The Black Maw Origins

Origins: The Forsaken Armada
Long before the Black Maw was a terror on the seas, it was simply one ship among many in a formidable fleet known to history as the Forsaken Armada. In the early years of the Age of Emberlight (32–67 AEL), this Armada prowled the oceans unchecked, feared for its ruthless efficiency and unquenchable lust for spoils. Mercenaries, pirates, ex-naval officers—all found a home within its ranks, united under the promise of plunder and power.
A Conqueror’s Fleet
The Forsaken Armada laid waste to coastal cities and imperial warships alike, raiding with precision and ferocity. Their captains were brilliant tacticians, enforcing a strict code of loyalty under pain of death or worse. At the heart of this formidable coalition stood Kain Voss, a man whose ambition rivaled his infamy. Charismatic and iron-willed, he demanded obedience—and he always got it.
Yet for all the blood and gold, Kain Voss desired something far greater than mortal riches. He craved true dominion: the power to command the seas themselves.
The Tyrant’s Grasp: Before It Was the Black Maw
Among the Forsaken Armada’s many warships, none inspired terror quite like The Tyrant’s Grasp—Kain Voss’ personal flagship. An iron-plated galleon laden with cannons, it was famed for never having met its match in open waters.
Unrivaled Firepower
The Tyrant’s Grasp bristled with artillery, its thunderous broadside enough to level small fortresses. Its prows bore the carved figurehead of a roaring lion—a symbol of Voss’ fierce pride.
Crew of Fanatics
Voss’ men followed him with absolute loyalty, driven by both fear and admiration. Stories speak of lavish rewards for the victorious and merciless punishment for any who disappointed him.
Seeds of Greed
Though laden with gold and trophies from every corner of the known seas, Voss found little satisfaction in mere riches. He sought an eternal legacy—something beyond human grasp. Whispers in dockside taverns claimed Voss sought the rumored arcane power of the Valoran Ring.
The Doomed Voyage to Valoran

Tales of Valoran
West of Granheim lay the Valoran Ring, a ring of mist-wreathed islands said to guard the entrance to a mysterious stretch of ocean known as the Black Hollow. Legend claimed that the center of these islands, the ancient realm of Valyn’Kresh, held artifacts of unimaginable power—gold, relics, and secrets of a civilization lost to time.
Most sailors quailed at the thought of Valoran’s swirling fog and the countless vessels that vanished there. But to Kain Voss, the warnings merely served as a lure. The possibility of true power was too much to resist.
Ignoring the Whispers
Warnings from Port to Port: Dockworkers, rival captains, and even old pirate lords pleaded with Voss to abandon the quest. Ships that ventured into those cursed waters never returned.
Ambition Over Reason: Voss dismissed them all. The Forsaken Armada, numbering twelve ships, navigated straight into the swirling mists, guided by charts stained with rumor and dread.
Whispers in the Mist: Crewmen spoke of hearing strange violin music on nights when the fog clung thick to the rails. Some claimed ghostly shapes drifted alongside their ships, but Kain Voss ordered them onward.
Twelve warships entered Valoran. Only one would return.
The Night Kain Voss Reached the Black Hollow
It is said that on the night Kain Voss reached the heart of the Valoran Ring, the sea itself went still. The waves ceased their gentle rocking, and the ever-present ocean wind died into a heavy hush. His compass spun uselessly, as if repelled by forces no mortal was meant to chart.
When the fog began to part, it revealed obsidian cliffs and towering, impossible structures, their surfaces glinting even in the blackness. At the very center of these looming shapes stood a monolith of pure darkness, untouched by the moonlight, its surface shifting like a trapped sea beneath glass.
Some sailors later claimed it was a doorway to the unknown. Others insisted it was a nameless god.
But Kain Voss did not kneel. He did not beg. He demanded.

