The Cradle of Souls - Chapter 1: By Way of Sea

Brend, Arambashia - 2nd month of the new year, 985 LD

Despite its small size, the kingdom of Brend commands some of the greatest wealth in all of Arambashia. Located in the marches south of Hambell, Brend was raised over the ruins of a Calagan period kingdom that its subjects call Simod. Gems and artifacts were periodically dug up from the earth contributing to the kingdoms early wealth.

During the first days of the winter in 984 the Brend-Forman Society formally asked the kingdom to fund an expedition to the lands of Ephyrne based on information gathered from a rogue wizard. The Shal'tan agreed, providing 80,000 gold from the kingdoms coffers to recover whatever they could find. Notices were distributed within the kingdom, up into Hambell, and from there to the Capital City, Arambash. It proposed rich rewards for individuals who signed up. A recruiter was present in each of the cities for 2 months.

By then the winter had become harsh, stopping travel between cities for all but the military and the brave and foolish. Many came from all over, making their way to Brend in hopes of joining the expedition. All but the best were turned away, sent back to where they came despite the hardships they faced. Of the 20 accepted, they were tested and placed into 3 separate squads; Guardians (governed by Heath Werner, Guardian head, former Knight of Rocal), Research (headed by Altherton Forman, 2nd Head of the Brend-Forman Society), and the Dig Team (overseen by Ulias Forman, 1st Head of the Brend-Forman Society).

Brend, Arambashia - 3rd month of 985 LD

The following are excerpts from the Journal of Ulias Brend, documenting the journey as he observed it.

3 ships have been prepared and set sail in the morning breeze; Scarlet Rose, Fortune Cove, and the Lucky Maiden. An orange dawn greeted us as the first vessel, The Lucky Maiden began cutting a wake in the waters. We count 55 members within the expedition, one of the largest that I have set out with. It includes women, a touch that Altherton pushed for. The damn boy knows his artifacts and hes a damn good leader but I often worry that his head is in the wrong place.

As per Shal'tan Reinhald's request, room has been made for 10 Council Wizards. One would have sufficed, but they sent a whole brigade. To make matters worse, they are lead by a woman, and one who doesn't dress her part. Attendant Xania Dochatte demands that she be called Lady, but I'm the one who gives the orders around here. I will do my best to maintain a heir of sufferance in her presence but if she tries to get in my way to hell with her! So what if she responds to some Keeper Nezra. Let her.

I'm getting tired of this ship. My work requires ground, not the constant rocking back and forth. We should have chosen more experienced sailors for the job too. Then half of my people wouldn't be working to the bone to keep this death trap afloat. 4 weeks of this! I suppose it isn't so terrible with a constant wind, but I suspect that the druids called upon it to hasten our progress through their lands lest we should see what their up to. Not that you can see through that impenetrable wall of trees that make up Resonn's coast. At least they gave us permission to pass...

We sailed through the evening and well into the night today. I spoke with the captain to find out where we were and his answer has left me doubting his competence. Between Death and the sea my ass. I could have told the son-of-a-bitch that. I am pleased however, by the moral boost that ship swapping seems to provide. Altherton suggested it. Every two weeks the crews swap up between the ships to keep our sanity. Travel through these islands is quite peaceful, but the sailors are downright jittery.

I heard whispers floating behind my back that we are between the Blazing Coast and Wyrm's Heart. I can't see any of them, just lots of water and little islands poking up. Apparently there are dragons in these waters.

There are dragons in these waters. I saw the damn thing myself. We were tucked in a cove for the day, resupplying the ship so we don't break into the preserved rations that I ordered for the trip. They are our emergency supplies, but I have already seen some thieves munching on bits. I'd have them thrown overboard but they claim that they brought it with them. It is not worth my time or moral to have them marooned. I need a strong team once we land in Ephyrne.

Sunburn be damned! My skin aches from it and the damn druid isn't on my boat to fix it. Took a month just to make it through the island chains and now we've entered the Straight. Smooth sailing now, captain says. It better be. The last 10 pages of this book are worthless now because a wave tipped my ink. It will be several weeks before we reach our destination. Get me back on land damn it!

Nemren Bank, Ephrnee - 5th month, Spring – 985 LD

The following is a written record of evens from the perspective of Altherton Forman and gathered reports from others about what occurred during the next 2 weeks.

