The ship was now actively sinking, Emberlost going berserk and the party barely standing.
We begin in darkness, in the rapidly flooding bottom deck where Elaira, the imprisoned once Eladrin tried to drown Pine, fearing he was an agent of Ularan Mortus but the effect of the water walking ritual persisted and the Tabaxi remained standing. Pushing forward he began trying to repair the large hold where the sea was streaming in. The prisoner tried again to damage him now with watery projectiles but a loud voice from above cut through the noise. It was Arya, shouting to her that the "cat man" was on their side. The voice was more imperious than anything the others had heard from Arya and it convinced the fallen Eladrin. Instead of trying to slay him she aided him by using her power to lessen the stream of water coming in. Just in time as the water completely filled the deck cutting any further communication. Arya paid for her assistance as the animated hammocks instantly attacked her and tried to strangle her.
Focusing back at the deadly situation Arya found herself in she saw Idris looking down at the bones crunching at his feet and instantly falling unconscious. A vicious looking Spirit Naga, a snake like figure made of bones, had snuck upon them and cast a spell. Siax, looked back at his two companions but braving death itself instead rushed forward. With a fantastic feat of strength borne as much from desperation than muscles, he was able to force the iron gates to Emberlost's room. They instantly bucked out but he held on. Emberlost let out a destructive wave of energy and he fell to his feet but somehow his arm did not loosen it's grip, the door held. Idris, now awakened by that fell wave, rushed forward, pushing Siax back up. Together the two warriors were able to procure crowbars and prop the door closed. Amazingly they held and the ship instantly slowed - Emberlost was calming. Slowly.
Meanwhile a Guardian Naga was trying to bash the door down where Effie, still bleeding from the fight below, was assisting Tarbin Tul in reciting the Elven Poem about Merdelain. Somehow as he recited it she found she understood it's meaning.
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A! Tollen gûr na Merdelain Nu goll dhúath e nathron dhonn Onethelais panna i nôr Gelaidh gelaid go linnod an Nestad. Ai nae úamdir dâr. |
O! Come is death to Merdelain Under shadowy cloak of the fey weaver. Correllon fills the place with, desperate, a chant for Healing. Ah alas, no hope remains. |
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Harnannin athan nestad bân Aeogwathren a Nauranor. In edhil sí awarthar Dhûn Farol i viriath corin E galad vedui o Calenarnad. |
Wounded beyond all healing |
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I aear dholl. Saer dîn vanadh. Aphadar 'lîn e-fast i chîn Finarfin. Athradar athrad Chelegnen. Sí falas thrúnen. I ithil eria. Romru cân. |
The way is dark. Bitter their fate. They follow the gleam of the hair of the children Of Amlaruil. They cross the icy Passage. There is the darkest shore. The moon rises. Trumpets ring out. |
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Gurth, gurth, gurth |
(DEATH. DEATH. DEATH) |
As the naga was about to destroy the door Tarbin, with the aid of Effie's inspiration completed the above. Instantly the skeletal creatures fell apart and the ship stopped, it's rowmen reduced to a collection of bones on the floor. Effie knew that she had to find Emberlost as he slumbered now and recite one last poem... As she headed downstairs the spirit of her sword, the one that had taken the appearance of Baron Zorfus smiled broadly, ready to fulfill it's end of the wish. With no enemies threatening them Siax and Idris rushed into the water to assist Pine while Arya, now free from the hammocks slid down and waited warily.
So it was only Arya who saw Effie remove the crowbars, open the iron doors and head inside. Emberlost started awakening as she took a few stwps in, water quickly rising to her knees as the ship still sank. Trying to ingore the rising waters she uttered the last poem, one about Emberlost himself.
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Emberlost let out a cry, but no one seems to know why. |
He says he saw the creatures take flight, high above his dwelling at night. |
Into his windows they came, to set his soul and family aflame. |
He fought and killed many a score, alas a blade into his flesh bore. |
A bitter venom took ahold, furious anger took over his soul. |
In a daze he returned to the fight, approached his home in the dark of night |
His family died by his hand as they hid, their death his mind fully undid. |
Crazed, Furious and unwell, he still broke away from the spell. |
Now he roams the land as death, and will do so beyond his last breath. |
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Somehow the three below managed to stop the water seeping in. Between Idris's strength, Pine's magic and Siax's expert carpentering knowledge they were able to use the various flotsam to seal the hole...for now. The ship was barely floating and would be unlikely to be able to sail farther into the ocean but it was not sinking. Exhausted, The Leilon...Some? headed to the deck to catch their breath and see what was needed next.
Trying out her newfound power Effie willed the ship to move...but nothing happened. Deciding to figure it out Siax removed the tarp that was covering this large area on the deck to reveal
a large iron brazier. As it was revealed it lit on fire, an eye made of
flame appearing from it. This was how Emberlost could see. With it uncovered it listened to Effie and slowly limped back
to shore. The party intended to beach the ship and rest - maybe figuring out
how to repair it further. During this time some of the heroes rested - while
others wandered around the half sunk ship trying to find more
information.
