The Breeding Grounds
by Chryos

The day started like any other, an exciting serpent voyage was sure to be had. After all, the re-launching of the High Seas was a wonderful event. The ship whose namesake broke all sorts of records in fae and serpent points. Indeed, this did have potential.

We set sail from the port of G'Dangus, the city named after a famous dragon slaying pirate, who saved the port from a giant sea serpent. Our Captain, Shrefwan, had learned of a breeding ground for serpents. Excitedly we performed a check of the ship, made sure every gun was loaded, and that each gun room had plenty of ammunition. A breeding ground, this was quite exciting. To be in the center of so many serpents, I drooled at the concept. We made sure everything was ready, we had women aboard to help fight the wicked night sirens. We had the best hunters in the game aboard. This battle would be epic. I couldn't help but think that future bloodlines would listen in wonder at our tale.

It didn't take long before the DM decided that we were bored on our way to the breeding grounds. Searams. Of course. They circled our ship likes beasts of prey. All we could see was the red water, an ominous beginning to what was destined to be one of the greatest serpent battles ever. We all met up at the mainmast, sharpening our weapons, casting protective spells on ourselves, and decided our gameplan for fighting the searams. The risk this far out wasn't terribly bad, and the Searams showed us as much. Quickly they started falling to our blades and spells.

Our confidence in our abilities didn't last long. Had we made a mistake? Had we been to cocky to think we could take on an entire breeding ground? We were about to find out. Almost immediately that we hit hazardous waters, did we realize exactly what was in store for us. Those slithering denizens of the deep, rushed our boat. It took no enticement to attract them, as if they were waiting for us, knowing we were coming. Ten serpents at once rose up out of the water. Dragon headed, fan tailed, scorpion tailed, hammer headed, eel, whale, there was no discrimination as to which would try to destroy us first, and before we had time to kill the remaining Searams, or even get to our guns, the battle had begun.

Without fear, our Captain rallied the troops. Though we might be in the middle of the breeding grounds, and though we might die, we would at! least take some of those bloodthirsty beats with us.

"Larboard Ready!" shouted Shrefwan.

"Larboard FIRE!!"

Dart Flingers, Fire Casters, Bolt Throwers, missiles of all sorts flew towards the beasts. one after another they lodged themselves painfully into the sides of the beasts. They were enraged simply from our intrusion upon their domain, but now that we had outright attacked the beasts, it made a bad situation a hundred times worse. Caelistis quickly put the word out that we needed help, which didn't turn out to be so difficult, one word was all that was needed, "SERPENTS!". Adventurers from all corners of Medievia answered the call. From Lyryanoth to Trellor the word quickly spread, bravely these heroes all (despite their experience), quickly readied themselves against these horrible beasts of burden.

From our right side up came more beasts. "Starboard Fire!" Another volley flew at the serpents. Shrefwan quickly got his crew rallied to best defend against these slithering nightmares. "OK I need stern manned!". "I got it" Rina shouted. "I'll take stern 3!" shouted Tasarilhindyn. Kisaragi shouted "I'll take stern 1!". Suddenly the Captain yelled, "Someone tag that colossal!". Quickly Maynard loaded a magical tag into his gun and shot it into the colossal's belly.

"Starboard in 3!" Shref bellowed.

"Starboard in 2!"

"Starboard in 1!"

"Starboard FIRE!"

With incredible force the ship shuddered as our Starboard side fired into several of the towering beats. Samehdi's shot burst into the face of a ruby serpent. The sound of so many guns firing was deafening. "WRONG AMMUNITION AT STERN 1!" I barely managed to hear Kisaragi shout. Great, more problems.

Volley after volley we fired at the beasts, launching everything we could at them. From out of nowhere a giant crash rocked the ship, we were riding on the back of a serpent! Those that could be ! spared from the guns quickly repaired the ship as fast as we could, pumping out water, running ammunition. Not one person's job more important than the other.

*Bang*, *Bang*, We knew this sound, it hadn't been long since we had fought them before. More Searams. We barely had anymore crew left to repair, let alone to fight Searams. This trip was the epitomy of bad luck, but never the less, some of us dropped our hammers, released the pumps, and quickly rallied to fight the rams. The battle was fierce amidst the roaring gunfire, one ram would fall, and its babies would spill out from it's bleeding belly, and though not as fierce as there progeny, in big numbers they are rather deadly. Suddenly the ship was again hit with terrifying force, destroying even more of our already fragile ship. We slew the rams one by one, and quickly defeated their children as well, hurrying back to our repairs. At least this serpent mission wasn't boring!

Colossals, massives, every size and shape of serpent was there to destroy us. Hundreds and hundreds of rounds of ammo, gone within an hour of leaving port. If we wanted to fight serpents, we had definitely gone to the right place. Serpent after serpent fell to our ammunition, but at a price, our ship had seen the worse for wear, and was on the verge of sinking. One more hit and we would have been through. Suddenly an unmistakable scraping on our hull. "Everyone below decks!" Shrefwan ordered. Just in time too, for the Ruby Kah boarded our ship. Some of our crew weren't fast enough, and were killed by the Kah. I do not know why serpents will not attack our ship with the Ruby Kah aboard, but they could not have come at a better time. Some of our crew got together, no more than 3 in a form, to go and take out the kah one by one. The rest of us quickly set to repairing the damage wrought by the serpents, and still others pumped the water from our hold. Shrefwan quickly telepathed his clanmates, to announce to N! OT kill the last ruby kah, we were trying to head to safe waters. Shrefwan himself focused in on steering us out of the dangerous waters.

Unfortunately the tragedy here is the crew sometimes forgets to listen to their Captain, and someone killed the last Kah. Almost immediately the serpents were upon us, 3 serpents rammed us in quick succession. Our repairs were destroyed, as soon was the ship. Let this be an announcement to all future serpent hunters, Ruby Kah can save the day as often as destroy it, and listen to your captain.