Chapter 23: Into the Maelstrom
Session Date: 11/8/18
Summary:spoilers
- Gregor is now having a crisis of ... faith?
- The party learns more about the Raven Queen.
- The ship is headed for a maelstrom with the symbol of Ralshaza spinning above it.
- Varis sees the dragon ship again sailing near by.
- The ship makes it across the whirlpool but apparently is way off course.
- Vairs sees the dragon ship dissapear into a cave while looking at him.
Plot points/Scenes
The Shadow Sea - The Shadow Realm
By morning, the seas have become rough, accompanied by a howling wind. After a minor existential crisis about what happens to liquid in a bag of holding, Khadgar manages to find his way to a storeroom and place the drink from Moana’s breakfast feast and comes out with 3 jars of dark liquid placed in the bag of holding. Varis and Gregor move above deck, Gregor teaching his horse how to sit like a dog. Varis looks above as dark roiling clouds billow overhead. He makes his was to Dreali and asks if storms are common and if it is natural or caused by monsters. Dreali reveals that storms are… uncommon, but the crew is capable of sailing through it. One glowing horse shouldn’t be something that would draw the attention of any creature powerful to create a storm… shouldn’t be. Gregor meanwhile gives up on teaching his horse and look of the starboard side. In the fog, two giant eyes with pupils of Ralshaza’s symbol (a wheel with outward radiating arrows) seems to materialize and stare unblinkingly at him. Those he flags down see nothing in the fog. Because of this, he manages to convince himself it was nothing. Try as he might though, there is a growing doubt (one might say a shadow of a doubt… eh? eh?) in the back of his mind. Khadgar, Gregor, and Gavin proceed to the helm where the Captain is speaking to Dreali, a character no one but Varis has actually interacted with. They ask if he is a normal part of the crew, and they discover that he is in fact much older than anyone else on the ship. He functions as the magical advisor and protector of the crew, a function very useful in a realm charged with magic and deception. They also uncover the fact that the masks the Shadar-Kai wear seem to be used in a cosmetic manner rather than function (when out of combat) in an attempt to hide the state they are in and how much the Shadowfell has drained them. Khadgar inquires about the Raven Queen and asks who she is. Going over what they already know:- She is the goddess of death and queen of ravens.
- She rules in the Shadowfell and oversees the moment of death and wies the fate of the worlds.
- She was always Mother of Ravens, and in the first world her domain was trickery, creativity, and wit.
- Beguiled by the Deceiver, upon seeing the fate that would unfold, the entity that was the Raven Queen attempted to prevent the sundering of the elves, but all was for naught.
- There was a saying after the before times:
"A desperate plot. a dark betrayal. A sunderring of sky and land. Spider’s fell into the deepest hole, locked away by Raven’s hand."
- Her divine spark weakened, and driven mad with sorrow, the entity that existed previously fell into despair.
- Instead of finding herself in the Feywild with the other elves, she and her people withdrew to the darkest shadows and separated them from the world, forming the Realm of Shadow.
- Thus the Raven Queen was born. Ever since, she has watched from the dark spires of the Fortress of Memory, her raven messengers speaking to her elven followers when necessary.
- As she ushers in the moment of death, she preserves the memories of the fallen and ensures they find rest.
- On the rare occasion, a soul intrigues her and she brings it to her fortress before ushering it to the other side.
- Exposure to the ShadowFell allowed her to see the underpinnings of reality and after many centuries she became master and creator of Shadow Magic and the dubious force of the Shadow Weave. Varis, keeping watch at the forecastle notices flashes of blue lighting in the clouds above, and then, ever so softly, he hears the furious crashing and churning of water. He rushes back towards Captain Svarn and relays this information. Svarn interrupts the rest of the parties conversion and sends Dreali to the forecastle. The party follows Dreali and at the forecastle, in the distance they can all see flashes of blue lightning and an area of the water dead ahead that seems to lie flat, and a roar of water rising in volume. Dark spires of rock rise from the fog.
The Maelstrom - The Shadow Realm
Dreali turns to the party and asks any of them that have nautical experience (Varis) to follow him, however the entire party first attempts to pass off like they know what they are doing. As they argue, Varis takes the opportunity to dart off and meet with Dreali and Captain Svarn. The captain asks he follow whatever orders Dreali has for him. The crew immediately jumps into overdrive. The party helps below decks secure and batten down the hatches. Varis helps the crew on the main deck as they attempt to adjust course to avoid the oncoming whirlpool. No matter how many adjustments and sudden hard turns they make, the whirlpool seems to always be dead ahead of them. After 30 minutes of hard work, Varis feels a hand on his shoulder, Dreali is there but his attention is focused on something on the port side of the ship. Varis gets up and the two stare as the dragonship sails, wakeless, upon the waters beside them. It’s eyes gleaming a bright green, it seems to glimmer and bend as if made of dark strands of Shadow. They watch as it sails alongside them before veering off behind a large piece of the island they are rapidly approaching and the ship is hidden from sight. Unfortunately, there isn't much time to ponder that mystery as Dreali looks up and swiftly turns and heads below deck. When he returns with the rest of the party, they can all see ahead of the ship a wide and furious maelstrom. In the clouds above it, spinning in sync with the churning whirlpool is the symbol of Ralshaza highlighted in the clouds by bolts of blue energy. Everyone looks at Gregor. Gregor: “Oh hey, do you see it now?” After discussions about what to do, Dreali looks to the sky once more then instructs Varis to relay to the captain: “Full Sails. Dead Ahead.”No one on the ship is comfortable with this clearly insane plan, but they do as Dreali instructs. Varis assists in getting the ship moving at top speed, while the rest of the party braces themselves. As the ship enters the pull of the whirlpool, Dreali instructs the starboard side anchor be dropped, as the ship is quickly turned by the current to the starboard side and races along the side of the whirlpool. As the ship races and begins to descend lower into the vortex, suddenly, there is a groan and splintering of wood as the entire ship spins as the anchor line pulls taught, snagged on a section of the island outside the whirlpools grasp. It takes the entire party, and the crew to hoist the anchor and pull the ship against the current and out of harm. Once safe, the captain and Dreali begin discussing how off course they are and how this could have happened. Many of the crew have gone below to make sure the ship is still seaworthy. Varis, looking out over the whirlpool sees movement out of the corner of his eye and looks and spies a cave opening that gives the impression of the jaws of a sea creature, jagged rocks hanging down and rocks jutting up from beneath the waves give the impression of teeth. In the darkness he sees two gleaming green eyes before they fade into the darkness.
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