The Journey Home

Lost at Sea

The cold chill of winter could be felt in Zaracas' bones. He generally enjoyed the cold as winter fell on Waterdeep it always seemed to comfort him sitting in his library pouring over exotic tomes as the fire cackled in the background. Tonight was different though, although he couldn't quite put his finger on it the city seemed quieter than normal. It was as if a shadow had fallen on the city and was smothering it in the darkness of night.

Ignoring the ill feeling he had Zaracas went back to tome he had been studying. It was an old text he had purchased the day before on the topic of planar travel. It had cost quite a few gold but in the end gold is worthless compared to knowledge and that was his business. Understanding of the arcane was what he lived for it was what he spent every waking moment working towards. Some mages loved the idea of traveling the world, seeing new places and throwing themselves into exotic adventures but this wasn't Zaracas' path. His path was to sit in his library accumulating as much knowledge as was possible.


As the fire burned in across the room he came upon a passage in the booked marked pathways. It referenced places that in all of his study he had never heard of before. Bewildered he continued on until it happened! As he was reading the book began to glow with a faint blue light while across the room the fire that had been raging immediately extinguished leaving only the dim blue glow. Cold fear washed over him as he attempted to close the book and felt it resisting him. He focused all the will he could muster in an attempt to close the book. His vision began to blur and pain surged through his body as everything surrounding him began to fall away. Then there was only darkness.

The faint smell of salt assailed his senses and he could tell he was no longer in his library. The room was gently rocking as he realized he was at sea. As he sat up he noticed a horrible throbbing in his head and noticed that his vision was beginning to clear. He was lying on the floor naked in a small room. Quickly took a moment to become aware of his surrounding and found an old beat up tunic. Quickly he dressed as he became aware of screaming on the deck of the ship. In the distance he heard a load roar and felt the ship rock violently knocking him again from his feet. As fast as he could he ran to the porthole only to be surprised at what he had found the ship was under attack from a great white dragon. A horrible sound of cracking wood surrounded him. Suddenly the chill of seawater engulfed him as he struggled to breath, yet again there was darkness.

This time when he awoke he could feel sand beneath him. It felt as if he had swallowed the entire sea as he violently began coughing up the seawater in his lungs. Once he had composed himself and the coughing fit had ended he stood at least by this time the pounding in his head had subsided. This left but one task he needed to find out where he was and find a way back home to Waterdeep.