Dear Friends,
I hope this letter finds you well.
My voyage has been one which has given me much to ponder, for it was neither easy nor as glorious as I had anticipated. The sea has ever been a cruel mistress and has tested me throughout my entire life; but this was a vicious, brutal assault that I shall not soon forget.
Upon receiving my orders I sought out a worthy crew. I already had several names in mind from previous expeditions; noble sailors and warriors with whom I fought alongside in the War. It has been some time since I’ve Captained my own ship, however I felt all the more comfortable with Andris acting as First Mate. As we left Pelargir the tides seemed on our side. We took to the winds with ease and marveled in our good fortune, perhaps foolishly casting an ill omen upon us.
Days past before it struck, a storm of the like which I had never seen before. Just off the Cape of Andrast the sea beneath us began to churn and seethe, threatening to capsize the vessel. We lost three good men within the first hour, thrown overboard trying to maintain the deck. Andris, for the first time in his life, began to lose his nerve, but I remained steadfast and employed all my knowledge and skill to keep her steady. But it wasn’t enough. It is unclear what happened, exactly. But darkness took the vessel. The skies cracked and howled above as I awoke, my hair matted with both salt water and blood as I clung to the side of a barrel being battered by the waves. Only debris surrounded me, no sign of Andris or my crew. I was alone in the abyss at complete mercy to the elements. I am not ashamed to admit that I almost lost all hope in that moment.
For what seemed like a lifetime, the sun began to pierce the cloud above. Dawn was approaching and with it the mist upon the ocean parted. I saw land. My mouth dry and head pounding, I used all my remaining strength to drift towards it. Upon reaching the beach of this unknown territory, I surrendered to my fatigue and fell.
I was roused by fresh water being dropped upon my cracked lips. I pleaded for more, but was denied. My would-be saviours sparing my gut, which would have surely bust had I drank deep. As my vision cleared, I began to question whether the people surrounding me were indeed people at all. They wore painted faces, wild and fierce to behold. Their cloth was poor and the weapons which they brandished brutish. They spoke a tongue I did not fully understand and, to this day, cannot. These were the Wildmen of Enedwaith.
I shall continue this tale in a further letter.
Earonohtar
