Bartimaeus arrived at the docks ahead of the others, searching for Keira. He found her there, sitting in despair, burdened by the guilt of taking innocent lives. Bartimaeus attempted to reason with her, hoping to convince her to embrace a better path. However, Keira, tired of being viewed as a monster, succumbed to her vampiric instincts in a fit of hunger and rage.
Desperate to stop her, Bartimaeus resorted to physically confronting her. He tried in vain to remove her fangs, ultimately resorting to pushing her into the sea before offering a heartfelt prayer. His intent was to help her understand his perspective and find a way to improve herself. The rest of their party arrived and witnessed this dramatic scene. Varis quickly rushed to Keira's aid, diving into the water to rescue her.
Captain Renshaw approached the situation pragmatically, paying to reclaim his ship, the Mariana Tracer. He instructed Amelia to prepare her friends for departure, and they soon set sail for Edgewater Port. During their voyage, the party found some downtime. Amelia attempted to lift Keira's spirits by discussing the concept of "monstrosity" within the group. She then inquired with the Captain about any shipboard activities, and he humorously suggested that they could toss gold into the sea to attract company.
Meanwhile, Bartimaeus and Rayenne engaged in a friendly duel on deck, with Varis playfully hindering Bartimaeus in various ways. Eventually, Bartimaeus yielded. Meanwhile, Amelia explored the ship and noticed some plants near the deck were about to turn into leaks. She took action by applying tar to seal the areas.
The Sea Harpies
Varis strolled to the ship's railing, gazing out at the vast sea. Suddenly, a monstrous creature surged from the depths, attempting to pull him overboard, but he stood his ground. Before anyone could react, another one emerged on the opposite side of the ship, seizing Bartimaeus. With swift reflexes, Bartimaeus sliced the creature as it clawed at him. They engaged the creatures, which turned out to be a pair of Sea Harpies.
Amelia emerged from the lower deck to investigate the commotion and joined the battle. Though nimble, the Sea Harpies proved manageable for the group and were dispatched without much difficulty. However, two more appeared shortly after. One of them lunged at Varis, targeting his gold, and managed to snatch some coins from him with its slash. The group swiftly struck it down before it could escape into the sea with the stolen gold. Varis reclaimed his coin, and Beastbane tossed the creature overboard.
Meanwhile, Beastbane was feeling queasy, unaccustomed to the rocking sea. At the same time, Varis perused a bundle of letters provided by his mother, which contained proposals from various potential suitors. He sought the opinions of Rayenne and Amelia, but their insights didn't seem to help his decision-making.
Encountering The Sea Devil
They continued their journey, when out of nowhere, the ship found itself surrounded by a flock of seagulls. Captain Renshaw anxiously scanned the waters from the deck, urgently signaling the party to prepare for an unexpected encounter. Just as the ship lurched to one side, four colossal tentacles emerged, encircling their vessel.
In a swift response, everyone sprang into action, defending themselves as the tentacles explored the ship's sides and deck. The party engaged the tentacles, despite some of them being struck in the process. Tragically, one of the tentacles slammed down on the deck, fatally injuring Archibald, their faithful dog. Filled with determination, Varis rushed to Archibald's side, attempting to resurrect their loyal companion, while the others continued to battle the relentless tentacles. Suddenly, the ship was jolted from below, causing Keira to fall over.
Amid the ongoing fight, Archibald was successfully revived and guided below deck, while the rest of the party continued to confront the remaining tentacles. After sustaining significant damage, the four tentacles were either severed or retreated beneath the water, leaving a brief respite.
As the party braced for what might come next, the ship was once again struck, causing Amelia and Keira to lose their footing. They watched in dread as two massive tentacles shot out from the sea on either side of the ship, heralding the arrival of a monstrous Dormond Sea Devil. Though they had initially thought it to be a Kraken, it was, in fact, a different and equally formidable adversary.
Undeterred, the party fought off the colossal tentacles that lashed the ship's deck, despite taking their fair share of blows. Captain Renshaw fired his cannon several times before helping Keira regain her footing and stabilize the ship. Daviok sustained significant injuries but managed to assist Amelia and heal Varis.
As the others battled the tentacles, Keira set the monster's head on fire with her arrows, while Varis continuously fired his handgun. The sea monster submerged its head to extinguish the flames. The party concentrated their efforts on the large tentacles until they withdrew into the depths. The sea monster resurfaced in front of the ship, creating a massive wave that washed over the deck before suddenly lunging toward the ship's side.
Amelia unleashed explosive arrows onto the monster's face, causing it to explode into chunks of flesh across the deck and sea surface. Captain Renshaw wasted no time and navigated the ship away from danger. Finally, a moment of peace settled upon the crew. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Edgewater Port's lights came into view.
In the calmness of the evening, Amelia, eager to fish but lacking a proper rod, received a makeshift fishing rod from Varis. She cast her line and waited. It didn't take long before she felt a tug on her line. With Varis's help, she reeled in a sizable tuna fish, which they quickly prepared by gutting and filleting it. As the sun set on the horizon, the lights of Edgewater Port twinkled in the distance.