“Give me eternity. Give me the power to rule the tides themselves.”
For a moment, there was only silence. Then the Whispering Kresh, which had hummed like a funeral dirge since the Forsaken Armada entered Valoran, erupted into a chorus of agonized screams.
The Fall of the Forsaken Fleet
In that heartbeat between Kain’s demand and the Kresh’s scream, the sea rose against him like a living force. One by one, the vessels of the Forsaken Armada were dragged down into the depths—not sinking so much as vanishing, as though the ocean simply opened its maw and swallowed them whole. There were no panicked cries, no final blasts of cannon, only the echoing shrieks of the drowned mingling with the violent surge of water.

“The Hollow does not forgive. The Hollow does not bargain. The Hollow only takes.”
Among the doomed ships was The Tyrant’s Grasp, Kain Voss’ mighty galleon. Even the flagship was not spared the ocean’s wrath. With a thunderous roar, it, too, was pulled beneath the waves, its iron plating groaning under the crushing embrace of the deep. In that black descent, Kain Voss and his crew came face-to-face with whatever primordial force slumbered in the Hollow’s depths.
For a moment, it seemed all had been lost to the crushing dark. Then, through the churning waters, a singular vessel burst from the surface—its hull charred and twisted, its once-proud sails now blackened tatters.
And yet, while the Forsaken Fleet vanished forever, Kain Voss remained, clutched by a power greater than mortal comprehension. He had found his eternity—not as a man, not as a triumphant king, but as something misshapen, bound irrevocably to the will of the Black Hollow itself.
The Night of the Black Maw
By dawn—or what passed for dawn in those fog-choked seas—there was no sign of the Forsaken Armada. No wreckage, no corpses, no plundered relics. Only a single blackened galleon emerged from the swirling mists, its silhouette grim against the pale light.
Twisted Hull & Cursed Sails
The iron plating of The Tyrant’s Grasp appeared warped, fused with scorched timbers. Tattered sails stretched unnaturally in windless air, and a new figurehead—an open mouth of jagged teeth—jutted menacingly at the prow.
Crew of the Damned
No longer men, but twisted shadows of what they had been. Their voices were lost, replaced by a haunting, wordless violin that seemed to emanate from the very hull. In place of mortal eyes, an eerie sickly green glow radiated, as though lit by embers from some abyssal flame deep within.
What had once been the Tyrant’s Grasp was no more. Rising from the Black Hollow, it had become "The Black Maw"—a harbinger of doom, and a hunter of souls.
The Curse of Kain Voss

From Captain to Creature of the Deep
The being that emerged from the Black Hollow alongside the twisted, blackened galleon still bore the name Kain Voss, but any semblance of mortal life seemed to have slipped away beneath the tides. Where once there was ambition and cunning, there now lay a dark and unfathomable presence—a force neither living nor dead, bound inexorably to the Hollow’s primordial will.
A Man Consumed
Some old sea-dogs whisper that, at times, Kain Voss still appears almost human—his silhouette pacing the deck in brooding silence, as if locked in a struggle with something unseen. They say a faint shadow of his former self roams the corridors of the Black Maw, tormented by the memory of what he once was. Yet as the stories go, these flashes of humanity vanish as quickly as they arise, replaced by the cold, merciless gaze of the Hollow’s creature.

A Spark Lost: Many believe that whatever remained of Kain Voss’ soul was the price exacted by the monolith in the depths. In that final moment of drowning darkness, his mortal spirit was consumed, leaving a husk animated by an otherworldly purpose.
A Body Claimed by the Depths

