Ephia's Well of Tales By Petro Anders & Zsa Zsa

[-UnholyWon-]

A book bound in aged camel leather with golden accents decorating the cover. The spine of the book reads, "Ephia's Well of Tales". Within the cover, the authors are noted as Petro Anders & Zsa Zsa, the second page holds the dedications.

To the heroes who have come before us, let us not forget your tales, and let us never forget your names. To the heroes to come, let sings and speak of your tales for all to know who you are, and forever remember your names so you shall not be forgotten,

To Isabella & Ellanher, I thank you for sharing your lives with me, and am blessed by your good grace and patience,

To our hero, one day your tale shall be recorded here, and all shall remember your name as you are an inspiration to me.

[-UnholyWon-]

~The Tale of  Jungles of Hufaidh & the Azure Gale~

   I am, Thasitalia of the Winds that Bellow, but many refer to me as the Azure Gale, and a mere two cycles ago my path crossed with four others, adventurers each on of them keen on venturing into dunes. Our plan was to venture far out across the desert sands till we found a caravan willing to take us to meet a ship's Captain. We were intent on sailing to the Jungles of Hufaidh where we had heard rumors of a lost treasures and secretive tribes of people worshipping vile deities.

    I do apologize, but I do not presume to know the wishes of my travelling companions, so I will abstain from sharing the names of my companions on this trip as we roamed the vast dunes.

    Our journey was not without it's perils, as we crossed the dunes of sand we were ambushed by bandits, but these were no ordinary bandits. These bandits were bugbears, and they were equipped with the spoils of several ambushes against caravans and unsuspecting adventurers.

    We were not prepared to face such an ambush this early into our trek, and became surrounded by the ravenous bugbears. A howl signaled their assault, and my companions stood back to back facing off the assault. Try as they did, the Bugbears were unable to break our circle as steel clashed against steel, arrows were returned with bolts, and spells broke their offense. Despite how ill prepared we were, we dispatched the bandits, and left their corpses to feed the carrion of the desert. The spoils of the Bugbears were meager at best, but we continued until dusk. 

    The desert winds began to settle, and in the distance we saw ruins of a village. Old sandstone walls crumbling from years of neglect, but showing signs as a waypoint for travelers and adventurers alike. My companions and I made camp here, and shared tales of our homes, pasts, and hopes for the future. The flames of our campfire grew low, and the stars shown above in a clear sky. Howls of hyenas and roars of the desert lions, bickering over a kill, and declaring their right to gorge their bellies on the flesh echoed through the night. We picked a watch order, and those capable of sleeping crawled into this sleeping bags drifting off to sleep. Just after my reverie ended, one of my companions sounded an alarm, and fear took firm root in our chests, Sand Trolls. In the distance their shapes wandered across the dunes. These great hulking beasts bobbed up and down with each step as they sniffed the air seeking prey, but luckily for us they did not venture close enough to see us do battle.

    In the morning, our scout informed us that we had camped near a cave filled with sand trolls, but they were currently dormant and resting. We discussed entering into the cave to dispatch the sand trolls, but we were not prepared for such a venture. Instead, we would press onward to with our intended goal.

    Minutes turned to hours, and the sun beat down upon our necks, we were becoming exhausted by our march with each footstep dig into the sands. We did not lose hope, because in the distance we found our salvation. I cannot speak to the name of the people that greeted us, but they did not greet us with open arms. They entreated with us at arms length, and directed us to our goal. A caravan master here was willing to take us to a ship captain at the edges of the dunes, where the timeless sands meet the placid waters. An agreement struck with the handing over of a heavy pouch of dinars, and the caravan master would travel throughout the rest of the day and late into the night. Our next stop was a den of pirates, a place where coin speaks louder then words, and every shadow holds a knife ready to strike against an unsuspecting fool. This settlement reeked of chaotic freedom unlike what is found in Ephia's Well.  We decided not to linger overlong within this settlement, and instead seek to speak to a captain in the early morning.

    Morning came, we were all happy to learn none of us had suffered a wouldbe thief's blade in the night, although many of us grumbled about the innkeeper's lighting of our purses for such poor sleeping quarters.  We packed our belongings and made our way to the docks to seek a captain capable to taking us to our destination. A brightly dressed man with a wide brimmed hat, and a glittering ornate rapier at his hip greeted us. We discussed the terms and passed on another heavy purse of dinars to the ships captain, and we were shortly on the deck of the ship and sailing toward  the Jungles of Hufaidh.

    The captain took us across the placid seeming waters will all the confidence and skill of a seasoned seafarer, yet beneath such tranquil waves lurked a plethora of dangerous beasts and beings hell bent on bringing down a ship and all within it. Unknown to us, such a beast had begun to track us, and we would soon discover how treacherous the waters could become for seafarer and adventurer alike.

