What the expedition left behind. What the Kaitangata left of the expedition.
The Gods Have Spoken
What the expedition left behind. What the Kaitangata left of the expedition.
Recovered Artifacts
The expedition's cartographer was last seen mapping the interior of the island. His hat was found on the beach. His maps were never recovered, though the Kaitangata have been known to use parchment in ways its original owners never intended.
The ship's surgeon kept a detailed log. The final entry is dated three weeks before the rescue vessel arrived. It reads, in its entirety: They watch from the trees. They have been watching from the trees for some time now. The rum is nearly gone.
Among the recovered effects: one brass lantern, sealed, containing a diminutive figure in the likeness of Lord Baltimore himself — complete with pith helmet, monocle, and what appears to be a very small rum bottle. The Kaitangata's attention to detail is remarkable.
A tiki idol stands sentinel over the island, worshipped by no one and everyone. The Kaitangata do not explain their curatorial choices.
The Survivors
Some returned from Rangitoto. They don't talk about what they saw. They do talk about what they drank.
Bali Hai · Other Distant Isles
Rangitoto does not exist in isolation. The survivors spoke of other islands — some real, some rumored, some visible only on certain nights when the volcano's glow lights the horizon in a particular way.
Bali Hai is always there, somewhere, just out of reach. The other isles remain uncharted.