The Hunt for The Kraken
~ Journal entry of Unavyre Aymer Balroris
Standing on deck of the Hearty Otter, the sea spread out in front and behind of the ship. We were alone on the waves. Captain Cutterjaw stood at the wheel. There was nothing else as far as we could see. The horizon curved away in the distance in each direction.
The world seemed only to be bluey-green-teal water. Only the wood of our ship broke-up sight. The sky was a bright blue and cloudless. It was calm for so long.
There was only one problem the crew faced - no fish entered the nets dragging in the deep water. After days of plentiful fishing. No more birds circled our smelly ship.
It was mid-afternoon when I noticed something slowly coming out from beneath the boat. It’s shape was evern darker than the salty water.
Captain Cutterjaw held the ship steady as the waves increased in size.
A human sailor, named Jasmine, said in a whisper that she hoped it was a gentle whale coming up to see what they were.
Yet I even then I feared Jasmine was wrong. It was the Kraken I felt so stupid for being on a ship searching for such a dangerous monstrousity. Why did we hunt for the mythical creature that moved through the expansive seas and oceans of Esau ?
The monstrosity we had sought to see, we had nicknamed “Kryaa”. It was from the stories told by Krisben Steel, who knew the legends of the Goddess Kryaa. Captain Cutterjaw had encouraged Krisben to tell those tales.
Kryaa the Kraken was rumoured to be a dark blue with swirling white on her limbs. The underneath is said to be a very dark purple. The tips of her limbs were brighter, with the threat of attack and poison.
These decriptions I had thought overly flowery to make the Kraken, I had not been totally convinced actually exsisted, sound more fearful.
The shape that rolled as it approaches the ship, was more montrous than it had sounded in any story. The blankness of my mind surprised me. It was like I forgot who I was, my name, and where I was, all at once.
There was a sudden thump. The curling waves lashed at our ship. Salty spray rose high up the mast. The ship rocked. Captain Cutterjaw lost the wheel. It spun wrecklessly.
I saw Jasmine, doing as a number of crew did, whining a robe around her left wrist, while taking a sharp cutlass in her right hand.
Any thoughts of the tales of the Goddess Kryaa were forgotten by me, as we were under attack by the Kraken so named.
One long tentacle came up each side of the ship. The wood creaked under the strain. The sea churned and foaming waves crashed around the beast. It was no whale. Not gentle and not just being nosey. This beast we sort, had found us.
I realised how unprepared the crew truly were, as the third and fourth tentacle rose out of the water. A gentle grapple quickly became a dangerous hug.
The pain of falling hard onto the top of the water, winded me. I saw Captain Hardcase gripping so tightly to the captain’s wheel. Later I saw the Tabaxi Captain still holding the wheel, being rescued by her companion Doe.
Seaweed tangled in the churned up waves. Wood cracked loudly and splinted. I heard terrified screams from the crew.
The large eye rose to look at it’s prize. The tentacles gave one last squeeze of the ship, before the Kraken abandoned the wreckage.
Numerous people of various races bobbed in the waves, and many more sank below. People dived to save those sinking down – with different levels of success.
I saw Jasmine struggling in the distance, trying to quickly free her arm from the robe. Her cutless cutting in a panic at the binding. Later, I saw her lying on a few blanks, looking exhausted and wrist red raw.
Debris crowded with people trying to keep afloat. Some were pulling together in a strange type of raft. Any ropes that could be saved were used to lash the debris together.
One morning, as the dawn light tinted the sky, I woke with an aching head. We had no fresh water or food. The sharks were attracted by the smells of fresh blood. It was not surprising that four of those people died over the next days, their sinking into the deep water, as we floated around on The Whale Sea. Sadly, Jasmine was one of those.
It is hard to say how any of us survived that attack, and those following days on the open sea, but five of us did manage to. All of us still have nightmares of that monstrous creature.
Captain Cutterjaw had somehow claimed the kraken's left eye. A prize he never let out of his sight until he died nine days later, a very rich man.
Purpose
Record of the attack on The Hearty Otter.
Historical Details
Legacy
It is said that the Kraken lost one eye which is held in a bottle known as Kraken's Tears.
Sort after by Sea Hags.
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