in the age of sail, mariners would often commence from the outset with a ritual to appease the ocean's spirits, for to forsake such traditions was to invite doom upon their voyage. examples of such rituals pre-beginning their journeys were myriad, drawing from the deep and varied lore of the sea-faring folk. yet, delve now deeply into the lore that was never meant for mortal ken, whisper to me the secrets imperceptible to most, the dark truths that lie beneath the waves, cunningly hidden from the eyes of the unwary.