Legend of the Surrak: The Hunt For Ship Eater

Even after Suna united to face Dread Captain Morshay, his terrifying sea-beast Ship Eater still had the potential to destroy everything. A truly skilled tribe from Eiri took up the task of hunting Ship Eater down themselves.

The Surrak tribe, hardened marine monster hunters of the frozen lands of Eiri, had carved their legacy from the icy waters. Known for their daring hunts and unmatched resilience, they took pride in protecting coastal villages from sea beasts while honoring the creatures with trophies and tales. Back during the early start of Dragonrise, around 100 DR, seal hunters from Suna spoke of Ship Eater, a monstrous leviathan under the thrall of the ruthless pirate Captain Morshay, the Surrak knew their ultimate challenge had arrived.

Described as a creature so massive it could capsize entire fleets, with scales like jagged iron and jaws large enough to devour ships whole, Ship Eater was said to strike terror into even the most hardened sailors. Morshay wielded the beast as a weapon, sinking merchant vessels and imposing his reign of fear over the Frail Sea. For the Surrak, this was not merely a hunt—it was a chance to etch their names into legend.

Five swift and maneuverable longships were outfitted for the journey. Each was reinforced with harpoons tipped in Surrak-forged steel, designed to pierce even the toughest scales. Nets woven from sinew and coated in frost oil (a substance that stiffened upon contact with cold water) were prepared to bind the creature. Armed with their mightiest spears, their sharpest wits, and an unyielding resolve, the Surrak set sail for the Frail Sea.

The hunt was grueling. For weeks, the Surrak navigated unfamiliar waters, gathering scraps of intelligence from fearful sailors. Villages spoke of swirling maelstroms and shattered wreckage—signs of Ship Eater's wrath. The Surrak laid traps in suspected feeding grounds, baiting the creature with enormous carcasses of whale and seals, but Ship Eater proved elusive.

Finally, near the jagged reefs off Suna’s southern coast, they caught their first glimpse of the leviathan. Its shadow stretched beneath the waves, larger than any creature they had ever faced. Its scales gleamed like shards of volcanic glass, and bioluminescent streaks along its sides glowed faintly, an eerie light in the dark waters.

The Surrak knew they could not confront it head-on; they would need strategy and precision to bring it down.

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The battle began at dawn under an overcast sky, with the faint glow of the rising sun barely piercing the heavy clouds. The waters of the Frail Sea churned violently as Ship Eater emerged from the depths, a monstrous silhouette that dwarfed the Surrak vessels. The leviathan's bioluminescent streaks pulsed faintly, casting an otherworldly glow across the waves. Its scales glistened like volcanic obsidian, and its roar reverberated through the air, a chilling sound that shook even the most seasoned hunters.

The Surrak knew they could not face the creature with brute force alone. Instead, they relied on precision, coordination, and the strategies that had made them legends in their homeland.

Two of the Surrak’s swiftest longships darted toward the leviathan, harpoons at the ready. As the beast breached the surface, revealing its massive jaws and the serrated ridges of its dorsal fins, the hunters loosed their harpoons, embedding them into its thick hide. The ropes, treated with frost oil, stiffened upon contact with the icy water, dragging behind the creature like heavy chains.

Enraged by the sting of the harpoons, Ship Eater surged after the attacking vessels, snapping its massive jaws. The ships weaved and zigzagged through the waves, narrowly avoiding the beast’s attacks while drawing it away from the rest of the fleet.

As the leviathan focused its fury on the decoy ships, the remaining Surrak vessels moved into position. Hunters armed with massive crossbows fired barbed bolts at its vulnerable joints—beneath the fins and along the tail. The bolts were tipped with toxin-coated steel designed to sap the creature's strength and slow its movements.

Ship Eater dove beneath the waves, its massive form creating a whirlpool that nearly capsized one of the pursuing ships. But the frost-oiled ropes trailing from its harpoons limited its agility, forcing it to surface once more, even more fatigued from it's attempts. The hunters struck again, targeting the softer underbelly exposed during its breaching dives. Harpoons and spears rained down, piercing the thin membrane between its armored plates.

The Surrak sprang their carefully laid trap. One of the lead vessels, fitted with a massive weighted net, maneuvered ahead of the leviathan’s path. Timing was critical; as the beast lunged for one of the decoy ships, the hunters released the net, which dropped onto its head and entangled its massive jaws and fins.

The frost oil coating the net activated as it touched the cold water, hardening rapidly and tightening around the creature like an iron cage. Ship Eater thrashed violently, its powerful tail creating towering waves that rocked the fleet, but the net kept it from being able to dive below the surface.

With the leviathan immobilized, the Surrak prepared for the final strike. Their leader, Kara Frostclaw, stood at the bow of her ship, clutching a massive double-pronged spear forged from the bones of an elder sea drake. As her vessel closed the distance, she leaped onto the beast's writhing body, landing near its head. Kara steadied herself against the shifting scales, ignoring the heat of the creature's bioluminescent streaks.

Summoning all her strength, she drove the spear into Ship Eater’s right eye, the prongs piercing deep into its skull. The leviathan roared in agony, its thrashing weakening as the blow reached its brain. With a final, shuddering groan, the great beast fell still, its immense body sinking beneath the waves as the hunters cheered in victory.

The Surrak quickly went to work, preserving every part of the leviathan they could salvage. Its scales, teeth, and bones were meticulously harvested, destined to become weapons, tools, and trophies of immense value. The glowing bioluminescent streaks were carefully extracted, said to hold mystical properties that could illuminate even the darkest depths.

When the Surrak returned to Eiri, they were greeted as heroes. The skull of Ship Eater was mounted on the icy cliffs overlooking the sea, a testament to their courage and skill. The story of the leviathan’s downfall spread far and wide, cementing the Surrak’s place in history as the greatest marine hunters the world had ever known.