Role

Chapter 1

Born on the docks of Arkham harbor, Bremenal grew up a fisherman's son.
Working the nets with his father, the lad learned to brave the storms of the
sea. As he grew, he learned from his father who was exceptionally skilled at
defying the storms, and as a youth, the father-son team defied many storms
that would cow the most sea-hardy men of the waves. As a result, the profits
from their catches began to climb sharply as they tackled the storms that
sent their competition to shore. Young Bremenal began to believe there was no
storm they couldn't conquer. Then one fateful day, a fierce storm arose from
nowhere just as they labored to bring in an exceptionally large catch.
Skillfully, father and son worked the boat and the nets, defying the storm
while simultaneously hauling their catch aboard. Suddenly the sea grew calm
and placid as the winds ceased. Over the next few minutes, the waves settled
until the water was as smooth as glass, though the skies remained eerily
dark. Realizing this was no ordinary squall, the veteran sea captain ordered
rushed to drop the limp sails as he ordered his son to put out the oars as
fast as possible. Just as the pair began rowing toward shore, a keen
whistling began growing from the distance astern. In flash, the old man knew
what was coming and shouted for his son to row for their lives. But no more
had the order left his mouth than a swirling pillar of water entered their
vision and swept upon them at a frightening speed! A waterspout! Bremenal had
heard stories of them in the taverns along the docks, though he had always
dismissed them as fishermen's fables, concocted for tales over ale. But he
was staring into the face of one as it raced upon he and his father as they
rowed for their lives! In moments, the waterspout was upon them, upending the
small sloop from the stern, plunging the bow into the suddenly angry waters.
As the ship turned on its nose, the newly filled cargo hold emptied its
contents back into the sea, and suddenly the ship took flight as the weight
of its load instantly vanished. Bremenal clung to the belaying pins as the
ship sailed round and round through the air, the rain and seawater blasting
his skin like sand until he bled from dozens of cuts and scratches. Finally,
the waterspout gave one last might heave as it ripped the boat in two and
crushed the halves to splinters. A stay belaying pin slammed into the side of
the young fisherman's head and all went black. When Bremenal awoke, he was
draped over the back of a dolphin, swimming high on the surface to keep his
face out of the water. A few moments later, the animal deposited him on the
shore, nudging him further on to the beach with each wave, then wiggled its
way back into the sea and swam off with a click. Slowly, his strength
returned, and he realized his father was no where around. After days of
searching by the other fisherman, the grizzled captain was pronounced dead.