Alyeskan Tales: Wreck of the Skellig

It was a bit tricky trying to decide what category to fit this week's post under, ultimately went for an Alyeskan Tales post in the form of an adventure hook. This week's post is also part of a little experiment, mainly related to social media, but means going forward most posts will probably have a picture of some description attached.

Across Alyeska there are many tales and legends that grace the circuit of bar-room talks, typically spoken about on long dark evenings. Some are told as cautionary tales, others as some light entertainment to pass the time whilst the weather's foul. There is a kind of magic to these fables as a kind of hush falls upon the tavern as the drinkers listen to the words as they are spoken, for there is sometimes a grain of truth that may lead to a rich pay off.

One such tale is that of the...

Wreck of the Skellig

Ice Ghosts - Mike Doscher

The Skellig's tale stems from the Great Darmonican War, it was a skyship in service with the Tylander Air Service. During the conflict she fought in a number of skirmishes against her Commonwealth and Artian counterparts, though as a raider rather than at the forefront of battle. Her involvement in the raid on the Artian liftorium refinery at Stomberg was a particular highlight of her career.

At some point during the War she was ordered to Alyeska, this was unusual as Tylander skyships normally conducted raider style missions round the Commonwealth's Home Isles rather than some far-flung colony. It is believed that she was sent to pick up some sort of cargo found by Tylander agents and bring it back to Tyland, though both the cargo and the mission itself has never been confirmed or denied. But is a moot point as the Skellig was lost with all hands after picking up the cargo, about the time this supposedly took place a Commonwealth air patrol reported seeing an unidentified skyship over the Alyeskan Outlands but lost her in the clouds.

To this day the Skellig's ultimate fate remains unknown, though a handful of people have reported finding a crashed skyship in the ice north of Prospector's Reach. Though whenever somebody went out to double check the reported location there was nothing to be found, though there is some speculation that the wreck moves with the ice flows as its been reported in different locations. Likewise there is some belief that the Skellig's cargo may had been some sort of Ancient Terran device that could've led to her lost.

Both the skyship itself and its cargo are worth a small fortune to the right parties, though any enterprising group could free her from the ice and restore to the skies. The only real issue is what downed her in the first place...