I know it's foolishness; that she's wild and dangerous. In her depths she hides the most terrifying monsters and the deepest magics. I know she'll be the death of me one day, but there's nowhere else in the world that sings to me like the Ur Hilgarria. — Dirgwen Seafool
The Profession of Fools
The
Ur Hilgarria is deep tempest of powerful magic - never crossed saved by two tiny ships of the
Humans when they came from
Eryia and landed in
Portsend at the beginning of the First Wave.
But there are those who brave her watery depths, those who dare to leave the safety of the sight of land and venture out beyond the gentle shallows to expose themselves to the dangers of the bottomless magic waters. For these hardy souls, deep sea sailors and fishermen, the rewards of their temerity is well worth the risks to life and mind and limb.
These men, for few indeed are women, are work-hardened, muscle bound fatalists - and romantics, for they all without exception love the sea. They speak of the ocean as a lover speaks of their beloved, in terms of passion, with delight in her peace and wry acceptance of her storms. They create legends of the ocean, of her mystical depths, and beautiful mermaids like the story of
R'ska, The Saber of the Seas. Their vessels are outfitted with plates of magic resistant materials strapped to their hulls. The loss of any of these into the waters signals an immediate return to the nearest port for repair.
Becoming a Man of the Deep Sea
The lovers of the deep waters include both sailors and fishermen who prey upon deep water fish. Most come from cities on the coast, and join a ship when they are young. Most begin their journeys as able bodied seamen, others begin early as cabin boys or the most dangerous role on the ship, riggers. It takes years to acquire the specialized skills of captain, mate, quartermaster, navigator, carpenters such as
Master Smith Krannik and boatswains, and some of these such as carpenter and navigator require education and specialized tools. The captain is typically hired directly by the ship's owner, and is responsible for the profitability and safety of the ship.
Pay for a crewman is negotiable, but typically a sailor is paid a handsome wage weekly, and a bonus if the ships endured particular danger during the trip. Many men of the deep sea have families that they live with during breaks in service, some have families in multiple ports.
In the coastal towns men of the deep sea are considered hardy souls, and responsible citizens. Deeper inland their mystique runs deep and their status rises to near reverence.
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