Third Wind comes across more debris. Then the other ships encounter debris as well. A whole field of it. Lots of barrels. A crate or two. The barrels have a strange kind of ale in them. Tasty, but odd. The crates carried water logged and rotted cloth items. Blankets, clothes, etc. Several crates have a weird orange muck on the inside like a residue of some sort. Clinging to the sides. Most of it is constructed of some strange wood. Several pieces have strange markings. A shaft of wood. A few planks nailed together. A patch of sail. A floating barrel.
Then, they hear cries from someone. It is a man, with dark brown hair braided, brown skin and the most beautiful crystal blue eyes (he is an eshtari). He is mumbling something over and over in a strange tongue. When the Third Wind gets close enough, he looks up at the people and a look of absolute relief/contentment sweeps over him. (He thinks Valadahaj has sent this strange vessel to take him to heaven). He lets go of his barrel/life preserver and opens his arms and starts to sink.
If the players do nothing, he drowns. If the players dive in a rescue him, they will be able to save him and haul him aboard.
Once he is on board, he will throw himself to the deck and kiss the feet of anyone. He believes the crew to be angels. He will say the word Valadahaj repeatedly. His name is Hashikan va sadi va padan. He speaks two unfamiliar languages - he tries them both on the crew unsuccessfully. Has a single glyph burned/branded upon his right shoulder. (It is the mark of an Sybren Imperial Slave). This man is thankful to be picked up, obviously terrified of the sea and scared that they are going east. He's a survivor (a former prisoner/slave) of a Sybren military ship that was attacked by the Thallasians.
Calm Seas. No encounters. Callister orders a crow released. Fourth crow. Five left.
Seas start to get a bit choppy. Foul winds blow. Rough weather ahead.
Storm begins to build. This one looks to be worse. Preparations are made.
Also, during the day, one of the player characters sees an amphibious creature poke its head out of the water and peer at the ship and then quickly vanish. If the player characters try to pursue or capture it, it's gone. [This is a thallasian scout warrior poking his head out of the water. An aquatic life form. Then he disappears.]
On this day, the storm builds gradually and then explodes. Massive 20 meter waves slam into the three ships. This storm has been summoned by the thallassians, an evil aquatic race. The three ships have stumbled into their territory. The thallasians attack and use the storm to confuse the enemy. The waves sweep people off the deck. The thallassian warriors attack anyone who falls into the water. Beneath the waves, the thallassian spellcasters focus and intensify the storm with their magic.
At the height of the storm, a sea vortex forms. The thallassian spellcasters are trying to suck the ships down into the ocean.
In addition, the thallassians have a lipluradon. This enormous creature looks like a mix of alligator, fish and turtle. It is almost 15 meters long. This creature is a pet of the thallasians. It is mentally controlled by the sorcerers. The lipluradon will attack the Titan by continually ramming it.
During the battle, several supplies (barrels of food, water, etc) get washed overboard and destroyed.
During this battle, the vortex pulls the Vanguard into the ocean and sunk. Most of the people on board die.
The thallasians eventually give up the attack, having expended their spell energy. The remaining two ships, the Titan and the Third Wind, flee the area.
On this day, the survivors clean up the aftermath. Two of the crows on the Third Wind are found dead. Undoubtedly from the storm. There are four crows left. Early the next morning, debris from the Vanguard is found. Survivors are found and taken aboard both the Titan and the Third Wind. Who are the survivors? You need names and positions. [They find four survivors from the Vanguard. The two remainingcaptains uses them to replace the dead among their own crews].
This website was last updated March 31, 2026. Copyright 1990-2026 David M. Roomes.