Drake's Deal

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Drake's Deal was the name given to the darkest day in the adventures of The OathWielders, one that would cause permanent tensions and eventually split the team apart.

Background

Drake

Drakeseeri Prakseesin had originally joined the OathWielders to get back home to Nawfar after he had been banished and shipped across the world. Before his banishment, Drake had to take on the guilt of the events of Abaddon, during which his daughter perished at sea during a typical Snobbite sailing lesson led by his wife. Though it was his wife who made the call to do the risky maneuver, Drake took all the blame to save his loved ones, though he could only imagine what pain his wife now felt with a banished husband and no daughter.

Drake knew he would stop at nothing to get back to that side of the world, and as the OathWielders would learn, he would make it back there at any cost.

The Embargo

The OathWielders had made it to Champerty at this point in their adventure, and witnessed the previously friendly relationship between Champerts and Glendoveerians start to break, as Champerty had just learned of the The LaCroix Conspiracy, in which Glendoveer was framing Champerty for an attack on neighboring kingdoms.

While the governors investigated the conspiracy, an embargo was placed on all incoming Glendoveer Refugees. Most of the Glendoveer population in Osugbo were victims of The Fey Front to the west between Glendoveer and their arch enemy Woldlin. Because of this, hundreds of Elves were now trapped at sea, behind a magical Ice Wall that kept ships from docking.

About

Heroes at Sea

In an attempt to save the soon-to-starve refugees, The OathWielders took to sea, traveling out to the icy barricade and meet with the elves. Unfortunately for them, they came across another sea-faring crew...of Sea Hags. The Sea Hags, in typical fashion, longed to cause some chaos at sea, and knew they could offer the OathWielders something they couldn't refuse. The Sea Hags could destroy the barricade with a simple handshake of an agreement. But as Captain Drake shooks hands with the leader of the hag coven, he could feel his palm crack with blood. The Hags had crushed a fanciful ornament in the handshake, and as the glass broke, they could make their terms of agreement.

The Agreement

The Hags had locked Drake into a very dangerous agreement. They would destroy the barricade, but to do such powerful 'weird magic', they would fuel it with the blood of the captain. Drake would need to give his life. But as all evil charlatans do, the Hags offered a way out. If the team could collect the hairs of the elves on board those ships, the Hags would spare Drake his life.

Without hesitation, Captain Drake took the ship west to the refugees, ordering his team to collect as many hairs as possible to ensure his own survival. The team complied, nobody understanding the small genocide they were about to induce. For the hags had refused to share the fact that in giving Drake his life, they would use the hairs as a binding agent, instead taking the lives of all the elves collected to fuel the spell, which would kill anyone collected.

It was Horn Day that evening, and the OathWielders celebrated a fanciful feast among the elven refugees, sharing in food, prayers, music, and revelry. It was a memorable night for all involved, and the last night for most.

When they returned to the Hags, hairs in hand, Drake was given his freedom. The team celebrated, having outsmarted the hags and destroyed the barricade.

Aftermath

Months later, word would reach the Oathwielders of those elves' fate, and while everyone was disgusted and shocked, Captain Drake stood firm. A Snobbite sailor, Drake knew the rumors and legends of the Sea Hags, and it soon became clear that Drake knew there would be dark consequences at the time. But until he saw his wife again, Drake would stop at nothing to get back home, to the dismay of the others.

Drake would be given the name "The Living", in contrast to his earlier title "The Giving".