Inky Rutledge/IF-1667

Rumor / Community Lore
This article contains lore created collaboratively by the Blaseball community. It is just one of many Rumors that we've found in the Interdimensional Rumor Mill. You can find more Rumors about Inky Rutledge at their Rumor Registry.

AVAST!
The waters beyond this point are uncharted, tales from distant shores echoed back into our reality.

Background

The following accounts can be traced to a single leather-bound journal originally found in a locked wooden chest alongside a sextant-like device of indeterminate origin and a shell that matches no known species of mollusc. The chest was located in a storage room in the Legscraper’s lower levels that was described as “smelling faintly of the sea”. Subsequent attempts to locate and navigate to said room have been unsuccessful thus far. The journal details the exploits of the crew of a large sailing vessel, The Tokyo Adrift, descriptions of which are largely consistent with mid-17th century galleons.

Against the Tokyo Adrift

Inky Rutledge was the nickname given to an infamous sea monster. Inky sank countless ships, and was elusive enough that surviving cannoneers often reported "no hitters" during their encounters. Being mussel cultivators, the Adrift found themselves Under and at Inky's mercy more than once, and besting her time after time became a hobby of the Adrift. Rutlege and the Adrift began a friendly rivalry soon after, with the journaler describing her as "like a ship's cat- Hissing and swiping at us on occasion, but mostly taking care of pests for us when we need it."

Descriptions of Rutledge are vague, with differing accounts listing her as either carcinoid, cephalapoid, or cetacoid. No matter what form, however, Rutledge displayed arcane prowess and a taste for the shoes of her victims. The journaler's attitude towards Inky sours near the end of the tome, blaming Rutledge for the death of Stijn Strongbody and disappearance of Lance Serotonin.