    The ship dropped anchor just off the shore of Hufaidh, and we took a landing ship to the shore. Across the waves leading to the shore, a dark shape beneath the waters came, and large pinchers shot up from beneath the ship sending the captain, two mates, and our party into the water. Screams and cries of pain could be heard between the crunch of wood or bone, and just as quickly as it happened the crashing of waves returned to our ears and we were crawling ashore. My companion and I soaked to the bone, and the Captain drenched, we all noted small cuts and bruised from the coral beneath the blue waters. The two ship mates were no where to be found, and the tinted red waters spoke of their demise.

    The captain led us up the cliff side where we made camp to dry off, and signal the ship. The Captain assured us that once we were done exploring the island another landing ship would be ready to take us back home. It was evident to us all the sea was no less treacherous that the dunes outside of Ephia's Well.

    We ventured through the jungles till we came across several cave systems, and therein our mettle was tested to its very limits. Creature, aberrant in manner, with dry skin similar to a shark, but resembling a humans. It appeared as though these aberrant humanoids attempted to embrace the sea, but the saltwater's embrace never fully satiated them.

    Their home was stranger yet, rock and coral mixed with curious tubes and piping twisting throughout the surfaces. The sight of this place felt unnatural and confusing to the eyes to an accomplished wildwalker such as myself.

    The droning whoosh of the pipes, the thunderous crash of underwater waves, the sharp click-clacking, and the unnatural roars of these aberrant humanoids and creatures filled the tunnels. A cacophony of sounds met to disorient and confuse any who were unlucky enough to stumble into their home.

    Ferocious, is how I would described these, Parched People. Feral and savage, they met us with sharpened claws and primitive weaponry, but among them were those capable of calling magic. Screeching at the top of their lungs, shaking the foundations of the caverns, the sonic waves  threatened to shatter our ability to coordinate  our attacks, leaving us disoriented and exposed.

    We persisted, despite our arms becoming sore, are heads ringing, and legs feeling weak, we persisted. The more we fell the more that came to stop us from moving forward into their caverns. The further inward we moved the more we saw the duality of these creature, they were both savage and intelligent. Deadly, strong, and cunning, they seemed countless in number, and continued with ambush after ambush.  Leaping from tunnels above or crawling out from pools of water, these creatures did not stop in their desire to bring us low. Every moment within these dark and twisted tunnels was overwhelming and daunting. Even when we earned moments of calm, peace, we found our eyes upon sites so curious.

    Their chambers were stranger yet, the floors were that of the sea where barnacles, urchin, sea weed came to a cohesive whole. It wasn't cohesive in the sense that it was done my intelligent design, but speaking on personality and preference. The bounty of the sea reformed and molded anew, reformed, into furniture, beds, chests, and things I could not yet begin to comprehend. These chambers appeared to be guarded by strange luminescent azure orbs, capable of producing an electrical current able to travel across the room to strike not just one person but many several times in a row. Certainly, we were able to overcome these obstacles or I would not be here to tell you this tale.

    Beyond their strange chambers, twisted piping, and occult runic ruins, we came to what we believed to be a main chamber, perhaps a chamber of worship, wherein lay a gargantuan egg. Before it, an exquisitely carved pedestal, the last of these Parched beings waited.

    We believe they were the last, and as the last they defended their cavern with unbridled fury, and in their fervor we nearly were defeated.  As our blood fell to the floor, one among them stood taller, stronger, than all we had face thus far, and in the back he remained lurking, waiting with two larger guardians. When they attacked, we struggled against their united fury, as words in a language were screamed into our ears, we faltered.

    Our bodies screamed in protest as we continued to raise our blades, bows, and spells to assault them. Despite being brought to our knees, we found our strength, and we stood before these aberrant creatures. It was with our combined might, as like stalks of grass must bend to the oncoming gale, these creatures fell to the floor their strange eyes vacant of life.

    The last of them looming over the egg, took it up and retreated to the depths of the waters below. Despite a desire to end this completely, we chose not to dive into the dark waters for fear of an ambush or awaiting traps. No, this day we would not pursue the figure that abandoned his people. As the fighting vigor faded, we found our spirits drained and our bodies trembling from the exertion. Even if we could summon the courage and energy, the sight of those dark waters were uninviting.

    We collected dinar, items, and trinkets won from our battle within the cavern, and made our way back to the surface. Again, the chambers echoed with whooshing sounds of the pipes, strange roars, and crashing of underwater waves, which all seemed so much louder. Even in departing the caverns, the waters were not safe, and as a companion neared a pool of water something reached out and took her mind from her. My companions and I were able to wrestle her away from the edge of the water, but not without endangering ourselves. 

    We left those caverns behind, gleefully. Happy, we had escaped an harrowing adventure with in the caverns of the Jungles of Hufaidh.