Battle with Talos's Chosen
Weary and lacking resources, the group had thrown everything, even huge rocks, at Talos's chosen: Fheralai, and she still stood, eyeing each of them to pick out the weakest. What was clear, as she backhanded Effie and then threw her massive spear along the length of the ship at Pine, was that it was not she who was.
The spear pierced through both Idris and Siax before embedding itself into Pine, and returning to her, three times. It was too much for the former tabaxi, who fell under the onslaught, only his armour saving him from perishing, it's magic stabilising him before Idris staggered over to give him a light touch of healing, enough to rouse him from unconsciousness. Effie, having noted that spells seemed to work a little better than weaponry, cast Hold Person on Fheralai, and while it seemed to work initially, Talos's chosen broke out of it, although seemed to harm herself in the process.
It was a furious battle after that, with Idris fearlessly going back into battle with her, smites reigning down while Arya, having been knocked overboard, climbed back up damage Fheralai through her wildfire spirit. Seeming to focus on the others, Fheralai instead targets Siax, and a magical gust of wind sending him topping over the side of the ship onto the rocks below, barely clinging to consciousness.
Surprisingly, it was Tarbin Tul who reacted next, ducking out from behind a mast. "Half-Orc? More like half dork!" And the words seemed cutting enough that Fheralai's attention turned to him. Unfortunately for the bard, her reaction was far more cutting than his words, as her spear pierced him in the chest, flinging him back and over the side of the ship into the water, out of easy sight.
Seemingly roused by this triumph, Fheralai calls upon her Storm God's Wrath, infusing her with power, and turns her attention to Idris. She manages to hit him, staggering him back, but he maintains his footing, but she was not yet done with the paladin. She attacks again, and Idris, having so little health left, falls unconscious at her feet before turning her attention to Effie. At first it looked like the rogue's uncannily deft footwork would save her, as she dodged out the way of the first spear attack, but she did not manage to evade the second. The slender woman goes flying off the prow of the ship. Emberlost, having sensed it, cried out in denial, and unseen by the others, the figurehead of the ship managed to catch her body in its bony arms. Outraged, Emberlost turned its eye upon Fheralai, even as Pine plumbed the depths of his magic to heal Idris and try to stabilise Tarbin, the eye of the ship send a furious swathe of damage at the half-orc, harming itself in the process but severely damaging her and rendering her prone on the deck by the sheer power behind the blast.
Back on his feet, Idris strode over to her. "Guess what? I'm back!" and smote her where she lay, once, then twice. It seemed then that she was done for, life rendered from her body, but she seemed to do something before she fell unconscious, and was able to get up again with the slimmest of margins of health, flying up and away in such an unexpected movement that none were able to lift blade against her.
But while a sensible warrior might have retreated, Fheralai was not one to do so. She had certainty, after all, that she would return again after death, and so she swooped back down and attacks Idris three times in quick succession, brutal blows that laid him low and unconscious once more on the deck of the ship. While Pine desperately tried to finish the fight with her, she was too well trained, and soon Arya fell unconscious too. In the end it was Siax who proved her undoing, for while she managed to evade his sword, the elf was deft with the dagger's flourish, and it lodged in her chest.
"I have found out everything i needed. We will meet again." she said to him, before she helps him twist the dagger. "Soon."
A lighting bolt came down in that moment as she died, blasting the region all around her. Pine once more falls unconscious, Siax only just manages to stop himself from falling once more off the ship, and Fheralai's body was gone.
Aftermath of battle
Shaken and weary, the group help heal each other as much as they can with what few resources they have left. All remained alive, except for Tarbin Tul. Pine brought the body back on board the ship, but somewhat concerningly, there was no soul to be put to rest.
Emberlost, although having survived thus far, was not in a good state after the battle, especially after his rage-induced decimation that had carved into its own hull in order to take down their enemy. Effie tried to ascertain how he was doing, concerned for his state.
"Hey, friend."
"All my friends have perished millennia ago. Their screams follow me. Take me deeper, and I shall sink myself beneath the waves."
Horrified by this, Effie denied the ship his wish, hoping the group would be able to fix him now that they had some breathing space with the battle over.
Idris, ever curious, took a look in the maps room and found information on two dragons, Claugiyliamatar (an old green dragon that wanted to take over Waterdeep), and Chardansearavitriol (a black dragon more commonly known as Ebondeath, a terror in the land around 500 years ago. It was said that a cult followed him, but that he was slain by adventurers and is believed to be dead). Why the information on the dragons was there, it wasn't clear, but Idris would remember it now, as was his way.
But as weary and lacking resources as they were, the group needed to rest before they could tackle anything much. Siax took the first two watches while the rest of the group settled down. But it was when Pine took the next watch after doing some rudimentary repairs on the ship that things went awry, for in the distance, it was not from the land that a threat came, but from the sea. Three Talos ships were bearing down upon the area, and the rest of the group were pulled from slumber once more.
Ships attack
With only Pine and Arya having had enough rest, the group is forced awake at the very unwelcome news. Arya calling forth her power over the waves in order to help Emberlost out to sea where he would have the best chance in battle, while Pine put a death ward on both Idris and Siax, fearing the worst, and Idris blessed the party as the ships bore down on each other.
The group fired upon the ships from extreme range, trying to take out the masts of ships, as well as the cultists that were aiding in speeding with magic. Emberlost took more damage, but in a thunderous smash, he bore right through the largest of the cultist ships, sinking it instantly along with half of its crew. Pine managed to sink another by creating water to fill the vessel, while the others fired on the last ship to slow it down.
It all seemed good, but the cultists were quick and with astounding speed managed to swim to Emberlost and clamber up onto the deck. The lead cultist, a lady in the barbed armour of Loviatar, flew over and landed without incident, and Emberlost, now slowed from all the damage he'd taken, was soon swarming with Talos cultists.