Prologue
New Beginnings
Our story begins in summer on the day of Merq, the 7th of Vlaihr in the year 2272 aboard The Anellas, a merchant vessel sailing north in the Onnicia Ocean towards the port city of Sestatrea, the Capital City of the Kingdom of Laskea. The ship has been at sea for 6 days out of the port of Graygate, and is expected to arrive in Sestatrea the following early afternoon. Each of you booked passage aboard the ship in different port towns on the continent of Abios, and now find yourself on the final leg of the ship's westward journey. None of you have really come to know one another, save for learning each other's names from eavesdropping, and from inquiring with the ship's captain, a female Wood Elf named Enwen Adrel, and the ship's steward, a female Gnome named Laise Zinfi.
You know of the Dwarf named Kasek that more or less keeps in his room, rarely coming out and only doing so to eat and drink. You've heard of the Half-Elf musician on board, the Pan Flute Entertainer Extroadinaire, as he likes to call himself, named Feadog Mhor from the music he plays for the crew during evening meals. You've all seen the Human Ceona keeping to herself, looking as if the weight of the world is on her shoulders. She spends the majority of her time helping the ship's crew in running the daily operations of the Anellas. When not doing that, she's typically finding a corner to write letters in. And lastly, you've all just recently become aware of the Moon Elf named Celindriel that boarded the ship in the middle of the night during your brief stop in Graygate. You've caught glimpses here and there as she tends to only emerge for evening meals after everyone else has finished, and occupies the upper decks at night whilst the rest of you sleep.
Her arrival on board is somewhat cloaked in mystery. Each of you is aware that the ship typically spends a day in each port before setting sail for the next destination. And you're therefore aware that the stop in Graygate was unusual since the ship made port at sundown, but only stayed in port long enough to re-provision and put back out to sea before sunrise. When inquiring with Captain Enwen about this, she avoids or distracts from the question.
Throughout the evening, each of you had a fitful sleep due to high winds and the ship lurching and groaning dramatically, only having subsided a few hours before sunrise. Your eyes flutter open wearily as you hear a soft tap on your rather cramped cabin door with the voice of the ship's steward Laise asking politely to enter...
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