Light sparkled across the seemingly endless waves as clouds floated through the bright blue sky. As far as one could see, the land was dominated by a bright, blue ocean, not a single hint of land visible in any direction. Not even any sea birds could be hard, only the echoes of the endlessly crashing sea filling the void as the ocean rolled. While it was largely an untamed and alien landscape, the lack of obstacles made it a key trade route between two of the largest port cities in the world!
Waves crashed against twin crimson prows as they smashed through the water. Rigging creaked and groaned as a massive galleon plowed through the ocean, its massive crimson and gold sails fully taut as it sped along. From high overhead, the galleon looked like a small dot amidst a blue painting, but this truly was one of the largest galleons in the world. Unlike the more common galleons, this was a freighter, not the biggest in the fleet, but one of the largest, and was set on a course for the port city of Adecial.
Mist sprayed the immense vessel as it plowed through another set of waves. In terms of appearance, it was similar to a standard galleon with a split prow and crimson motif. It had tall, slanted walls, numerous ports along its sides, and several decks that rose towards the back of the ship in a tiered fashion. There were unlit braziers scattered across the decks and crates full of supplies, and all across the ship were sailors working to keep it running at full speed. Freighters like this were a common sight in this region. Most of the time, they ferried goods between continents, but today they had a different type of cargo.
Far below the decks, within the hull, was a large, dimly lit common area. Lanterns creaked with the motions of the ship as they did their best to illuminate the darkness. There were several nets and ropes draped across the short ceiling, barrels and crates pushed up against the walls while several doors sat along the front and back walls. For the most part, the room was cavernous, feeling far larger than it was, but it was surprisingly cozy. There were tables and benches so it could serve as a meal area, and there was even a bar near its back. Alongside its other amenities, it was able to provide quite the degree of comfort to the travelers the ship was currently hosting.
Dozens of passengers were currently situated around the room, some eating meals at the tables while others reclined in the booths playing games or writing in journals. Travelers were a common sight on freighters since they were the cheapest passage between continents, but these passengers were a bit outside the norm. Most of them wore strange clothing and bits of specialized equipment making it clear that they weren’t normal travelers, something made clear by the ghollon lounging near the front of the room. The beasts were absently munching on hay, lanterns nearby illuminating their fur as the rest of the expedition members waited with mixed patience to begin the next leg of their journey. One of them, however, wasn’t even thinking of taking a break.
“Again, with the journal?” an exasperated voice spoke. Up against the left wall was a booth housing four individuals. They were each dressed in typical expedition garb, but only one was working on a journal. “Are you ever planning to give that thing a rest?” the only sheek said. The shasheek beside him glanced at him with a wry grin as he gestured across the table, “What could you even be documenting here? The make of the table?”
“I thought I made myself clear in the Spiritmarsh,” Tearna countered. Writing the last bits of her sentence as the shasheek beside her chuckled, she set her pen down and frowned at him, “Our people deserve the very best from me, and that’s exactly what I’m going to give them.”
“I get that, but what’s there to document?” the sheek said desperately. “It’s just water and the hull! We haven’t even seen any sea birds?!”
“Nothing to document, eh?” Tearna asked slyly. Snorting once, she snapped her journal shut as a sheek in rougher clothing walked over with a plate of food, “Tell me then, do you think this just materialized from a storage crate?” The sheek blinked as the steaming plate was set in front of him. Sitting atop it was a flank of fish, several other sides arranged around it with a piece of fruit sitting on top of it. He blinked a few times before looking at Tearna as she stood up with a grin, “You need to pay better attention. If you had asked around, then you would know that all the meals here are things the crew fished up!” With that, Tearna strode away, leaving him staring at his plate blankly as the other two laughed at him.
“Of all the parts of our trip, this was perhaps the part our expedition had been looking forward to the most!” Tearna smiled pleasantly as she made her way around the tables and headed for the back of the ship and approached a set of doors. “When we left Orden, we had several destinations that we planned our voyage around. While this location was not one of them, given the mandate from the emperor, I still feel responsible for documenting it!” A thud rang as Tearna stepped through the doors. Planks creaked as she hurried up a set of short steps, stepping onto a landing and moving towards another door in front of her, “After reading so much about it as a little girl, we have finally arrived at the Esterian Sea!”
