Although most of us have heard stories of sea monsters, and use numerous products from them, few have seen these creatures outside of those washed up on the beach. For most, stories of the Kraken, whale, pliosaur, sargasso, sea dragons, and other such creatures are legends and rumors, dangerous creatures who clash with monster hunters (usually tentacled or humans) out in the oceans. Only a few traders and fishers throughout our history have seen these creatures, fewewr have written about them.
This description is from a trade mission, common amongst powerful empires with smaller trade partners, where diplomats and workers examine how the products they buy are created, and see how the good they sell are used. This mission was sent by the Kalaxich rulers to a small tentacled confederation, and while on it, a fish leader joined a kraken hunt.
The Kraken Hunt
We arrived at the trading point the first day of the mission. As is done most years, merchants were sent to arrange terms, and the tentacled negotiators and merchants were hard at work. On display nearby were products to be exchanged at this time. An array of products rested in front of us; I was amazed to see how such a small village could produce. Pearls, preserved fish, sea crystals, salt, marsh grass, and much more were on display from the tentacled. Our own traders were showing off our own products: glass, stone, metals, wool, and wood, and other materials and devices some produced by own own workshops, some from other lands. Our merchants, and the tentacled, examined and commented on these products, admiring the craftsmanship, or choosing which to buy for the next years.
For this mission, our head merchant wished to ensure supplies of ink, and I had been sent to examine the tentacle's kraken and cuttlefish hunting methods. The negotiations over trade terms were tough, as these tentacled were fiercely independent, and their unhappiness at bringing me a long was a sticking point, with kraken hunters in particular annoyed at bringing along a passenger. Ultimately, however, our negotiatiors reached an agreement, with trade terms decided after three days, the tentacled being convinced to allow us to examine their fishing and farming methods. Most of the merchants left at that point, while three of us remained to carry out the examinations, along with a few guards and guides.
I had learned that a kraken hunting expedition would be leaving in four days; during that time, I watched the tentacled catch cuttlefish. The tentacled do not use boats for this tasdk: the inkfish they catch live close enough to shore that the tentacled can simply swim to hunting areas, and catch the fish. I was only able to catch glimpses of their catch techniques: it seems cuttlefish are dispersed enough that they cannot use nets, instead, bait is used to lure the fish to points, where the tentacled round them up and arrive at shore. I was surprised to learn how little ink each cuttle has, the tentacled must cut up almost 20 to fill a single container our merchants use. The rest of the meat is preserved for food. We had never considered buying this meat before, unlike preserved fish, and our merchants have returned with some to test its richness, if it is as rich as fish, it would be a good purchase indeed. I cannot fault the tentacled's methods for catching the cuttles: they can catch these rare animals as well as my own fishers can in our rivers. The tentacled's voraciousness for our knives was also explained, these tools are used for almost all tasks the tentacled can set them to.
I had been introduced to the kraken hunters during negotiations. They were unhappy at having to bring me along, but appeared to hide their grumpiness by the day before the expedition. That day was spent in preparation. For boats, the tentacled use a floating marshgrass, weaved into a boat frame and shape. Into the boats were loaded fish, knives, bags, and other materials that I was not watching at the time. Every member of the monster hunting group takes part in this work, and I was prodded into helping, placing cloth, food, and other lighter items into the boats. The tentacled had brought an extra two group members, and an extra boat, to carry me for this trip. The boats were placed on the shoreline, where the tides could raise them into the water. Finally, the day before, a rain priest performed a ritual, to determine whether the weather would be calm enough for the trip.
At high tide the next morning, the tentacled swam to their boats, raised small sails, and set out to the ocean. My own boat was placed farther up in the tidal zone, and several of the hunters pushed it out to see. I had known before that ocean waves would be larger than I was used to, but to experience it was a whole different matter. The light marsh grass boats wobbled back and forth far more than our own riverboats, and I thought I was loose my balance many times as we traveled from shore. Over the day, the shoreline receded, and only the ocean was visible. The swells calmed somewhat, and I noticed the rocking less.
Our journey to the kraken hunting ground took four days. When winds were strong, sails were used. In weaker winds, the tentacled themselves took shifts in the water. At our first calm period, I was handed an oar. "Everyone pitches in", said a tentacled, and though I attempted to argue that I was not strong enough to row well, that we specially breed rowers to do so, the tentacled were quite insistent that I play my part. Copying as best I could how our own rowers moved, I pulled the oars through the water, assisting as best I could at propelling my boat.
On the third day, I was told to watch for Kraken, as we were approaching a good spot. They were described as looking much like the tentacled, but larger, with longer tentacles. I do not know how the tentacled knew where they were, as the ocean appeared as empty as it had before, and endless blue plain of waves and sky, with only an occasional bird or fish. Soon, I spotted something. Looking closer, I could see it. "Kraken!" I yelled, pointing towards a long, red, mass of tentacles. The tentacled, excited, looked to where I pointed. Soon, they looked away. "That's not a kraken, just a giant squid", said one of the hunters. I asked further. "A real kraken is far larger", responded the tentacled. I could not understand, the creature was longer than our boat, with a mass of tentacles, how could this not be the legendary kraken that we had heard so much of? But I said nothing, and we continued on.
