Willem Guilder stood before the table and carefully spread open a group of maps on the table. The maps were well aged, and he handled them with care.   “Gentlemen, a few months ago, Commodore Hammish Grei shared with me some very interesting maps that had come into the possession of the Crahaish neh Triuri.”   “The Crahaish neh Triuri?” interrupted Philip Janszen, captain of the Far Horizon.   “Yes, I know," replied Guilder immediately, before Janszen could continue. "Don’t get me started.”  Guilder composed himself a bit as he regained his train of thought. “These maps are more than 250 years old, and they describe a group of islands surrounding a sea far to the east. After some time spent studying the maps, the Crahaish were able to identify Corrington’s Celestia and Oleon’s Ile d’Or on this map.” Guilder pointed to a corner of one of the maps, and the gathered men leaned in for a closer look.     “When put together, these maps detail the islands around a large sea southeast of Ile d’Or, which we are calling the New Haven Sea, based on our best efforts to translate what text we can from these documents.”   “Not all the maps are written in the same language,” noted Thaddeus Calvo, the somewhat well-known Eslandolan explorer.   “If I’m interpreting the scale correctly,” interjected Captain Janszen, “some of those islands are far bigger than anything discovered in the Brick Seas to date.”     “Astute observation, Captain,” replied Guilder. “You are reading the scale properly. There appear to be at least three islands far larger than anything Halosian explorers have discovered, and three others that rival the largest discoveries to date.”   "What languages are these" asked Calvo, looking at a couple of the maps in particular. "I have had success translating other pieces of text similar to parts of these maps, languages similar to those encountered among natives in the Prio Seas, but none of the writing here appears to be an exact match."     “The Crahaish neh Triuri have identified and translated parts of the text written in Cymgrii script," answered Guilder. "Ah, Cymgrii!" Calvo nodded, turning over in his mind what he knew of the language.   Guilder continued: "The sea encompassed by this ring of islands appears to be described as fairly calm. With so many islands of such size, and a large navigable sea, you can see why it is imperative that we learn more about the area. It could contain unimagined resources. So,” Guider continued, “I propose that we send an exploration fleet to the New Haven Sea. Our first targets should be the group of three islands so near Celestia and Ile d’Or, directly to their east and southeast. Two of the islands are similar in size to Celestia, but the other is quite small. I suggest that we circumnavigate these three islands, discerning what we can about them and confirming the accuracy of these maps.”  Janszen and Calvo nodded in agreement. “Then, we set exploration parties ashore on each and gather what information we can, but we keep it brief. After that, I’d like to see the fleet proceed to the two largest islands in the western half of the sea and conduct similar navigation and exploratory efforts.”   “Governor, how many ships are you considering for this fleet?” asked Captain Janszen.   "I have managed to put four ships at your disposal," replied Guilder. "What do you think of that?”   "My disposal?" stuttered Janszen.   "Yes, captain," replied Guilder with a grin, "at your disposal. Cornelius Reyngout always spoke highly of you, and you have performed admirably as you have worked your way up the ranks of the MCTC. But I suspect you have more to offer than merely being a good merchant captain. You will be overall commander of this expedition as well as the ultimate authority on the sea, but I would advise you to also lean on Calvo's expertise." Guilder then turned to Calvo. "You are to lead any forays onto the islands. I am depending on your experience. And I expect you will counsel young Janszen here capably as well."     Janszen struggled to keep his emotions in check. “What ships?" he finally managed to ask. "You’d need at least one or two well-armed ships to protect the fleet, and I’d suggest having at least one smaller ship that could venture in closer to the islands without risking the larger ships on hidden shoals or such. And we'd need ample cargo space to bring back any discoveries and room for some troops.”   "I think we have exactly that," replied Guilder. "You and Calvo are to go with all haste to Poorvintia, where you are to assume command of La Contessa de Victoria. Escorted by the Blood Diamond, you will proceed to Hojaroja, where you will rendezvous with the carrack Hidalga and the armed sloop Esmerelda and pick up a company of my troops there. From there, proceed to the northwestern islands of the New Haven Sea and begin your expedition."   "La Contessa de Victoria?" stammered Janszen.   "Yes, she is quite the ship, but you have earned it."   "What about my first mate, Anthony Crol?"   "He will take over as captain of the Far Horizon," replied Guilder. Janszen would miss sailing with his longtime friend, but knowing Crol would finally have his own command softened the blow.   Guilder then pulled a key from his pocket. "You will also need the expedition treasury. I have a chest in the next room with 1500 DBs for your use. Here is the key. Don't spend it all in one place!" joked Guilder.     Janszen laughed a hearty laugh, a needed break from thinking about what was ahead. "If you run into any problems on the expedition," Guilder continued, "Fatu Hiva and Jameston are both near, but do not discuss your mission with anybody there. If you find the need to return to friendlier confines, I will have someone in Fuerte Unido you can talk to."   Pip Janszen took a deep breath. The next phase of his life had begun. He was ready for the challenge.   ---   Map of the New Haven Sea:
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