Langvedem

“Long Return,” as told by an old fisherman in Marshfoot   Ya see everyone talks about when The Shellcrusher became “The Shellcrusher”, but no one's talks about what happened after. ‘Cause they don't know. But I know, and I'm gonna tell ya.   So, Zephyrak brings down The Beast and everything's all sunshine and rainbows, right? Nah. See, they say that the water got all calm afterwards, but it didn't. That fucker boiled the sea when it went down and no one could get close. Problem with that is Zephyrak had just crashed his ship, right? So no one can get to him when the water starts boiling. They try to sail around to him but there's no way through and then it gets dark. And in the morning, poof, no Zephyrak.   Zephyrak was smarter than all them though, and he knew how to borrow a little luck. He knows that if you give something, you'll get it back tenfold. So what does he have to give? His shoes. Kicks off his shoes and asks to not get boiled alive. Second he does, a bit of wood floats by, big enough for him to climb on. So he does, and like I said it gets dark, and when the light comes, the current's taken him gods know where. Not a ship or piece of land in sight.   Tricky thing about the whole giving and getting bit is that you never really know who you're giving and getting from. Zephyrak gives up shoes, gets back the wood. Simple trade. But he'd run out of things. Now it was all up to him.   But Zephyrak ain't no fool - he set the sun on his left like his parents taught him and started paddling. He knew that he'd hit land eventually and he was right. He paddled for a day ‘fore the first island came into view and when he finally got ashore, he slept right there on the beach.   He woke up later, not on the beach, but in a house of umber. Come to find out this island doesn't just have him on it, but a witch of great power, who had found Zephyrak and brought him inside.   She said to Zephyrak that he must pay for the luck of being taken in by her, and he said he had nothin’ left to give for the kindness, for even the wood that had saved him was washed away now. She said it wasn't her that needed the gift, but Luck itself, and he should be ready for what was to come should he make it back home - she would prepare a ritual to see what his payment would be.   He stayed there for three days and felled 30 trees to make a raft that would bring him home. On the night before he left, the witch did her magic and told him, “It will take much more luck than you've already spent to cross the sea. Should you make it home, you will bring back what you have won, but at a cost. A tragedy I dare not say will end your life. But should you stay here, you’ll live a thousand lifetimes, and want for nothing.”   I mean, I don't have to tell you he said no, cause you know that he came back, but he said no to her. Said that whatever the cost was, he needed to return peace to the foothills. So he set off again the next morning and left the witch on her island alone.   After sailing for another few days, Zephyrak came to another island, and was hoping to rest there before goin’ on. It looked really nice too, with fruit and game aplenty, but Zephyrak was wise. When he got closer, he saw that magic was coverin’ up all manner of unpleasantness - bogs and spiked plants, and even some jellies that tried to pull his boat to shore. Zephyrak beat the jellies back and left the island behind him.   At long last the shoreline of the foothills came into view. Zephyrak was but a few miles away when he saw his final challenge. A massive whirlpool, caused by the Beast’s descent, lay between him and his goal. Before he could react, his raft was caught in the current and pulled into the funnel. Even then Zephyrak didn't lose hope - he used the power of the water to push his craft back to the edge of the whirlpool and lept from it, out of danger, and though the current tried to pull him back, it was no match for Zephyrak's strength.   And that's how he got back to the foothills. From there it was easy enough to make the walk back home where he was greeted with a hero's welcome.   How d’ I know what happened? Cause I talked to him myself, ‘fore his daughter got to him. Sad thing, that, even if the witch had warned him somethin’ like that would happen… But hey, if you don't wanna believe me that's fine, you go ahead and think what you like. And let me know if you figure out why sailors don't wear shoes on ships no more while you're at it.