The First Land Herald/438-07-06

Article Number: 60

Dateline: 438-07-06

OSHU'K'ET VICTORIOUS AGAINST PIRATES, UNDEAD KRAKEN Captain Collain tells me that the proper name for this battle is "the (First) Naval Battle of Basalt Isle, QRS Oshu'k'et victorious, Hail Reshalia." In plain language, Commodore Khoheke Moglin squared off against the Dread Pirate Srinoja, each heading a full fleet of warships, plus reinforcements. Much to my relief, House Moglin won the day, though not without taking some serious blows -- not the least of which was delivered by a wretched, fuming kraken half-consumed by putrefaction. The day of the battle, the Purified Scholar Zauldin called us to Acenamacra, telling us that Sir Khoheke's flagship, the Oshu'k'et, had intercepted Srinoja's ship, the Hangman's Pursuit, while it was resupplying. Both fleets engaged and quickly called in reinforcements. Immediately upon reaching firing range of one another, chaos broke out. Massive geysers of water erupted from the ocean as shots were fired from mangonels, and wild lightning raked near the ships, directed by elementalists. The air was filled with the sounds of shouting in between explosions, the ship often shuddering beneath my feet, groaning with a deep cracking of tortured wood. Fire and ice flew through the skies. The adventurer force upon the Oshu'k'et was divided among several responsibilities: fire mangonels at enemy ships, direct elementalists to fire at ships or to take down air attacks, provide a field hospital within the hold, pump water out of the bilge, fight any enemies boarding the ship, and prepare a boarding party to attempt to take the Hangman's Pursuit. It quickly became apparent that boarding the Pursuit was not going to be feasible, so most divided themselves among the remaining tasks on board, with some yelling to one another when one area or another appeared neglected. The Oshu'k'et is a large galleon, and it was attended in military formation by its fleet. It proved difficult to approach the Hangman's Pursuit at an appropriate facing to fire a broadside, as the smaller hoy darted wildly in and out of range, staying close just long enough to fire volleys from its mangonels and quickly maneuver away. The two fleets sailed past each other in loops, firing dramatically and sometimes leaving ships wounded or sinking. The Moglin line, ever orderly, always readjusted wounded ships to the rear, leading with undamaged cogs, while the pirates attacked in a disorganized frenzy. Pirate reinforcements were the first to arrive, bringing black sails, half with shark flags, which suggests Shark Clan. Reshalian Houses were the next to come into sight, leading with House Tierskel and its flag of a foot crushing a skull, though I also spotted House Redthorne, and lion flags that could have been House Zsikiel. Suddenly, the sky blackened overhead, a buzzing cloud solidifying into a plague of banyakea. They began to divebomb the Oshu'k'et, and I could see a tiny figure flitting around the outskirts -- it could only be the Mysteriarch herself, the dreaded Sivroch. The five-eyed monstrosity was making good use of her Unholy mutations, flying aloft on insectile wings. In the midst of it all, red sails were spotted, indicating the Red Sash was joining the fray as well, terrible news for the Reshalians. Our elementalists were forced to bear upward, taking out great swathes of banyakea at the expense of firing at the incoming ships. The banyakea began to plop onto our deck like cicadas, fat and ready. During the chaos of engaging them, I spotted the Necrolord Xzean, known as the Yhtrin, supporting their ranks. He was thankfully cut down, though it was clear to me that his target was none other than the Redeemed man among us, the Knight Penitent Briaen Huns. We certainly had enough to deal with as the swarm descended. "I've seen banyakea up close before, during that evacuation," Betlind told me later, "but never so many before, all scuttling over the deck and rushing towards us. Even as we dispatched them, more would land in their place." I joined the fray, tearing my eyes from the skies, but this proved to be a major mistake. Suddenly, the figure of Sivroch dropped toward me at alarming speed, and I was unable to react in time. She grabbed me in a three-armed embrace, grinned at me with needle-sharp teeth, and arced back up to the skies, holding me like a ragdoll. Winking a pair of those five eyes at me, she dropped me. Plummeting down toward the sea, I found myself in shock. I stared at her, frozen in horror, for a long moment -- and she laughed, waving coyishly. "Pleasant view, is it not? Such crisp air. Do enjoy." I shook myself out of my stupor, tried to twist in the air to at least direct a meager spell at her, but it was no good. She snapped her wings shut, rapidly diving back to the battle, and I was left to contemplate just how high I still was. The height I was dropped from was sure to break my legs, even falling into water. I managed to right myself, crossing my legs and arms and bracing for impact -- and sure enough, my legs were broken, and my back. It was only through some miracle that I managed to fall near enough to an Oshu'k'et rowboat, and the sailors dragged me aboard. Chemical fires crackled along the surface of the water, the artillery fire still sending geysers of fire and water high into the air around us. But, luckily, we made it back unscathed, and with a little Empathic attention, I was ready to return to battle. Three ships remained in the Reshalian line, outnumbered now more than two to one, but they remained resolute. Then, blessedly, I heard the call for six welcome ships: Therengia and Zoluren, as well as one I heard called the Shorlye. Simultaneously, the barrage of fire upon the banyakea finally caused them to mostly scatter, Sivroch retreating angrily to Basalt Isle. However, just when it seemed the tide of