Words used: beach, bottle, captain, crab, eclipse, hurricane, island, mermaid, pirate, sand, star, treasure
598 words total.


I've been around for a long time. I don't remember how long, exactly, but I do remember what I was first manufactured for: to contain an effervescent prismatic philter. It was an important first job, for a little glass phial like me. Once someone used up that dose of potion, emptying me, I was passed around by more witches, brewers, and customers than I can count. At this point, I've been filled with every type of philter from every corner of Sylestia. I thought I had seen everything. However, I experienced something new recently. I was vacant, and I ended up in the hands of Aleisa McRoney, a barracks captain. She picked me up at the market for just a bit of change. With her gruff temperament, I expected to be filled with poison, or perhaps she would shatter me if I displeased her. Much to my surprise, she dropped in a rolled up piece of paper, tied neatly with red string.

I guess this whole ordeal is generally referred to as a message in a bottle, but you can see why I would rather look at it as a bottle with a message situation. Anyways, she took me and my message down to the beach and hurled us into the ocean. That's where I've been floating for a while now, and I have learned a lot about life at sea.

First of all, it's pretty boring out here. Nothing but blue above and darker blue below. On occasion, I'll catch a flash of a fish's scales in the deep. I like to fancy it's a rare Kelpari or maybe a mermaid, just to keep things interesting.

Of course, with the currents and all, I'm not always out in the middle of nowhere. I love it when I make it to shallower water. Once, I drifted close enough to the main island that I believe I could see the walls of Esior's Haven over the rolling hills past the beach. It was a lovely view. I watched a lone crab dance across the strip of sand lining the water before I was drawn back out by the tide.

One thing nobody thinks to tell you about floating in the ocean is that it's blinding on cloudless days. I've often worried the brightness might cause my message to fade, but I get lucky when floating seaweed or other debris will drift over me and eclipse my view of the sun. As bright as it is during the day, though, the darkness of night is even more encompassing, only broken by the constellations. There's one particular star I pretend might look like that crustacean I nearly met on that beach. I'll admit it gets lonely out here, but in my defense, it's a little bit red in color.

When I get lonely and there aren't any stars or clouds or fish to look at, I entertain myself with the little paper rolled up behind my glass. I wonder if it's a letter addressed to anyone in particular. I like to imagine it is, and a massive hurricane will pick me up and deposit me right in front of their home. Or maybe it's a treasure map; I could lead someone to jewels, to precious metal, to real pirate gold! McRoney didn't truly seem mean enough to have pirate connections, but you never know, right?

This is all just speculation, though. Isn't it strange how even after all this time, I have no idea what the message I hold could possibly say. I hope whoever finds me reads it out loud!

A Pirates Summer Shanty
Sung to the beat of the Wellerman Sea Shanty

There once was a Pirate ship in sight,
With a Parrot bold and bright,
Through Beach and Sand where the waves crashed down,
We left Esior by Star lit night.
The ocean gleamed, the Conch shell blew,
We raised our cups, we're a rowdy crew.
Our wild adventure has begun,
It's a tale of Treasure and Rum.

We met a Siren soft and sweet,
Near an Island calm and fair,
But a Kraken stirred beneath our feet,
With tentacles everywhere!
The Pirates laughed wild and free,
Yo-ho-ho, sang the Aeridini,
Adrift on waves that we cant trust,
Tis a Shipwreck life for us.

Then Hurricane winds began to roar,
But still we kept our cheer,
With Esior's light to guide us ashore,
Our Ship found harbor near.
So raise your glass and sing once more,
for summer shanties on the shore!
Yo-ho-ho sang the Aeridini,
Pirates love a summer shanty!
We made it ashore, barely alive
But our spirits were ready to thrive
To the nearest tavern we will go,
To spread our tale of adventure and woe.

My guy absolutely loved me singing this over and over to get it to fit the tune correctly. I honestly found it extremely fun, which is a first for me and writing anything lol!

Words used (in order of first appearance): treasure, beach, island, typhoon, siren, kraken, shipwreck, sand, conch, bottle, heat stroke, crab

Well howdy there! The name's Zachariah. I work with the Sylestian Conservation Order, which takes me all around the lands of Sylestia for most of the year - but every Summer Festival, I oversee treasure seeking on Sylesti Beach on behalf of the Order.