A day later, the tentacled stopped, dropped sails, and dropped stabilizing lines into the water. Having not spotted a kraken, they reached a chosen spot, and set up to catch the creature. Some boats were separated from the others, and filled with fish. Others, empty or holding equipment, were kept far from these, including my own boat. Some kraken hunters stayed in boats, other nearby in the water, all watching for kraken.
With time on my hands, I watched the ocean. I realized that there were lighter and darker spots, that I later learned were deeper and shallower areas. The sea proved mesmerizing, and I often found myself mentally removed while watching, with only the occasional bird to break the spell. The waves formed strange patterns. I sometimes drew myself out with a sudden realization that I must check the ocean for kraken, but wandered from this thought as I watched the ocean.Near the fish boats I soon noticed a dark spot, a depper section of the ocean.
Farther away, blobs of lighter areas appeared. As I looked towards those lighter areas, I suddenly heard one of the hunters yell "Kraken". I looked around, hoping to see the creature, but did not notice anything. As I looked around, I suddenly saw that the dark spot near the fish boats seemed to be larger. Looking more carefully, I indeed saw i grow. Soon, the dark patch grew large in the water, and I could see almost nothing else under the ocean. Structure appears, several white blobs, writhing, and mottled circles. As the creature rose, I felt a wave swell, and in a jolt of fear, I leaned back, expecting the rising creature to overturn the boat.
The creature burst from the water. Huge purple tentacles emerged, far taller than I was, taller than the sails on the hunter's boats, and covered in giant, toothed circles. The tentacles hurled downward, engulfing a fish boat, and soon I could hear a crunching. The tentacled responded quickly, some jumped into the water and seemed to swim towards the kraken. Coloring themselves blue, they dropped stalkblood ink into the water, and swam the other way towards the kraken. The kraken did not appear to notice, it continued to hold the fish boat in its crushing grasp. I was frozen in fear, gripped by the sight before me.
Than, everything changed. Suddenly, the kraken let out a jet of water, and the tentacles flashed to a bright red. Some tentacles let go of the boat. I looked into the water, and saw what looked like the great tentacles thrashing through the water. Waves radiated, and the boat rocked several times. A few tentacled left the water, waiting in their boats. The kraken twisted, releasing great boils of water with each motion, and it almost appeared to slide back and forth. A dark cloud seemed ot fill the water, For several minutes, the agitated creature bubbled, thrashed, and twisted, and at one point I nearly fell flat into the boat, wondering whether the hunters in the water could survive, and worried that the creature could turn on us.
After some time, the creature's motions slowed. It seemed to weaken, bubbling the water less, and became more sluggish. The tentacles slowed, thrashing less. Than, in a slow but powerful motion, the creature seemed to turn on its side, tentacles sliding into the water. Finally, I saw a dome of water form, than release in a spell, as a huge body emerged from the ocean. The tentacled waited for a bit, than, satisfied that the body was limp, they moved the boats in closer.
Shortly after, a smaller tentacle emerged from an opening in the great creature. One of the monster hunters emerged, carrying a knife. I would later learn that two of the hunters had slid into the kraken through its mantle, sliced its arteries, and waited inside as the creature bled to death. The kraken could feel these intruders, and was trying with its tentacles to remove the irritation, but the tentacled were safe inside. The others had distracted the creature, throwing dye into the water to distract the creature, drawing it away from the boats. The kraken had originally been drawn to the fish boat, smelling and meal and attempting to ambush it as it would catch a creature.
I looked more closely at the creature. It was shaped much like a tentacled, with a rounded body attached to 8 tentacles. The lighter blobs I had seen earlier were eyes, I later saw that each of these was as large as a tentacled. A I later saw a large funnel, the hunters explained that this was used to jet water, much as they do, and this was the boiling I had seen in the fight.
The tentacled went to work quickly. They placed skins into the water, later I learned that these were shark skin, to scare away scavengers. Strip after strip of muscle was removed from the creature and placed into boats, or simply left at sea. Meat in the boats was preserved at sea, covered with material that the tentacled had brought from shore. They eyes were removed, so large that it took three tentacled a piece to carry them to the boats. Fluid and lenses from these eyes were used in in rituals by the tentacled. Finally, the tentacled reached the organs of the creature. Buried within, the most valuable part of the creature, was the ink sac. Compared to the kraken, it was almost nothing, but still took three tentacled to remove and place in the boat. All of the boats were filled with material, whether meat, organs, or leftover supplies, with the tentacled and I resting in any remaining space. Finally, as the sun began to set, the boats were as full as they could. Our knives, in the hands of the tentacled monster hunters, reduced the kraken to strips and blobs of muscle, left in the ocean for its creatures to scavenge. The hunters set their sails and rested as they returned to shore.
Our return took less time than the journey out. Upon our return, the hunters unloaded their boats, storing leftover supplies, preparing meat, and arranging with out remaining merchants to purchase the kraken ink.
