Billy the Squid Ship

In the midst of a terrible war between sea elves and humans, the human forces began to overtake their foes and push them back. Despite the protection of the vast sea around them, the elves and their allies found themselves hard pressed to make a move without being overtaken by enemy mages. In a bid to break the growing blockade and regain control of the seas that they called home, the elves and their allies threw all their efforts behind a secret weapon: a massive metal ship shaped like a giant squid. The ship was finished in just a few short years amidst mounting pressure and dwindling supplies. Once it was finally completed, the last step was to animate the ship using a powerful ritual performed by dozens of their best mages. The ritual took nearly a whole day to complete, yet right before it was done, something happened.

A young enterprising thief by the name of Billy caught wind of the project through his contacts. Unaffiliated with either group, he found his way to the undersea facility and managed to sneak in unnoticed. Using his impressive skills at stealth, he slipped past the guards and chanting mages as he snuck onto the ship. As he entered, he was surprised by the fresh air within and the large tree just ahead of him. Not wasting any time, he made his way to the control seat. Slowly running his hands over the dull green orbs on either arm of the chair, he sat down and grabbed them, trying to make the ship move somehow.

Outside, at the same time, the mages brought the ritual to a close. Immense magical energy instantly coursed throughout the entire ship, filling the inside with light as the ship shuddered and slowly began to move. Before he knew what was happening, the energy raced into the seat, up through the control orbs and into his body. Billy attempted to pull back but it was too late. The magical energy washed through him, overtaking him as he instantly disappeared and became one with the ship. The soldiers and mages outside began to approach as they celebrated their incredible accomplishment, only to be surprised and terrified as the ship suddenly shuddered to life, flailing in all directions.

Confused and scared, not sure what was even happening, Billy lashed out. The massive ship quickly demolished much of the dock, killing anyone that was unfortunate enough to be close by. As quickly as he demolished the place, he had disappeared into the deep dark sea, never to be heard from again. The sea elves never recovered from that loss and were ultimately driven back by the human forces above.

Ever since, Billy has wandered the open sea. The only reason anyone even knows about his existence is that old habits die hard. Eventually, he took to attacking ships and dragging their treasures into the icy black depths where he admired the glittering spoils. Despite his newfound ability to crush anything in his path, Billy wants nothing more than to return to his original body and get back to his old life. Should any adventurers somehow find a way to communicate with him, he quickly offers them a kings ransom of treasure, as well as the ship itself should they find a way to restore him to his original self.*