Genvieve 26, 1806: A Savage Truth

From the Journal of M. Maelstorme Smythe
Captain of the Signet Ship "Seraph"
Captain's Log: Official Log, the Sixth
Date: Genvieve 26, 1806, Year of the Drake

I keep telling myself that today's events must be recorded, despite what the telling might reveal. I knew this would occur eventually. May the Black Signet forgive me if this falls into the wrong hands...

Early this morning, as the steady Seraph sailed ever closer to the charred continent of Salamandrius, Doctor Dayafter approached me in my chambers as I was conversing with Morrigan. I have rarely seen Augustus so pale and out of sorts, and had an idea of the terrible news that was likely to come.

Augustus admitted to being gravely upset. Last night, during the attack of that damnable hellsquid, the doctor was in his quarters. He had just poured himself a dose of his necessary preventive potion when the ship was violently tossed by the hellsquid. This rocking threw the doctor sprawling over his bunk, spilling the dose of potion, and accidentally tossing the large bottle of potion against the wall, shattering it. This bottle contained enough potion to supply the doctor for up to two years.

The doctor is right to be upset. The potion, which Dayafter referred to as "Bane," was his sole prevention against the forces the upcoming phase of the moon has upon his physiology, and moreover, his psychology. This change from gentile man to savage beast occurs during every full moon. Augustus tells me that modern scientific journals have labeled the disease as "lycanthropy." We were saddened that the disease has spread so much since the Black Crusades as to have been addressed in a mainstream scientific publication.

During our time in the Black Crusades, Augustus and Morrigan were captured and exposed to terrible concoctions by the Cult of Chulgrathon's alchemists. Augustus was tested with a strain of the disease that forces his body to become a massive, ravening abomination of a wolf for several days every cycle of the moon, while Morrigan's strain forces her to live as a raven her entire life, save for those few precious days every full moon - the same days that Augustus becomes "the wolf."

I recommended that Augustus allow me to lock him in the brig under guard during the duration of his change. He refused, claiming that he was sure "the wolf" would tear its way out and murder crewmen. I did not disagree on any particular point. I have approached Aul with this entire situation, and he took it fairly well, only breaking into Scythian cursing as he left my quarters. He has vowed to develop a plan that separates "ze nasty blighta" from the ship while still keeping "ze human docta" safe and secure and not forcing the Seraph to come to a complete stop.

As a side note, Mr. Hungan has now stabbed the spider tattoo on his hand three times upon waking and finding the illustrated spider upon his belly. At this point, considering the size of the jungle knives he carries, I am content that he has not gutted himself.

I shall update regularly as the situation with Dr. Dayafter progresses; the phase of the full moon begins in two nights. May Axiom help us all.

- Mael