The Shattered Land_ The Dreaming Dark - Keith Baker [37]
He slid over the railing in a blur of scales and leather. There was a splash as he struck the water, and an ululating cry from below—the call to summon his mount, perhaps.
When Lei reached the railing, the sahuagin was nowhere to be seen.
Thaask was as good as his word, and the following evening the ship arrived at the port of Stormreach. Lei had finished her work, Lakashtai had emerged from her meditations, and all four of the travelers gathered on the deck to watch as the ship approached the colony.
The shore of Xen’drik was nearly as inhospitable as the Straits of Shargon. Stone columns and massive splinters of rock jutted from the water, and the coast was a sheer cliff. To the southwest, Daine could see a break in the cliffs, a jagged hole miles across. It looked anything but natural; it was as if a giant hammer had come down and blasted a gap in the rock, and knowing the legends of this shattered land, that may have been exactly what had happened.
It soon became clear that this unnatural gap was their destination. A handful of fishing boats were scattered across the rocky bay, and as they approached, a galley of an unfamiliar design came into view. The vessel was long and narrow, with a curving prow that rose high out of the water, and its sail was painted with a complex design of blue and silver lines—a dizzying labyrinth that drew the eye into its depths.
“An ill omen,” Lakashtai said, watching the vessel head out to sea.
“How so?” Daine said.
“That is a Riedran ship, and the people of that land are the servants of the Inspired—and thus, the allies of our enemy. Most likely it is mere coincidence we see it here, for Riedra has as much interest in the wealth of Xen’drik as any other land. The ship is heading away, but I fear to think what it may have left behind.”
Lei shook her head. “Nightmares, brain eaters, sinister agents of doom—don’t you ever have anything cheerful to say?”
“In times such as these, I prefer dark truths to pleasant deception,” Lakashtai replied cooly.
A moment later, the colony itself came into view. Compared to the majestic towers of Sharn, this was an unruly sprawl. Buildings were scattered across the coastline as if dropped by a child. Every building was unique. Some reflected the traditions of different cultures; Daine spotted a building constructed in the Flamic style popular in Thrane and another that seemed to be the work of goblin hands. Stranger than the designs were the materials that were used. There were a few solid houses that might have been plucked from the streets of Fairhaven or Metrol, but many were odd patchwork buildings, using mismatched pieces of stone, chunks of driftwood, or what appeared to be rosy crystal. As they drew closer, Daine could see that a number of the structures incorporated pieces of ships’ hulls, undoubtedly scavenged from vessels that foundered in the deadly harbor.
“The designs are most unusual,” Pierce said, studying the coast. “Have there been many wars to cause such devastation?”
“This is not the result of battle,” Lakashtai replied. “Stormreach is one of the few safe landings on this edge of Xen’drik—and safe is most definitely a relative term. As the people of Eberron took to exploring the seas, many ships were broken on this shore, and the survivors made their way to this place. In time people mastered the seas, and many found this place a welcome refuge. Smugglers and pirates sought a haven from the strength of Galifar, while explorers and scholars yearned for the treasures of legend. In recent years, prospectors have found the land to be rich in dragonshards and other valuable substances, such as the crystal material you see in some of the buildings. The dragonmarked houses came to Stormreach, and the princes of Khorvaire and Sarlona followed in their wake.”
“Which nation claims the land?” Pierce said.
“Stormreach is its own sovereign state, and its lords