 Near the shores of the Shadowland, 948 GUE |
Zahab was once the captain of an old boat, reminiscent of an ancient Viking ship, where he sung lively, but somewhat uncouth, sailor songs. When he sailed to the eastern shore of the Great Sea, which was underground, he was ensnared by an evil curse near the Shadowlands which kept him imprisoned upon the seemingly endless waters. Here Zahab was trapped for three ages until in 948 GUE, the man who was soon to become the Second Dungeon Master, greeted him with the words "Hello sailor!", thus freeing him from the curse. As a token of gratitude, the seaman gifted the future Dungeon Master with a vial of invisibile liquid, before sailing off towards the west.
In about 961, Zahab retired from sailing and by 966 was took up the hobby of painting at Grubbo-by-the-Sea. In those days he was described as old and crusty, with ice-blue eyes and was in collaboration with Y'Gael, Grote Clutchcake, and Cardinal Toolbox to guide an unknown peasant to recover the Coconut of Quendor. Once the Coconut was recovered, Zahab completed his painting. It shimmered with magic as the rays of a slim golden wand played across its surface. The skillful strokes and flourished became one with the sea and sky, artfully blending with the surroundings until it was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. The group, along with Sneffle and the peasant, boarded the ship and the magnificent galleon glided away from the wharf of Grubbo-by-the-Sea and high into the sky, held aloft by the planes of sparkling magic.
The ship carrying the Coconut of Quendor met a terrible fate in 967 when it was swallowed by the great flying Watchdragon. The details of this account are related to us in a small excerpt from the “Voyage of Captain Zahab”:
...drop of water, and not a bit of food in the hold!
A forthnight longer, and my mind grew infirm. Like a mirage in the desert, I began to see islands where there were none—and where I swore I saw only horizon not a moment before, hills grew up out on the water, right before my eyes. At first I thought it must have been all the rye I drank. I sent out a dingy. Not an hour later, a roar rocked out craft, followed by a terrific crashing noise, like a great granola mine had just collapsed. What vile menace inhabits this Isle of the Damned?
Dismembur 12
We found the remains of the dingy on a floating island, along with one survivor. He had gone mad, raving incoherently about plugging the nostrils of some serpent beast. His last tearful words I record here so that I might share them with his loved ones.
“We tried to pull the coconut from his mouth. But he knew. And woe, for his wrath was mighty!
Although at least Captain Zahab escaped alive, there are records remaining of the fate of two other members of the crew, Sneffle and Y’Gael. Sneffle would make the Watchdragon his place of residency for a time, but Y’Gael’s departure is shrouded in mystery. The Coconut of Quendor would remain with the great Watchdragon for many years.