The Barrowberg of Lom

Many refugees found their way to the coastal city of Lom. It was known for small, swift boats with bright white sails. The city grew, but the sea provided both food and trade, just as the high roads had for Myrne centuries before, and once again the Halflings prospered. Soon the survivors began to piece together the old magic of the wizards.

Thinking to avoid the fate of Myrne, a lord of Lom declared that the undead were not welcome on land, and any ship sailing with these creatures would need to use black sails to declare their crew, clearly distinct from the white-sailed ships of the living. Still, over many generations the lords controlled the seas with vast navies of black-sailed ships. Even the islands of Verdun paid them tribute.

Such was the power of the admirals that one of them tried to declare himself king. He brought the black-sailed ships to dock, something that had been forbidden. The undead came onshore and began to destroy the docks and warehouses, and soon the admiral realized he had lost control of his sailors. The old horror had returned.

The white ships of Lom, captained by fishermen and merchants, went to battle against the black ships, and kept the better part of the fleet away from the city. Still, the city guards that were trying to keep back the dead were outnumbered and losing ground. Realizing this, those students of magic tried to save the city by sinking the dockyards into the sea. They were too successful—all of Lom began to slide underneath the waves.

This is why the barrowberg of Lom lies under the sea. Some say that black-sailed ships still sail, filled with dead sailors hungry for the living. As for the white-sailed ships of Lom, they scattered, some finding shelter in the Verdun Isles and others moving past the islands across the eastern shore and making landfall further north.