The Derelict Devil-Ship - Mystery In The Reaches Of Far-Waters!
It was a calm night like any other on the Trackless Sea. The sun had set but a few hours prior, giving way to the countless stars that glittered in the heavens above. The sight was like looking at a sparkling sea in its own right that spanned above to the edge of the horizon to meet the waters of the ocean. The crew of The First Sister glided quietly along the surf; sails filled with a gentle breeze as the ship made its way in the treacherous expanse known as Far-Waters.
Every so often the horizon would be broken by a ship in the distance, but this night was peaceful, filled only with trade ships and Amnian cargo vessels going about their business. Though one ship that flew the colors of Amn caught our attention when it came within range of our sight.
This ship was listless, still and unmoving upon the placid sea. An unusual state to be in for ships out in Far-Waters, The First Sister moved to investigate. What we thought a trick of the night turned out to be true, for this ship was encased in a gossamer haze of mist! The serpentine tendrils gently wafted about the hull and deck like the tentacles of a jellyfish. Even stranger, the deck was as still and lifeless as flotsam drifting amidst a watery graveyard. The ship was derelict, or so it seemed!
But no! As the First Sister edged cautiously closer the silhouettes of soldiers and the crew were seen upon the deck. It was as if the ship was frozen in time adrift among the placid waves and canopy of stars. The only movement was the wafting tendrils of mist that seemed to waft from the deck to pour sinuously down over the rail and spill upon the scant dark waves.
The First Sister finally came to rest among the waters aside the ship, and the admiral commanded a boarding party be sent to investigate. Four stalwart crewmates were chosen and into the skiff they hopped, shoving off toward the mysterious mist-covered vessel. The crew clambered up the ladder to find a most curious sight.
The deck was as still as death, save for the mist that came from a circle of baleful crimson light. A pulsing profane rune of purple fire hovered in the air above the circle, like a rend in the very fabric of the world. The crew of the vessel, every single body, was petrified! Unmoving stone bodies garbed in soldiers' armaments littered the deck about the baleful scene. The last struggles of the macabre effigies against a long-gone foe still eerily evident in their motionless poses.
The deck remained eerily serene despite the sights, and the boarding crew was just about to sound the 'all clear' to those that remained on The First Sister when suddenly a booming voice rang out from the rend in reality. Its fell words taunted and promised death to those aboard shortly before a sinewy, clawed hand punched through the rune to rend open the gate. A host of fire encrusted fiends followed, and battle was joined!
Countless fiends poured from the rend the rune tore in the air, like fiery blood from a wound. The stalwart crew stood firm, killing creature after creature. The taunting voice from beyond continued its gleeful bellowing cackle. Even more fiends tore out from the breach and took up arms against both crew and fiend in a chaotic frenzy that sent some petrified soldiers toppling over the rail of the ship.
Back on the deck of The First Sister, the remaining crew weren't idle either as a roving band of fiendish hags took advantage of the chaos to attempt their own nightly raid! Suddenly, after what felt like was going to be an endless struggle to stem the tide of fiends, the din of battle on both ships subsided!
The powerful malevolent voice within the wound in reality left the crew with promises that this was not the last the Trackless Sea had seen of its power, but it seemed that its power was temporarily spent. The crew, thankful for the respite though wary of the dire promise, gathered what petrified sailors we could and made haste back to The First Sister.
Once aboard, the bombard was brought to bear and with a singular flash of fire the cannon roared! The derelict ship exploded into splinters of wood and tattered sails as the valiant Merchant Navy sent the curse on its deck down into the briny depths of the night sea. The only remaining evidence of its existence was the scant flotsam that slowly began to disperse away from where it had sunk into its watery grave.
What is the fate of the rescued sailors you may ask? To answer that we had no happy ending. As surely as the cursed ship sunk, so too did the petrified crew dissolve into sand and pour down the sides of the ship to join their vessel in the clutch of the watery abyss. So, take heed reader, if you are ever on the sea at night and find a listless vessel beware the unearthly voice of power and the doings of dark deeds within the treacherous expanse of Far-Waters!
Day 26, Month 10 (Marpenoth (Leafall)), 176 AR
Ayiesha Dahyarif