The monster hunters are indeed very skilled at what they do, and I can find little fault with how they catch the creatures they do. The creatures they hunt are indeed rare and powerful, and they make use of as much of it as they can, but the ink that is our main purchase is but a small part of the creature. Kraken meat, in addition to cuttlefish, may make a rich food, and we should attmept to buy other kraken products to see how useful they may be.
Showing posts with label stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stories. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Saturday, January 18, 2014
The killing of the Dragon Rashyral
This book records the campaigns against the great dragons. Once, there were dozens of dragons in the world, but today there may be none, or only a few, remaining.
Rashyral
Rashyral's lair was located at a pass between three nearby empires, in the Zegra mountains. At the time, these mountains jutted high, and were even inhospitable to antennaed, and Rashyral's pass was the only easily passable route through them. As the three surrounding empires grew larger, and traded amongst each other, all travel had to go through this pass, and Rashyral demanded tolls, over centuries building up a store of jewels and precious metal.
We don't know when this arrangement started, but after hundreds of years, this was the state of trade amongst the three surrounding empires. But Rasyral's tolls were a drain, and travel through the pass was difficult. Traders and merchants long wished for another route between the mountains.
It was the engineer Chek'yen who first proposed a new route. Exploring the mountains on the borders between the empires, she proposed a large tunnel underneath some of the mountains. The building of this tunnel system is described in the engineering and construction archives. It took many years, but when completed, the caravan trade through Rashyral's pass ended.
Rashyral was incensed at the loss of her source of tolls. She had heard about the tunnel building, but did not expect it to be completed, as many large projects had failed in the past. When she learned what had happened, she flew across the mountains to find these tunnel entrances, and destroyed numerous caravans for fortresses in her anger. Few chitinous of any of the empires traveled above ground near the mountains for fear of attracting the dragon. Though the tunnels mostly traveled under the mountains, some pathways along the surface had been needed, and Rashyral soon found these, shutting down trade once again.
Rashyral's attacks had become so severe that merchants from all empires decided again to use the pass and pay the tolls. but in her anger, Rashyral demanded exorbitant payments, threatening ot bankrupt merchants, and stop all communication between the empires. When trade thinned, and she was not given the tolls she wanted, she raided the empires, destroying as she wished.
None of the three empires, understandably, would allow these attacks for long, and built defenses on the mountain. BGut though Rashyral could be driven off by the large ballistas used at the time for defense, they could not kill her, so 5 campaigns were launched to kill the dragon.
In the first campaign, a group of soldiers from the north followed a diplomatic caravan, and attacked Rashyral as she was returning with her tolls to her lair. Rashyral was not fooled, and attacked the soldiers in the open, scattering and killing most of them.
The second campaign used a similar method. Two groups of soldiers disguised as merchants moved towards the pass, and this time surprised Rashyral immediately after paying their tolls. At first it seemed that Rashyral would loose, that the soldiers would swarm her and defeat her, but dragons are powerful beings, and Rashyral took to the air, twisting and turning, and dropping the soldiers, who could barely hold As Rashyral flipped and swung through the air. Those that survived qere either killed by the dragon, or ran away.
Rashyral, in her arrogance, continued to allow travelers and caravans through her pass, believing that no army could defeat her. In the third attempt to kill the dragon, a diplomat told Rashyral of an army gathering near the eastern border of one of the nearby empires. After collecting the toll, Rashyral flew away from her lair, and sought to destroy the army before it had a chance to find her. On seeing the dragon, the soldiers, as planned, retreated to their defenses, hoping the Rashyral would be either enranged, or desiring a kill, and would allow herself to be killed by the empire's defenses. The dragon did indeed fight a battle with the defenders, but though many defenders were killed, and while several had scored hits on Rashyral, the dragon once again flew away, still uninjured enough to move.
In the fourth attempt, the three empires cooperated to carry about 8 ballistas to Rashyral's pass, in an attempt to assemble them and shoot the dragon where she could not escape. The soldiers of the three empires reached the pass as planned, but the ballistas could not be prepared before the dragon destroyed them and scattered the armies. Only a couple of shots were loosed in the fight
At this point, Rashyral did not attempt to exact revenge on the nearby empires, and some suggested that she would settle back to her old ways, collecting valuables and food as a toll, and that the defenses would not be needed as the dragon settled into the new trade system. Some suggested that trade and diplomatic caravans could slowly move to the more accessible tunnel routes, and Rashyral could simply be given some token payments to keep her happy. The empire's leaders decided to make another attempt to kill the dragon instead, as tribute and tolls would still be expensive, and they would still be risking the dragon's temper in the future.
This time, they took around three months to prepare. Assemblers practiced assembling, loading, and firing ballistas. Scouts mapped the pass, and chose the best firing locations, quietly preparing them as occasional trade groups went through. When the time came to attack, about 15 ballistas, and about a quarter of the swarmers available to each empire, marched as caravans to the dragon's pass.
