[Book] A Sailor’s Guide to The Sea of Ghosts

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Gallowglass36
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[Book] A Sailor’s Guide to The Sea of Ghosts

Post by Gallowglass36 »

I saw there was another book on the Sea of Ghosts on an earlier forum post, but I wrote this one to be a more practical guide. Best to go in northern towns like Solitude or Danstrar perhaps?
By Haajolf Ice-Runner

My father once told me when I was a young lad that the sea is partial to no man. Whether you are the highest king, or the lowest peasant, she will treat you just the same. This line rings true for the icy waters that blanket the northern coasts of Skyrim, The Sea of Ghosts. I have sailed these waters since I was old enough to help pull the riggings on my family’s ship, but yet I feel I’ve only seen so much of the secrets she has to offer. Regardless, my friends and kin have pressured me to write my experiences down now that I am growing old. So I have poured all that I know about her into this guide, and I hope this will help young and old sailors alike traverse through her treacherous waters.

Alas, a voyage into The Sea of Ghosts is no pleasure cruise down the Niben. Storms, icebergs, and giant waves have been the end of many a ship, often coming in with little warning, and any old sailor you talk to will be able to tell you the tale of their first brush with an icy death on the sea. For inexperienced crews, It would be best to sail alongside the coasts for an easier voyage, and not go looking for adventure trying to find what remains of old Atmora. Beware though, for many a pirate vessel stalk the coasts looking for ships to plunder, so either sail in a fast ship, or arm your crew to the teeth and pray to the Gods for a victorious battle.

Of course, it would be a disservice not to mention the ghosts that haunt the sea bearing their name. Grizzled old seamen will say they are the spirits of those who did not make it from their voyage from Atmora, while younger men and scholars will chalk it up to superstition, or perhaps sailors who’ve had too many bottles of mead. Regardless of what is out there, I advise sailors to stay clear of them, for angering those old spirits will surely bring disaster and death upon your crew.

Despite all these dangers, I have thankfully not encountered too many hostile creatures out there in the sea. The occasional whale popping up out of the sea is a good omen for sailors, and I always enjoy watching groups of them dance in and out of the waters. Sea draugr are nasty creatures, but usually stick closer to the shoreline, and I have not heard many stories of them attacking ships directly. Of course, there is a beast that I pray no sailor will ever encounter, the vile sea serpent. You might have seen the giant skeleton of one that surrounds the city of Danstrar and foolishly think they have gone extinct, the last killed off by old King Bergryf and his clan, but I assure you sailor that they are very real, and just as dangerous as they might seem. Thankfully, few venture beyond the cold shores of Atmora further north, but if you are to encounter one while sailing, my only advice would be to pray to the Gods for a swift death.

Reading all this, you might think that sailing into the Sea of Ghosts would only be a fools venture, or a job fit for only the expendable men of society. But despite the dangers the sea holds, it will always be my home, and my lifeblood. It has weathered my bones and brought ache to my soul, but it has brought me and my clan wealth and prosperity as well. The sea is partial to no man, and I wouldn’t have it any other way

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