Session 6: The Black Sea Report

The Wailing Water is a large, three decked Dramast, being the largest type of ship know to the Everosi. The majority of it is oak and other timbers, but the captain's quarters have some woods from Lodon and the Tombwood. All military outfitting had been removed long ago, save for only a few ballista and other items. Perhaps more would be nice for a place for the Fringe.

Party sets course to a place within the Fringe known as the Anvil, which was allegedly the place where King Vulred of Jequa fought Bal'gorod of Sutan. The captain prepares to set course to where ever it might be in exactness. Deiter attempts to commune with Corgastor shortly afterward, but is met with nothing but silence. Meliyeus walks in on this failed communion, and asks what is wrong. Deiter explains the situation, and the two of them talk at length about what has been happening.

Tristifer and Meliyeus speak, with a trace amount of tension after the recent event. They speak about the dreams and how they felt to Meliyeus. They come to amiable terms, talking about how they rely on each other to survive this horror. Tristifer then goes to find Deiter. The two of them have a similar conversation about the nature of their present danger. Tristifer exhorts him to remain strong, for whatever that was worth in these conditions.

Dreams with the sound of grinding metal. Tristier has a dream with red eyes fixated upon him. Meliyeus has another dream, of feeling like he's at the gates of Ácolitus. Turns out, however, that it isn't actually a dream at all. They sit down and speak. Ácolitus speaks about how things are not right in the world. He explains to Meliyeus about the Divine Mandates, and how the First Feud had gone quite poorly for the Eshan and mortals alike. He explains how "the children of Atûn" are dabbling in powers that they could never possibly imagine. He tells Meliyeus that he will be the one to stop them. He tells them how the Etalians wish to use some artifact to bring back something- something better left dead. Meliyeus brings up the name Shrik, a name that Ácolitus had not heard in a long time. Ácolitus makes Meliyeus his champion in Everos. He bids that Meliyeus go to the Anvil and stop them. He then reaches out and plunges his hand into the chest of Meliyeus, causing great pain. Afterward, he tells Meliyeus to place both his thumbs against "the artifact" once he finds it- then he will do the rest. Lastly, he informs Meliyeus that he will no longer risk being sent to the realm of Ácolitus, for the time being. He informs Meliyeus that something strange is happening with Aebaster- he is dead, as in, which is highly unexpected.

The next day, Deiter feels a level of terror wash over him during his prayers.

Days later, the ship encounters a wall of fog ahead of them. Meliyeus attempts to detect magic. There is a strong current of Vojûn beneath the boat. Suddenly, those on deck begin to hear the sound of crunching, spraying blood, and death on the deck. A beast of the apprentices, whose creations inhabit many dark places in Qadal, attacked the ship. Entirely unrelated to the Etalians, but a problem none the less. Their fortress is in Voryndal, where the Qazunari had once met and made their home.

The ship and its crew come under violent siege. The party struggles to raise the anchor and lower the sails. Cinder is brutally hit by the tentacle, and takes heavy damage. Finally, the ship emerges from the fog and the beast passes. The party settles down after it. Barbozar talks about how being on a ship like this is against his nature when Deiter asks why he has chosen to stay up all these nights. Deiter brings up how his family has been killed by Karthuulite raiders, and Barbozar retorts how the Empire of Corgastor had a penchant to wipe out Karthuulite territory. Barbozar explains how he is only here for money, which is the key to Everosi society, so he says. Cinder notices lights off to the front right of the ship during this conversation. It is an Etalian ship.

Suddenly, the ship the party controlled begins to turn toward the ship. The sails then begin to fill with wind and move toward the ship, then past it. The ship then falls in behind. The party ship tears forward and collides with the island. The Etalian ship then fires a ballista round that sets fire to the vessel. They all make their way onto the shore. The boat burns out, and the party prepares to move inland. They hear a massive roar in the gnarled, thick foliage which sends a shock through their beings.