As in the past attacks, real diplomatic missions and traders preceded the soldiers. Over several days, workers arrived and hollowed out small caves. Later, soldiers arrived. Every night, each trade caravan would leave some soldiers behind at the pass, carrying just enough food for a few days. In the evening before the attack, ballista builders snuck into firing positions with their materials. During the night, they assembled their ballista, assembled ammunition, and covered the machines in preparation for the next day.
On the day of the attack, a smaller group of soldiers entered the pass, announced themselves, drew weapons, and commanded Rashyral to fight. Laughing at the sight of the attackers, Rashyral slowly crawled out of her lair, raised herself up, and opened her mouth to flame the swarmers. As planned, the swarmers were facing towards a ballista, and when Rashyral inhaled, a bolt struck her in the throat. the swarmers dispersed as the dragon walked forward to attack this shooter. as she walked, another 3 ballistas let fly, and these bolts pierced the dragon's wings.
Realizing she was under attack by a whole army, the dragon raised herself into the air, to fly around the pass and spot her attackers. The general had anticipated this, and more bolts pierced her wings. In too much pain to fly, the dragon landed, roared, and charged towards the outer edge of the pass. All ballistas were shooting at this point, and bolts struck the dragon in the rear knees, wings, and all along her body.
At this point, a horn sounded, and the swarmers hidden near the pass attacked the dragon. unable to fly, and unable to flame due to the pain in her throat, the dragon began to roll on the ground, attempting to crush the swarmers as they pried her scales open, and stabbed and sliced their way into her body. Many swarmers were crushed by the rolling, others were shot by ballista bolts, still firing into open areas when possible, but the cutting and stabbing weakened the dragon, and after fighting so hard, the mighty creature's rolling slowed and stopped, and all the dragon could do was lay in the pass as the swarmers continued their work.
When the dragon died, soldiers and workers from the three empires explored her lair. The treasures she had accumulated after hundreds of years were divided as war spoils, and taken to the three empires, to be distributed amongst the population, and used as trade goods. The victory celebrations lasted for weeks, as the dragon's treasure was paraded, the battle reenacted, and her skin worn as an imitation in life.
This had been the first time a dragon was killed. Unfortunately for the future, members of the three empires spread the news freely to neighbors, where it spread even further, including to other dragons. Later fights with dragons were far more challenging, as the dragons respected us as opponents and made preparations, sought allies and subjects, made preparations, and did not arrogantly fall for ploys as Rashyral did. The ballista techniques, supply techniques, and swarming techniques were and are told over and over to generals, to better prepare them for future wars.
Rashyral
Rashyral's lair was located at a pass between three nearby empires, in the Zegra mountains. At the time, these mountains jutted high, and were even inhospitable to antennaed, and Rashyral's pass was the only easily passable route through them. As the three surrounding empires grew larger, and traded amongst each other, all travel had to go through this pass, and Rashyral demanded tolls, over centuries building up a store of jewels and precious metal.
We don't know when this arrangement started, but after hundreds of years, this was the state of trade amongst the three surrounding empires. But Rasyral's tolls were a drain, and travel through the pass was difficult. Traders and merchants long wished for another route between the mountains.
It was the engineer Chek'yen who first proposed a new route. Exploring the mountains on the borders between the empires, she proposed a large tunnel underneath some of the mountains. The building of this tunnel system is described in the engineering and construction archives. It took many years, but when completed, the caravan trade through Rashyral's pass ended.
Rashyral was incensed at the loss of her source of tolls. She had heard about the tunnel building, but did not expect it to be completed, as many large projects had failed in the past. When she learned what had happened, she flew across the mountains to find these tunnel entrances, and destroyed numerous caravans for fortresses in her anger. Few chitinous of any of the empires traveled above ground near the mountains for fear of attracting the dragon. Though the tunnels mostly traveled under the mountains, some pathways along the surface had been needed, and Rashyral soon found these, shutting down trade once again.
Rashyral's attacks had become so severe that merchants from all empires decided again to use the pass and pay the tolls. but in her anger, Rashyral demanded exorbitant payments, threatening ot bankrupt merchants, and stop all communication between the empires. When trade thinned, and she was not given the tolls she wanted, she raided the empires, destroying as she wished.
None of the three empires, understandably, would allow these attacks for long, and built defenses on the mountain. BGut though Rashyral could be driven off by the large ballistas used at the time for defense, they could not kill her, so 5 campaigns were launched to kill the dragon.
In the first campaign, a group of soldiers from the north followed a diplomatic caravan, and attacked Rashyral as she was returning with her tolls to her lair. Rashyral was not fooled, and attacked the soldiers in the open, scattering and killing most of them.
The second campaign used a similar method. Two groups of soldiers disguised as merchants moved towards the pass, and this time surprised Rashyral immediately after paying their tolls. At first it seemed that Rashyral would loose, that the soldiers would swarm her and defeat her, but dragons are powerful beings, and Rashyral took to the air, twisting and turning, and dropping the soldiers, who could barely hold As Rashyral flipped and swung through the air. Those that survived qere either killed by the dragon, or ran away.
