Southron Annals: Into the Drowned Lands

A standalone story fragment from the Southsong Cycle (third epoch)

From the annals of the Southron empire—

Year 183. Livat sent a tempest to force several crews ashore at Blohss, north of the mother isle. These warriors ventured inland to discover what folk and creatures the blessed of the empress might vanquish. The interior of Blohss was found altogether unpleasant, and the savage landhuggers were not worthy opponents.

Year 184. The glorious empress in her wisdom decreed that Blohss, being a land drowned in water, was holy of Livyat. She commanded our blessed warriors to subdue the land of Blohss in her name and that of the Mother of Serpents. The empress raised a new yarl to prepare an armada for the purpose.

Year 185. The armada reached the western side of Blohss and went ashore in force. Prowlers slew and devoured many warriors during the night watches, so that few slept easy. Other warriors became ill from the unrelenting damp and were fed to the leviathans. That fall, landhugger expeditions descended upon Blohss from the north, whereupon the blessed warriors of our armada hunted them to great satisfaction throughout the drowned lands.

Year 186. A great host of landhuggers drove our warriors to the edge of the sea. The empress decreed that our vessels should rescue the numerous leviathans they had captured and bear them to her palace. Our valiant warriors, the empress commanded, should die on the strand. A great many crews perished, along with their fledgling yarl. The sea ran red, so that many valiant women claimed oars on the ship of the undying.

Year 187. The landhuggers lost interest in Blohss, as did the empress and all our folk. The drowned lands were left to the savages and other lesser creatures.