Crashing waves instantly echoed in her ears as she pushed through the door, a salty breeze blowing around her as she shielded her eyes and looked towards the sky. The galleon creaked as it rose with the waves, crashing back down as mist sprayed around her, something she enjoyed that the others had long grown sick of. After traveling for many weeks, they had finally reached the port city of Randara, and now they were on their way to the continent of Falador! To say she was excited was an understatement, but while the rest of the expedition was taking the time to relax, she couldn’t help but take the chance to document life out on the ocean!
“Life aboard a galleon isn’t too far from what I had heard,” Tearna continued. Lowering her gaze, she smiled and nodded at several of the people sitting on the end of the boat in front of her. Fixated on the back of the ship was a landing that sat several feet off the water, just as wide as the boat with plenty of room to spread out. Several of the crew were lounging about, most of them holding rods as their fishing lines trailed out behind the boat. “For the most part, we’ve been resigned to sitting in our rooms as we wait for the trip to end,” Tearna continued as she sat herself down in a small chair and pulled out her journal. “I can’t blame my colleagues for being bored, but as I keep telling them, I refuse to shirk my duties! While finding wildlife in an area like this is tricky, it is still possible if one knows where to search!”
One of the fishersheek suddenly let out an exclamation as his line went taut. Tearna paused her writing as he quickly began to reel, one of the others stepping over with a net as he struggled against his line. After a brief scuffle, water splashed the deck as a fish began to flop about, smack the planks as its scales glittered. Nodding proudly, the fishersheek looked over in surprise as Tearna knelt down to study it. Looking it over one way, and then the other, she finally stood with a smile, “I noticed early on that many of the crew were catching our dinner off the back of the boat, and tagging along to watch ended up paying dividends! Through their efforts, I was able to meet the first subject of the journey, a razorfish!”
Out behind the boat, just beneath the water’s surface, numerous black fish streaked back and forth. “Razorfish are a very common fish that can be encountered in almost every part of the world, and although they don’t taste that bad, they are widely regarded as a pest,” Tearna continued as one of the small fish zipped along. Bubbles streamed from the back of its sharp fin, light glinting off its dark scales as it barred its teeth, “Razorfish get their name from their fins. Each fin is nearly as strong as steel and sharp enough to slice through nets. Many fishersheek have to be careful when fishing, otherwise they risk losing a small fortune in repairs thanks to the razorfish that haunt nearly every shore!”
“Appearance wise, razorfish are dark, covered in scales, and have two large tail fins that are as sharp as a sword!” The school of dark fish scattered as another bobber landed in their midst, “While razorfish are quite an aggressive species, they are fairly low on the food chain. They only eat small fish, such as blinnows, and are known to be a favorite snack of creatures such as murktreaders or lux eels. While our own people typically ignore them, they are a welcome reprieve in places where food is scarce, such as this one!” Biting onto the bait at the end of the bobber, one razorfish vanished as it was yanked away, spooking several others as they tried to guess where it had gone.
Wind blew across the top of the galleon, rolling around the crew as they changed the angle of the masts while the ship listed to the side. Despite how busy they were, the decks were mostly calm, several expedition members lounging around as they enjoyed the warmth. Footsteps echoed as Tearna moved towards the railing, leaning against it with her journal out as she smiled at the horizon, “Being out on the open ocean was a welcome change of pace. Anytime I wanted, I could just go and lose myself in the bright blue horizon, and we were lucky enough to avoid bad weather. Often times, I found myself getting lost in thought, but my little relaxation sessions ended up paying off!”
Hearing a loud burst of water, Tearna looked down with a start. Registering what she was seeing, she gasped and quickly began to write, “On one occasions, I was fortunate enough to be interrupted by a pod of wavedancers!” Water spurted from the waves as a pod of grey creatures continuously breached the surface. Spurts of water shot up from the holes atop their heads, the frills around their necks shining vibrantly as their frilly fins seemed to wave beneath the waves.
