Naclephar

Every region, every era, has its tales of the living dead. Indeed, it would not take long in any notable port town to come across a story about a ghost ship, haunting the horizon. The Naclephar is by far the most widespread and enduring of these stories within Earhion, though it has a grisly twist.

Summary

The Naclephar was an ancient ship that trafficked slaves across Earhion. Long ago, it became trapped during an early and far-reaching flash freeze north of the usual northern reaches of the Sea of Snow. The crew, trapped and hungry, grew desperate, killing and eating the slaves. When they were mere days from having to turn on one another, the captain prayed to whoever would listen, wanting only a way for them to live on and get out of that place. Something must have heard his prayer, because in that moment the ship was overtaken by ice, frozen into a solid statue in mere seconds. However, his prayer was obliged. It is said that months later, when another trafficking ship was passing by the area, they sighted a strange-looking ship that seemed to be trapped in the ice. The ship approached, and upon closer inspection, were horrified to find that the ship was made not of wood but of human body parts, regurgitated from the stomachs of the cannibalistic crew. The body-ship crawled out of the ice and grabbed onto the other ship with its many hands as its crew, emaciated and slavering, boarded the other ship and slaughtered its crew. The crew was torn apart and added to the ship itself, while the slaves onboard were said to have been given the choice between joining them and taking the now-empty other ship.

Historical Basis

Historical records do indicate that there was a Naclephar registered as a trafficking ship under the earliest iteration of Kalana's government. Records also suggest that it disappeared near the Sea of Snow during a particularly cold winter, and that three other ships were lost in that general area during that same winter, likely due to the bitter cold causing the Sea of Snow to expand several miles northward during that winter.

Spread

It is a relatively well-known sailor's tale, often used to scare gullible sailors away from piracy or trafficking.

Variations & Mutation

Occasionally, the myth will suggest that there was no crew upon the Naclephar, and that it was the ship itself that killed the other ship's crew and offered the deal to the slaves.

Date of First Recording

742 AM

Date of Setting

Sometime in the mid-730's AM

Related People

• Shassi