No two sailors agree entirely on what they see when the Forsaken Captain steps into the moonlit night or appears at the prow of the Black Maw, but common threads weave through every telling:
A Drowned Man’s Form
Skin Tinted by the Hollow: His flesh carries a pallor closer to corpse-grey than living hue, as though drowned under the crushing dark of Valoran’s depths. Where it isn’t mottled with bruises and sickly discoloration, it appears tightly stretched over corded muscle—torn in places to reveal glimpses of coral-like growth beneath.
Coral & Blistered Lesions: Fused with his arms and torso are barnacle-like protrusions and jagged coral edges—relics of his time beneath the waves. Some spots glisten with a damp sheen, as if perpetually soaked in saltwater. Others appear inflamed or cracked, leaking brackish fluid that sizzles on contact with air.
Tattered Garb of a Pirate King
Remnants of Grandeur: The tatters of his once-proud captain’s coat cling to his broad shoulders, heavy with grime and the constant drip of seawater. Whalebone buttons, tarnished from the brine, reflect a faint green glow.
Sea-Stained Leather & Fabric: Threads unravel and hang like seaweed, moving in time with an unseen current. The leather of his boots, long waterlogged, seems fused to his ankles, as though the salt has melded cloth and flesh together.
Eyes of the Deep
Sickly Green Flame: His eyes gleam with a ghostly, emerald radiance, casting an eerie, flickering glow akin to lanterns in a fog-bound harbor. These “lanterns” illuminate his gaunt features whenever he turns his gaze upon those who dare meet it.
Endless Void: Beneath that shimmering surface lies a suggestion of infinite depth—an unsettling reminder that whatever humanity once dwelled in those eyes has been supplanted by the Hollow’s dark will.
A Voice of Tormented Winds
Haunting Howl: When he speaks, it is more a howl than a human voice—a discordant melody of anguish, rage, and ancient grief. Those who hear it describe the sensation of pressure in their chest, as if the sea itself is pressing against their lungs.
Echo of Lost Ambition: Laced within this wail are echoes of Kain Voss’ old pride and longing. Every syllable drips with the burden of shattered dreams and a grim resolve to drag his victims into the very depths that claimed him.
Command of the Cursed: When he roars commands to his crew, the air crackles with an otherworldly resonance—an undeniable authority forged in bargains struck beyond mortal ken. Even the bravest sailors have buckled under that terrible command, hearts pounding with dread they cannot explain.
In the dim lantern glow of midnight, to glimpse Kain Voss is to behold a being caught between life and the watery grave. Coral and blistered skin are but the most visible scars of his eternal bondage. The hollow, flickering light in his eyes betrays the presence of a power older and hungrier than any mortal sin—a constant reminder that once a man makes a bargain with the sea’s darkest heart, he may rise again, but never truly as himself.

The Hollow’s Will
Just as Kain Voss demanded unimaginable power, so too did the Hollow claim unimaginable dominion over him. Where once he was driven by personal ambition, he is now an agent of the sea’s darkest depths:

A Puppet or a Vessel?
Some legends describe the Hollow as a vast, sentient force—an ancient intelligence beneath the waves that seeks to feed on human greed. Kain Voss, in this version of the tale, is nothing more than a flesh-and-blood proxy, enacting the Hollow’s desires.
Others insist that the Hollow grants him enough autonomy to choose his targets, feeding on the souls he reaps. In these accounts, Voss is a willing participant, steered by the same greed that doomed him in the first place.
The Link to the Monolith
Myths abound of an unbreakable tether between Voss and the monolith he confronted. Some say he can never stray too far from the Valoran Ring; that the further he sails, the more the ocean itself twists to pull him back.
Sailors who claim to have caught glimpses of the Black Maw hundreds of leagues away from Valoran suggest the monolith’s reach extends well beyond those cursed waters, binding Kain Voss to an eternal hunt no matter where he roams.
Torment & Duty
Not every legend casts Voss as a mindless husk. A handful of old seafarers spin tales of catching a fleeting glimpse of sorrow in his eyes, or hearing him speak in a voice tinged with regret. According to these rare accounts, a constant war rages within him:

Remnants of Remorse
Some say that when Voss’ ship drifts near certain coasts—places he once knew in life—he hesitates, as if fighting some invisible chain. These moments of hesitation are said to coincide with sudden lulls in the Maw’s haunting violin, as though the entire crew stands in silent conflict with itself.
A handful of souls claim they’ve heard him murmur names—long-forgotten lovers, fallen comrades, or places once dear to him—before the Hollow’s power surges back, forcing him to continue the hunt.
Bound to Harvest Souls
Most sailors agree that, hesitations aside, Kain Voss is compelled to collect new souls—marking them and dragging them into the Black Hollow. Whether he does so willingly or under the yoke of an eternal curse remains a point of debate.
Some suspect he believes that each new soul delivered to the Hollow might inch him closer to release, while others hold that Voss is condemned to perpetuate the cycle forever, doomed to crave what he can never have: freedom.

