Tidewater’s Folly.

    Captain Tidewater was an old sailor. He had spent many years as a captain in the Royal Navy, leading the King's ships in the battles against enemy forces. Now, he was a contractor to the King, sailing an expedition vessel in search of exotic goods to return to Azon. King Vulrand had smoothed over centuries of rough relations with the Empire of Venia. The two human civilizations were peacefully interacting for the first time since anyone could remember. Trips to Venia were still rare though, and Venian goods were highly sought after in the Kingdom of Azon. Captain Tidewater's crew was a motley sort, full of rough and rugged sailors who had been sailing with him for the past three years. They had been all over the eastern coast of Azon, and were currently sailing south east, toward Nustar Island. They were very far away from land, and the sailing was easy.

    The Sailors would spend the copious amounts of free time playing cards, drinking beer, and telling stories of their past trips. They had been to Venia once before, and managed to bring the King back a rare and exotic animal called a Grootslang. It had the body of an elephant, the tail of a serpent, and a long scaly trunk. The beast had given Captain Tidewater a serious challenge in transporting it back. It was large and wild, and threw several crew off into the sea. In the end, the crew was successful in bringing it to Azon. This was a highlight expedition, and the crew often recounted the tale. Captain Tidewater was well liked by his men. They treated him as a father figure, and would do anything he asked. He was a fair man, and believed in justice and equality. All of his men were paid according to their work ethic. Those who worked hard, were rewarded, and those who slacked off were not.

    On this particular voyage, the crew had not found any exotic creatures on any of the islands they had stopped. No rare spices, minerals, or peoples with which to trade. They were heading for Nustar Island. The Island was a meeting point for sailors from all over Lyrae. If you wanted to locate something valuable, going to Nustar and poking around the local taverns was the best way to find it. Nustar Island was directly between Venia and Azon, and was a stopover for many vessels going to either continent. The sea was calm, and everything on the voyage to this point had been easy and even mildly relaxing for the crew.

    The sky over the ship was bright blue, and the waters a dark deep blue. The air was warm, and the sun was shining. The lookout up in the crow's nest narrowed his eyes though. He could see a dark grey line on the horizon. A storm was gathering. It looked to be far away though, and his experience told him that it was too early to alert the crew below. He continued to scan the sea around the vessel for reefs, rocks, and other obstacles. A spout of mist ejected from the port side of the ship. The lookout shouted:

    "Trunko-Ho!" The crew immediately scrambled to the port side to behold the creature. Seeing a Trunko this far south was a rare occurrence, and setting one's eyes on the furry white beast was considered to be the best of luck! Every sailor wanted to see the creature. As they peered into the sea, a large white form moved below, several hundred meters off the ship's port side. It rose to the surface, and lifted its short broad trunk out of the water, spouting another mist of water into the air. The Trunko was the size of the ship, covered in thick white fur, and having a trunk. It reminded many of the crew of a large whale. It was a magnificent beast.

    Captain Tidewater made his way over to the railing, and several crew members moved out of the way so he could take a look, and get his luck. The Trunko dove down deep before Captain Tidewater could see it however. He sighed and shrugged. He had seen many a Trunko, especially in the colder northern seas, where they are more common. He didn't think anything of missing the creature.

    A few hours had passed since the Trunko sighting. The crew was feeling restless, as they wondered what luck the creature brought them. The storm clouds were growing, and the Lookout finally called to the deck to alert the crew. They had all been able to see the clouds though, and were already prepared for the call. They set to work preparing the ship for bad weather. None of them thought the storm could do them harm after having seen the Trunko.

    The ship rocked and the wind picked up. The seas grew angrier as the storm moved in on the ship. Captain Tidewater stood behind the wheel, and watched his crew running across the deck, securing ropes, tying down sails, and shifting crates of supplies. The rain started and Captain Tidewater sighed. This storm was not going to be a common blow. Lightning and thunder pierced the sky, and the sailors worked furiously against the raging wind. The ship rose and fell in the large swells, and water sometimes washed over the bow. Standing next to Captain Tidewater was his trusted Mage and longtime friend; Teran Huurlek. The mage's cowl was dripping water like a waterfall as he shouted.