Tearna smile as she watched them, “Wavedancers are a common sight for galleons. Similar to the sandshearers we left in the Karasi, wavedancers are known for following galleons in hopes of having an easy meal, but they are far less aggressive!” Vibrant pink colors flashing across one of the wavedancer’s frill’s as it breached the water to get a better look at the galleon, “Several crewmembers claim to have swam with them before, and they are know to be fairly peaceful. They are mostly grey in color, but the frills around their necks are stunningly vibrant, each creature in the pod seemingly having a different color.” Smiling happily, Tearna watched as the wavedancers dipped back below the surface, “I will never forget my interaction with them, even though it was disappointingly short…”
A little later, orange light danced across the waves as the star slowly set on the horizon behind the galleon. One by one, the golden braziers across the deck ignited, cashing away the darkness that had begun to settle over them as several expedition members watched dusk settle in around them. “The fall of dusk was something we were all anticipating,” Tearna continued, standing by the railing near the front of the ship. “There is one creature that can be encountered at any time of day, but they are most known for being active at dusk!”
Water suddenly sprayed into the air. Shouts of excitement rose across the decks from the expedition members, some pointing excitedly while Tearna gazed on with a bright smile and began to write, “Neo mantas are another creature that can be found all over the world, but they only gather in droves here in the Esterian Sea!” Multiple geysers shot up from the waves as several mantas leapt out. They rose into the air before gliding forward on leathery wings, their long tails rolling out behind them before they slid back into the water silently. “These mantas are an incredibly unique type of creature this close to the surface,” Tearna wrote, watching as several more mantas leapt out. “They are mostly docile and feed by filtering, but what makes them truly spectacular are their vivid colors!”
Bright, greenish patterns pulsed across the body of a manta as it leapt from the water, others following behind it as they streaked forward like comets before dipping back into the sea. “These mantas are bioluminescent, meaning they can make their own light. They each have unique patterns across their bodies that will typically illuminate whenever they jump out of the water. No one fully knows why this occurs, but what we do know is that this typically occurs around Dusk, and out on the Esterian Sea, it’s incredibly easy for one to find themselves surrounded by these beautiful creatures!”
Tearna looked around with shining eyes as hundreds of mantas began to leap from the water. Gasps of awe arose from the expedition members, each of them looking around with shining eyes as the mantas sailed through the air. Bright lights pulsed and flashed, most above the water, but others could be seen shining just below. Smiling, Tearna let out a happy sigh as she looked up at the twin moons, “Of course, the neo mantas weren’t the only bioluminescent creatures we met!”
Darkness hung heavy over the ocean. In the sky, stars twinkled behind clouds, leaving the galleon looking like a solitary speck of red drifting in a void. “Are you sure this is smart?” the sheek that had been giving Tearna grief spoke. He frowned worriedly alongside several other expedition members, “I mean, most of the ideas you’ve had have been… foolhardy, but this… I think it takes the cake.”
“Oh, come on, Kai,” Tearna said, looking at him with an impish grin as she rested her hands on her hips. “Where did all that bravado and confidence from the marsh disappear to, huh?”
“I only jumped into the water because you bullied me into it,” he huffed, crossing his arms and scowling as several of the others laughed at him. “You’re deflecting though! You and I both know this is ten times worse than when you went to go pet that skewerfang!”
“I was fine, and I wasn’t going to pet it,” she said, completely missing his point. He groaned and slapped his face as she stepped up to the edge of the ship’s back deck, “I know what I’m doing. Have some faith in me!” Since earlier, Tearna had traded out her typical outfit for her swim gear, a top that covered most of her torso and baggy shorts. Additionally, goggles glinted on her forehead, but it was the item tied around her waist that was the subject of the argument. For emphasis, she tugged at the rope she had tied around herself, “Or do you really think I’m delicate enough to break from this?”
“You are aware that the crew has been fishing off this very deck, right?” Kai pressed. “You are quite literally turning yourself into a baited line! What if a Murktreader comes along?!”
“Then I guess you’ll have to be the big, tough bodyguard and make yourself useful,” she shot back mockingly, a few of the others bursting out laughing. She rolled her eyes, “I have to do this so I can document those fish we keep seeing, so shut up and get ready to pull me back in.” Bringing her goggles down over her eyes as Kai groaned, she leaned over the water and hopped in.
Bubbles splashed around her as Tearna plunged beneath the waves. Tentatively opening her eyes, she looked around curiously as the rope went taut, gently dragging her along behind the boat. Darkness teemed around her, only the faint hint of light shining on the surface just behind her. She peered out into the water, carefully searching for any sign of the fish that had been swarming around their ship. A pink flicker suddenly drew her gaze. “Looking back on this, I do agree with Kai. This was… one of my dumber ideas, but it was worth it! By tying a rope to myself, I was able to float behind the boat and get a good look at a fish I’ve only ever read about, a lanternfish!”
