Curse of The Bellona

All know not to speak of the Bellona when out on the open sea for its crew may be near to here and drag you down to the watery deep. - Old Sailor

All across the Isles of Refuge many know the tale of The Bellona and the tragic fate that befell it and its arrogant crew that dare to delve into things they shouldn't have. Now they are doomed to sail the sea without end and never know peace for the mistake they made. All that cross the ship by chance will meet an untimely end at the hands of its cursed crew trying to escape their dire situation.

Summary

It started as any other sea tale, with a captain and their ship they call The Bellona looking for treasure to squander once they got their hands on it, the isles were famous for their many ruins filled with lost treasures from ages past that could make anyone rich should they survive the dangers that come with them. There are so many choices yet, so much doubt about whether they would find any worth the trouble after all of their hardships. It was a very divided subject that had the ship's crew at each other's throats unable to decide where their greed would take them. That was when the captain finally decided to do it their way and it made the crew shocked and horrified at the idea, of being an expedition into the Forsaken Isles where only the mad or stupid would dare to go for the untold horrors would surely lead to their doom. The captain however managed to convince them otherwise saying that no one ever went to the Isles, meaning the treasures of that land were left untouched and ripe for the taking cursed or not.
It was for that reasoning the crew decided go with their captains plan and off they went to the worse place they could ever sail to. To say the stories about the Forsaken Isles were exaggerated where an understatement when they finally set foot on the wicked ground they encountered things that no living soul should ever see and not all the crew would make it back from their journey when they finally came across some old ruins to plunder. They would a vast trove of gems and gold that they eagerly stuffed in chests, sacks, and their own pockets, but for the captain, they eyed a magnificent blade made of gold and covered with priceless gems that he took back with them to the ship with all the riches they could. Those who survived believed that the worst was all behind them when they finally left that accursed place.
A strange feeling came over the crew as night washed over their ship as if they were being watched and a growing fear washed over them, believing that that someone would steal their treasure. That night madness took over them as one by one crew members began to kill each other over the treasure they had with all reason lost to them in the darkness of night. The Captain was the worst of them, knowing that he would be dead soon and lose his sword, so he did the unthinkable he steered his ship into a cove filled with sharp jagged rocks and sank the Bellona so one would have the treasure sinking all aboard into the watery abyss. Yet this was not the end, for their torment did not end as the treasure they took was cursed damning them to a life of living death as the Bellona would rise from the dark seas every night doomed to sail for all time to the ends of the earth. All they are unfortunate to cross the ship will meet a horrific fate as Bellona’s crew upon seeing another ship will seek out its crew and drag them down into the waters below drowning them out of resentment of the living that forever reminds them of their unending torment.

Spread

The tale of the Bellona is known by many sailors who have been to the Isles of Refugee and many of the inhabitants take it to heart considering strange things that occur in their lands.

Tale of Warning

No one should set foot in those isles only horror and damnation await all who enter. - Superstitious Local

Whether or not The Bellona and its crew were ever real is often overlooked by the actual danger of Forsaken Isles themselves. All know that this place is filled to the brim with evil that will claim anyone who dares to trend there. Making the story of The Bellona a cautionary tale in avoiding this place at all costs or they might as well share the same fate of the cursed ship.