Captain Q&A : Yngolian, Otekh, and More!

Community Q&A with the Captain

The Captain returns for another community Q&A, answering questions about the valley, its dangers, and life aboard ship—with plenty of dry humor along the way.

Crew Business

Asked when they’ll get a raise, the Captain says the crew should first stop spilling food all over the galley whenever the ship hits rough water. He also admits he has banned questioners before, mostly for sending things that fill him with “disgust and shame.”

Strange Creatures and Materials

The Captain describes the Otekh as one of the old Empire’s most complex creations. It can carry out elaborate infiltration tactics, but he believes it isn’t truly sapient: its actions follow instructions rather than conscious choices.

He explains that Kro electrum is shaped through heat and sorcery, then hardens into a stone-like material with the strength of metal. He warns that it can bring on creeping madness in the weak-willed.

Personal Favorites

The Captain’s favorite cheese is feta, especially with fresh greens. For pancakes, he recommends cinnamon—though he has to puzzle out the name first.

Old Comrades

The Captain says he and Zarannis share a bond like siblings, built through careers and hardships faced side by side. He trusts her completely, but quickly shuts down any romantic rumors: there has never been that kind of relationship between them.

History and Mysteries

The valley barely responds to the seasons. The Captain describes the Yignolians as a threat beyond ordinary understanding, comparing their beacons to a flaming arrow or a strand in a spider’s web: making contact can draw something toward its prey. For questions about their “Y-cells,” he points listeners to the scholar Mora.

He also recalls that the mountain god’s final breaths were drawn underground. Pilgrims still visit his grave, where his legendary sword remains undisturbed.

A Trust Built at a Gala

Asked why he put faith in an arrival from a distant land, the Captain recalls meeting them at a military gala shortly after his promotion. They seemed out of place among the wealthy guests, and he felt they might understand one another as people whose futures were still unfolding.

Closing Gag

A crew member asks, with mock seriousness, whether the Captain is secretly “crazy and evil,” insisting that he has to tell them if he is. The Captain ends by thanking the crew for their patience, while gently asking them to make future questions shorter.

Personalities Mentioned

The Captain (speaker), Zarannis, Zidrage (the Imperial pilot), and scholar Mora. Unnamed crew members also submit questions.