Legends & Rumors
Every port tavern and waterfront inn holds a different version of the same question: is there any part of Kain Voss left to save, or has he become the Hollow’s living curse?
Fabled Weakness: A handful of texts recovered from sunken archives hint at a forbidden ritual capable of severing the bond between Voss and the Hollow. Desperate treasure hunters have scoured these myths, convinced they can find a way to destroy the Black Maw—or control it.
Ties to Descendants: Then there are stories about blood ties—descendants of Kain Voss who might hold a key to ending his torment. In such tales, the bloodline is both a blessing and a curse, for it links them to the Forsaken Captain’s fate.
Eternal Vigil: Others speak of Kain Voss as a grim warden, doomed to keep the Hollow’s secrets hidden from the world. If so, his raids and soul-harvests may be less about personal gain and more about preserving the Hollow’s ancient, nameless power.

Final Word: A Curse Unending
The stories agree on one point: Kain Voss is no longer truly human. Whether the remnants of his soul persist as tortured echoes or have been snuffed out completely by the Hollow’s dark will, he now stands at the prow of the Black Maw—a harbinger of doom sailing beneath a moonlit sky.
In the hush of the deepest night, when lanterns gutter and fog shrouds the sea, sailors swear they can hear his lonely, mournful violin drifting across the waves—a final lament for a captain who thought he could rule the tides, and found himself ruled by them instead.
The Mark of the Black Maw
“When you bear the mark, the sea itself turns against you.”
A Jagged Brand of Doom
Those chosen—or condemned—by the Black Maw discover a jagged, blackened maw seared into their flesh, its edges ragged as if burned by acid. The brand’s shape is reminiscent of a gaping mouth with wicked, overlapping fangs, though few can describe it the same way twice. What is certain is that it never heals and never stops smoldering beneath the skin, as though it carries the ember of the Hollow’s wrath.
Common Omens & Occurrences
Even before the Mark appears, sailors whisper of unsettling signs that precede it:
Phantom Violins
A distant, haunting melody seems to follow potential victims, especially during calm nights on the open sea. No musician is ever found, and the tune grows louder the closer the Mark’s emergence looms.
Shrouded Horizons
A glimpse of The Black Maw itself, looming within a bank of fog on the horizon. Sometimes it’s a fleeting silhouette; other times, watchers swear they see flickering green lanterns on its deck. These sightings often trigger a creeping dread among the crew, as though they’re already seen by the cursed ship.
Whispers in the Night
Chilling voices, heard only by the soon-to-be Marked, echo through the ship’s corridors. They may speak of hidden regrets or stoke old resentments, fueling suspicion and fear until the crew turns upon itself.
Nightmares & Restless Sleep
Those on the verge of receiving the Mark suffer vivid dreams of drowning darkness, obsidian cliffs, and a monolith shifting beneath a murky tide. Waking from these nightmares leaves them disoriented, as if they’ve physically tasted brine and ash.
Effects of the Mark
Once the Mark fully manifests on the skin, it brings with it an array of ominous afflictions:
Saltwater Burns
Even the gentlest spray of seawater on the Marked flesh feels like scalding acid. Victims often wrap their brand in bandages to dull the pain, but the wound never cools.
Unruly Vessels
Ships captained or crewed by the Marked become inexplicably rebellious. Sails tear in placid winds, compasses spin with no apparent cause, and timbers groan as though buckling under unseen pressure. Many crews abandon the Marked for fear their entire voyage is cursed.
Lonely Violin
The phantom melody grows relentless once the Mark is set. It can echo from the hold, from beneath the waves, or sometimes within the victim’s very mind. This incessant tune frays nerves and leads to nighttime terrors that spread among the crew.
Whispering Crew