Rashyral, in her arrogance, continued to allow travelers and caravans through her pass, believing that no army could defeat her. In the third attempt to kill the dragon, a diplomat told Rashyral of an army gathering near the eastern border of one of the nearby empires. After collecting the toll, Rashyral flew away from her lair, and sought to destroy the army before it had a chance to find her. On seeing the dragon, the soldiers, as planned, retreated to their defenses, hoping the Rashyral would be either enranged, or desiring a kill, and would allow herself to be killed by the empire's defenses. The dragon did indeed fight a battle with the defenders, but though many defenders were killed, and while several had scored hits on Rashyral, the dragon once again flew away, still uninjured enough to move.
In the fourth attempt, the three empires cooperated to carry about 8 ballistas to Rashyral's pass, in an attempt to assemble them and shoot the dragon where she could not escape. The soldiers of the three empires reached the pass as planned, but the ballistas could not be prepared before the dragon destroyed them and scattered the armies. Only a couple of shots were loosed in the fight
At this point, Rashyral did not attempt to exact revenge on the nearby empires, and some suggested that she would settle back to her old ways, collecting valuables and food as a toll, and that the defenses would not be needed as the dragon settled into the new trade system. Some suggested that trade and diplomatic caravans could slowly move to the more accessible tunnel routes, and Rashyral could simply be given some token payments to keep her happy. The empire's leaders decided to make another attempt to kill the dragon instead, as tribute and tolls would still be expensive, and they would still be risking the dragon's temper in the future.
This time, they took around three months to prepare. Assemblers practiced assembling, loading, and firing ballistas. Scouts mapped the pass, and chose the best firing locations, quietly preparing them as occasional trade groups went through. When the time came to attack, about 15 ballistas, and about a quarter of the swarmers available to each empire, marched as caravans to the dragon's pass.
As in the past attacks, real diplomatic missions and traders preceded the soldiers. Over several days, workers arrived and hollowed out small caves. Later, soldiers arrived. Every night, each trade caravan would leave some soldiers behind at the pass, carrying just enough food for a few days. In the evening before the attack, ballista builders snuck into firing positions with their materials. During the night, they assembled their ballista, assembled ammunition, and covered the machines in preparation for the next day.
On the day of the attack, a smaller group of soldiers entered the pass, announced themselves, drew weapons, and commanded Rashyral to fight. Laughing at the sight of the attackers, Rashyral slowly crawled out of her lair, raised herself up, and opened her mouth to flame the swarmers. As planned, the swarmers were facing towards a ballista, and when Rashyral inhaled, a bolt struck her in the throat. the swarmers dispersed as the dragon walked forward to attack this shooter. as she walked, another 3 ballistas let fly, and these bolts pierced the dragon's wings.
Realizing she was under attack by a whole army, the dragon raised herself into the air, to fly around the pass and spot her attackers. The general had anticipated this, and more bolts pierced her wings. In too much pain to fly, the dragon landed, roared, and charged towards the outer edge of the pass. All ballistas were shooting at this point, and bolts struck the dragon in the rear knees, wings, and all along her body.
At this point, a horn sounded, and the swarmers hidden near the pass attacked the dragon. unable to fly, and unable to flame due to the pain in her throat, the dragon began to roll on the ground, attempting to crush the swarmers as they pried her scales open, and stabbed and sliced their way into her body. Many swarmers were crushed by the rolling, others were shot by ballista bolts, still firing into open areas when possible, but the cutting and stabbing weakened the dragon, and after fighting so hard, the mighty creature's rolling slowed and stopped, and all the dragon could do was lay in the pass as the swarmers continued their work.
When the dragon died, soldiers and workers from the three empires explored her lair. The treasures she had accumulated after hundreds of years were divided as war spoils, and taken to the three empires, to be distributed amongst the population, and used as trade goods. The victory celebrations lasted for weeks, as the dragon's treasure was paraded, the battle reenacted, and her skin worn as an imitation in life.
This had been the first time a dragon was killed. Unfortunately for the future, members of the three empires spread the news freely to neighbors, where it spread even further, including to other dragons. Later fights with dragons were far more challenging, as the dragons respected us as opponents and made preparations, sought allies and subjects, made preparations, and did not arrogantly fall for ploys as Rashyral did. The ballista techniques, supply techniques, and swarming techniques were and are told over and over to generals, to better prepare them for future wars.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
The First Whalers (tentacled legend)
We do not know when and where the tentacled first started hunting the great beasts of the ocean. Most tentacled tribes tell a fantastic story of a desperate fishing village, but the details are different for each tribe and confederation, and we cannot take it as anything other than an embellished tale. Monster catching appears to be a long tradition of the tentacled, spread to the humans, and one with much pointless danger and peril, best left to those tribes willing to take the risks to obtain the exotic goods.
The Story
The ocean currents had shifted for several years. Like most nearby villages, the summer was a time for bounty, as hordes of fish for catching swam off the shore. But the ocean was moving differently, and the few fish had made themselves available that year, and the thinned stores from previous years had grown thin. With the storm seers predicting more years of barrenness, the desperate villagers decided to risk the deep ocean, where monsters were said to swim.
