Captain's Log [Yon Reefslip]

[Yon Reefslip]

30th day of Spring, 509 A.V. Journal of Yon Reefslip, I was aboard Lia Della’s Shanty’s Shiver yesterday, dropping off some linens I had acquired near paradise point for the children, when I met an old friend of hers whom had come aboard at the Flotilla for a few drinks and memories. Said salt dog was one Yalek Furyk, a merchant out of Yahebah. Now Yalek was neither a particularly adventurous man or a real seaman. He had bought his ship in order to open up new trading opportunities as opposed to his previously run caravan across Eyktol and Cyphrus. But in doing so he had made one sound decision, the hiring of yet another merchant. Boris Ruttsound, Captain Furyk’s first mate, was worth his salt as they say. He had sailed with Svefrans and pirates, met sea witches and Chorada from the depths of the blue. In truth I took a liking to the man because he reminded me so much of my old friend and mentor Pomgran Icidus. And like Pomgran, Boris Ruttsound was quite the weaver of tales. And while Old Furyk and the Lia drank and laughed, we traded the best we had. Mostly old folk legends and memories of past ventures. But once there Boris took on a serious nature and swore the truth of one tale by the straps on his boots. Seeing him to be an upright man, and having no reason to discount his honesty, I believed him. And here is what the old fish told me… Story of Ol’ Alzo Montair Somewhere nestled between the white beaches of the Vanti Islands lies a ship sailed all the way from Zindal Bay through the Faleyk Gulf and into the Suvan Sea. The sunken Corsair, the Riptide, was captained by a man named Alzo Montair and crewed by the most skilled seaman to ever cross a current. See, Montair earned both fame and fortune, and became the fancy of one Lady Egritte of Yahebah, or so the story goes. But in fact what the truth was, and not many people pay much mind to the difference, that Montair became rich and prosperous shortly after wooing said lass. Very shortly. Spending much time in Yahebah on business as a coastal merchant, Montair met the lady Egritte at market and instantly fell under her spell of beauty and charm. He himself was a rather handsome man, tall and lean, as sailors tend to go, but by no means did he hold a flame to that gal. Montair worried that she wouldn’t stay faithful to a traveling merchant such as he and pleaded with her to demonstrate her faith, as he did with his gifts and poems. The lady Egritte told old Montair to go out and hunt her the most fierce shark he could find and bring her it’s teeth. Montair, confused and annoyed, thought this was indeed a right horrible way to show affection. But his love was true and his heart blind, as it is for so many men clouded by that old trickster called love. Montair rallied his men from their taverns and cards and wenches and set sail for Rockward Island, where he knew there to be giant sharks hunting amongst the reef life almost all year. Montair spent many days sailing over dark waters and through ragged reef to spot his prey. The beasts were seen off the southern coast of Rockward, hunting seals. The huge grey fish would explode out of the water like Laviku’s wrath, biting down on the unsuspected seals. Montair knew this was his chance to return to Yahebah triumphant. If he brought Egritte the teeth of these behemoths she would never turn eyes on another man! He had his men man their nets and harpoons, promising the man who slays yonder beast ten gold mizas. They eagerly awaited the opportune moment with harpoons ready and vast fishing nets slipping into the green-blue waters near the reef. Men shouted and harpoons flew astray. Luck weren’t in their sails that morning and they had to wait until dusk to try their hand again. As the sun lay setting over the blue horizon, Montair let loose a harpoon himself, gutting the first shark to return to the reef. The men cheered and Montair had them hoist his catch up. The beast was nearly four meters long and filled with enough teeth to keep Egritte happy forever. Montair plucked enough of those ivory daggers to fill a small pouch. Satisfied with the day the men feasted on the shark’s meat and turned rudder to Yahebah. Egritte was overjoyed with Montair’s success and kissed him upon his return, taking the pouch from his hand and telling the merchant to return in three days and he would have the display he wished. Excited, Montair could barely contain himself for those next few days, giving all his men the week off and spending his time on the Riptide dreaming of Egritte. When he called upon her on the fourth day she appeared at her doorway with a necklace in hand, the cord woven of a copper band and studded with shark teeth. Montair was gracious about accepting the modest gift, putting it on at once. Egritte smiled and told him the necklace was a symbol of their loyalty to each other and her love. It was magicked to give good fortune and fair winds to the sailor who wore it. Montair was so surprised that he pledged to wear it always and think of her as he did so. He spent the rest of his crew’s week off