8th February 2022 - The Prisoner
The day following the battle Xan and the crew worked on fixing the ship up following the Chimera attack. The crew marvelled at the loot, until they were rushed away by Helikeon and the loot was stored in the storeroom - Estor's cabin - where he cannot touch it, and others were too afraid to enter.
Xan has begun to investigate some of the planks at the top of her cabin, closest to where she hears the creaks of the footsteps from the former captain. She figured ith some tools she might be able to create a crude trapdoor.
At dawn, Theo turned the Antikythera towards an island called The Prisoner. Kyrah enters the room, and begins to tell the story of the Prisoner. It is a myth, about a trapped sibling of the gods. Xan loses interest in it, until she hears ‘lizard type creatures’ - how odd. They fought alongside the dragonlords in the first war, against those from Themis.
They are approaching the island as the storm descends. A hurricane. Xan shouts her panic word “Pandora!” and Helikaon runs to her side to help brace the wheel. They are exhausted steering the ship, and for an hour they control it. It seems it will continue for another hour at least, and while Helikaon and Xan shout loudly at each other to try and work out a solution - whether to throw a sacrifice over or to resolve it in another way - Hippofilius sidles up to them. Theo had cast a magic detector and discovered it is magical in origin. They steer into the storm and meet in the middle of it where a cackling man-like creature floats laughing maniacally. Xan tries to steer the ship, but it floats directly underneath him.
The mast almost grazes the being. As they pass, Xan shouts over to Kyrah to ask who the man is, but she just signals for them to pass by - he is clearly not to be messed with. As they pass out into the other side of the storm, Kyrah runs to the side of the boat and begins to wring out her clothes.
Kyrah says the man was the son of Lutheria and Sydon god, Goloron. He is related to Lutheria and is the god of Knowledge. Xan thinks it is a waste, on a madman, as Captain Gold would say. Kryah warns of others, and admits they will have to fight them someday. Sydon and Lutheria’s children, five of them, will be a challenge.
We met a few in the games, Yala and Talieus, now this one. Two more to face. Two who hate each other. Two with armies.
Smoke and Brimstone
The boat approaches the island, and one of the senior crew, Bana, points out a route the boat needs to follow to anchor safely to avoid the coral. Hipofilius drops a fairy fire into the water to outline the coral, making it easier to dock and anchor onto the island. Bana shouts for the anchor to be dropped, and the rest of the crew jump into action. The crew begin to plan their activities for the island, scavenging and gathering supplies.
Bana asks for them to both sail to shore through the swamp. Kyrah plops down into their sailboat. As they approach the bay Xan looks around, but can’t see anything untoward or dangerous. As they near the bay and begin to unload, Kyrah seems to be a little frustrated, and rushes the party along, huffing at their talking.
They come upon a thick jungle, and Hipofilius and Helikaon lead the way through a path they identified using the rivers. Using the mountain as a navigation toll, they work their way through the jungle. They see lizards and reptiles unfamiliar to them, crocodiles, giant lizards and constrictor snakes.
On the way they come across seven lizard folk - some of them are warriors and one is clearly a leader, holding a large stick. Xan ducks behind a tree, concealing herself from view. Alke is thrust forward by the party, encouraged by Kyrah. Xan follows, in the shadows, as Alke moves towards the group of lizard people.
“My friends, my friends, the swamp” he shouts, in draconic, rattling his stick. “Wait… you are not from here… outsiders”
Alke introduces herself and the party, saying they are friends, in his own tongue. He is seemingly pleased with her speaking this language. He agrees they are civilised but asks what business they have on his island. Alke enquires about the nameless god they worship.
They are known as The Sleeper and the Nameless God.
Alke explains that the party can bring peace to the land in the face of war. They are to face the titans.
As the lizard folk seem to accept them, Xan appears from behind the tree next to Alke.
He is the Shaman of Warmpool, and they are on the land of the Sleeper. He says he will take them to the Lizard Queen.
They are led to a small village on the edge of the jungle. There seems to be around 25 lizardfolk in this settlement. At the centre of the village there is a warm pool that reeks of brimstone.
As they approach the Lizard Queen, the braves and the shaman bow to the Lizard Queen. He introduces the Chosen and tells her they are at war with the titans and Sydon. He asks them for wisdom. The Lizard Queen holds a large blackened spear in her claw.
“You have brought outsiders” she says “you have brought me barbarians”
“They speak the elder tongue” Alke steps forward again and addresses the Lizard Queen, curtseying, who returns the gesture.
The Lizard Queen asks the Chosen to help defeat another tribe.
She explains how they were left with a youngling dragon to raise, who became the guardian of the Sleeper, but was killed. The guardian left them with three eggs should they want to raise a new guardian, but one was given away to Sydon by Jancor some time in the past ten years. Two eggs remain.
Braz asked about the Nameless One. When their rituals were observed across the island, it was a better time. They were a being of power, rage and might. But then once their work was done, they slept. The lizard folk believe they are their chosen people. The nameless one took no form, they are the land and spirit. Xan asks where they worship.
A slow movement points toward the volcano - they make their rituals to keep their god happy. They sacrifice the unworthy. Braz recalls their ship members, and before he can finish the sentence, Xan rushes back to the crew to order them back onto the ship before they are deemed a sacrifice.
While she is rushing the crew away, Hipofilius asks the tribe how to hatch the eggs they hold. It seems they will hatch when the nameless one requires a champion. This has not been needed for many many years. He reaches into his bag and holds a dragon egg aloft.
The shaman says he can help them how he can. It is a good omen. The Shaman announces a feast after they succeed.
This whole vibe is incredibly creepy.