Shipmates begin to mutter in voices not their own, seemingly possessed by fragments of ancient sorrow or rage. Conflicts flare into brawls without warning, and paranoia spikes as sailors suspect their comrades of hiding dark secrets. Mutiny often follows.
The Great Mystery: Who Is Chosen—and Why?
Despite centuries of speculation, no one truly knows what draws the Mark to certain individuals. Some of the most common guesses include:
Unrepentant Greed
A pirate lord or a cutthroat merchant too hungry for gold may invite the Hollow’s gaze upon them. The seas seem to hold a special grudge against the avaricious.
Broken Oaths
Deserting one’s crew, betraying allies, or swearing false vows on the open water is rumored to tempt the Maw. Superstitious sailors believe that the ocean has a way of exacting vengeance against traitors.
Blood Ties to the Forsaken
Some suspect that descendants of Kain Voss’ original crew are more prone to the curse. Anyone who bears the blood of the Forsaken Armada might inadvertently attract the Mark, doomed by an ancestral debt.
Chance or Fate
Others argue there is no rhyme or reason. The Hollow is an ancient will beyond mortal comprehension, and any soul might draw its attention if they stray too close to Valoran’s mists.
In truth, no single theory reigns supreme. The Mark remains as unpredictable as the storms at sea—striking whomever it pleases, sparing no thought for mortal notions of justice or fairness.
Why the Black Maw Hunts
No legend disputes that once you’re Marked, the Black Maw will come. Yet sailors and scholars alike debate the true nature of Kain Voss’ eternal mission. Over the years, three prevailing theories have emerged, each casting him in a different ghastly role.
1. Collector of Souls
Some believe Kain Voss must claim new souls to sustain his cursed existence. The Mark serves as a beacon, leading him to those already mired in misdeeds or despair. He and his ghastly crew drag them into the Black Hollow, adding fresh bodies—and spirits—to the Maw’s ranks.
Feeding the Hollow: Under this theory, every soul captured is an offering to the entity sleeping in the Hollow’s depths. Growing Armada: The more sailors claimed, the larger the Black Maw’s undead crew becomes, ensuring Voss’ power endures through the ages.
2. Breaking the Curse
Another school of thought holds that each soul stolen brings Kain Voss a step closer to unraveling his unholy pact. By sacrificing others to the Hollow, he may believe he can appease or outwit the force that binds him.
Dark Alchemy: The Hollow might demand a specific number, or type, of souls to release Voss from his torment. In his desperation, he hunts relentlessly, clinging to the slim hope of absolution.
False Hope: Alternatively, it might be a trick of the Hollow—giving Voss just enough hope to keep him harvesting souls endlessly, with no true end in sight.
3. Guardian of the Hollow
Some sailors hold that Kain Voss is no longer a free agent at all. Instead, he is the Hollow’s appointed warden, compelled to patrol the seas and ensure none can exploit or reveal its forbidden secrets.
Bound by Monolith: The monolith that granted him his “eternity” may also chain him to protect it. Anyone who dares approach the Valoran Ring could become Marked to lure them deeper into the Hollow’s grasp.
Preserving the Unseen: Under this theory, the Black Maw is akin to a gatekeeper—hunting those who might disturb or uncover the ancient evils lurking in Valyn’Kresh’s ruins.
Inescapable Fate
No matter which tale you believe, the conclusion remains the same: once the Mark is burned into your flesh, your doom is certain. Whether it’s to feed the Hollow, to bargain for freedom, or to guard arcane secrets, the Black Maw will come when the mist is thick and the violin’s song echoes across the waves. The ship’s ragged sails and cursed lanterns will loom out of the fog, and Kain Voss—his eyes flickering with a sickly green fire—will claim what he is owed.
“You can fight the storm. You can fight the tide. But when the Maw comes for you, you fight in vain.”
