Late in the year 460 A.F., while harvesting herbs in the cliffside caves
beneath the seaside town of Tasur'ke, Hawfeld Drake became aware of
sounds of muted construction -- the hammering of nails, the sawing of
wood. Curious, he searched all around but was unable to find whence the
noises derived. Others soon joined him in his search, including Ethaya
Ze'Dekiah and Haldor. It was these two who found, after a month of
searching, a hidden passage from the Garden of Whispers down to a
secluded crescent-shaped cove where workers were busily constructing
what appeared to be a dock. Captain Maelstrom, the old seaman formerly
of the service of the gods Caspian and Neraeos, was there, directing the
flow of workers. By his side was a Triton architect by the name of
Pytheos.

Perturbed by the discovery of their hidden construction, Captain
Maelstrom and Pytheos were, for a long time, close-lipped about their
affairs to the adventurers who came to question them. However, by
winter's time, the construction yard was running dangerously low on
supplies, and Maelstrom asked for help in procuring various building
materials. Through the winter, the builders toiled to complete the dock,
and many adventurers, notably those from the Divine Order of Neraeos,
came to assist Maelstrom. Still, he spoke little of what he planned
here.

Then finally, in the spring of the year 461 A.F., the docks and
adjoining buildings were completed, and Captain Maelstrom was found at
the end of the pier gazing out into the ocean, pacing. Though he seemed
agitated and would not speak of what he seemed to be awaiting,
adventurers came and stood vigil with him. Finally, a dark shape loomed
on the horizon - a long, sleek ship, flying an unrecognisable ensign!
The ship manoeuvred gracefully into the newly built harbour, and a
gangplank was lowered down. As all watched with bated breath, a
strikingly tall and beautiful human woman descended from the ship, her
skin as black as Abbadon, her hair a bright shining gold. She was
surrounded by an entourage of strange Tritons, their dress unlike any
seen before.

She greeted Captain Maelstrom with warmth and smiling, pronounced to him
that the vessel was seaworthy, and that she had subjected it to rigorous
trials at sea, as he had asked. Beaming, the captain replied, "Indeed?
High praise from you, Himalia. The prototype is yours, then, the first
Thalassian seastrider. A humble gift from an old captain."

Those acquainted with their history of the mortal races reeled in
surprise at the name by which the captain addressed the woman, for
Himalia was the name of one of the seven Offspring of the first two
humans, Sinope and Callisto. The last that was known of her was that she
had sailed into the ocean, in the infancy of history, and had never been
seen since.

Their curiosity, alas, was not to be quenched at this time, for Himalia
soon expressed that she could not tarry long and ascended, with her
foreign Triton entourage, up the gangplank to the Thalassian seastrider
which apparently Maelstrom had built in anticipation of Himalia's return
with the prototype ship. The ship glided out of the harbour and
disappeared.

Following Himalia's departure, Captain Maelstrom announced that he would
now begin taking commissions for the ship of his design. However, due to
limitation of resources, he was only able to take five initial
commissions, and the options on these five commissions he awarded to
those who had assisted most greatly during the building of the harbour:
three to the joint efforts of the Order of Neraeos, one to Riashain
Dev'a'Bertal, and one to Delphinus Windancer. "Return in a month's
time," he told them, "and you shall have your ships."

Penned by my hand on the 21st of Scarlatan, in the year 461 AF.