From the introduction: Heavy sheets of rain lash against the crew on deck, who are working at a desperate pace to pull down the sails before gale-force winds rip the cloth to tatters. The ship pitches underfoot as waves toss the small vessel about like a child’s toy, and large swells break over the gunwale, swamping the deck with ankle-deep seawater. A crewman shouts a warning and points off the starboard side just as a sleek, black-hulled ship plows over the crest of the nearest wave. The dark ship strikes with an earsplitting sound, burying its prow into your boat. Horned warrior women leap onto the deck, shrieking as they cut down the crew.