BETRAYER'S VEIL

Legend says that long ago, all the races of the land lived together in peace, and that the gods walked among them. But then a alliance of kings turned their people against the gods and tried to kill them. A terrible war was waged, but as many predicted, the gods eventually triumphed. Filled with vindictive rage, the gods then punished all the people for the alliance’s treachery. For every drop of the gods blood that had fallen to the earth, a monster was created, and there was much death as the monsters ravaged across the lands. Eventually, all that was left were twelve cities, who built their walls high.

Today, only 8 of those bastions of order remain. They are vast city states, with an outer ring and an inner ring. Small forests and farmlands dot the outer ring, while the nobles and craftsmen inhabit the inner ring. Beyond the walls, the monsters have multiplied and made the land theirs. Vampires, werewolves, cannibals, zombies, witches, mutants, wendigos, cultists, and other forgotten horrors wait for those foolish enough to venture outside the walls.

People, like you.

For you are mercenaries, part of a heavily armoured caravan, traveling with your cities leaders on a expedition to Shadow Peak, one of the 8 cities. A gathering of leaders from all the cities is being held, with hopes of creating an alliance to better aid each other against the encroaching darkness.

THE MOURNFUL SEA

Mechanics:

Soul Lanterns

The mournful sea is often shrouded by thick fog, which has more than once, left a ship's crew lost long enough to starve to death. Long ago, a magical “device” was created to help ships avoid this fate. Soul lanterns can guide the ships crew through the fog and even sometimes locate other ships. The way they do this is rather grim though.
They draw upon the memories and power of trapped souls.
Those entering into a ship's crew, must cut their palms on the the sharp edges of this unusual looking lantern. Doing so binds your soul to the contract you’ve made when joining the crew. If you act against the captain’s orders out of fear or greed, the lantern will know and your soul will begin to drain into the lantern. Go long enough without doing something to make up for this, and your souls will be completely drained. Those whose souls are completely drained die, and their souls are trapped in the lantern until the lantern determines their treason has been paid for.
There is however, one voluntary captive in the lantern, albeit a temporary one. Whenever a captain of a ship with a lantern dies, their souls enters the lantern and from there will designate their successor. They then remain in the lantern as long as they wish until they are satisfied the new captain is ready to stand alone, then they pass on to whatever afterlife awaits them. Their memories are also imprinted into the lantern, allowing the lantern to guide the ship down routes the dead captains have taken before.
The lanterns are not without flaws though, as the lantern only works when it has souls to power it. It can use the imprinted memories, but without souls, the information can be distorted and lead the ship astry. The memories do not stay pristine forever either, as unlike souls, they do not have that spark of life keeping them vital once the owner of the memories has passed on.

Wraith Coral

Ships of the Mournful sea have sometimes been referred to as beasts of burden more than simple constructs of wood and tar. This stems from the use of Wraith Coral in their construction. Wraith Coral is a lightweight, but durable living substance that can, when guided by skillful hands, be shaped and molded to fit almost any shape. For shipwrights, it is used to reinforce a ships with a sort of durable skeleton/armour. The benefits of this are that, given time, damage done to the coral will heal on it’s own, allowing ships to stay at sea longer without requiring time in drydock. Those with the proper knowledge can even speed the process with special oils and potions. However, anyone who has lived on or near Wraith Coral formations knows what is the best thing for cultivating coral regeneration and growth...fresh blood, and lots of it.

Hazards:

Mryguul

Ghastly, inhuman creatures, Mryguul are an ancient terror that stalk the Mournful seas and the settlements along the coast. Rarely seen in recent memory, they resemble an unholy combination of man, fish, and cadaver, Mryguul are known to appear with little or no warning from the fog. Favouring vicious hooked weapons and swift assaults, the fiends capture as many as they can before retreating into the fog. No one has ever returned after being captured by Mryguul. Only screams heard echoing through the fog after an attack give any hint to the grisly fate that awaits those taken. If the Mryguul banaracle ships appear, pray you are not taken alive.
Many believe the Mryguul are the citizens of the lost city of Reinsburg in the north, changed into monsters by whatever curse befell the once shining jewel of the north. These are just old tales though, and no os is truly certain of where they come from.

Ur-Kraken

The single most dangerous creature in all the north, The Ur-kraken and it’s terrible brethren are unearthly terror given monstrous form. Believed by many to be nothing but a myth, the Ur-Kraken is said to be a breed of colossal sea monsters. A combination of squid and shark, the Ur-Kraken are reckoned to be the reason no great fleets sail the mournful sea in the current age, and why those who ply it’s waves often do so as quietly as they can. It is this caution and and practice of quiet sailing that gives the sea its name, as any joyful or boisterous ships is said to attract the attention of these monstrous beasts that could swallow a ship whole, or smash it to kindly with a single massive limb.