3 days ago the first seagulls were spotted. It came none too soon. The expedition is starting to get incredibly antsy and wants to get back onto land. The elf, Manir reported sighting land just this morning. I find it too be assuring that there are members of the expedition who are so willing to pick up tasked that they did not necessarily need to do. It is rare to see a Tyran with such eager responsibility. I am pleased by Werner's choice.

A storm approached from the west, bearing down with frightening speed. It did not appear to be like the smaller storms faced previously. Several of the sailors believed a large squall was on its way. Taking this information to account the captains of Scarlet Rose and Fortune Cove directed their ships toward the shores of the Nemren Bank. Lucky Maiden was not present at the time, and it was feared they would be weathering the squall at sea. A week before, a small storm had torn a hole through the ships mainsail, forcing it to fall behind. Contact was maintained by falcon flight, but was eventually lost.

As the ships closed in on shore, a massive coral reef was discovered beneath them, rising up to greet the ships. Scarlet Rose hit a section of the atoll head on and ran aground. It was freed from the reef by Attendant Xania who used magic to shatter the reef below.

Lord Savant Arden Krueler, aboard the Fortune Cove had just managed to reinforce the ships sails using the web of a summoned spider. Moments after Manir spotted the coral. Due to the reinforced sails, they could not be dropped to slow the ship, forcing it back out to sea to make another pass. The vessel was turned and the sails dropped but the crew was forced to row the ship in to shore.

Once on land, efforts were made to find shelter and secure the supplies before the storm struck.

The black cloud bank was growing in the distance, flashes of lightning and rolling thunder kept us on our toes. Luck was with us though. The druid Kaden located several caves that could hold people and supplies. It wasn't going to be enough, but every bit helped. With Ulias and Werner on board the Lucky Maiden, I assumed full command of the expedition and ordered the women to stay in the caves. Lord Savant Krueler employed his magics to summon several more of his spiders to create an impromptu lift by the side of the Bank. With all the rain falling and the tide coming in, there was no way we were going to climb it in time. I shall have to congratulate him on an excellent display of magic in the future.

The women and several other workers were tucked into the caves were they were to weather out the storm with the supplies. Kaden assured everyone that the caves themselves would not flood. Altherton Forman assumed full command of the expedition, ordering the remaining numbers to group together and go with the guardians inland to several groves of trees that the elf Manir had spotted before the storm hit. Despite low viability, they made it to a stand of trees about a mile from the coastal cliffs.

Forman ordered the guardians to scour the forest and clear it of any potential dangers. Corwin Degalli was placed in charge of one group, and Forman took up the other, working the forests edges in opposite directions until they met up with each other on the other side. The guardians proceeded through the center of the woods finally reaching the camp that was being set up.

Corwin Degalli volunteered to return to the coast and bring the women and remaining supplies back to camp. He selected Manir, Wilmar Green, and Peyorn Dain to assist him. The troop set out from the cover of the forest back into the raging storm. A half hour later they had reached to caves and contacted Lord Savant Arden Krueler who had stayed behind to guard the women. Degalli descended into the cave to “convince” the women to head for the tree cover, but it was decided that they would stay put as the cave provided dry shelter. Manir was told to return to camp, to which he begrudgingly obeyed.

On the return trip, the group encountered strange scarecrows that sat in the ground. They appeared to be moving, and shadows seemed to flit about in the flashes of lightning. Manir observed one of the scarecrows (they had a hawk-like skull attached to a wooden pole in a cross. The hands consisted of razor claws and birds feathers, with a rib cage hanging in the center. In the daylight it turned out that the ribs were Ephryn hair) in the distance, and upon turning around found one right in front of him. Frightened, the two men in his command attempted to run for the woods. Manir reined them in, moving them slowly toward it but one of the men fell screaming. He said something had bit him.

I have never seen men so shook up as Peyorn and Wilmar. Whatever they saw out in the fields scared them. Rumors are already spreading that we are treading on hallowed ground, that we have disturbed the dead and now are damned. I have tried what I could to calm their fears, but the bite on Peyorn's leg casts serious doubt on my assurances. I'm not sure what is there, but I do know there are brave, if perhaps foolish men among my guardians. Manir has volunteered himself to return alone to the cliffs and warn the others. I wish him godspeed.

The storm remained overhead only over the night. They had caught the outer edge of it. Black clouds could still be found to the south, but there were clear skies to the west. The ships required 2 weeks worth of repairs, but once the repairs were complete they were ready to sail again. After less that a days journey they reached the ruins they were looking for. The Lucky Maiden had landed ahead of them and already had a base camp prepared.

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