Thus is the legacy of those Marked by the Black Maw: eternal fear, sleepless nights, and a final reckoning against an enemy that does not tire, does not forgive, and does not fail to collect.
Famous Sightings & Encounters
1. The Vanishing of the Dawnrider (113 AEL)
Location: Western approaches to the Valoran Ring Account: The Dawnrider, a Dominion warship tasked with charting the mists of Valoran, departed with fifty seasoned sailors. Over three nights, it sent cryptic lantern signals to the rest of its fleet:
Night One: “Fog thickening. Strange lights beyond the bow.” Night Two: “Whispers and music on the wind. Crew uneasy.” Night Three: “Lights on the water. Chanting in the dark. It’s here.”
By dawn, the Dawnrider was gone—no wreckage, no survivors, only empty sea where it once sailed. Scholars regard its chilling final message as the first recorded return of the Black Maw since the Forsaken Armada’s doom decades earlier.
2. The Emerald Lights of Indred (187 AEL)
Location: Indred Archipelago, south of Granheim Account: Islanders reported seeing emerald lanterns gliding through dense fog on a moonless night. Witnesses claimed a towering galleon drifted near shore, though no wreck was ever found among the rocky shoals.
By sunrise, three ships lay abandoned—nets and gear intact, yet their crews had vanished without a trace. Locals swore they heard a lonely violin echo across the waves well into the following day. Rumors spread that each missing sailor had harbored a dark secret, feeding the belief that the Maw preys on those the sea deems unworthy.
3. The Lament of the Silver Whale (229 AEL)
Location: High seas north of the Valoran Ring Account: The merchant vessel Silver Whale dispatched frantic distress calls, describing the sudden appearance of a black-sailed phantom emerging from midday fog. Survivors who escaped by lifeboat described how the ship’s captain had discovered a jagged brand scorched onto his shoulder—his flesh burning at even the slightest touch of saltwater.
Chaos ensued: compasses spun erratically, sails tore in still air, and half the crew raved about indecipherable whispers. By nightfall, the Silver Whale vanished. Those few who survived insisted the captain’s newly manifested Mark all but invited the Maw to claim them.
4. The Wailing Shores of The Virrel Strait (294 AEL)
Location: Virrel Strait, southeast of Nidira—far beyond the Maw’s presumed reach Account: Coastal lookouts observed a massive black galleon lingering offshore for nearly a week. Each night, an eerie chant drifted in on the tide, known locally as “the Wail.” Villagers lost sleep, tormented by vivid nightmares of obsidian cliffs and a shifting monolith.
When the ship finally vanished, several townsfolk bore the jagged maw burned into their skin. No remedy could erase the brand. Over the next month, every marked villager either disappeared at sea or willingly followed shadowy figures into the waves. None were ever seen again, fueling rumors that no distance is truly beyond the Maw.
5. The Return of Captain Merek (346 AEL)
Location: Dyensur Strait, southern shores of Granheim Account: Captain Merek, a feared Rahki pirate presumed drowned years prior, was found alone on a small drifting brig. Delirious and half-mad, he babbled about the Black Maw and the “green-lantern eyes” of its captain. Most disturbingly, a freshly scorched maw marred his chest—still smoking at the edges.
Witnesses heard Merek attempt to speak, only for his voice to gurgle with salt and brine. Moments later, he collapsed into seawater, leaving behind soaked clothes and a single echo of a violin chord. The event rattled mariners across Granheim, proving that even cheats of death can never escape the Maw’s grasp.
6. The Duel of the Damned (389 AEL)
Location: A secluded beach on Granheim’s eastern shore Account: A pirate called Gregor Voss, rumored to be a distant descendant of Kain Voss, boldly challenged the Black Maw’s captain, boasting his bloodline could end the curse once and for all. Certain of his heritage, Gregor believed it gave him an edge over his infamous ancestor.