In their storage boats, the fishers sailed out into deeper waters, and set their lines. For three days they would sail out of sight of their village, over the abyss of the deep ocean. There they would bait the lines, wait for fish to bite, wrestle them into the storage boats, and when the boats were full, sails back to the village. For days, the others in the village would wait patiently for the fishers to return, worried about what might catch them.
The first couple of catches went well, and the deep ocean fish were preserved and stored. but the smell of fish was calling to the great sea beasts, and in the third trip, the monsters appeared.
As the fishers were preparing their first catch, removing fish from the lines and swimming them to the boat, a dark patch appeared below them. As the patch rose, growing larger, the fishers recognized it: a fearsome Kraken. Sensing the fish in the storage boats, the kraken rose to the surface, its tentacles, uch larger than those of the fishers, felt the water and the boats, curling around the hard caught fish and pulling them under. The fearsome beak bit off some boats while, swallong several days worth of catch on a few bites. Frightened, the fishers abandoned many boats, and swam away from the hungry kraken's feast, making it home with little to show.
On the next two trip, the fishers traveled to a different part of the sea, and again set their nets. But the kraken's smell is powerful, and after a day of catch, it would find the fishing spots and once again steal the catch. The fishers were again sent home in despair.
The fishers tried again, covering their boats with hide to mask the smell. And once again, a kraken appeared. But the fishers also attracted another monster: a greater booming whale, (called the sperm whale or cachalot by other beings, for they have never experienced up close the horrible sound the creature makes.). And they have certainly never experienced the greatest of these whales, almost twice as long and far larger around than most of their kind, claiming these are nothing but stories The whale feasted on the caught fish, plucking them off the lines until none were left for the fishers. Once again they went home in despair.
The fishers made one more try, but the kraken and booming whale were hungry, and both appeared again as the fishers set their lines. the two great animals made as if to fight, but soon as if by agreement swam away from each other, the whale to pluck from the deeper lines, the kraken to feast from the boats at the surface. Once again the fishers returned home.
Facing starvation, and giving up all hope of any catch, some villagers suggested begging for food from nearby villages, or even submitting to a warlord nearby and accepting a life as hard laborers. Their stores were running lower by the day, and a hard decision would need ot be made soon.
But two of the fishers argued for one last fishing trip. Phislee and Youlin had been part of the previous fishing trips, had seen the monsters, had heard the legends of these sea beasts, and had a plan to survive them. The plan required using some of the precious fish stores remaining, and the two fishers argued long and hard for their use, but the desperate villagers soon agreed to allow it, either convinced that it would work, or that one more try would do little harm.
The fishers, once again, sailed for several days to the deep ocean, and prepared their gear. But they had also brought a boatload of preserved fish, tightly wrapped to seal the small, and several spears commonly used to fight raiders. When they reached the spot in the ocean, they set lines and prepared to fish.
Once again, the great booming whale sensed the fish, and began plucking the fish from the lines. This time, the fishers agitated the whale, attacking it with spears. The work was dangerous, as the whale tried to eat the tentacled as it would a squid, but the tentacled were fast, and darted away. The booming deafened many fishers for a short time, and some began to doubt the plan. Soon for fishers left, and began to resume feeding.
But in the commotion, once of the fishers had firmly attached a rope to the great whale, unnoticed. The whale was now fastened firmly to the boat containing the preserved fish above. Several of the fishers trailed the whale, observing it as it appeared to move toward the surface. At a signal, the fishers near the boat, uncovered it, exposing the smell of fish to the rest of the ocean.
It didn't take long for the kraken to smell its food. As the booming whale reached the surface, the kraken feasted, pulling the boat towards it to better feed. But the booming whale felt these pulls, as a sudden pain towards its back. Sensing the kraken nearby, it turned to fend off this creature.
The kraken obliged, backing away from the whale, and watched as the whale began to swim away. But as the whale distanced itself from the kraken, the boat with fish was dragged as well, and the kraken lunged forward to keep a hold of its food store.
The rope was taut at this point, and the whale felt a searing pull. Turning around, the whale saw the kraken again feeding on the boat, but its motions were timed with bursts of pain coming from the whale. Believing the kraken was the source of the pain, the whale swam towards it, thinking the kraken was somehow attacking from a great distance away.
The kraken did not recognize this connection between itself and the whale. On seeing the whale moving for an attack, it now saw the whale as trying to steal its food, and turned to face the other giant.
Both monsters now believing they were victims of an attack, both defended themselves vigorously. The whale was first to hit, diving below and ramming the kraken near the surface. The kraken, dazed, grabbed the whale with its tentacles, attempting to restrain the lager beast. But the whale was too powerful, and bit the kraken hard, ramming it again.
The fishers watched the battle from a distance, as both creatures churned the water. The kraken sought the drown the whale, grasping over and over with its tentacles, while the whale sought the ram the kraken, bashing it with its tail, and ramming from all sides. Several times, the kraken grasped the whale, only for the whale to bite the tentacles, and fling itself around and once again rise for air. The kraken was dazed over and over. Blood and ink filled the water..