in her home. But alas, a man must make his wages, he set off in search of these promised riches, necklace never leaving his throat. And Montair found them. Montair and the Riptide become well known as the ship of fortunes, full to the brim with exotic jewels and magical trinkets, gold and silver, silks and furs of all kinds. Many a pirate tried and tried again to best the Riptide in battle but never seemed to come out victorious, leaving Montair and his crew with a fierce reputation for bravery and martial skill. And as most men agree, bravery, valor, riches, and fame attract those sweet damsels whom always cause the worst kind of trouble. Montair, heavy with success and greed, forgot his beautiful Egritte down in Yahebah. Forgot her promised loyalty and her gifted love. He forgot the cause to his wondrous success. He hadn’t even seen her in months. He had not Left the Suvan Sea on account of the vast hordes of riches to be had and squandered there. And thus he came to be at a pub in Sunrise Point, eyeing one such pretty lass with a keenness sweet Egritte would not have liked. Swaggering up to the damsel in question, Montair offered to take her dancing. But such girls who drink with Suvan sailors are not for dancing when there is hay to be tossed, so the girl led Ol’ Captain Montair up the rickety old stairs and into the room set aside for such lowly affairs. The old miscreant spent the night with that temptress from Sunrise Point. Montair sailed the next day for the Vanti Islands. He was in good spirits after his late night rump and his men all jested good-naturedly with him. But Montair was beginning to feel ill, a creep down his back told him something was awry. And for the first time in months he thought of dear old Egritte back in Yahebah. Surely the woman would forgive his long absence, after all fortune favored him these past few months, and she would understand his need to keep to the profitable waters. Montair still wore the necklace his lady had given him. Eventually the ship reached the beautiful Vanti Islands, though not without fighting their way through a storm or two for the first time in months. Ol’ Captain Montair was worried, he had not had to practice such skilled seamanship since slaying his lady’s shark, his men had grown complacent and overconfident. The necklace grew more and more uncomfortable to wear as they made their journey as well. Eventually Montair tired of the burden that weighed so heavily upon him that he removed the gift and tossed the damned thing to the salt crusted deck of his ship. The winds grew angry and the skies dark. A shrill scream filled the air and his men grew lethargic and fearful, for a queerness had entered the air. Montair shuddered and froze as he caught sight of a woman standing at the bow of his beloved Riptide. Egritte, or the ghost of the damned woman, or her spirit had come upon his ship! The man drew his blade and waved it before him, challenging her as some devil or temptress, intent on destroying the souls of honest sailors. Egritte grew angry then, calling him false and adulterer, craven and foolish. She drew closer slowly, gliding along the deck of Riptide like some sort of vengeful mist. And as the foul witch approached, so did poor Ol’ Montair’s death. The necklace became tight, the shark teeth biting into his skin. Such a queer thing could be none but vilest of magics come curse the Riptide, what thinks the crew. Montair, being a mundane sort of man with no knowledge of the trappings of magic and such, was stunned to find the lady of his past approaching him so vehemently. The lady gnashed her teeth, but not only her teeth. When she moved, did so the necklace about poor Montair’s neck. When she bit, the necklace did as well. She walked along the deck, and everywhere she went boards rotted and ropes frayed. The sails began to rip and the masts splintered. As their captain lay dying, bloody and mutilated, the crew saw the ghost and knew nothing in the world was more fierce than a scorned love. They felt the loyalty to captain and the fortunes he brought evaporate under the cold scrutiny of Lady Egritte’s vile magic. Men jumped from the deck into the wild, dark waves with arms full of treasures. To a man the crew left old Montair to his gory fate. Well, as is right, the captain went down with his ship. And down they went, too. To be seated on some beach or reef or watery depth somewhere near the Vanti. It’s said that Ol’ Captain Montair is still there, as a ghost or some such vile being, made to guard his greedily gathered treasures forever. And as a reminder to those who sail to never forget to be thankful for good fortune, for everything on the Suvan has it’s price. It’s said his riches still occupy the haunted hull of the Riptide for those bold or brave…or fool enough to find them. A grizzly sort of story, to be true. But should old Boris be telling it true, and so he swears on his buckles, there be a lost fortune or two out there near the Islands of Vanti. Mayhaps I’ll someday find men of stout heart to go seek the truth with me. - Yon Reefslip, Captain of the Coral Star