Witnesses recall the sky darkening as an unnatural mist billowed in. The Black Maw emerged just offshore, and Kain Voss stepped onto the sands, his eyes lit by a sickly green fire. The duel ended in the span of a breath—Gregor toppled dead, unwounded. In his stiffening hand, villagers found a gold coin etched with a gaping maw. The accursed ship then faded into the fog, a grim testament to the futility of mortal resolve against the Hollow’s power.
7. The Scourge of Widow’s Beacon (473 AEL)
Location: Widow’s Beacon Lighthouse, off the coast of Bothdar in Daxin Quay Account: Lighthouse keepers reported phantom violins echoing over the water for three consecutive nights. Fishing skiffs returned missing entire crews or manned by a single, wild-eyed survivor—each spouting tales of a black galleon and a searing brand on their captain.
When townsfolk mustered the courage to investigate, the head keeper was missing. In his quarters, scorched into the wooden floor, lay the jagged maw symbol. Locals believed the keeper’s past sins had caught up with him at last. Some say they still hear mournful violin notes carried on the winds around Widow’s Beacon, as if the Maw remains close by.
8. The Grim Tide of Reaper's Port (474 AEL)
Location: Reaper’s Port, northeast of the Valoran Ring Account: In the current year, sightings of the Black Maw have intensified near Reaper’s Port—merchant galleys, pirate frigates, and fishing boats alike report tattered sails in the early dawn and fogbanks that manifest from nowhere.
Within mere weeks, three vessels vanished, leaving only a few half-crazed survivors ranting about haunting violins, the burn of salt on their marked skin, and an emerald glow on the horizon. Whispers suggest Kain Voss grows agitated, perhaps seeking someone or something in the Isles. Others fear a new wave of marked sailors will trigger an even graver catastrophe.
Conclusion: The Maw Endures
From the earliest days of the Age of Emberlight to the present year, these sightings share one brutal certainty: Kain Voss and the Black Maw abide beyond the bounds of life and death, ever poised to strike. Whether shaped by greed, vengeance, or the cryptic will of the Hollow, no one can elude the Maw once it sets them in its sights.
“Beware the black sails on the horizon… for if they seek you, not even time itself can save you.”
Final Thoughts: The Ever-Hungry Maw
Some sailors whisper that behind the hollow eyes of the Black Maw’s captain, fragments of Kain Voss’ soul still rage against the curse. On moonless nights, they claim to see the faint tremor of sorrow in his stance or hear the distant echo of an anguished cry amidst the haunting violin’s melody. Others, however, insist that no humanity remains at all—that Voss is now an extension of the Hollow’s Will, a vengeful specter doomed to eternally hunt those fated to bear the Mark.
“You can fight the storm. You can fight the tide. But when the Maw comes for you, you fight in vain.”
And so, in the deepest darkness, when the fog snakes too close to shore and lanterns gutter without reason, some swear they glimpse a black-sailed warship on the horizon. Its sails, ragged and dripping with spectral damp, herald the approach of a vessel not adrift, but hunting—the Black Maw, with its fallen captain at the helm.
Often, the first sign is the lonely strain of a violin, drifting over the waves like a eulogy for the living. Next comes the sting of salt in the air, sharper than it has any right to be, followed by disquiet in the pit of every sailor’s stomach. By the time the black sails reveal themselves through the haze, it’s already too late to run.

"For the Hollow does not forgive." "The Hollow does not bargain." "The Hollow only takes."
Whether Kain Voss remains partially human or merely a puppet of the deep, he carries out that simple, dreadful truth: all who stand in the Maw’s path must eventually fall. Faced with such inevitability, sailors cling to desperate superstitions and whispered prayers. Yet time and again, the Hollow’s hunger proves insatiable, and the Mark—like the tide—comes for all, one way or another.