Hundreds of pink, red, and gold lights floated behind the boat as a large school of lantern fish followed, making Tearna’s eyes shine with wonder. She was completely surrounded by them now, making it look like the stars had fallen all around! She let out a laugh of disbelief as she poked one, watching it flicker and swim off in panic.
Smiling, she looked around as she began to commit the detail to memory, “Lanternfish are a common, bioluminescent, night fish! They are a bit smaller than a razorfish and not nearly as deadly, but they are ten times more eye-catching! Overall, they are typically grey with bright patterns similar to a neo manta! At night, these patterns illuminate across their sides and fins in mostly pink, red, and gold colors, but I haven’t spent enough time with them to see if there are any other hues. Of all the creatures I’ve seen so far, these had to be the most stunning!”
Smiling happily, Tearna suddenly raised her brow as she noticed a disturbance in the water. Many of the lights in the school were disappearing as dark silhouettes darted around. Blinking a few times, Tearna’s eyes suddenly shot wide open as her heart shot into her throat. Back on the ship, several expedition members looked out with a start as a clod of soil shot out of the water. “I told her this was a bad idea!” Kai shouted, rushing over with the others to grab the rope. Eyes flashing with their powers, they heaved as with all the strength they had.
With an explosion of water, Tearna erupted from the sea with a cry of fear, sailing up before crashing onto the ship. “Are you alright,” someone asked as they rushed over.
Tearna coughed fiercely as they knelt beside her, pushing herself up and spitting out water as she tried to calm her heart. Taking in a huge gulp of air, she finally sat back with a sheepish smile, “Y-yeah… thanks for the quick reaction. That was closer than it should have been.”
“Can you please, for one minute, just not do something risky?!” Kai exclaimed, scowling down at her as she frowned at him in return. “How many times did we tell you that it was dangerous?!”
“Not enough for me to care,” Teran countered, sticking her tongue out at him. Shaking her head roughly, she looked back out with a slight frown, “Besides, it was worth it. Because of my risk, I got to see something that I didn’t even know was here!”
“Oh for- of course!” Kai exclaimed as he threw his hands up and walked away.
“What almost got you?” one of the others asked curiously as she sat upright.
Thinking briefly, Tearna finally grinned cheekily, “The next entry in my journal!” Beneath the water, large, dark silhouettes continued to dart around, devouring the bright fish one after the other. A clank rang out as sharp teeth clamped down, the glint of orange eyes lighting up the dark as powerful fins pushed the creatures along, “While a bit foolhardy, my adventure proved to be worth it! Because of my risk, I got to meet one of the most ferocious ocean predators, a ripjaw!”
Black, leathery skin slid through the water as large fins pushed the thick sharks along, red clouds appearing behind them as they continued their feeding frenzy. “Ripjaws are a type of shark typically native to the south, but seem to migrate north during certain parts of the year. While it would have been nice to have some warning, I was able to get a disturbingly close look at them. They were about ten feet long and had thick fins on their sides, and their tail fins were odd long and ribbon-like. What caught my eye though were their sharp, disturbingly clean teeth.”
Fins broke the water as several ripjaws thrashed around while Tearna continued, “Ripjaws move at surprising speeds. When I first noticed them, it only took a few seconds for them to devour the fish around me. Additionally, their bodies are almost pure muscle, and I could feel their movement in the water. All in all, this is NOT a fish I want to encounter again.” Tearna let out a snort as the ripjaws disappeared, “Too bad Kai had to see that. Now I’m never going to hear the end of it…”
High overhead, the night vanished as the star climbed into the sky, rising until it was directly over the ship. Waves crashed as the galleon rocked gently, still solitary amidst the large ocean. Beneath the waves around the ship, however, dark patches had appeared. There were six in total scattered around the ship, and they had not gone unnoticed. Many of the expedition members were looking out curiously, wondering what they could be, but Tearna was already writing away on the top deck.
