The Shadow

The legend of the Shadow chills the hearts of even the most hardened airship captains. It’s a vessel untouched by time, its decks crewed by phantoms and its presence heralding a fate worse than death itself— the consuming embrace of whatever lies in the depths of the far-sky.

History

The Shadow’s real name has been swallowed by time and legend. Some whispers claim she was an early Imperial exploration vessel, lost during an expedition into uncharted territories and cursed by a vengeful spirit. Others say she belonged to a powerful mage, his soul consumed by an ill-fated attempt to summon forbidden knowledge from the Old-World, his consciousness now trapped within the decaying vessel.
Regardless of her beginnings, the legend of the Shadow emerged several centuries ago, a tale spun by sailors returning from northern trade routes, their faces pale, their voices laced with a fear that clung to them like the stench of storm-rot. They spoke of a black ship, its sails tattered and torn, appearing as a phantom silhouette against the moonlit clouds, its presence heralding a chill that seemed to seep into the very bones. Those foolish enough to approach the vessel, drawn by curiosity or greed, were never seen again.
The Shadow appears only on the darkest nights, her black hull nearly invisible against the storm-choked skies of the northern sky-sea. She is described as a three-engined cargo vessel, her design resembling vessels common in the early days of Imperial expansion, but her engines do not burn and her backup sails hang in limp shreds. Despite this, she seems to be able to move under some power, aimlessly wandering in and out of the far-sky.
Whispers tell of ghostly figures that move across her decks - skeletal sailors with empty sockets, their hands trailing spectral flames, their voices a low moan that mingles with the wind's chill. These apparitions are said to appear and vanish with startling speed, leaving witnesses disoriented and shaken.
The most terrifying aspect of the Shadow is the cold. Those who’ve survived encounters describe an unnatural chill, one that permeates fur and leather and into flesh and bone, leaving them shivering uncontrollably long after they’ve escaped her spectral presence. Neither fire nor magic can cure this effect, and it seems that only fleeing the area and resting restores the lost heat.

Recorded Sightings

A lone prospector, searching for Yrddestones in the remote northern territories, reported a fleeting glimpse of a black vessel gliding silently over a cloud bank. His description matches those passed down through generations. Upon returning to his village, however, the prospector exhibited strange behavior - speaking incoherently, claiming the wind whispered secrets to him, and eventually succumbing to a sudden illness that left his eyes clouded and his skin icy cold.
An Imperial patrol airship, tasked with searching the treacherous northern sky-currents for pirates, reported a vessel of unknown design briefly appearing in the distance before vanishing. The ship’s position matched the area known as "The Graveyard of Ships" - a stretch of sky-sea notoriously difficult to navigate, filled with the wreckage of vessels claimed by storms or lost in unexplained circumstances.

"To: Imperial Naval Command, Aetheris From: Captain Marius Quintus, Merchant Vessel Aurum Dawn
Subject: Incident Report - Possible Sighting of Vessel "The Shadow"
Sirs,
I submit this report with a heavy heart and a mind troubled by what my crew and I witnessed three nights past. While transporting a shipment of refined ore from the Ironcliff reserve back to Aetheris (transport manifest attached), our vessel, the Aurum Dawn, encountered a phenomenon defying explanation and deeply unsettling to even the most seasoned sailors among us.
Location: Approximate coordinates 75 North, 10 East (charted skies near the designated zone "The Graveyard of Ships”).
Conditions: Nightfall, heavy cloud cover, moderate wind speeds (approx 20 knots).
Details of the Encounter:
At approximately two bells past midnight, the lookout on our top deck reported a shadow against the clouds - a large vessel approaching on a converging course. Assuming it was a fellow merchant vessel, we signaled our standard greetings via signal lamp and yrddestone communicator. No response was received.
The other vessel, now clearly visible as it emerged from a dense cloud bank, appeared to be of ancient design, its hull black and bearing the scars of apparent decay – tattered sails, rusted metal fittings. No lights illuminated its decks, but a strange, pale luminescence clung to it like mist.
My First Mate, a veteran of countless voyages on the Northern sky-sea, identified the vessel as "The Shadow," a ghost ship of infamous reputation known to bring misfortune upon any who encounter her.
Against my better judgment and despite protests from several crew members, curiosity overcame me. I ordered a slow approach, hoping to determine its nature and the purpose of its presence in charted skies.
As we neared the vessel, a cold settled upon the Aurum Dawn - not the usual bite of a northern wind, but an unnatural chill that seemed to seep into our very bones, chilling the air within our vessel, and frosting over exposed metal surfaces despite our yrddestone heaters operating at maximum capacity. Several crew members reported feelings of nausea and dizziness, and even I, a man with nerves tempered by decades on the sky-sea, found myself unnerved by the sudden drop in temperature and a strange unease.
Upon reaching hailing distance, I ordered a signal flare to be fired, illuminating the vessel’s decks with a bright red light. It was at this point we observed… movement. Figures, seemingly human in shape but cloaked in darkness, materialized on the schooner’s main deck. They remained motionless, watching us, but something in their silent observation, the lack of any acknowledgment or attempt to communicate, sent shivers through our ranks.
The air crackled with a faint, almost inaudible humming sound, a subtle aetherial disruption. Instinctively, I felt we were in danger. I ordered the helm hard to starboard, turning away from the spectral vessel and putting maximum power to our engines.
As we increased our distance, the unnatural chill subsided, and the strange humming vanished. Looking back, I witnessed the other vessel – The Shadow – already sinking into the depths of the far-sky, as if it had never truly been there at all.
Aftermath:
Several crew members are exhibiting lingering symptoms of what I believe to be magical exposure – chills, headaches, disturbing dreams, and two men claiming to still hear the humming in their ears despite our now being safely anchored in harbor.
Sirs, I believe this incident warrants further investigation. The presence of such a vessel, potentially operating under malicious intent or with an agenda contrary to the security of the Empire's sky-lanes, should be taken seriously, lest rumors of this spectral encounter undermine trade and inspire fear amongst those braving the northern sky-sea.
Your swift attention to this matter is urgently requested.
With the utmost respect and loyalty to the Emperor,
Captain Marius Quintus"