Winedark, Chapter One
General Summary
Wherein our chronicle commences aboard the Eelsnap, a brig captained by Ezfer Shohmil, sailing The Vast in Kalope. The ship has made stops throughout the Isles, notably Blemm in Bragaki and Ionak in Matahak, with plans to refit in Bleak Gardens before finishing this particular voyage in Awa. However, something--the Gods, The Vast, perhaps fate itself--has other plans.
Life Aboard Ship
The crew of the Eelsnap is a motley assortment of seasoned sailors and green deckhands. Among them are Irk, an amenable aarakocra with a penchant for trinkets and shanties, Kharlo Chondricht, a Selachii unafraid of rough waters, but apprehensive about fickle gods, and Pitch, a warforged keenly interested in the comings and goings of various sea-faring vessels and sharing the companionable silence with whaler Duril Hookbreak. The arrival of a "proper" ship surgeon, Kasula Neristina, has buoyed the Eelsnap's spirits, as it is always nice to have a healer about that knows her business. Captain Shohmil seems particularly happy about this, as Kasula is both an accomplished medic and a skilled conversationalist. Water, an enigmatic tortle, has procured one of the passenger cabins, but doesn't seem to spend much time there, preferring the air of the fo'c'sle, the company of fellow passenger Lita (perhaps even more enigmatic than Water), and their shell.The Wreck of the Eelsnap
The Eelsnap's last night began as any other. Irk and Kharlo found themselves engaging in gaming, gambling and song with the rest of the crew, relieving them of a few treasures in the process. Pitch's usual casual conversation with Duril took on a darker tone, as Duril has had dreams about his demise he regards are prophetic and asks Pitch to seek out his nomadic son, Ralk, and inform him of whatever fate may befall him. Pitch hesitantly agrees. Ralk was last seen on Awa. A light rain began to fall as, one by one, our heroes-to-be retired for the evening. As the night progressed, however, a storm began to build. That forming squall, however, paled in comparison to the havoc unleashed upon the ship by tentacle and claw. The crew's reverie was interrupted by cries of "ALL HANDS ON DECK," and our heroes rushed forth to save the ship, and their lives. Before scrambling to the weatherdeck, though, Water was met by Lita, who assured him that they will survive this and that their "Wanderings do not end here." She then asked Water to take a sealed message to Loshi Saltbloom in Awa and to tell her "At last, the lovelorn lingers solace." Strange! But Water agreed. Then, it was to the decks, and to combat. Along with tentacle and fire, misshapen and ill-colored giant crabs assaulted the vessel. These were quickly dispatched by our combatants, only to be replaced by a ferocious giant eel. This creature, too, met its end. The ragtag crew's victory, however, was somewhat hollow. A massive tentacle, the size of the ship itself, emerged from the vast, impossibly black and foreboding. It reached its full size, seeming to somehow cast a shadow over the Eelsnap itself and paused a moment, offering a strange clarity before utter disaster. Kharlo just had time to whisper "dread," before the appendage came smashing down, obliterating the ship and sending our crew into the cold embrace of The Vast.Survivors and Pirates
The survivors of the wreck awoke to find themselves thrust ashore on a small uninhabited island, one of hundreds (perhaps thousands) that dot both Kalope and the Drembari Isles. After a quick check-in to make sure everyone was mostly intact, it was off to investigate the noises emerging from the other side of the island. It turned out that those noises were no-good. Some pirates were engaging in some sort of ritual torture and execution that involved burying a halfling up to her neck in sand and letting the tide slowly drown her. That didn't sit right with Water, so he launched into combat and a fight commenced. The three pirates were overtaken, and the halfling, introducing herself as Maltina Bigmoon, was saved. Maltina, however, said that they must flee before the "others" returned and gestured toward a dilapidated sloop anchored off the coast of the island.And That's Where We Left It
We'll see what shape our survivors sealegs are in during our next session.Rewards Granted
Level 2!
Character(s) interacted with
- Ezfer Shohmil, captain of the Eelsnap
- Duril Hookbreak, whaler of the Eelsnap
- Lita, mysterious passenger aboard the Eelsnap
- Maltina Bigmoon, rescued sailor
Notes
from "The Last Moments of The Eelsnap"
Before you see anything, you feel it, heat flexing through your eyes, blistering on the tongue. Ash in the air, acrid oak coating your throat, finding purchase deep in your chest. The sounds of harried combat ring out above the raucous storm, the clang of steel ringing on, well, something else. Giant tentacles, seemingly emerging from The Vast itself, tear at the ship, sheafing off strakes in waves. Everywhere you look, through fire and smoke, these purple-black appendages swarming the weatherdeck, bringing flame and fury. Through the haze, you can make out some of this foreboding tableau. Behind you, the mizzenmast snapped in half, some unknown unlucky sailors writhing beneath. On the quarterdeck, the wheel spins, eerily aimless amidst chaos and rupture. The finely carved figurehead of intertwined eels effortlessly negotiating the water, now splintered and burning, paint melting into new shapes and new horrors.
A few hours ago, this vessel was bathed in mirthful song, but now there is different music, desperate and choked, sung in the loam of filling lungs and the tenor of ripped limbs. The crash of The Vast as it reclaims the hold and lower deck of this doomed ship.
Before you see anything, you feel it, heat flexing through your eyes, blistering on the tongue. Ash in the air, acrid oak coating your throat, finding purchase deep in your chest. The sounds of harried combat ring out above the raucous storm, the clang of steel ringing on, well, something else. Giant tentacles, seemingly emerging from The Vast itself, tear at the ship, sheafing off strakes in waves. Everywhere you look, through fire and smoke, these purple-black appendages swarming the weatherdeck, bringing flame and fury. Through the haze, you can make out some of this foreboding tableau. Behind you, the mizzenmast snapped in half, some unknown unlucky sailors writhing beneath. On the quarterdeck, the wheel spins, eerily aimless amidst chaos and rupture. The finely carved figurehead of intertwined eels effortlessly negotiating the water, now splintered and burning, paint melting into new shapes and new horrors.
A few hours ago, this vessel was bathed in mirthful song, but now there is different music, desperate and choked, sung in the loam of filling lungs and the tenor of ripped limbs. The crash of The Vast as it reclaims the hold and lower deck of this doomed ship.
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