The Great Sea Race! [EXTRAVAGANZA EVENT]

[Nadaz, voice of the host]

Captain Split was huddled inside the aft cabin along with most of the holly hopper's crew, turning to face them he said ''In two days time we will arrive in the shoals of the legendary swordfish, no beast has ever made it past that giant of the deeps. Well save for three lucky souls back in my youth I was a apprentice carpenter aboard the Pike O'the Seas captained by Captain Crash herself. The night we entered the swordfish's waters was the worst gale I ever saw in my many long seasons of sailing me and my master carpenter were down in the hold fixing as best we could the scores of holes the beast tore in our ship. My master lost his leg that night the monstrous creature chopped a gaping hole in our starboard side, it's vicious teeth tore master Gripkin's left leg off in one bite. Then an enormous wave swept over the whole ship sweping all the poor crew overboard, save for master Gripkin, and I for we were not on the deck. The same wave that killed the crew thankfully pushed us away from that horror of the deep or I would not be here today, later Gripkin found Captain Crash half-drowned clinging to a rope we hauled her up and the voyage continued with only 3 hands on a badly damaged ship made for twenty we arrived on on the island the next day only due to the awe-inspiring sailing skills of Captain Crash. I then joined the crew of a fishing vessel and headed home to Sampetra via a different safer route. Come to think of it she probably went to the island to hide her teasure. Well I must prepare to face the monster again, you there! Haul the ballistae onto the deck and prepare for battle against this terror of the sea!'' And so the Holly Hopper sailed on.

[HoltLutra]

A couple days later...

The otter crew all grew silent with apprehension as they approached the territory of the Great Swordfish. At first, the waters were dark and calm. Moments later, however, the ocean erupted with a explosion of white sea spray. A giant fin tore across the waters toward the Freewave, which was dwarfed by it's presence.

[LT Sandpaw]

A few days before that...


The storm was just beginning to pick up in earnest when the Bloody Barrel limped back into the harbor. The vessel remained in dire straits, nearly completely sunk by the time it reached the tiny island jetty. A few beasts who remained on the beach to watch the now distant race jeered, but most soon vanished wishing to escape the storm's fury. Captain Damian Grog's crew however remained hard at work. The vanquished corsairs rushed about bailing water and sending divers down to remove the spiked barrels sunk deep into their hull. One rat perished when a wave smashed him into one of the contraptions. Despite the danger, and a few bloody paws and one casualty the weaponized barrels were retrieved and carried down to the armory, for potential use later.

Patches were soon constructed and set in place, and, after a few hours of hard effort the lake of water inside the Bloody Barrel was diminished to a mere pond. Damian himself inspected the damage done, splashing down the soaked underdecks of his ship's belly. Exhausted crew members slumped in damp hammocks, unconcerned about their uncomfortable situation, just wishing to catch a few minutes of rest.

"Well done mates." Damian cried, surprising everybeast who was still awake. "We're back in this race, an ye c'n rest assured we won't be fallin fer that right dirty trick again."

"Back in th' race Cap'n?" One crewbeast questioned, unconvinced. "We're a full day behind all th' others an' wit' a storm betwixt th' two o' us. An' th' crew be worn to th' bone after all that work. That likkle typhoon out on th' main be whippin' up waves taller n' th' mizzenmast." A few others mumbled in agreement encouraging the audacious speaker to continue. "We're all behind ye Cap'n to th' bloody end, but we ain't fit to sail a pond let alone th' stormy brine. Why don' we cut our losses an' rest 'ere fer a few days, wait fer th' seas to calm an' go find ourselves some fat merchant ships ter raid. We'd be fat n' 'appy again an' naught to worry about but-guhhhaaagh." The speaker gurgled his last words, Damian's sword thrust deep into his abdomen. The creature convulsed, blood frothing at his lips before sliding backwards of his hammock, splashing into the foot or so of water that remained.

"Anyone else wanna try givin' me orders?" Damian asked, eyeing his startled crew like a hawk ready to strike. Nobeast dared stir or move a muscle lest Captain Damian Grog's wrath be unleashed upon them. Seeing no takers Damian stepped onto the dead corsair, wiping gore from his sword on the unfortunate's dirty jerkin. "Well up an' at 'em lads. All paws on deck, we're setting sail once again fer me treasure, an' revenge!"