“Following my encounter with the most vicious shark in existence, it was almost amusing to encounter the most peaceful one right after,” Tearna wrote with a chuckle, smiling at her journal before looking out at the shadows. Beneath the waves, a large, grey body slowly made its way along. Various fish swam alongside it, the larger creature paying them no mind as Tearna made notes, “While sharks commonly convey the image of angry, ferocious predators, this one is a sharp departure from the norm and feeds purely by filtering. If you see a giant shark swimming along with its mouth open and it shows no interest in you, congratulations! You have found a Mokota!”
A rumble shook the water as the large shark swam leisurely, its dark eyes staring out absently as it slowly swung its tailfin. “Mokotas are one of the largest sharks in existence and are roughly a third the length of a galleon. They are mostly grey, have four fins along their sides and one larger tail fin. Some have white stripes and swirls, and a few have darker stripes, though it’s an enigma what this might mean. Their mouths are what stand out though. They can open their jaws so wide that they could swallow a ghollon, but they have no interest in prey any larger than a razorfish, so if you accidentally get sucked into one, expect to get coughed back out shortly after!”
Pausing, Tearna looking out at one of the shadows, “Although we encountered a small school, we weren’t in a position to go for a swim with them, much to my dismay. Still, I was happy to at least get the chance to see such miraculous creatures.” Squinting in thought, she began to write new notes, “Though, I am happy that of all the creatures I wouldn’t be able to swim alongside, it wasn’t the next one!”
Warm wind blew over the galleon, but for the first time that trip, there were no sails for it to blow into. All of the masts had been furled and most of the crew was lounging around, but a few were leaning over to watch the ocean with large grins. A splash rang out as another expedition member dove into the ocean to join the other already floating around, excitement filling the air as they looked down into the water eagerly. While this looked like a swimming party, this was actually an extraordinarily rare and exciting occasion!
Floating in the water several hundred feet in front of the galleon, Tearna absently floated as she looked around. Her eyes practically shone as her heart pounded like a gong, her gaze darting in every different direction. Suddenly, a rumble shook the water. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as her excited smile grew, a droning, pulsating song rolling over her. Water began to swell nearby as she felt an immense current, Tearna looking over eagerly as her smile threatened to pop off. “In all our travels, there was one encounter, above all others, that I will never forget so long as I live. The tremirs!”
Water exploded nearby as a massive, leathery head rose from the waves. Tearna looked over with an excited gasp as the pillar-like head rose up higher, and higher, so high that a shadow rolled over her. Rising up, it came crashing back down, water splashed out as a huge, leathery body rose to the surface behind it. Tearna whipped her gaze around as another pillar exploded from the water, another exploding just behind it. Beaming ecstatically, she spun her all around, laughing euphorically as she was finally able to see the sight she had dreamt of since she had been a young girl.
“Of all the creatures in the ocean, none are more majestic than the mighty tremirs!” Tearna spun around to look over at the first Tremir, water spraying out from the top of its mighty head as it blinked its many yellow eyes down near its mouth. “Tremirs are the second largest creature in the known ocean, and are some of the friendliest! They are several times larger than a galleon and have one of the most unique physiologies of all lifeforms! Though I could scarcely believe my eyes, they match every legend I have ever heard!”
Water pushed out from the tremir as it dipped back under the waves, but two more erupted on its opposite side, Tearna’s eyes sparkling with joy. “Tremirs have long, slender bodies with continuous fins along their top and bottoms, much like a tadpole, and two powerful fins near their heads. What makes them unique, however, are their strange, pillar-like heads. Truly, they look like hammers! They have a massive pillar-like jaw and forehead, making them look like a wide arrowhead from the side, often causing sailors to confuse them with hazardous seas. They have numerous yellow eyes clustered just above their small mouths, and, similar to the wavedancers, have to periodically surface in order to breath!”
Sucking in a deep breath, Tearna plunged beneath the waves, light sparkling around her as her eyes shone. All around her, a massive pod of tremirs swam through the depths. Some were bigger than the galleon with yellowish patterns, but others were small and greyer as they hid in the shadows of their parents. Tearna let out a gasp as the water vibrated, the song of the tremirs traveling all around her, “Like their name suggests, tremirs communicate through vibrations. It was surreal to experience it in person, and I felt so small! Despite how powerful they are, tremirs are friendly to our kind, and I can now count myself among the few lucky enough to have gotten the chance to swim with them.”
