In the craggy peaks of the Skyreach Mountains, where the air thinned and the eagles soared, Squall Talonwind first opened his eyes to the world. His early years as an Aarakocra in the high nests were marked by the boundless freedom of the skies. However, unlike his kin, Squall’s heart was drawn not to the vast expanse above but to the mysterious, undulating world of the seas below.
As a young Aarakocra, Squall’s fascination with the ocean was unusual, his tribe being traditionally wary of the vast waters. His parents, skilled hunters who revered the wind and sky, often found Squall gazing longingly at the distant blue horizon, lost in thoughts they couldn’t fathom. Despite their attempts to train him in the ways of their people, Squall's dreams were filled with rolling waves and salty breezes.
Squall's life changed the day he encountered an old seafarer, a retired sailor named Old Jenkins, who had somehow managed to climb their mountain abode. The tales Jenkins told of his life at sea - of storms, creatures of the deep, and lands beyond imagination - captivated Squall. Jenkins spoke of a world where the horizon stretched endlessly and the sky met the ocean, a world Squall knew he was destined to explore.
At the age of 19, Squall bade farewell to his tribe and soared down the mountains, following the rivers that led to the sea. In the bustling port city of Mariner's Landing, he found work on a merchant vessel named the "Crimson Wave...
- from the publisher's blurb