The Turmoil. That’s what they call this endless sea of clouds. We’ve been flying over it for nearly two weeks now, enduring its perilous whims. For while above our heads the sky may shine blue or starry, beneath the cloud cover the Tumult roars. Constantly. Time and again, the flotilla has had to maneuver to counter the "tides" that churn the cloud layer. According to the Yzmir lookouts, these are bubbles and waves of Tumult that rise through updrafts to burst at the surface. The AES Concord suffered severe damage when one such Tumult pocket exploded, forcing it to turn back for repairs, its hull badly corroded. Fortunately, the four main ships — whose shielding is far more effective against mutagenic winds — sustained only minor degradation. A decision was made to position the lighter vessels that arrived alongside the Mandjet above the heavy ships, both to serve as observation posts and to shelter them from potential harm.

The Axiom, Ordis, and Yzmir work together to develop probes capable of piercing the cloud vault. Their attempts so far have failed, but they remain confident they can design sensor modules durable enough to endure the Tumult — to map what lies beneath us and chart it precisely. If these devices are operational by the time we reach the center of the depression, we may be able to study its composition and the phenomena it generates. With luck, we might even identify Oases — suitable landing zones for gathering the resources we’ll need to continue our odyssey. The armada flies in tight formation, but that caution limits our capacity for reconnaissance. The ongoing work on the Axiom airships, whose fuselages are being reinforced with Heka runes, could soon help address that limitation.

Material damage is one thing; the crews’ health is another. Beyond airsickness, another affliction is spreading among the Expeditionary Corps and the civilian contingents traveling with them. The doctors and medics are unanimous: the symptoms are eerily similar to those of the Remanence. Though temporary, the condition frequently relapses. The leading hypothesis is that the sickness is caused by proximity to the Tumult — by prolonged exposure to the volatile Aether it carries. The physicians of the Rati and the Eidolons they summon are working tirelessly to ease the suffering of those afflicted. They are assisted by the Muna, who are experimenting with species of leeches capable of siphoning off parasitic Aether. Given her accomplishments — here, and earlier in Caer Nilam — I intend to appoint Saskia Averina to lead the Ouroboros’ Greenhouse, so that she may advise me directly.

Our pace, meanwhile, is glacial. Constant detours and stoppages slow us to a crawl. Despite these inconveniences, I believe the situation remains manageable. According to our navigators’ estimates, at our current average speed we have roughly one hundred and fifty nautical miles left before we reach our destination. We are well supplied with water and provisions after our resupply above the City of Scholars. But everything depends on what awaits us when we arrive. The light beam appeared following the confrontation with the Hunger, just after its defeat. It is clear the signal was a response to the column of light that erupted from the City. But was that response deliberate — or merely automatic? Does it mean the City’s inhabitants somehow survived, somewhere beyond the Turmoil?

I know full well these questions can only lead to conjecture. And so I choose to focus on a far more tangible concern. One rumor among many troubles me deeply: several lookouts claim to have seen, beneath the cloud surface, a massive shadow following our convoy. It may well be a Leviathan — Terat, or perhaps Garuda. Unless… it’s something we’ve never encountered before. Which begs the question: is it peaceful, merely curious — or lying in wait for the right moment to strike when we least expect it? All told, eighteen ships depend on me to see them safely through, to chart a secure course. Should confrontation come, we will have precious little room to maneuver — trapped between the hammer of the sky and the anvil of the Tumult. And that potential vulnerability does not sit well with me.

Asgarthan Exploration Ships

The Ouroboros and the Wayfarer are constantly escorted by the two Ordis flagship vessels, Mesektet and Mandjet. At the Admiral’s request, however, the Mandjet did not come alone — it arrived surrounded by a flotilla of AES vessels placed under the authority of the Expeditionary Corps. The resulting armada naturally includes several military vessels: the escort ships AES Ox Caa and AES Benares; the cruisers AES Sune and AES Concord; the destroyer AES Horizon; and the famed battleship Tempest. Yet the fleet also counts among its ranks numerous civilian craft — from tugboats to cargo haulers, pump ships, research frigates, and kelon carriers. While at least half of the human contingents that departed from Asgartha have already been deployed in Caer Oorun, Caer Nilam, or at the Sofia outpost, the remaining personnel have been tasked with assisting the Corps throughout their crossing of the sea of clouds.