Beaming ecstatically as a tremir drew close, Tearna threw her hand out and latched onto a dip in its tough hide. She kicked her legs as she let the tremir pull her along, her hair streaming behind her as she swam alongside the immense pod. A bright smile illuminated her face, her minute form looking like a small speck of pigment alongside the immense, yellow creature. There were dozens upon dozens of tremirs all around her, some far below her in the abyss while others trailed the surface. Feeling herself moving downward, she looked up with a gasp as she watched light break around the forms of numerous tremirs. This was one experience that she didn’t want to over analyze. She had always dreamt of seeing the tremirs, and now she was going to do her absolute best to enjoy the moment!
“As much as I wanted to lose myself and let them take me on their journey, I had a duty to fulfill.” Breathing out, Tearna let go of the tremir and floated back up towards the surface, “From what the captain told me, these tremir are a common sight here. This is a major migration route between their main feeding grounds, so this pod was on its way back south to devour the kelp forest off the coast of Maldrezza! Tremirs are herbivorous and can mow down an entire kelp forest in a matter of weeks. Thankfully, the forests regrow quickly, so by traveling between the two locations, they never have to worry about starvation!”
Smiling happily as she cemented the image of the pod in her mind, she turned her gaze up and swam, “I truly cannot put into words how beautiful the pod was. matter what else happens on this long trip, I can truly say that now, at long last, I have no regrets! My dream is fulfilled, and now I will do all I can to fulfill the dream of our people!” Water broke around her head as she surfaced, gasping for air before pushing her goggles up. Raising her brow, she looked right and then left, scratching her head before gasping. The galleon was sitting far off in the distance where she had left it, making her groan as she began to shout and wave, “I DID IT AGAIN! I’M SORRY!”
A day later, light sparkled across the galleon’s deck. It was another peaceful day, the crew fishing off the back of the ship while others scrubbed the decks. Near the front of the ship, a couple of crew members were talking in a small group. Raising his brow, one of them looked over as faint cries reached their ear. “Ahh, captain!” he called out, looking towards the rear of the ship. He pointed ahead as several others looked up, “The phraits found us! We must be getting close to Adecial!”
“A phrait?” Closing her journal, Tearna looked towards the front of the ship as she stood. She moved down the steps and walked towards the front of the boat, looking up as bird calls echoed in her ears. Tilting her head, she smiled in recognition as she reopened her journal, “After a few days at sea, we finally saw our first clue that we were nearing land, a flock of seaphraits!”
Bird calls echoed as a large flock of light-green birds circled over the ship, each one the same shade with brighter patterns on their wing tips. They continuously cried and called as they kept their eyes peeled for free meals below them, Tearna watching as she began to write, “Seaphraits are a common ocean bird known for being a pest in harbor towns. Roughly a foot in size, seaphraits are somewhat of a scavenger. They take advantage of food wherever they find it, and will frequently raid fishing vessels or trash. Additionally, they’re almost always making noise, so they have a bit of a reputation for being annoying.”
Two long tail feathers trailed out behind one phrait as it dipped close to the ship, prompting several sailors to hide their meals, “However, they do have a use! They cannot travel too far out to sea, so when they are spotted, it means that land is near! In our case, seeing them meant we were close to the next stage of our journey, the grand city of Adecial!” Squinting in thought, Tearna nibbled on her pen as she began making her way back to the small table she had been using, “However… I find myself not fully satisfied.” Her chair screeched as she pushed it back and sat down, staring at her journal with a frown, “While finding the tremirs was a dream come true, there were two other behemoths I had been hoping to catch sight of, though I knew the odds were slim.” Closing her eyes, she nodded and began to write, “Although I did not have the luck of finding either of them on our trip, I will still record what I understand so our people may have a better idea of what they are like and the threat they pose.”
“To find these creatures, one either needs bad luck, or has to make a long journey into the cold, dark abyss.” Hundreds of feet beneath the ship, all light winked out. Past the razorfish, ripjaws, mantas, and creatures few had ever seen was a landscape that few could even dream of. In these cold depths, there wasn’t even the faintest hint of natural light, but while that conjured images of a dark void, there were a few points of light shining in the darkness! Along the ocean floor, large, leathery bioluminescent plants waved with the current. Dozens of points of light danced over them from a schools of lantern fish while larger, slender creatures slunk along in the shadows, avoiding the sparkling light of the numerous crystals poking up from the sea floor.
