From: Simson Leigh
Date: 1/14/2003
Subject: Sea of Despair (was Re: [PLANESCAPE] Homebrew Location and NPC)
Sea of Despair (also known as the Crawling Sea)
[Site - Pandesmos]
Character:
Waves of madness. Unrelenting tide of insanity that slowly crawls along
the tunnels of Pandesmos. Crashing of waves, churning against one another.
There is no calm before the storm. There is no storm before the calm. A
tsunami of despair moving at an agonising pace.
Description:
Within the depths of Pandemonium there exists a sea which covers all sides
of the tunnels. At the edges of the sea the waves lap gently against the
rock of the tunnels, but within its centre there is a raging storm. The
Sea slowly moves along the tunnel at a steady pace. At one edge the waves
gain ground whilst at the other end the waves lose ground. Deeper within
the Sea whirlpools have been sighted, some of which lead to the Elemental
Plane of Water and others to oceans within Prime worlds. Sailing of
vessels is possible at the outer edges of the Sea, but no ship that has
ever lost sight of the edge of the Sea has returned.
Power:
None.
Sages speculate that the sea was once the realm of a deity which resided
in this plane. How the sea began its migration through the tunnels remains
unknown. The most popular theory is that the answer lies at the centre of
the Sea of Despair. It is even possible that the power still resides
within the Sea, cloaked within the Perfect Storm. However, none who have
ventured within the centre have returned.
Principle towns:
Port Horizon - a ramshackle town exists at the edge of the Sea. The
buildings of this town are made up of the materials salvaged shipwrecks.
Rotten timbers and damp hides provide some shelter for the inhabitants who
survive by scavenging along the coastline of the Sea. Since the Sea is
actually moving, the town is also constantly on the move with some
buildings being erected and others torn down. The principle building is a
mobile light house that is pulled by a team of howlers. The light from
this towers draws many of those who have been pulled in to the Sea from
its many whirlpools and vortices. Only one ship has ever survived the
journey in to the Sea of Despair and come aground when it reached the edge
of the Sea. At one point there existed a town at the other side of the
Sea, but during one vicious storm the entire town was washed away. Since
that occurred none have dared to build a town on the encroaching side of
the Sea.
Special conditions:
Navigation of the Sea of Despair is possible at its edges as long as one
stays clear of the vortices and whirlpools. Any ship that attempts to
enter the heart of the Sea will be lost. Several species of carnivorous
seagulls hunt in packs at the edge of the Sea. Sirines also inhabit the
Sea and their song has effect of causing the listener to turn their ship
towards the centre of the Sea. Only those who embrace madness are able to
resist the wails of the sirines.
Principle non-player characters:
Captain Raikk is a blood thirsty pirate who has learned the dark of how to
navigate the outer edges of the Sea. He is usually the first to intercept
any vessel entering the Sea, although several other pirate ship exists.
These other ships last different lengths of time. Some are swallowed by
the storm in the centre of the Sea and others are sunk by Captain Raikk .
Press gangs are a common sight in the town of Port Horizon as the pirate
captains are known for sacrificing some of their crews to appease the Sea.
Services:
Fish from the Sea of Despair. Random items salvaged from shipwrecks washed
up along the coastline and sometimes sold by the insane inhabitants of the
town Port Horizon.
Current chant:
The tunnel that the Sea is currently travelling down narrows considerably
several miles distant. Although the inhabitants of Port Horizon and the
pirate captains are aware of their predicament, they take perverse
pleasure in this news and are preparing to 'ride out the storm' when the
sea passes through the narrow section of the tunnel. The latest chant in
the town is that Captain Raikk has bargained with the power residing in
the Sea of Despair for a Cloak of False Hope. Many believe that this cloak
can provide protection for the coming storm, whilst others claim that this
chant is pure screed.
----
Galen's post inspired me to write this. My apologies about this write up
being a bit of a rush job. Perhaps I'll rework it in future.