Storm warning

Morning rolls around, and you make your way back to the deck. Ferra and Melora are by your side, with Alex sleeping in as usual. You catch a few amused grins from the crew as you head towards Captain Ben, although less than you expected. The reason is obvious as you look at the sky. Clouds are rolling in, which wouldn’t be cause for alarm, except that these clouds have flickers of green lightning within them.

Melora grabs your arm as she staggers. “We…we need to tell the captain to head for land. Immediately.”

You look at her in concern. “Are you ok? What’s happening?”

She nods. “I’m fine, but if we stay on our current course, we’ll be caught in a change storm.”

You blink in confusion. “What is a change storm?”

She shakes her head. “I sometimes forget you’re not from here. Please, tell the captain, and I will explain.”

The three of you approach Ben, who greets you with a grin. “Ahhh, there ye be, lad! Had a pleasant evening?”

You chuckle at his commitment to pirate speech. “I did indeed. But Melora tells me that you need to head for land. Apparently there’s something strange about the coming storm.”

Ben nods. “We be headed for land now. The other ship sent us a message. They be veterans of these seas. And apparently there be a secret settlement nearby!”

You chuckle. “Well, ok then. A secret settlement? “

He nods again. “The former prisoner be having a lover there. It be sounding like a whole town of new recruits, lad.”

You smile. “Well, carry on then. Hopefully they don’t react badly when we show up. How far out are we?”

Captain Ben eyes the sea for a moment. “But a few hours. The wind be aiding us, though we be slowed by the other ship.”

You nod. “All right. Let me know if something changes.”

With that, the three of you leave the captain to his business, and head down to the mess area for breakfast and a conversation. Sitting down with some food, you and Ferra wait while Melora gathers her thoughts. Finally, she begins her explanation.

“Once, there were gods here. Much like you described your family, largely benevolent. This was hundreds of years ago. According to legend, a great plague ravaged the land, and even the gods were not immune. Many went insane, the corruption of their body affecting their mind as well. Fearing the end of everything, the high god, who’s name is lost to time, sent several of his children away, to a far away land. He then erected a barrier to keep everything separated.”

She sighs. “I do not know how much of this is true, but those children were the first gods of your land. Meanwhile, the erecting of the barrier destabilized magic here. The disease mutated, becoming magic in nature, and feeding upon the magic of the person infected. The gods intervention saved the common people, but mages started dying everywhere. But something was different. The more powerful the mage, the longer they could resist.”

She takes a drink before continuing. “In the end, the disease became something spellcasters feared, but it became quite rare. However, once infected, people’s personality changed, and never for the better. The infected gods…they had to be destroyed. The high god did it himself. Afterwards, he vanished, and was never seen again.”

You think for a moment. “And the disease, it’s still around today?”

Melora nods. “It had a resurgence when the Order came to power. It’s rumored that they’re all infected.”

Ferra looks at Melora. “And the change storms?”

Melora nods. “Started about the same time. They are magic run amuck, warping everything they touch. Fortunately they stay at sea, but they leave horrible monsters in their wake. No one knows how they started, but they seem to radiate outward from the barrier. Something changed about the barrier twenty years ago, and it’s behaving strangely.”

You sigh. “This is a lot to take in. Thank you for telling me. I understand why we need to get to land, then. No telling what it would do to us.”