Why does this beach have so much treasure, you ask? The islands in the waters surrounding Sylesti Beach are surrounded by treacherous currents, more than strong enough to dash ships against rocks - nothing like the calm waters of Astryl's Tranquility. Add on typhoons, and you get many ships sinking in the area throughout the years. Some wags might tell you it's because of the sirens and krakens about, but don't listen to them - they're pulling your leg!
However, the same currents that had sunken many a ship would also rip their cargo free from the resultant shipwrecks - due to the way the currents in the area converge, most of the flotsam washes up onto Sylesti Beach. This drew a lot of treasure hunters, who cared neither for the environment, nor the Sylestis that lived in the area. That's why the Order stepped in: our role is to balance human activity with conservation efforts. We regulate treasure-seeking to make sure that the natural habitat is not degraded and that the Sylestis that live here are not disturbed.

To do so, we've instituted a number of rules. Firstly, all treasure-seeking is limited to one designated location per Sylestian, divided into a grid of fifty squares: one five by five grid on the sand, and one five by five grid on the water. You must not attempt to seek treasure outside of your designated location. Secondly, you must use special tools to avoid causing damage whenever seeking in a spot - they are single-use only to prevent causing permanent damage to the environment, and you can only seek treasure in a given spot once.
Finally, you must wait 8 hours after moving to a new location before you can move to a new location, regardless of how many spots you've sought treasure in at your current location. This is to limit the disturbance that treasure seekers might cause to the Sylestis and other animals living in the area. A Move Approval gives you access to parts of the beach that are otherwise cordoned off - they come with a higher likelihood of more valuable treasure, and all proceeds go to funding the Order's work.

Now that the rules are out of the way, here's a few tips to make your experience more fun.
Firstly, spots with objects on them tend to yield much more valuable treasure, so save your best tools for those spots. The Order has been investigating for a while, but we're no closer to figuring out the mystery. What we do know is that lucky objects can include conch shells, fishes, shadows in the water, starfish, bits of sea glass... You might even spot a Sylvorpa poking their head out of the water every now and then - make sure to wait until it's left before casting a rod there!
Secondly, bring a bottle of water - treasure seeking is hard work, and you can't drink seawater. Remember to take regular breaks and to stay hydrated - don't want to get heat stroke!
Finally, watch where you step. Don't want to have a crab pinch your toes!

Oh, and if you see my dear sister, do tell her I said hello. You'll likely have met her - she runs the sand sculpting station at Sylesti Beach, which I've been told is always popular throughout the Summer Festival.

Medusa and Runewave raced up the beach of Esior's Cove, their paws sinking in the sand with every step. Butterfly reluctantly trailed behind them to make sure they stayed out of trouble. "I have an awesome treasure hunt for you!" Medusa gushed with excitement. She handed Runewave a bottle containing a map and a conch with a compass. "And how long exactly is this going to take?" Butterfly asked. Medusa grinned and babbled on, "Depending on smart you guys are, if you can't read a thing on the map, its going to take a long time! Butterfly sighed and turned to Runewave. "You better be able to find the treasure before we get heat stroke," but Runewave was already running with enthusiasm into the caves. They headed into the darkness, hearing the squeaking of rats and Runewave's occasional yelps as crabs pinched his paws. When they got out, they could see a sea ahead of them and an unrecognizable figure somewhere in the center. Immediately, Runewave dived in the water and started swimming toward it. Medusa clamped her paw over her mouth, trying to suppress her giggling. Butterfly simply rolled her eyes. "What are laughing at?" Medusa giggled and pointed to the sea. "KRAKEN!!!" Runewave shouted, rapidly swimming back to the shore. A giant kraken was chasing him, its tentacles reaching out. "Ill just take a shortcut," Medusa said before running off, leaving Butterfly to deal with the situation. Butterfly waded into the water and pulled Runewave out, making both of them wet. "The map says the treasure should be here somewhere," Runewave said as he read the map cautiously. After a while, they found a remote island. Was that a mermaids tail they saw? Runewave ran to the treasure, or so he thought. "What? Where is it?" He said as he dug around for the so called treasure. Medusa suddenly appeared and congratulated them. "Congratulations! You found the treasure! It was a mirage!" Butterfly flopped onto the sand in exhaustion. "Seriously? You made us get wet and muddy for a literal mirage?" "Well, you fell for it!"

