23rd November 2021 - No Fireballs on my Boat
The team investigates the ship, Xan leading the charge down the vessel. She notices the knots, tied in an old fashion way - the people who tied this were not modern sailors. The sails are red and brown - blood? They venture down into the bows, finding a captains quarters. They come across a journal.
Xan peers around and spots a chest at the end of the storage. She opens it using her tools, quicker than expected. There are coins in there - and some dragonlord coins too. Three match Xan’s - an Arkelander - two are unknown and the sixth matches Calliope’s coin. Helikeon notices two he recognises. “They look like trophies, not loot,” she says.
As they look down the ship they see rows and rows of oarsmen. In the centre of the boat by a drum stands a woman, a ghostly vision. She is not moving. Calliope addresses her, asking what she said. “Are you ready to go to Mytros?” She says nothing else. Calliope, gently responds “No thank you.”
They continue their way down the ship, finding an odd box at the bottom of the boat. Xan tries in many different ways to open it, but it seems to be sealed. She kicks it in frustration. Stupid box.
As she waits for her companions, Xan bothers the drumming woman, asking her a few inane questions and getting the same answer each time:
“This is a nice ship, when did you last decorate it?”
“Are you ready to go to Mytros?”
“How’s your day been?
“Are you ready to go to Mytros?”
Etc.
The party chatter, and come to the conclusion they should take up the offer to go to Mytros. The boat rushes towards the rocks, but before hitting the water and diving underground.
As they began to set off, Xan was excited, feeling the exhilaration of setting off as she had before, but then it dives under water; “IT DOESN’T USUALLY DO THIS!”
As they all come to, they find themselves on the deck, surrounded by people with ancient weapons. They are a part of the crew, they can feel it. Estor Arkelander stands at the top of the ship addressing his crew. The ocean looks foggy and grey, unlike the sea they travelled over on.
Estor speaks in a deep raspy voice.
“I have summoned you here for a grave purpose” … “I shall be immortal” … “I shall no longer be captain”
He calls for them to swear an oath. Calliope says they should swear the oath - even before the explanation is finished Xan is saying the words. Calliope repeats it.
Estor addresses them again, saying he sees they are at ease. He recognises the dream state - he has brought them into their dream, his world.
He will make us a deal. We must destroy the traitorous Thanes in his crew. Xan is both ready for action but is wary of her companions. Theo asks what the Thanes did to warrant such anger towards them. It seems he is betrayed as they wish to overthrow him rather than let them take the mantle in the proper way.
Davos the dwarf - quartermaster
Skathon the human from the Old World - first mate
Metron the Siren - navigator
Xan whispers to Braz of the history she knows of Estor - of his defeat in the plays by a Siren. It seems they were mere fiction. Whatever the stories are, they must work towards their goal of taking control of The Ultros. They get the ship, they can save the world. And this dream land seems to be the only way to succeed.
Xan is ready to hunt some traitors.
They race towards the back of the boat and in no time at all, Xan, Helikaon and Calliope easily defeat him - he falls to the ground.