'Frozen Voyage' Retrospect

So it hasn't really been that long since I published this story, but since I did a follow-up post to my previous piece of pony prose worth posting, one is in order for this story as well. Not much else to say, let's dig right in.

The single biggest influence I can cite for this story is Franklin's lost expedition, the 1845 voyage of several British sailors led by one John Franklin to find the then-fabled northwest passage in the Canadian arctic; and by extension the TV show 'The Terror'. Now, I could nerd about this show and the real-world event for paragraphs, but to put things simply, the expedition very quickly ran into serious trouble; stuck in the ice, inhospitable temperatures, dwindling food rations (many of which were improperly sealed), suspected cannibalism, scurvy, and so on. The show is based on a book which I have not read, but both do a good job of presenting a fascinating story heavily accurate to the many facts that have since been revealed about the actual expedition, albeit filling in the blanks with a...supernatural force. If you're interested in knowing more, go watch the show and then spend some time Wikipedia diving. As an aside, 'Hemera' is actually a nod to this: The HMS Erebus was one of the two ships involved, named after the Greek personification of darkness, and one of whose children was named, surprise surprise, Hemera.

So, naturally, why not have that happen to ponies? The cold is a terrifying force, definitely one of the worse ways you could die. That plus a boat as the main setting means isolation; there is no civilization at sea, you are at the mercy of the elements. Man (or pony) versus nature is a theme as old as time, and I felt compelled to explore this vein even while in the middle of working on another project.

A less prominent theme, one I wasn't as sure about: coins. Behind the screen, I am a man who has spent an unhealthy amount of time and money pursuing the hobby of coin collecting, and decided to slip a nod at it into the story. My main pre-reader wasn't as sure about it as me, but he also lamented the lack of motivation for Wren becoming a ship captain in the story's earlier draft. I decided to add in the flashbacks as a result, as well as lean into the coin stuff a little more, which he approved of. Looking back, I'm not quite as sure myself; perhaps I could've left them out and the story would be fine, as I consider them to be the weakest point, but it's hardly a make-or-break. It is what it is I suppose.

Speaking of nerd shit, treaty ports are another point I want to touch on. As a history nerd with a fascination in the Victorian era, I wanted to weave my depiction of these into the story as well. During the latter half of the 1800s (in fact, short before Franklin's expedition) China had itself forcefully opened to foreign trade by western powers, first by war, then through "unequal treaties", in essence setting aside a small portion of land on the Chinese coast where a foreign government could open up businesses and government offices, while the port itself acted as a most unrestricted trading hub.

Now, the one depicted in my story I intended to be the result of much better terms, but the idea remains the same. Cramped, shady business, merchants on traders on every street corner, species from all over lining up to get a piece of the pie. Now that i think about it, one might argue I spent too much on this, especially since the story really gets underway once the setting shifts out to sea. No regrets though! 💪

Another minor bit of nerd trivia: hardtack. Flour and water baked into a cracker, if crackers were tasteless and absolutely miserable to try chewing. I am no food nerd, nor have I actually eaten hardtack myself, but it was a standard part of ship rations for centuries, even if it got occasionally infested with weevils (they add extra flavor!) And despite what it might seem, hardtack is surprisingly versatile as well. Hardtack chowder, hardtack pancakes, hardtack pudding? Believe it or not, all documented food items made with hardtack. Personally I think I'll pass on actually eating them though.

Oh, and names. A few boat-themed pony names here. A Whipstaff was part of the steering mechanism on old wooden sailing ships. The Taffrail is basically the ship's railing. Red Skies at night, sailor's delight...Wren's name isn't anything special, though a bit of a nod to Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean fame. I wanted to go with Thrush instead, but FoE: Project Horizons already had me beat there, so I actually had to use my brain instead.

And...that's about all I wanted to talk about. As a final thought, the story is indeed complete, no plans for a sequel or anything. As for what happened to Wren I'll leave up for interpretation; I have my own idea, but as the author, I won't voice it. Did she make it out in the end? Did she die? Did she die earlier and end up in Tartarus? Severe hypothermia causes hallucinations, is that it? All up to you!

With that I leave you to your own devices, though with a video I suggest watching. I wouldn't necessarily call it an inspiration, but it's an excellent video by a youtuber I love that touches on, well, the cold:

Till next time!