Archive for December 16th, 2025
Tharlarion Race in Selnar
Tuesday, December 16th, 2025
Expedition to the Pani islands 5
Tuesday, December 16th, 2025
In the weeks that followed, the expedition did not limit itself to Nara alone. Guided by local pilots and charts newly amended with careful notes, the Lysander also sailed on to the neighboring islands of Kamura and Daphna, each different in custom and opportunity.
On Kamura, the visit was brief but cordial, marked by cautious exchanges and the promise of future contact. It was on Daphna, however, that events took a sharper and more memorable turn. The island was larger and more densely settled, its harbor watched over by the residence of its Shogun, a man known for his keen mind and firm rule. There, the members of the Southern Trade Alliance found themselves engaged in serious and promising trade discussions, speaking of routes, tariffs, and rare goods that might one day flow regularly across the Thassa.
The calm was broken one night by violence.
A group of rebels, their motives unclear but their intent unmistakable, launched an attack on the Shogun’s residence. Steel rang in the torchlight, and shouts echoed through the courtyards. Guards responded swiftly, and after a brief but fierce clash, the attackers were driven off or captured. The Shogun’s authority held—but not without cost.
One person was badly wounded in the fighting, struck deeply enough that death seemed close. There was no time to summon help from afar. Sabayna, the free companion of Rarius Yuroki, stepped forward without hesitation. Trained as a physician, she ordered water boiled, instruments cleaned, and space cleared. By lamplight, she performed an emergency operation, working with calm precision while soldiers stood watch at the doors.
The wounded survived.
In the days that followed, Sabayna’s skill drew attention not only for saving a life, but for her knowledge of healing arts. Daphna, it soon became clear, was rich in rare herbs and medicinal plants, many unknown or scarcely studied on the mainland of Gor. After careful thought, the physician made a decision: she would remain in Daphna until spring, to study these plants and expand her understanding of their uses.
The Shogun himself granted his approval—and more than that. He formally promised her protection, assigning guards and offering access to lands and gardens normally closed to outsiders. It was both gratitude and recognition of her value.
Thus, while ships and merchants prepared to sail on, a different kind of journey began—one of knowledge rather than trade. And on the island of Daphna, amid winter winds and quiet gardens, the bonds between strangers grew deeper, forged not only by commerce, but by courage, healing, and trust.
As winter tightened its grip on the Pani Islands, the time came to depart. The Lysander was the last ship able to leave before the season closed the seas with ice, storms, and treacherous winds. Her hull sat low in the water, fully laden with exotic trade goods—barrels of sake from Nara, rare items from Kamura, and carefully packed wares acquired through hard-won agreements in Daphna.
Farewells were spoken quietly. Sabayna remained behind under the Shogun’s protection, her work only beginning, while the rest of the expedition returned to the sea. With sails raised and anchors drawn, the Lysander slipped from the harbor and turned westward, setting her course for Selnar.
The Thassa, so cruel on the outward journey, showed a gentler face on the return. The winds were favorable, steady and strong, filling the sails and driving the ship onward day and night. The crew moved with renewed confidence, the weight of successful trade and survival lifting their spirits. Snow faded behind them, replaced by clearer skies and the familiar rhythm of open water.
Then, in the early light of dawn, a cry rose once more from the lookout—not of danger, but of home.
“Land ahead!”
Out of the pale morning mist, the coast of Cos appeared, dark and solid against the glowing horizon. Cliffs and shoreline took shape as the sun began to rise, painting the sea in bands of gold and blue. Men gathered at the rail in silence, many smiling, some whispering thanks to the winds and to the gods of Gor.
The long circle was nearly complete. From Selnar to the Pani Islands and back again, across storm, fog, snow, and steel, the Lysander had endured. Now, with Cos before her and Selnar close beyond, she carried not only cargo – but proof that the Thassa could be crossed, and that new paths of trade and alliance had truly been opened.
Ganima and Sabyna also contributed photos.