After hours of fighting, the whale, covered in welts and slashes, tried to swim away from the kraken. But the fight had taken a toll, and the whale was now tired and slow, barely able to swim. The kraken, which had fought so long to protect a meal, now saw the whale as an opportunity, and lunged at it again. Once again, the battle was joined. As the kraken grasped the whale and pulled it under, the beast's tail flew out of the water and splashed hard, forming a giant wave that was said to have hit the village several hours later. The fight continued.
After some time, it was the kraken's turn to try and escape. Barely able to move, it was mossing a tentacle, and others were bitten and bruised. Its body had been stunned and bruised by the whale's ramming. barely able to move, it expelled a small puff of ink, and slowly pushed itself away from the large beast. The whale, tired, covered in welts and punctures from the kraken's tentacles, and bitten many times, swam towards the kraken as if to mount a chase, but only as a final warning to the creature.
But now, the fishers sprung into action. Armed with spears and axes, they swarmed the great beasts like scavengers. Where the two great beast could once have eaten the tentacled as easily as a large squid or fish, they now could do little as the fishermen stabbed and hacked the giant creatures, cutting great slices of meat. As some guarded against sharks and other scavengers, other fishers cut chunks of meat from the giant creatures, and more stabbed until the last wisps of blood finally left.
With the kraken and the sperm whale dead, the fishers now packed their bodies with light reeds. Some meat was sliced off, and stored in boats once used for fish. Other meat would be cut from the creatures and preserved when they reached shore. It was said that sea creatures stayed as far as possible from the carcasses as they were dragged towards shore. After all, the kraken and booming whale are two of the most fearsome creatures in the sea; how much more fearsome must the beasts be that killed them?
The ocean is vast, and the villagers had little idea what was happening out at sea, apart from strange waves rolling in. The storm seers knew that the waves were unlike any other, but did not know of their origin. As the fishers returned over the horizon, 7 days after they had set out, pulling the floating beasts along with them, the villagers spirits filled with triumph, and cheers rose as the fishers drew closer. Villagers swarmed the water, the the carcasses of the beasts were spread on the beach, carved, and stored.
It is said that the village feasted for a several months off the two beasts, and that the carefully stored meat allowed them to last another year, until the ocean currents returned to normal, and the shallow water fish returned. By than, the story had spread, and other tentacled, and later humans and other beings, learned to hunt and catch the great beasts of the sea.
The Story
The ocean currents had shifted for several years. Like most nearby villages, the summer was a time for bounty, as hordes of fish for catching swam off the shore. But the ocean was moving differently, and the few fish had made themselves available that year, and the thinned stores from previous years had grown thin. With the storm seers predicting more years of barrenness, the desperate villagers decided to risk the deep ocean, where monsters were said to swim.
In their storage boats, the fishers sailed out into deeper waters, and set their lines. For three days they would sail out of sight of their village, over the abyss of the deep ocean. There they would bait the lines, wait for fish to bite, wrestle them into the storage boats, and when the boats were full, sails back to the village. For days, the others in the village would wait patiently for the fishers to return, worried about what might catch them.
The first couple of catches went well, and the deep ocean fish were preserved and stored. but the smell of fish was calling to the great sea beasts, and in the third trip, the monsters appeared.
As the fishers were preparing their first catch, removing fish from the lines and swimming them to the boat, a dark patch appeared below them. As the patch rose, growing larger, the fishers recognized it: a fearsome Kraken. Sensing the fish in the storage boats, the kraken rose to the surface, its tentacles, uch larger than those of the fishers, felt the water and the boats, curling around the hard caught fish and pulling them under. The fearsome beak bit off some boats while, swallong several days worth of catch on a few bites. Frightened, the fishers abandoned many boats, and swam away from the hungry kraken's feast, making it home with little to show.
On the next two trip, the fishers traveled to a different part of the sea, and again set their nets. But the kraken's smell is powerful, and after a day of catch, it would find the fishing spots and once again steal the catch. The fishers were again sent home in despair.
The fishers tried again, covering their boats with hide to mask the smell. And once again, a kraken appeared. But the fishers also attracted another monster: a greater booming whale, (called the sperm whale or cachalot by other beings, for they have never experienced up close the horrible sound the creature makes.). And they have certainly never experienced the greatest of these whales, almost twice as long and far larger around than most of their kind, claiming these are nothing but stories The whale feasted on the caught fish, plucking them off the lines until none were left for the fishers. Once again they went home in despair.
The fishers made one more try, but the kraken and booming whale were hungry, and both appeared again as the fishers set their lines. the two great animals made as if to fight, but soon as if by agreement swam away from each other, the whale to pluck from the deeper lines, the kraken to feast from the boats at the surface. Once again the fishers returned home.
Facing starvation, and giving up all hope of any catch, some villagers suggested begging for food from nearby villages, or even submitting to a warlord nearby and accepting a life as hard laborers. Their stores were running lower by the day, and a hard decision would need ot be made soon.