Canvary is an adventurous Lagoon Mermaid Zolnixi, who was born in a lively harbor near the Viridian Meadows. She loves to adventure and always calls herself as a captain.
One night, she was wandering around the hills under the sparkling stars The stars are dancing tonight, so shiny, so bright Canvary spoke to the breezes, happily. She jumped, danced in joy and kept walking forward to the North, then, she saw at a small campsite, curious, she checked it out.
Hey guys, wanna hear a little story? Said a Luffox - One of the creatures staying in the campsite with a and a Vulnyx - Long ago, a legend said that under the deep ocean, where darkness covers everything, appeared a precious pearl called The Prismatic Moonlight - the shiniest pearl ever seen! But until now, no one has succeeded Why?" Canvary asked. Luffox was shocked, but still answered Because the pearl was guarded by a giant kraken - Sounds interesting! Where should I start? - Ithink I know the starting place, but can you introduce yourself first? Canvary answered with full pride: Absolutely! Im Captain Canvary, a gorgeous Lagoon Mermaid Zolnixi who loves to travel every interesting adventure! The Vulnyx stopped licking his body: A captain? Wow! You must have found lots of fishes! Nytekrie laughed Yeah, then why dont you hunt some for yourself? - Nah said the Vulnyx You forgot I fear water, right? haha
Alright! I have to go now! Yelled Canvary Cya yall! - Wait! The Luffox shouted To the North West, theres a beach Thank you! Canvary ran away happily to the wild beach.
The next day, the sun rose upon the clouds, sun rays reflected on the sea surface shined like glitters. Ah, refreshing! We finally made it here! Canvary looked at the beach with her excitement for a successful journey. Suddenly, she saw a parrot flying from an old, broken shipwreck. It dropped a bottle into her paw and said The Almighty Sea sent you an old map. Good luck! Canvary was surprised Thanks! and opened the map. Starting at the beach, the whole adventure will be underwater to a Foggy Island covered in fog every time Under the island is where the kraken live? Is it crawling underneath the land or something? Nah it cant be, must have a cave or something like that. Closing the map, Canvary slowly closed her eyes, whispered Almighty sea, bless this journey with success Then, she farewelled the parrot and dived into the water.
Beneath the rippling ocean, the whimsical and colorful universe opened before Canvary's eyes. "Firstly, I should go to the Sparkling Coral Cavern" she wondered, and asked the anchovies if they knew the way. After receiving the question, they guided her to a Sylvorpa studying corals. After greeting Sylvorpa, she asked him about the Prismatic Moonlight myth. The legend is real," said the Sylvorpa But be careful at the colorful cave which is not so far away, or else you'll regret it. Just swim straight forward, then get out of the water when you see the cave - Thanks" said Canvary politely, can continue her journey until she finds that poisonous cave. That early morning, after leaving the water, Canvary felt the thick fog covered the sea like it was gonna swallow it all. With a spyglass in her paw, she saw a blurred island in the fog not so far away. The whole island was covered with black and white.
On the island, Canvary saw a mirage of a mermaid playing a lyre gently before disappearing into the water. Wait! Canvary shouted and dived after it but she didnt see anything, instead, she saw some fish rushing from the bottom, curious, she dived in deeper. Beneath the ocean, there was an ancient temple with a forest of seaweeds, and a giant cave. After entering the cave slowly, she accidentally bumped into the Krakens slippery skin. The monster awakened with hunger, spotted the intruder and started chasing Canvary. Canvary tried to swim as fast as she could, but then she thought Wait Why am I running away? Im not a coward then she stopped with a plan. She lured the kraken to the ancient temple and she herself hiding inside the temple, the Kraken was constantly searching for its prey. Canvary picked up a rock, threw it at the monster and quickly hid away. The giant Kraken turned without feeling any pain, shot away like an arrow straight towards where the rock came from, crashing itself to the temple wall. Suddenly, the small source of light disappeared The Eclipse is coming" Canvary thought. Kraken could stand it no longer, and it roared, louder, stronger, with its eyes becoming red. Its roar was so strong that the temple crashed down, this made Canvary feel like she was approaching a typhoon. It dashed at Canvary as fast as a bullet. Canvary has to dodge all the attack from the Kraken and swim as fast as she can. In a critical situation, she saw the seaweed forest, thought That would be a great idea! This is the chance" and then she lured the Kraken near to the seaweeds, when the monster was ready to dash into her, she quickly dodged the attack and made the Kraken stuck in the seaweeds. The monster was no longer able to move because the seaweeds were wrapping tightly around its tentacles. The decisive moment has come said Canvary, and she used her mermaid tail whip critically to the monsters head, immediately making the Kraken fainted inside the seaweed bushes.
The battle over, as well as the Eclipse ended, Canvary can finally get to the legendary pearl. The shiny pearl shined bright with iridescent lights like the full moon in the abyss. When she was about to take it, a lot of sea creatures swam and tried to protect the pearl. Canvary notice, in this abyss of the sea, they can't live without light, warmth and food. She smiled, and decided to leave the pearl and return home.