    "Captain! We have to turn back! This storm is not normal! I can sense it! We can't make it through, it’s dangerous!" Teran was shouting as loud as he could over the noise of the rain and thunder.

    "We'll make it, Teran! These men are the finest sailors in all of Azon! This ship is one of the sturdiest! We'll make it!" Captain Tidewater had much more experience than Teran when it came to sailing, and even more in bad weather. He did not think the mage was right. His choice to continue on would prove otherwise...

    The storm seemed to let up after Teran's warning. The wind died down slightly, but the sea remained rough.

    "Captain, we really need to turn back. You are going to doom the men! The storm is not dying down, something is out there!" Teran seemed desperate to convince Tidewater.

    "Nonsense! I've sailed this route before. Nothing is out there. This blow'll be over and the sun will come out again. I've seen this before." Tidewater's confidence was strong, and his determination to prove his crew and ship were the best overruled any advice from the mage.

    "I'm telling you captain. There is something wrong with this. If you do not turn us back, we are going to die." Teran Huurlek was gravely concerned. Something was not right with the Captain. Tidewater was usually a sensible man, and often took his advice seriously. Teran knew the Captain was dooming their lives by not turning around.

    It was at this moment that something large rammed into the side of the ship. The crew was tossed to the starboard side, as a large tentacle reached up out of the water and grabbed the mast. Another tentacle rose up and slammed against the deck. Wood splintered and showered some of the crew. Suckers as big as cart-wheels gripped the deck, and prevented the crew from reaching the cabin area. The ship was now listing to the starboard side.

    "By Vulrand's beard!" Shouted Teran. Captain Tidewater stood, gripping the wheel, mouth agape. He had made a terrible mistake. Another tentacle whipped across the deck, and knocked two sailors into the raging sea below. The men screamed in terror as they were helplessly stuck on the starboard side. Teran gulped down his fear and prepared himself to battle this beast. He raised a hand, and chanted a quick spell. From his outstretched hand, a fireball shot, and hit the tentacle gripping the deck. He shot several more fireball spells at it. A loud squeal was heard, as the tentacle rose and thrashed about. Several sailors were knocked over the deck. More tentacles rose up, and the head of a great Octopus rose up over the rail to peer at what had caused it pain.

    Teran turned white, as he continued to fire spells at the beast's head. Captain Tidewater jumped from the wheel, and drew his scimitar. He rushed down to try and save some of his men. He slashed at the tentacles as they whipped around trying to grab at him. Teran covered him with fireball spells. The beast was too large however, and it grabbed the ship tighter with its other arms. The hull began to crack from the weight. Wood splintered off into the sea, and water began gushing into the cracks. The central mast of the ship broke in two, but the creature’s strength kept the top piece from falling. Captain Tidewater made it to the first group of sailors. The beast’s large muscular arm had landed on two of them. They looked up at Tidewater with pleading eyes.

    "He-Help us Cap'n! We- We can't move!" Their cries for help gave Tidewater a rush of adrenaline. He slashed viciously at the arm. Purple blood sprayed from the wounds, and the arm contracted. It shot back into the sea, but it took the two trapped sailors with it. Tidewater howled in anger, but continued on to try and save more sailors.

    Teran was still battling the beast. He was dodging the beast’s attempts to capture him, and trying to keep tentacles from grabbing the Captain. His efforts were draining him of energy. Each spell got weaker and weaker, and made him slower and slower. Eventually, he could not dodge the attacking arms, and was grabbed up. The kraken lifted Teran up into the air, and tossed him effortlessly into the sea. Captain Tidewater was now on his own.

    He was no match for the beast though. As he tried to fight through the attacking arms, he was also grabbed up, and tossed into the sea. Other sailors had managed to attack the beast, but none of them stood a chance. Several minutes after Teran and Tidewater were dispatched, the beast began to drag the half sunk ship into the dark inky depths of the sea.

    As the ship sank into the depths, carried off by the giant octopus, the sun began to shine. The clouds cleared up, and the sea calmed. One sailor clung to a floating piece of wood. He looked around and sighed. He could not believe his luck. He had managed to survive being tossed into the sea by the beast. Seeing the Trunko really did give him good luck. He wept silently for the loss of his crew as he clung to the driftwood, waiting for the sea to carry him on.