~Udil's Bloodprice~
Twas the 723rd year of the Age of The Simple Mists, when the good ship Dragon's Eye left her dry-dock for her maiden voyage. The seas were calm but for a brisk breeze and the night sky was clear and full of stars. As was traditional, a crew of seven doughty souls were aboard when the gangplank was raised and the Dragon's Eye sailed out into the swells of the Ocean of Dragons. Despite its name, none had seen the Great Dragon for several generations, some even thinking it a myth, yet the name persisted, handed down from mother to daughter for generations, and so the Ocean still bore the name of that mighty beast, and The Eye that watchfully rode it's waters. Seven they were, from The Seal of Fealty, sent to this volcanic island to prepare Dragon's Eye, and finally her night had come.
Cap'n Lolori, at just nineteen, effortlessly stood atop the rolling deck, guiding the wheel with a steady, sure hand. Her crew of able sailors danced in time with rope and sail, plying their skill with chants and bits of song slipping from their joyous throats. The Dragon's Eye thrummed as she took the wind fully into her twin sails, eager to skip across the Ocean and leave her immobility far behind. Eturi and Tosidi, the sail crew, balanced precariously in the shrouds, trimming them here, unfurling there, to maintain the gentle balance of the ship. Belowdecks there were Master Kumilo the First Mate, going over his accounts of the supplies that had been packed in for the maiden voyage, and in the cabin off the Captain's quarters, There sat Eshtan and Saziria Furnace enjoying a bit of rest with their one year old daughter Ideni. Saziria was the Ship's Doctor, a job she did not relish, and her doting husband was the Quartermaster for the ship. Oddomi, the ship's cook, stood at the prow, her arms raised in jubilation, savoring the brisk breeze and salt spray. They were finally off!
The ship handled like a dream in the three weeks that followed, until they finally came back to rest next to the dock leading into the Worker's Village and the stone pyramid Trading Depot that marked its center. Celebration and cries of jubilation followed that night as the full moon rose from behind the volcano's caldera. It was this very thing that marked the beginning of the adventures for the crew of Dragon's Eye.
A young human bard had come a-visiting in a coracle made of woven reeds. His voice pure and bittersweet in the night air lilting with the songs of his homeland entranced the audience of the rough lumber drinking hall until a ray of moonlight speared through the open doorway, and caused him to stutter and sigh for a moment before growing into a
monstrous form that with a grunting howl of anguish and delight, leapt onto the now fleeing meat morsels before him.
He was able to slay one outright, Ongetia Gear a recent migrant, and fought bitterly with young Bimi, an eleven year old who had come with her extended family to find work in the shipyards. Poor Bimi survived the attack as the door closed and the bard reverted to his slight frame once more, but the damage was done and in horror, the bard ran outside with his eyes firmly closed, into the waiting and forgiving depths of the sea, to be neither heard nor feared ever again.
Bimi was rushed to the makeshift shelter they'd erected for ship-building accidents, but she also began to transform in to a monstrous and fearsome beast, who slaked her bloodlust on her best freind Olono who had rushed to her aid. Young Olono, at the tender age of ten, died with his throat torn out and a look of frozen horror upon his face, with soon after young Besmari Brush aged seven, (The youngest of old Sigun Brush's daughters), and Ongetia Gear (age eleven) laying in bleeding ruin upon the sands. Twas the sailor Tosidi who put the beast down with a swift pick to the head, but she too was bit before she could slay the beast young Bimi had become, and Tosidi became an even more terrible monster herself.
Ten times the size of the beasts from before, it wreaked bloody havok in the village all thoughout the night as the pitiless moon traced its slow passage through the sky. Though some tried to slay the beast, none could best this monster. The first to go was Atiri, followed by Siguno, Olini, Minkoti, Urvado, Fikodo, old Sigun Brush, Siguni, Asobo, Zulbano (Creator of the artifact Walkedobey) and finally the Ship's Doctor: Saziria Furnace. Another worker was bitten but survived the night of horror: Limulo.
The moon slipped behind the western sea and Tosidi awoke amidst horror and slaughter. With an anguished cry she stood and declaimed "No longer am I Tosidi of Dragon Eye! Let all know I have been claimed by the Human Goddess Thad, who has named me "Shipshove, The Wispy Luster of Shooting". Crying in great wracking sobs at the bloodstained horror that was the little village by the sea, she ran deeper into the island to hide from her shame and sorrow.
The remaining crew of five (plus little Ideni, now motherless), set sail once again, taking the widower Tekkud Gear and old Sigun's remaining daughter Logemi Brush aboard to fill out the seven of their crew. Young were these sailors and saddened by the blood upon the sand. The deities of Riverworld were appeased only with blood and sacrifice. Many had been taken by this human goddess Thad; And that very morning as the crew slept fitfully in Dragon's Eye, Ideni woke from a sound sleep with a cry! She told the crew who crowded around about her dream from her Mother's goddess: Udil (Goddess of the Moon).
Now it was known that the human bard hailed from a town named "Hairyembraced", in the lands of
The Council of Bathing. The crew would make full sail to that place, or as near as the waters took them, and continue thence on foot, to balance the Divine scales as decreed by Udil: Fourteen devotees of Thad must be slain before the bloodprice was paid in full. Perhaps they were all monsters there, with a town named
Hairyembraced They would have to schedule the raid not to occur during the light of the full moon just in case. Further, a prayer to Udil must be said after each sacrifice, so that she would know it was reserved only for her.
Finding the Town of Hairyembraced in the lands of The Council of Bathing Scouting the area to see if the townfolk became monsters by the light of the full moon Marking then sacrificing fourteen worshipers of Thad, to honor Udil's bloodprice
Author
Topic: Tales of Riverworld (Read 1282 times)