When a ship lost at sea stumbled upon a new land and returned home with this news, it was quickly decided that this new land should be explored. Would it have intelligent life there? Society? Would there be strange flora and fauna? Resources the mainland was lacking? The peoples of Tassena had to know. Among them were the Mejori people, a nocturnal folk who long ago abandoned daytime living in order to ward off jungle predators that threatened their early ancestors. They felt like the representative they sent to explore this new land should be well-rounded to help prepare them for whatever situations lay ahead. So the queen and her governors hosted a series of games and contests that all were permitted to enter, regardless of station. The contests ranged from sword duels, grappling, hunting, herblore, woodcraft, and even debate, as no one knew whether or not the land would be inhabited, and it was prudent to prepare for such a possibility. The games lasted a whole month, becoming a popular subject among commoners and nobles alike. Tavern-goers would debate hotly which of their favored candidates would win and which would fall short. The marital status of the candidates was also a much-discussed topic. In the end, the queen, the governors, and the royal court unanimously chose Iasha Rhenuvi, a biologist who studied the natural world at the university in Jalek. Her knowledge of wilderness survival, how to properly document and study plants and animals, and her basic athleticism made her a prime candidate for further training. 

The people loved Iasha. By all accounts, she was humble despite her newfound status and fame, she was intelligent, and she'd come from a common, unimportant merchant family. She knew how to talk to regular people, but how to mingle in polite society also. The royal family immediately welcomed her into the palace as a frequent guest, and it was widely rumored that the prince had an interest in her. No one could think of anyone better to send off into the unknown. 

Which was why Kaija Tezusha felt a bit guilty as she looked out across the water, back in the direction where she could only assume home lay. Kaija had a lot of respect for Iasha, but that didn't stop her ultimately springing on her like a prowling [I]tsura[/I], tying her up, and stashing her in a closet in the palace. Kaija knew where Iasha would be, when, and how to get to her. She'd hidden the woman, stolen most of her gear, and convinced the captain of the [I]Wind Chaser[/I] that [I]she[/I] was Iasha. Kaija was mostly surprised that no one had seen Iasha closely enough (or at all) to be able to visually identify her beyond a general description that honestly could have fit a quarter of Mejor. She'd been told this was the case, but surely she thought someone on that boat had to have known her. They did not. The crew addressed her as Iasha, or sometimes Miss Rhenuvi, and they certainly treated her with the kind of respect and deference that the real Iasha deserved. 

It was a difficult time at first, as Kaija had not yet adjusted to the daytime schedule she would need to keep in order to match her companions. She used that as an excuse to be reclusive, to take time by herself to review the information she had on Iasha and get her story straight so that she could perform under pressure if she had to. Eventually she couldn't hide behind that excuse and had to force herself to make appearances on deck, to talk to people and act like she had every right to be there. Now, finally near the end of the voyage, she'd fully switched to a daywalker's schedule. It still felt strange to go to bed when it was dark out, and stranger still to squint in the bright light of day, but Kaija managed it. Even so, she was glad it was late evening now, and she did not have to wear her sunshades or squint against the blinding light of the sun. 

A voice made her turn away from the gunnel. "Iasha, we'll be making landfall shortly. Are your things packed?" The Mejori sailor asked. 
"Aye, they are. Are we really that close? At last?"
The sailor smiled, pulsing a friendly blue in his stripes. "Aye, at last. Too bad there's not likely to be a tavern waiting for us onshore, eh?" They shared a polite chuckle, both of them flashing a neutral, polite white. 
"No, unlikely. Guess whatever swill you keep down below will have to do. I think I'll go get myself some...might calm my nerves a bit." 
"You're nervous?" The sailor asked, clearly surprised that Iasha could ever be nervous. 
"A bit, if I'm honest." She was, though not about what she might find in the new world so much as she was nervous she'd commit some blunder and get caught as the fraud she was. Kaija was good at figuring out how to survive in the wilderness, but she was no biologist. Somehow she'd have to fake that part, and she wasn't wholly convinced she could. What if someone asked her questions that were too specific for her to answer? And what would they do to  her once they figured out who she really was? Nothing good, she knew. 

After a bit more polite back-and-forth with the sailor, Kaija did go belowdecks to get herself a drink. It was some kind of wine the color of honey, though what sort of fruit gave the drink its primary flavor, Kaija did not know. She did know that it settled the nerves wonderfully, so she sat in a corner with her wooden mug and sipped it slowly as she tried to think through what was expected of her once they made landfall. [I]I never should have done this...[/I] she thought to herself.