battle was turning for us, the sea erupted. Gargantuan, writhing tentacles burst forth from the water, thrashing at the Oshu'k'et! The kraken's maw emerged from churning waters, widening hungrily, and it gripped the boat in a deadly squeeze. Its flesh was withered and rotting, sewn together hastily, and it occasionally became still, as if listening to an unseen master -- both clues indicating clearly its reanimation to this dark purpose. Mother Whiteburn, Chosen of Drogor, would later tell me she sensed the expulsion of all that is Holy from this creature so purely Drogor's, replaced with foul, twisted Necromancy. The creature knows no peace in its servitude, only fury and violation. May the Lich Jeihrem sink to the depths of the sea, crushed by the weight of Drogor's mighty ocean, until his bones are ground into coral and sand. The pirates immediately fled, though several of their ships were destroyed by the vortex surrounding the kraken. Our allies positioned themselves at a distance to fire upon it for as long as they could before gales of wind twisted the air around it. Aboard the ship, we were forced to take up boarding axes and hack away at the tentacles, even as they would slap at us, and their sheer mass made the process achingly slow. Slimy skin and rotted muscle sloughed off with each stroke, but they were thick as old sana'ati tree trunks. Meanwhile, the kraken's putrid maw opened wide and bit into the hull, splintering wood as it tore off a chunk of the ship! In the midst of all this, somehow, I caught sight of the Hangman's Pursuit, realizing something strange was happening on deck. The Pirate Srinoja was loading herself into the basket of a mangonel! The weapon arm ascended, flinging the tiny Gnome into the air at the remaining swarm of banyakea. Moments later, she reappeared, clutching to the ankle of a flailing banyakea, which ceased its struggling suddenly and descended slowly toward the Oshu'k'et, where Srinoja released her grasp and fell. In mid-air, she rapidly fired kraken-fang bolts at Commodore Khoheke with her arbalest, though they clattered uselessly against his armor. She landed and dropped to a knee. "Hey, Hek. We's settling this now. I'm not letting some deadmans take your head, so I reckon I better take it myself." With her free left hand, she drew a kraken-fang telek, lunging at Khoheke's eyes! Khoheke staggered backwards, giving Srinoja the opportunity to pivot the blade, twisting into a downward slash that bit deep into the flesh of his left forearm, finding the tiny opening in his armor at the elbow. His scream was blood-curdling. He hastily removed his vambrace, revealing striations of purple radiating from his bruise, his left hand limp and useless. Crewmen quickly grabbed him and ushered him below, shouting, "Blowfish toxin!" Without pause, he braced his arm on a cask and had a crewman sever the forearm completely, an elementalist quickly stepping in to cauterize the wound. When I ran back above deck, I saw that adventurers had pounced on Srinoja and were engaging her with their full force, though she had clearly severed Saragos's legs already. Due to swift healing and fighting, thankfully he was soon on his feet and the backstabbing Gnome was little more than a pile of pulp. Out of nowhere, the twisted, dryadic form of Sivroch appeared again, streaking down from the skies, slamming into the deck. Snarling around a maw of pointed teeth, she unhinged her jaw and roared in challenge, causing the marines to flinch backward in fear. She scooped up the Gnome, shouting, "We aren't finished with you, pirate!" and in a blink was screaming away back to Basalt Isle. There was nothing for it but to turn our attentions to the final tentacles, eventually severing enough that the great beast roared in anguish and retreated. With it gone and the pirates having fled, the fight was finally over. We wearily returned to Acenamacra for a de-brief. Commodore Khoheke reported that our allied fleet casualties were two carracks sunk and eleven other ships damaged or disabled, though they should be able to be salvaged. The enemy fleet suffered the greater loss: seven damaged, four disabled, five sunk, and some eight other ships fled. He said, "I think the pirates will be licking their wounds for a while, and they will be afraid to try anything like that again for a while." Unfortunately, his hand continued to resist Empathic aid, withering away the moment Aislynn tried to heal it. The upcoming raid on the Isle was the topic of much conversation as well. Zauldin and Sir Khoheke both speculated that the kraken may be extremely difficult for Jeihrem to repair, good news for us. Zauldin said, "The device is tested and ready… The next stage will be soon. We want to keep the momentum. I am concerned that Srinoja has not been removed from the board, but she did appear to die." Sir Khoheke added, "It may be best not to discuss those details at this time. As the battle approaches, those who need to know will be armed with the appropriate information. We will be in need of manpower when the time comes for the final battle. Moglin is primarily a naval power." Ultimately, the Naval Battle of Basalt Isle was an onslaught of brutal attacks, yet somehow we weathered them all, and the adventurers proved a solid force in both fighting and healing. I even saw that Philosopher Zharen joining in battle, directing our elementalists and aiding us against our enemies -- for now. We can all be proud of keeping our cool under extremely chaotic circumstances. Now is the time for celebration, and for preparation for the final confrontation with the odious Lich. Fair winds and following seas, Navesi Daerthon True Bard, Zoluren's Herald Editor in Chief, the First Land Herald

Real Date: 6/27/21

Subject(s): Srinoja Moglin Khoheke pirate undead kraken Reshalia ships Sivroch banyakea Yhtrin Xzean necromancer

Author(s): Navesi