Word count: 1,000

Captain Pete and his "crew"

Losing a leg is hard for everyone, but especially for those who are as proud of theirs as Pete the Kelpari was. Thus, his fight with the Kraken cost him not only his limb but also his pride AND his job as a model for all the amazing armour sold in the town hall of the Sanctuary of Sarielle. But Pete was resourceful and did the only logical thing for a sea-horse with a wooden leg: he became a pirate.
Our hero made his way to the ocean, stopping at Esiors haven to hire a crew and ship to become a self-employed captain. What he did not factor in, though, was the surprisingly small number of pirates in search for a captain. After all, they lived in a world surrounded by oceans, with bandits around every corner.
Still, Pete would not give up. After searching in vain for a few days he made his way down to the beach and used his wooden peg to write this in the sand:

Arr, mateys!
Ye think ye have a good job?
Think again!
Join Captn Pete today and ye receive me bonus of 15% on all the Sanctuary of Sarielle has to offer!
Whats more, I can swim and save ye from the ocean!

He also left a note with the address he was staying at and hoped for the best. And sure enough, only a few hours later he heard someone knock at his door.
Pete kicked it open for a lack of thumbs and was unable to contain his excitement: directly in front of him were a human, a rat and a crab. They passed around a bottle of apple juice and drank from it like real pirates do, and although Pete had expected more humans and Sylesti and less animals, he was overcome with joy.
They signed all necessary forms and waited for a few more days, until they realized that the message had been swept away the first night. So they decided to throw in together for a ship and sail out to find treasure.
The problem remained, though, that as long as they hadnt found anything, they were still broke. After only two days on sea the human, unable to find shelter because the ship was more of a boat and the boat was more of a raft, suffered a heat stroke. They left her at a nearby hospital and continued as a crew of three, with Pete pushing the raft and the animals on top of it.
They travelled for weeks, only ever stopping shortly for food and water, before finally giving up. They simply didnt know where to find treasure, and although there were maps, they were way too expensive. Frustrated and close to tears, Pete stamped his wooden leg on the raft. It started to rock and sway, which made the others very uneasy. The crab used its many legs to avoid falling, while the rat simply cried.
Luckily, a siren living nearby heard them and helped Pete steady the raft. While the Kelpari apologized, the newcomer beamed at them. She explained that shed only seen the danger because she was drawn in by the beautiful music of drums, percussion and the best singer shed ever heard. The three looked at each other, speechless. Were they really that good? There was only one way to find out.

They floated back to the mainland and visited the hospital where the human was staying. She was obviously no longer there, but they realized that too late and simply performed for the other patients, nurses and doctors. Their friend heard of it, though, and joined in for the encore, playing her ukulele. And the encore was absolutely necessary, as the audience was screaming for it (or at least politely asking, as to not wake those who needed rest).

Soon enough, the Pirates, as they were now called, forgot all about treasure. Instead, they toured Syslestia and became famous for their amazing lead singer, percussionist and ukulele player. Most of all, though, they became famous for the drummer Pete, who managed to turn a personal tragedy into a passion, finding both the best job he couldve imagined and friends for life.

