Waves Breaking, Chapter Eleven
Reaching Hollow Verge
The Deathwish adjusted course, making for Hollow Verge.1
A few days getting back on course, before the shout “Sails, ho!” came from the crow’s nest, prompting Harrow from his quarters where he’d been poring over maps.
On deck, with his spyglass, Harrow could see the small ship on the horizon, just barely. It was too far to make out any details.
“Let it go,” Harrow called. “We continue on.”2
The next day, clouds covered the sky but luckily the rain held off.
On deck, looking to the side, Harrow spotted a ruin in the distance.
“Captain!” The call came from the railing. “You have to see this!”
Harrow ran over to see what the man was pointing at. “What in the name of the seas…”
The dark form of a winged creature surged beneath the surface of the water, heading straight for the Deathwish.
“Load the cannons! Pull us around!” Harrow called out orders, gripping the railing as the creature approached at high speed.3
The Deathwish swung around, bringing the cannons to bear. “Fire!”4
The cannons roared, sending plumes of water in the air where they hit, but none struck the beast.
It hit the side of the Deathwish, hard, rocking the ship and tentacles rising up out of the water to latch on.
“Attack!” Harrow called, drawing his blade and striking at the tentacles. Some drew their own blades, hacking and slashing while those with guns loaded and fired down at the body of the beast.5
Bloody appendages dropped into the water but the ship rocked as the climbed up the side, tentacles sinking into the hull, pulling it’s massive form up the side of the Deathwish, revealing it’s furry, massive form.
Harrow wrapped one of the trailing ropes around his waist before looking at Kaito. “You’re captain if I don’t make it,” he said, before leaping over the side.
He landed onto the bulk of the beast, both blades out and plunging down into its flesh.6
A tentacle slammed into Harrow before he could do any real damage, knocking him against the hull of the ship and dropping him to his knees. Standing up, he heard Kaito call out.
“Captain! More of the beasts incoming!” Kaito yelled, pointing off into the distance.
Harrow hacked away another tentacle that came at him, before plunging his dirk down into the beast’s hide. “This will not be the end!” He yelled.7
The dirk sank in and he felt the beast quiver in response, showing he’d done at least some damage.
Esana dropped beside him, rope wrapped around her waist, a sword in her hand. “Couldn’t let you have all the fun,” she said, joining him in hacking and slashing.
More dropped, following their captain. Harrow couldn’t help but feel pride…and horror.
I will not let them die.
He moved down the body, heading for what looked like a head. Perhaps he could do more damage there.8
A tentacle got past his blades tripping him up and wrapping around his leg.
He cut it off with his rapier, and saw the other crew members dealing many blows to the creature, although it’s rough hide seemed difficult to penetrate.9
The beast groaned in pain but Harrow felt it was taking too long.
How long before the other beasts arrived?
The Deathwish would not be able to handle even one more. Not without…
Harrow shook his head. He didn’t know how to do that. He didn’t know if he could do it again and if he could, he wasn’t sure he wanted to.
There must be a price. There’s always a price.
He picked himself up and continued towards the head.10
Tendrils rose from the water to block him, swinging at him.
He slashed at them to keep them back but struggled to make any progress towards the head.
Finally, he pushed through, falling to his knees and plunging his dirk into the skull of the beast.11
A piercing wail came from the beast, tentacles dropping into the water, it’s mighty bulk slowly sliding back into the sea.12
Harrow pulled his dirk out, grabbing the rope around his waist as the beast dropped below the surface, leaving bloodied crew members hanging on the side or floating on the surface of the water.
“Get us up and get the ship moving! We need to go now!” Harrow called up.13
As the Deathwish got underway, Harrow spied the dark forms of the beasts pause and linger behind them. Were they consuming the corpse of the fallen?
It didn’t matter. It gave the Deathwish enough time to get away.
Harrow slammed the spyglass close and hung his head, leaning over the railing.
“Cap?” Kaito asked, next to him. “There’s still the relic.”
“Leave it,” Harrow snapped. “We make for the Verge. Let us not be waylaid from our purpose anymore.”
That night, he went down and spoke to Grimshaw, bringing him to his quarters and having him sit down at the table.
“You promised to free me,” Grimshaw said.
“We haven’t come upon a settlement,” Harrow said.
“There was one on Scar Isle.”
Harrow shrugged. “You still have use for me.”