“This first creature is often called the ‘glutton,’” Tearna continued, schools of lantern swimming around through the darkness peacefully. “For the most part, they stick to the depths of the ocean, but have been known to wander to the surface when food is scarce.” One of the schools of fish suddenly turned away from its patrol path, drifting out into the void towards a new light that had illuminated the darkness. “Sailors and legionnaires alike claim that these creatures are the size of galleons and can swallow smaller vessels whole.” The orb of light danced side to side, the school approaching it seemingly hypnotized as they followed it further and further into the darkness. “They are arguably the most dangerous creature in the known ocean and stand tall right at the top of the food chain. We call them murktreaders.”
The school of fish suddenly vanished as a massive swell pushed through the water. For a moment, nothing stirred, but a silhouette began to move towards the ocean floor as the orb of light followed along. “Murktreaders are voracious hunters that primarily target schools of small fish or particularly enticing larger prey,” Tearna continued, the light of the plants on the ocean floor illuminating the bottom of the colossal fish. “Similar to anglers, murktreaders are far more armored and have two powerful forearms adorned with razor-sharp claws that can tear galleons in twain. Additionally, they have an orb of light dangling off their foreheads that they can use to hypnotize prey, though, it hardly seems necessary. When hunting smaller prey, Murktreaders can open their jaws wide and inhale water so quickly that their whirlpools have been known to sink ships!”
Light glinted across hundreds of massive, sharp teeth as the colossal red fish drifted towards the ocean floor, blinking its massive eyes as it rested its arms on several rocks. “As terrifying as murktreaders are, however, there is one legend that is supposedly far, far larger.” A massive current pushed through the water as a tremendous silhouette stirred the darkness. Far away from the Murktreader, fields of plants dimmed as a shadow moved over them, prompting them to hide away from its imminence. “Though there is some skepticism to its existence despite the encounters reported during the Crisis, it is said that only two of these creatures can exist at any given time because of their size.” The Murktreader continued to rest without worry, completely unaware of the threat closing in on it. “These creatures are what we call, leviathans.”
Bioluminescent light suddenly illuminated the horizon of the ocean floor, stretching in each direction and dwarfing the relatively small Murktreader. Six green eyes fixated on the Murktreader as the small fish finally noticed its demise, starting to swim away in panic as a colossal, dark void suddenly grew at the heart of the bioluminescent display. Pushing forward with a tremendous surge of water, a cloud of silt erupted as the silhouette bore down on the murktreader and the clank of teeth rang out. In the darkness, an ominous, pulsating rumble shook the water as the remains of one of the murktreader’s arms drifted away from the cloud of silt…
Writing out the last of her notes on the leviathans, Tearna sat back and smiled, “Thankfully or unthankfully, depending on how you view it, we didn’t encounter these legendary beasts. Supposedly, they’re large enough to even devour the battleships used during the Crisis, though, I admit, I am a bit skeptical of their existence. Still, it is fun to imagine such a creature existing, and I envy the lucky soul who gets to one day confirm whether or not they exist!”
Watching a phrait cry and sing overhead, Tearna turned her gaze forward, “After several days of traveling, our voyage on the Esterian Sea was nearing its end. We saw many incredible sights, relaxed, and even made a few dreams come true! It was a magical experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world, and while I am a bit sad to leave it behind, I am happy beyond belief to have experienced it and grateful that we made it through without any accidents! Aside from me sailing away on the back of a tremir, of course…”
Smiling happily, Tearna shut her journal and stood, leaving her journal behind as she moved towards the front of the ship, “But, with our voyage nearly behind us, it was once again time to turn our gazes forward!” Resting her hands on the railing, her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the sight looming on the horizon, “Our expedition across our home continent and the vast ocean, at least for now, was done. Ahead was a new adventure in a place many of us have only ever read about, the vast continent of Falador!”
Crimson flags whipped over white buildings. Chatter and construction echoed into the vast, blue sky from across the sprawling city. Towering cliffs loomed over a large harbor, numerous white rooftops gazing down at the shipyards from high overhead. Smiling, Tearna let out a happy laugh as she beheld the sight she had heard so much about, “And our very first stop on what will no doubt prove to be a legendary adventure is none other than the old capital city of Adecia, the grand port of Adecial!” Ahead of the galleon, light broke around the massive white domes of Adecial as the city shone with a radiant white hue.