The Dangers of the Sea:

Along the beach of Esior's Cove,
There was a beast that always did rove.
The mermaid's warning could be heard,
And the pirates would turn without a word.
The Captain's call was never needed,
For the signal was always heeded.
Kelpari flee onto the sand
Of the little coastal Island.
They do not run from a hurricane,
Nor the torrent of endless rain.
This danger sure does eclipse,
Weather spoken on one's lips.
I forewarn you that this is no mirage,
The monster seeks naught but just carnage.
So when you hear a whispered song,
At a distance it won't be long,
'Til the Shipwreck Kraken will be upon,
Your boat to break it until it's gone.
Guide your ship with the brightest star,
Until you sail waters that are quite afar.

816 words
Shipwreck, Bottle, Typhoon, Island, Beach, Treasure, Castle, Crab, Pirate, Captain, Parrot, Star



"Just five more minutes."

Aquarius flicked his tail with annoyance. He appreciated the adventures his more daring friend Orion encouraged him to have, but sometimes the other Sylvorpa was a little too reckless.

"Five minutes. Not a second more, or I'll leave without you."

Orion shot a cheeky smile over his shoulder and darted through a narrow crack in the deteriorating hull, diving deeper into the shipwreck. Aquarius waited nervously in the rapidly dimming light, not feeling quite brave enough to follow him inside. It felt like an eternity when he finally reappeared.

"You've got a funny definition of five minutes," Aquarius grumbled.

"Look what I found. It's a message in a bottle!"

"Show me after we're safely back home. I've got a bad feeling. Don't you think it seems to be getting dark quicker than it should?"

"You worry too much." Orion rolled his eyes, but joined him as he began swimming quickly upwards. They finally surfaced, and Aquarius' eyes widened as he took in the dark, almost black storm clouds gathering overhead. The wind was picking up and the waves were rough and choppy.

"Looks like a typhoon is on its way," Orion said with infuriating calmness.

"I told you I had a bad feeling. We'll never make it back to Esior's Cove before the storm hits."

He looked around and spotted a small island in the distance.

"Let's head there, it's closer."

The wind was howling louder and rain had started by the time they reached the shore. Dense forest lay not far beyond the beach, and there was a large hill (or a small mountain, however you wanted to look at it) in the distance. Aquarius turned around and was exasperated to see Orion opening the bottle.

"You're messing around with that now? We have to find shelter!"

"Pfft, it's a bit of rain," Orion said dismissively. "We're Sylvorpas, we can't exactly drown can we?"

"No," he begrudingly admitted. "But standing around outiside in a typhoon still isn't my idea of a good time."

"There'll probably be a cave at the base of that mountain over there."

The rain started pelting down harder.

"We'd better hurry."

"Just give me a minute..." Orion muttered, squinting at the scroll as it flapped in the strengthening wind.

Aquarius made an annoyed noise, then turned a strode of determinedly across the beach. Orion caught up to him a little way into the jungle. He was grinning with excitement.

"You'll never guess what it is."

"You're right, I'll never guess, because I don't care."

"It's a treasure map!"

"Sure it is."

"I'm serious!"

Aquarius rolled his eyes.

"Let me guess, if we turn right at the rock shaped like a Morkko and go three paces past the tall palm tree, there'll be a big X with buried treasure under it?"

"More like - find the island, go into the castle ruins, and at the end of the hidden tunnel, dig for buried treasure."

"Why would a pirate want to lead someone else to their treasure? It's probably just a hoax. Or worse, a trap."
But Orion was too lost in fantasies of how he'd spend the gold to even acknowledge him.

It was left to Aquarius to find a cave, light a fire, and catch fish and crab for dinner while Orion regaled him with tales of how Captain Drakonis Blackscale, a fierce and grizzled old Draeyl with an eyepatch and a talking parrot on his shoulder had grown suspicious his crew were planning a mutiny, and buried his treasure to hide it from them.

"Well, I hope you're right, and we're not spending a cold, damp night stranded in a cave for no reason," he grumbled, trying to sweep some sharp bits of gravel away with his tail before sitting down to eat.