Grimshaw shook his head. “You made a promise. Will you keep me chained forever? Turn me over to the authorities?”
“I promised freedom and I will fulfill that promise. Tell me,” Harrow leaned forward. “What do you know of Hollow Verge?”
Grimshaw shrugged. “I know a bit. You got a drink?”
Harrow pulled a bottle from a cabinet and a couple glasses. “Tell me.”14
Over the course of a few drinks, and with a few questions from Harrow, Grimshaw laid out what he knew of Hollow Verge.
“I know of three islands in the Verge. Kiora, Gull Island, and Malau. Malau is of most interest, with a small Sacred Harbinger settlement, Nanua. It is said it was built and abandoned by a people long ago. Enigmatic structures of an unknown material built on the coast and stretching out over the water, a place like nowhere else, so I hear. As strange and wondrous as it is, most consider it haunted, so there’s not many who live there, and it’s mostly a den of vices now. I’ve heard stories one of the islands has a Corrupted Cave, within which dark cultists perform darker rituals. Some say there’s a whale graveyard near Gull Island and on Kiora, which itself has towering cliffs, there is a military fort. I do not know much but some whisper it holds a powerful prisoner.”
Harrow refilled their glasses and raised his. “It is there I will find my fortune.”
“Or die trying.”
The Deathwish pushed on.15
On deck, at the railing, Harrow, somehow, felt the wind change. “We’re here,” he said and realized something was pulling him here. He’d felt something when he’d seen the map. It wasn’t because it was far or a random choice. Something within him felt drawn to this place.
“Sails, ho!” from the crow’s nest. “It’s the Sacred Harbingers!”
Harrow pulled out his spyglass and put it to his eye, looking for the ship, his heart racing.
The Sacred Harbingers were a dominant and powerful religious group, who, according to Kaito, hunted those like Harrow, who had a tattoo of the kraken on his back.
Through the glass, he saw the flag, black with a figure in white that resembled a Grim Reaper, the symbol of the Sacred Harbingers.
Undertake Expedition + Wits: 7 vs 4,9 → Weak Hit. Mark Progress (8/10), Waypoint but Suffer(-2) or Face Complication. -2 momentum (2).
Undertake Expedition + Wits: 6 vs 4.1 → Weak Hit. Mark Progress (9/10). Waypoint but Suffer(-2) or Face complication. Waypoint: 99 → Roll twice. Weather + Relic.
Enter The Fray: “Fend off the sea creature with minimal damage”, “Dangerous”. Roll + Edge: 7 vs 4,6 → Strong Hit. +2 momentum (4). In Control.
Strike + Edge: 4 vs 9,10 → Miss. Pay the Price. -1 Momentum (3).
Clash + Iron: 9 vs 5,10 → Weak Hit. Mark Progress(2/10) but dealt counterblow. Pay the Price. -1 Integrity (1).
Clash + Iron: 8 vs 8,10 → Miss. Your foe dominates. Pay the Price. “Encounter signs of a Looming Threat”. Clock: More beasts arrive (0/4).
Clash + Iron: 6 vs 6,1 → Weak Hit. Mark Progress (4/10) but Pay the Price. Clock advances (1/4).
React Under Fire + Edge: 3 vs 5,9 → Miss. -1 Health (2).
Clash + Iron: 4 vs 1,9 → Weak Hit. Mark Progress (6/10) but Pay the Price. Clock Advances (2/4)
React Under Fire + Edge: 4 vs 4,3 → Weak Hit. Suffer(-1). -1 momentum (3).
Clash + Iron: 5 vs 2,1 → Strong Hit. Mark Progress Twice (10/10). You overwhelm your foe and are in control.
Take Decisive Action: 10 vs 1,7 → Strong Hit. +1 momentum (4).
Face Danger + Edge: 7 vs 8,4 → Weak Hit. Suffer(-1). -1 Momentum (3)
At this point, I generated a “Starting Region” using the rules in order to give myself more of a setting than I’ve had so far. I’ve also determined we’ve left the Myriads for the Margins, in our attempt to get away from factions chasing us.
Finish an Expedition: 9 vs 3,10 → Weak Hit. Unforeseen Complication.
This is the first post of yours that I have read. Whoah. I am SO impressed with your writing style - so elegant and concise, while being interesting and vivid. I want to learn to write like that too, very inspiring!
That is one hell of an unforseen complication.
So excited to see who these newcomers are.