Arya, ever curious entered a room that was lined with charts and books. It seemed to be a navigators room. While she was searching for some way to open the chains that bound Elaira she instead found something the group had been searching for - a map of the Sword coast that belonged to the Cult of Talos. On it were marked many locations but their positioning did not make sense. Perhaps it needed this lense that was mentioned. Not finding a way to free her fellow Eladrin she summoned her spirit of fire and made it go to her. A bright flame in the dark waters, it seemed to calm and reassure Elaira who had been mourning her eels. She was not alone, finally.
Siax spent much of this time at the crows nest, high above the deck. He tried to commune with his bow who he found had been afraid of the power of Emberlost, reminding it how it was also created. However it had information about the Moonblade Siax carried - that it had approved of his conduct. To Siax's amazement the moonblade let out a click, it's scabbard unlocked. It did not allow itself to be unsheathed but instead came out enough so Siax could see the first Elven Rune carved upon it - the rune meaning "Master". The bow told him that the sword considering him worthy to look upon it.
Effie and Pine spent some time in the captains cabin, attempting to decipher Ularan's Journal. It seemed to have been sealed with a magical ward but it had been broken by this Gadrille The Reef-Reaver whoever she was. She had made numerous notes on the journal and while the two could not decipher many of them Idris realized they were brainteasers, puzzles that the children's of Nobles would be taught to sharpen their brains. However after studying the notes he became convinced that the handwriting was his own, the aftereffects of the Elucidator making his thought patterns brilliant but strange at times.
The ship finally made it back to shore, it's waterlogged frame moving slowly through the waves. Siax noticed a beachfront clear of Gol Badwind's traps so the ship moved there and finally rested on the sand. The party made ready to rest, Pine standing first watch. It was not to be. Pine's sharp eyes saw the lone storm cloud heading towards them, a warning from Emberlost reaching him afew moments later. "She comes. Prepare.". Armed with these precious moments he roused the rest of the party and they all readied themselves. It seemed Gol Badwind's warning had been seen after all.
The storm cloud was moving incredibly quickly and soon was overhead. A figure appeared from it, falling like a stone. With a crash the figure landed, one knee bent to absorb her impact. The ground cracked but she was unharmed. Fheralai Stormsworn, leader of the Cult of Talos and Chosen of Talos had found them.
She was a towering female half-orc. Her muscles were like iron bands and her face was fixed in a bestial scowl which twisted in a smile as she potted them. Her eyes seemed to crackle with lightning. "So you are the ones I have heard so much about. I long wanted to meet with you and give you my thanks." Idris jumped off the ship and approached her, his booming voice telling her that he did not wish to fight her. She told him that he looked familiar and assumed he was the leader even after he corrected her. She seemed to know he was a Doryu. She explained what she meant by thanks:
"You have killed many who worship Talos, even destroyed the branch to the north. Thank you. They were too weak to be part of our great cause, their pruning has strengthened us. I wish to reward you in kind - so choose." "Who among you is the weaker, tell me and I shall remove them from your group" When Idris expressed confusion she added ""Someone has to die today and you have the final say". Understanding gripping his heart Idris unsheathed his sword. He would not let her pass.
"No, not you. You are too strong" Fheralai Stormsworn said as she leaped far above him, the winds themselves propelling her towards the ship. Pine cut her approach short by a lucky hit with a mangonel but incredibly she lifted the rock off her and continued, landing upon the deck. Effie tried to beguile her with her magic which she shrugged off. It was clear that the effort had damaged her, oddly more than the mangonel before. Siax struck her with arrows but a gust of wind blew him off the crows nest, falling to the deck with a sickening crunch. Arya threw flames towards her and while she was nimble enough to dance away from the worst of it the telltale marks of burn marks stayed on her skin. Even Tarbin Tul, somehow empowered by the ritual that calmed Emberlost had (to his surprise) assaulted her with bardic magic.
And yet she stood. Before their barrage, Fherelai took it all and still stood. And it was her turn. Who would be found wanting?
And just like that I have gone from scribe and recorder to full blown adventurer (and official member of the Leilon Six). My performance had calmed this sentient ship and I would like to note dear reader that I had never before performed in that particular language. Truly, I feel like a new chapter of my life is beginning.
The rest of my party is resting and I am trying to do the same but this
constant whispering is mighty distracting. At first it was in that Elven
tongue but I slowly find myself understanding it (Mother did say I had a
talent for the languages). It speaks of some quite wonderful depictions of
Elven empires and other fanciful concepts. Perhaps a book of fiction after I
finish my records of the six?
I do hope those poor souls in the
Wayside Inn are well. It seems it was only attacked as a means of acquiring myself
so I pray that once that was accomplished the inn was left alone. May
Tymora guide them. In any case dear reader, I leave this chapter here, to attempt to rest once more.
After all, I am surrounded by the mightiest warriors I have ever encountered
and a...living(?) ship that can shoot by itself. I don't think I have ever
been safer!