It was hard to fall asleep through the sound of wind and rain, but finally they dozed off. When Aquarius woke up, a shaft of light illuminated the cave entrance, and the air was still and quiet. Orion wasn't there. Aquarius sighed heavily. Of course he'd set out in search of the treasure at the crack of dawn, heedless of any danger of getting lost. What were the chances that this was even the same island the map referred to? If it was even real in the first place.

Aquarius was still making up his mind whether to go looking for him or just wait, when Orion came bounding out of the trees, whooping in excitement.

"I found it! I found it!"

"Really?!"

"Look," he said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a handful of coins and jewels. "There's plenty more back at the castle."

Aquarius picked up one of the jewels, a huge diamond that sparkled as brightly as a star and gazed at it with wonder.

"Okay, okay," he admitted begrudgingly. "Maybe you were right. Sometimes being adventurous does pay off."

Once a year, every summer, when the sun goes down and the north star is shown. A band of ryori's gather on the shore's of Esior's cove...

Come rain, or hurricane, this band of ryo's risk it all--though it's not such a big deal, being somewhat non-corporeal and all.

Round a blazing bon fire the seven gather, catching up, small talk, you know the kind--

"How's the weather?"

Until all at once they hush, as if by some unseen sign. It's time it seems, to tell tall tales, myths of mermaids, krakens, perhaps even treasure?

Be it from kin, their own adventures or from other adventurers, one by one they'll each take turns.

The first story teller of the night leans in conspiratorially "This is the tale of a haunted pirate ship--"

"Let me guess, the Captain haunts this ship! There are tons of stories like that! I'm in no mood for ANOTHER pirate's tale" cries a particularly glum ryori.

Undeterred the little ryori continued "--this shipwreck is distinct, it doesn't lay at the bottom of the ocean--rather it's ship wrecked upon an island whose beach is all black sand~"

Pausing, the little storyteller shifts his gaze around, checking to see if anyone else agrees with the outspoken one. But it seem's the others are intrigued, as they collectively hold their breaths to wait and see if the glum one will continue to complain. Though he huffs, puffs, and glares, he interupts no more.

Satisfied, the little storyteller settles in to continue once again.

"They say this island can only be found during an Eclipse event, like a mirage out at sea, it magically appears...you'll know it by it's distinct sand color--And yes the Captain DOES haunt the ship, HOWEVER even if you steal every last thing from the troves of chests--the Captain cares not. Only stares forlornly off the ship's stern. Not caring whether you take the treasure and run or even if you try and battle him...

No...they say he'll only react to something...or perhaps it's someone...? Nobody knows, but I hear it's a momento of his lover's"

The little story teller shrugs "and that's what Uncle Fred said"

"Your Uncle is full of--"

The particularly glum one is drowned out by all the other's outcries--

--"That's not a full tale!"--
--"What do you mean nobody knows?! How did the momento bit come about then??"--
--"What if it's that one Princess..."--

Debates and speculations take up a good chunk of time, but the night is long and there are scarier stories yet to tell. Eventually all settle and our next story teller leans in to begin their tale...

Words used: beach, bottle, captain, castle, parrot, conch, crab, eclipse, heat stroke, hurricane, island, kraken, mermaid, mirage, oasis, pirate, sand, shipwreck, star, treasure, Esior's Cove, Milnerton.

On the beach of Esior's Cove,
a bottle floated by in the water.
Milnerton caught the bottle and opened it,
inside was a note.
"A hurricane crashed a ship,
the shipwreck can be found off the coast of an island.
Come before the next eclipse if you want treasure,
but don't tell pirate captains, mermaids, and kraken about it."
Milnerton grabbed a map, crab, and conch before dashing off,
leaving paw prints in the sand behind him.
Dashing through the desert with parrots flying overhead,
Milnerton started to get a heat stroke.
He thought he found water,
but it was only a mirage.
Starting to lose hope a little while later,
he finally found an oasis.
After almost drinking it dry,
he looked up to see a castle nearby.
He hoped that the owners wouldn't mind.
Continuing his journey by following the stars,
the island had been reached.
After claiming his treasure,
he set back to his home,
the beach of Esior's Cove,
ready to share his treasure.