[center][h1] The Merdhrai's Menace [/h1]
[img]https://i.pinimg.com/originals/29/64/0d/29640d203e18b848aa76b129488dd665.jpg[/img]

Day ???, Week ???, Cycle ??? 
Springtime, Bay Entrance[/center]
[hr]

Bits and pieces of wood, fabric and rope. They were all intricately crafted, much more sophisticated than what the Merdhrai could ever hope to produce. They were all the signs that were so obvious to those who knew what it belonged to, but for most of the otterfolk it was still a mystery as to what their true origin was. But as with all things, soon the secrets of these objects would reveal themselves in the most spectacular fashion.

Dashing across the water of the shielded natural harbor, the greater area of which a part the Merdhrai had called home, it wasn't long until the quick and agile otters finally bumped into what they were searching. To the northeast of their village, dashed up on the rocks near the entrance to the large bay, was a ship of a large size that had been clearly caught in a storm and then lost to it's rage as it was caught on the wave breakers. It's imposing wooden hull relatively intact, though showing signs of age already that seemed to go against the common wisdom of ships that were recently shipwrecked.

The sails hung loose in the wind, the soft breeze fluttering and puffing them up and sending rippled through their surface. One of the wooden beams in the middle that supported a small crow's nest was cracked and hanging off to the side, supported only by ropes that have seen better days. A piece of cloth, a flag of unknown origin was still hanging loosely from atop said beam, fluttering in the wind. It's colors White, with a pair of red and blue animals that the Merdhrai couldn't tell the origin of holding what seemed like sticks. The details on it were intricate, but the weather has worn out the colors and made them bleed into the white of the background a bit.

Approaching further to the wreck, the Merdhrai could see that the hull had been cracked open at the bottom where the ship hit the rocks, but despite the high waves that sometimes splashed against it, it seemed like the wreck wasn't intent on moving from it's final resting place. Smashed pieces of wood and a few barrels floated in the water the opening, the inside dark and shielded from the outside world.

On the inside the ship was dank with the smell of weathered wood and wet fur. Crates and barells, some still sealed, laid strewn about what seemed like the cargo hold of the ship. A ladder leading up to the surface was still attached to the beam in the middle, a trapdoor in the middle leading up to the the deck, while another trapdoor lead down into what seemed like a compartment below the one they were in, but the door seemed stuck at first glance, perhaps indicating that the compartment below was not yet flooded. Up on the deck, a few buckets and spare ropes laid in the far corner, caught by the railing of the ship. Seagulls watched intently from the railings and other elevated positions, flocks of them already claiming the wreck as their home. The craftsmanship here was even more clear than before, the angles of the carved wood and the thickness of beams and logs showing the Merdhrai a glimpse of what can be possible. On the far end of the ship, sitting slightly above that water level was what seemed like a cabin that was still not submerged.

Inside the Merdhrai could find ornate furniture, maps that have been soaked and faded by the water that rushed in through the broken windows with every tide, as well as a few personal belongings that seemed to have been left behind. It was clear that whoever was on this ship had left in a haste, a moldy plate of food still laying on a platter that was kept in place on a cabinet, whilst various other instruments the Merdhrai couldn't identify were on the walls and cabinets that laid the walls. A few books and notes were thrown about the floor of the currently dry cabin, but whatever their ink once held had been washed away by rising tides. Signs of struggle were visible upon closer investigation, a few scratch and cut marks visible on the large wooden desk sitting in the middle of the cabin.

It was a treasure trove of knowledge and discovery, even if a lot has already been lost to the elements. But perhaps the biggest mystery was one that the wood and cloth could not make up for: the seemingly missing occupants of the ship that were nowhere to be found. Perhaps the only clue as to what this ship was here for, where it came from and who used it. All questions the Merdhrai would have to answer on their own with time...

[@Pagemaster]