But two of the fishers argued for one last fishing trip. Phislee and Youlin had been part of the previous fishing trips, had seen the monsters, had heard the legends of these sea beasts, and had a plan to survive them. The plan required using some of the precious fish stores remaining, and the two fishers argued long and hard for their use, but the desperate villagers soon agreed to allow it, either convinced that it would work, or that one more try would do little harm.
The fishers, once again, sailed for several days to the deep ocean, and prepared their gear. But they had also brought a boatload of preserved fish, tightly wrapped to seal the small, and several spears commonly used to fight raiders. When they reached the spot in the ocean, they set lines and prepared to fish.
Once again, the great booming whale sensed the fish, and began plucking the fish from the lines. This time, the fishers agitated the whale, attacking it with spears. The work was dangerous, as the whale tried to eat the tentacled as it would a squid, but the tentacled were fast, and darted away. The booming deafened many fishers for a short time, and some began to doubt the plan. Soon for fishers left, and began to resume feeding.
But in the commotion, once of the fishers had firmly attached a rope to the great whale, unnoticed. The whale was now fastened firmly to the boat containing the preserved fish above. Several of the fishers trailed the whale, observing it as it appeared to move toward the surface. At a signal, the fishers near the boat, uncovered it, exposing the smell of fish to the rest of the ocean.
It didn't take long for the kraken to smell its food. As the booming whale reached the surface, the kraken feasted, pulling the boat towards it to better feed. But the booming whale felt these pulls, as a sudden pain towards its back. Sensing the kraken nearby, it turned to fend off this creature.
The kraken obliged, backing away from the whale, and watched as the whale began to swim away. But as the whale distanced itself from the kraken, the boat with fish was dragged as well, and the kraken lunged forward to keep a hold of its food store.
The rope was taut at this point, and the whale felt a searing pull. Turning around, the whale saw the kraken again feeding on the boat, but its motions were timed with bursts of pain coming from the whale. Believing the kraken was the source of the pain, the whale swam towards it, thinking the kraken was somehow attacking from a great distance away.
The kraken did not recognize this connection between itself and the whale. On seeing the whale moving for an attack, it now saw the whale as trying to steal its food, and turned to face the other giant.
Both monsters now believing they were victims of an attack, both defended themselves vigorously. The whale was first to hit, diving below and ramming the kraken near the surface. The kraken, dazed, grabbed the whale with its tentacles, attempting to restrain the lager beast. But the whale was too powerful, and bit the kraken hard, ramming it again.
The fishers watched the battle from a distance, as both creatures churned the water. The kraken sought the drown the whale, grasping over and over with its tentacles, while the whale sought the ram the kraken, bashing it with its tail, and ramming from all sides. Several times, the kraken grasped the whale, only for the whale to bite the tentacles, and fling itself around and once again rise for air. The kraken was dazed over and over. Blood and ink filled the water..
After hours of fighting, the whale, covered in welts and slashes, tried to swim away from the kraken. But the fight had taken a toll, and the whale was now tired and slow, barely able to swim. The kraken, which had fought so long to protect a meal, now saw the whale as an opportunity, and lunged at it again. Once again, the battle was joined. As the kraken grasped the whale and pulled it under, the beast's tail flew out of the water and splashed hard, forming a giant wave that was said to have hit the village several hours later. The fight continued.
After some time, it was the kraken's turn to try and escape. Barely able to move, it was mossing a tentacle, and others were bitten and bruised. Its body had been stunned and bruised by the whale's ramming. barely able to move, it expelled a small puff of ink, and slowly pushed itself away from the large beast. The whale, tired, covered in welts and punctures from the kraken's tentacles, and bitten many times, swam towards the kraken as if to mount a chase, but only as a final warning to the creature.
But now, the fishers sprung into action. Armed with spears and axes, they swarmed the great beasts like scavengers. Where the two great beast could once have eaten the tentacled as easily as a large squid or fish, they now could do little as the fishermen stabbed and hacked the giant creatures, cutting great slices of meat. As some guarded against sharks and other scavengers, other fishers cut chunks of meat from the giant creatures, and more stabbed until the last wisps of blood finally left.
With the kraken and the sperm whale dead, the fishers now packed their bodies with light reeds. Some meat was sliced off, and stored in boats once used for fish. Other meat would be cut from the creatures and preserved when they reached shore. It was said that sea creatures stayed as far as possible from the carcasses as they were dragged towards shore. After all, the kraken and booming whale are two of the most fearsome creatures in the sea; how much more fearsome must the beasts be that killed them?
The ocean is vast, and the villagers had little idea what was happening out at sea, apart from strange waves rolling in. The storm seers knew that the waves were unlike any other, but did not know of their origin. As the fishers returned over the horizon, 7 days after they had set out, pulling the floating beasts along with them, the villagers spirits filled with triumph, and cheers rose as the fishers drew closer. Villagers swarmed the water, the the carcasses of the beasts were spread on the beach, carved, and stored.
It is said that the village feasted for a several months off the two beasts, and that the carefully stored meat allowed them to last another year, until the ocean currents returned to normal, and the shallow water fish returned. By than, the story had spread, and other tentacled, and later humans and other beings, learned to hunt and catch the great beasts of the sea.
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