Black Ship Pods
from Black Dragon Lore
A Black Ship hull is crenulated from water line to Black Deck corposant railing. It's bumpy, and each bump a Black Ship Pod in some stage of growth. When grown enough they can pop off and float beside their parent Black Ship. And can re-attach until grown enough to be on their own on the wide ocean. When nearing this time, a nascent sail appears. Pods with these sails are raced tethered to White Whales, the crews bracing behind the sail with their legs and knees while holding on to one another, and to the one holding the tether to the White Whale's harness. There's nothing to hang on to on a Pod, and crews often slip off, a disaster if the tether isn't released in such event, or tangles up around the crew.
White Whales
From the masthead,
The lookout called down,
"White Whales!"
"Finish the hand,"
Said Poe,
And Ned sat back down.
"They won't begin without you."
Poe meditated over his
Dead Man's Poker hand.
He was the dead man,
And his was the last bet--
'Call or raise or fold...'
He thought long.
Petra scampered down
From the Red Wheel
And leaned low over
Blue Sky's hand,
Took in his cards,
And the discards,
Said to Blue Sky,
"No chance,
You're done.
Come away, Cerulean,
The Pods are on the waves
And the White Whales
Invite us to their fun."
Petra pulled Blue Sky
Away from the game.
Blue Sky dropped his cards
And Ned hooted,
"Enough!"
And threw in his hand.
Ichi and Shaw had already folded.
"We're off too!" they both said.
Poe looked at the pot,
The scattered cards,
His own eight still unseen, face down.
"Mystery is no mystery
When the dead find their own answer."
Said Poe.
Turtle Soup
From the Masthead
From the Masthead
The lookout
Watched the three person teams
Settle on to their Pods
And harness their tethers
To each their White Whale:
Petra (reigns), Blue Sky, and Dana;
Ned, Shaw, and Ichi (reigns);
Queequig, Ishmael and Poe (reigns).
Poe had felt the last poker hand
Ill omened, and donated the pot
To the onlookers,
His hand unseen, unknown.
Ravens flew down
From Black Ship Liz's rigging,
Settled one on each Pod crew's shoulder.
"Suit up!" Poe said,
And the Ravens morphed
Into black full body armor.
Petra laughed to see
Blue Sky's surprise
Through his face shield.
"The Raven Suit will provide you air,
And much else."
Petra said.
Petra said.
"I need air?"
Asked Blue Sky.
"You'll see!"
Said Petra.
"Last to the Pinnacle
Is Sea Turtle soup!"
Shouted out Queequig.
Brushstrokes
From the Masthead,
From the Masthead,
The lookout
Watched the teams begin
Racing to the horizon,
Their wakes like long
White brushstrokes
On the black ocean,
And he saw beyond
What they, low,
Bounding over the waves,
Couldn't see,
A distant patch of fog
On the bluer than blue sea.
The Pinnacle Race
from Black Dragon Lore
The race just to get to the Pinnacle is no easy matter. At the White Whales' break neck speed, the pods strike each wave like it was a floating log. Experienced teams reign their Whale according to the waves, be they choppy, gullies and mountains, or dead calm. Each team crouches atop their pod, locking their knees into the nascent sail. One in front holds the tether reigns. Through the reigns the Whale feels the crews' commands.
The two behind hold the one in front around the waist. To stay on the pod maintaining their grip is a test of strength, to control speed and direction, one of skill, and to inspire a White Whale to win, one of spirit.
The Pinnacle
from Black Dragon Lore
from Black Dragon Lore
The Pinnacle is a submerged Volcano, riddled with caverns and caves, tunnels and chutes, enormous to small, some so small a Whale can barely squeeze through. The Race proper begins at its base, and concludes with the first to reach the top. The Pinnacle, still somewhat active, illuminates much of the course with red glow from oozing pillow lavas and fumerals. Juvenile Black Giant Squids mark out the course, using their color changing skins for course marking beacons. This for the crews' eyes. The White Whales see the beacons and caves fine with their echo-location--them, and Pinnacle Champion Ichi. For the unfortunate, even a Raven Suit affords poor protection to a team that crashes inside the Pinnacle.
DolphinWords
Notes: race lifted from movieMobyDick1956, and the 'earn your flying dragon' quests in WOW (World of Warcraft)...I've made Ichi into a kind of echo-locator...which would explain a lot!...ral...reference too the Farnsworth Bank off Catalina...bought a deck of cards, and Dead Man's Poker works!...can't find walnuts in shells anywhere...
DavidDavid
DolphinWords
Notes: race lifted from movieMobyDick1956, and the 'earn your flying dragon' quests in WOW (World of Warcraft)...I've made Ichi into a kind of echo-locator...which would explain a lot!...ral...reference too the Farnsworth Bank off Catalina...bought a deck of cards, and Dead Man's Poker works!...can't find walnuts in shells anywhere...
DavidDavid
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