear up his mind?"

"Well, no. But it'll occupy him."

Andrew barely seemed to notice.

"C'mon into the sanctum. We've got business to discuss," the magician said.

Mandy Pigtail 8/4/2024 10:43pm

Captain @Andrew, of a ship called The Crystal Skull, has some serious issues. Stress Induced Walking Catatonia (SIWC) from being trapped on a zombie ship and locked in a wardrobe for months no doubt. He's familiar enough with the workings of an airship (even a mail tug) to be a capable hand, but not much for conversation. Also tends to hide in closets when we get within sinffin' range of a zombie hoard.

But we'll get to the magicians before too long. They've got experience with that kind of thing.

Mandy Pigtail 4/13/2024 12:10am

I make it a rule not to touch the cargo. But when it's sobbing uncontrollably even I've got to make an exception.

We'd taken on what looked like a wardrobe, but had become something more like a prison, or a coffin.

I'd heard banging and thought it was waste rats from the Zone. They can get pretty big and grow strange appendages. But upon closer examination it was a person locked in a box. Pretty freaked out. Lone survivor from a ship that had been overrun. Locked himself in a closet, and when the ship got scavenged they hadn't taken the time to look inside -- just pulled it and put it on the market. Destination was a consignment shop at the edge of the Madness Zone.

Claims to be one Captain @Andrew, of a ship called The Crystal Skull. He's recovering.

Not sure if I need a deranged passenger. Or crew member. Though running the ship alone hasn't been the best situation.

Andrew 12/23/2023 10:15am

The walls of this closet are covered in scratches denoting the days I have been stuck hiding from whatever is outside. The zombies were not my expectation when I accepted that dreadful delivery. My ship must be in shambles by now, and I still hear movement from outside the boarded-up door. I just ran out of space to count the days, and my food stores are running low. Soon I'll have to make a break for it, and I don't know if I can.

Mandy Pigtail 12/15/2023 9:55pm

"Thanks Mandy!"

"Always a pleasure, Gherkin."

In one door and out the other. Some of my cargo can look a bit familiar, and just proves there's a good market for fine wine, cheese, cured meats out in the Madness Zone. And it's not my job to ask questions. It's what daddy always said. I make pickups and deliveries, that's all.

Zombie weather looking pretty good today. Surges passing high to the north, and the path is looking clear across the wastes to the east. I'm off to meet the magicians.

Lik McCoy 9/1/2023 6:59pm

The guy who owns the Garland Patera doesn’t keep much track of his stock, so it’s easy to walk off with cases of fine wine, cheese, cured meats.

Seems fair, considering what he pays me.

Then I sell them to the traders who service the settlers and crooks and magicians out in the Madness Zone.

Couldn’t pay me to live out there again.

Dale Flowers 6/1/2023 11:04pm

"You sure you don't have anything else in there for me, Mandy?"

She knows I'm talking about her heart and not her mail tug. But she doesn't let on.

"Dale you know you got everything that was on your waybill. You best go and make sure your servants get everything put away just right."

"Not servants, Mandy. I pay 'em just fine."

She leaves me a copy of the list, hops into her stubby little ship, and pulls out from the loading dock.

"Hey! Careful with that!" I holler at the staff. That's some expensive wine.

Mandy Pigtail 2/15/2023 11:16pm

"And git!" I holler, knocking the zombie off with a bullhook. Hope he doesn't land on anybody.

There's a scraping sound coming from the other side of the ship.

Oh lord, I say to myself, rushing back to the bridge and taking the wheel. Looking through the windows, it's clear we'd run up against the side the building across the street. I ease away from the building, then up over the street, over the city, and point us towards Garland Patera. It's a clear day and I can find my way.

Ship as small as this one, you still need a crew of two if you want to survive. And while I've been lucky so far, that's not the preferred state.

Not if I want to keep up the family business -- connecting folks what's left in the Madness Zone. Facilitatin' trade, moving the mail.

That's what daddy would have wanted.

And heck, I don't know anything else.

Airshipping News 11/12/2022 2:39pm

Winds are spicy out of the northeast today as Zombie Pirate Hoard #13 continues to gather steam and head west. 

Airlanes throughout the region have been closed or rerouted, so update those flight paths! And be prepared for checkpoints at emergency pontoons. 

Otherwise, supply chains through the rest of the network are reporting green plus to green minus, with the usual slowdown in the Dinsmore, Filbert, and Tri-cities areas. The Chester B. Arthur memorial airlane will be closed from local midnight to 3am again this week as they spray for witches.