Session 60 - Seeking Safe Haven
General Summary
Shadyford and Adom stay with the boat, ready to receive any victims that the summoned dolphin might dredge up. Seven bodies are brought, though of these, only two can be resuscitated: Bloody Bjorn, the First Mate, and Malatesta, the ship's mage. Together, the sailor and the priest are able to resuscitate them. Of the two, Bjorn is better disposed toward the former passengers, but he does attempt to assert his leadership as the highest-ranking crewmember (though not too strongly). Malatesta mostly stays quiet, but spits out a few insults. Captain Sigurd Snakeyes is not among the survivors.
Meanwhile, Theobald, in his marine form, returns, astride Seahorse Adrie, to the Sea Ghost, which has now sunk to the bottom of the whirlpool. Glint comes with them as well, in dolphin form. The seahorse finds an opening near the bow created by the violent descent of the ship, but Theobald heads straight for the captain's cabin, and the first mate's cabin. The glass windows in the captain's quarters were cracked, and any maps washed away or destroyed, but Theobald uses his firestarting ability to burn open the locked drawers of his desk, where he discovers several curative potions in crystal flasks, as well as a half-drunken bottle of rum, and a metal key. Behind in the back of the bosun's cabin and the mate's cabin, he also discovers two secret chambers, one containing a cache of weapons, and one - an aquatic elf prisoner. The elf reveals that his name is Sashelas, and that he was taken prisoner when he witnessed the Sea Ghost delivering weapons to underwater creatures called the sahaugin. He himself is a denizen of the ocean. Theobald helps free Sashelas from his bonds, and releases him, to find his home, and his people.
Taking a bag of weapons, as well as the potions, Theobald and his companions return to the sloop. Here, they drink up the rum in memory of the departed, and a vote is taken as to how to proceed. By Shady's calculations, the port is still at least four days away, and there is little guarantee that the survivors will make it in a small sloop. This section of ocean, known as the Devil's Cross, is particularly dangerous - ships are known to get blown off course, encounter violent storms (or whirlpools), or simply disappear. Sailors know that the entirety of the Sashelas Ocean had this reputation prior to Gethen's discovery, and no ships sailed far west of the Erya mainland. But somehow, 25 years ago, they were able to navigate the perilous waters, and travel between the two continents became regular, and significantly safer. The area of the Devil's Cross, however, remains dangerous.
A long strip of shoal, lying along the coast just west of where they should be, is probably within a day's travel, and therefore, a much safer bet. The land is not well known, and likely uninhabited, but the survivors take a vote, and decide to opt for the lesser danger. Bloody Bjorn, nominally in command, rubber-stamps the decision, and the small sloop, with seven bedraggled survivors, reaches the shoal after a full day's rowing.
* * *
Far to the northwest, in the Owlbear Goblin village of Talon's Gate, a group of recently-arrived orcs of the Brotherhood of Baghtru follows a half-elf named Brandon outside the village. He is trying to avoid them in light of past unpleasantness. Blossia follows the posse, and is surprised to see the large, hulking brutes outrun the lithe Brandon, and surround him. A brief conversation ensues, and the orcs lead him back into the village. They tell a curious Blossia that Brandon previously associated with some traitors to the Brotherhood, in particular, Adrie, who attacked them, and was killed, as well as Miletus, who is still missing. Blossia denies that she has seen Miletus lately, and avers that she last saw him heading north. Sharru, the leader of the orcs, tells her that some of them will be returning to Claymore with Brandon, so that he can be questioned by the Elder Brother, while the rest will continue with Syleth and Flint, their 'guests' to the site of the orc death cult in the Starmetal Hills. Blossia, always curious about inland areas, and orc customs, volunteers to go with them.
She returns to the long house on the edge of the village, where Miletus is hiding, and tells him the news. It is unlikely that the orcs will search this longhouse, as they are honored guests, and stay with chief Chof in the chief's longhouse at the center. Still, Miletus has no wish to reveal himself, or to accompany the other orcs to the death cult site, so he tells Blossia he will stay behind in Talon's Gate, where he is on good terms with the locals.
The following evening, four of the orcs, along with Flint, Syleth, and Blossia depart for the west, while Sharru and two more of the orcs take Brandon east to Claymore. The western group winds its way through the goblin paths of Neverwinter woods. The orcs get at one point, and their leader gets himself cut up a bit by some razor wire. Flint has a hard time mapping the terrain, but within three days, the group exits the woods, and finds itself in a section of conical hills the colonists refer to as Starmetal. Winding their way through the gullies, they find their way to a small village by a stream. This is the residence of some 'aunties' - long-taloned female orcs who are priestesses of the cult of Luthic, the orc mother goddess. In response to Syleth's questioning, they relate that Luthic is the one that causes male and female elements to mix in the womb, causing young to form and be born. In response to questioning, they say that anyone who passes the initiation is free to become an initiate of the Luthic cult, but the male orcs who brought them to the village laughingly tell them that the initiation is only open to women (a group that seems to include everyone except male orcs).
In the evening, the visitors are separated from their orc chaperones, fed fat live grubs, and left alone in one of the thatched-roof wooden huts. As they rest, Blossia takes the opportunity to record her spells on some of Flint's loose sheaves of paper.
* * *
Miletus stays behind in Talon's Gate, the only place he can feel safe in. He also has plans to further investigate his new ring. He is thinking about experimenting with the soil around the village to see if he can form it into rock, so that he later try to shape soil into a wall, which he hopes will protect the Dire Wolves from outside pressure. After the orcs depart, he walks out the riverbank, and succeeds in using the ring to turn it into sheer rock. The following day, he turns it back into mud, and it leaks into the river.
Later the same day, Glitterstem arrives at Talon's Gate. He has received a messenger from Ing, the Dire Wolf shaman, informing him of the presence of his erstwhile companion, as well as an 'earth goblin' from the Underdark. He meets Miletus, and learns what has happened since he was left in Lhingril's custody over a month ago. He is especially curious about Miletus' new ring, and asks about the manner it was acquired. He wants to save Miletus from harassment by the Brotherhood, but is uneasy about taking him back to Toothymaw. He throws the acorns to learn the outcome of such action, and the acorns tell a tale of unprecedented danger and woe should he follow this road. Bringing Miletus without the ring is slightly less dangerous, but the elf is unwilling to be parted from it. He tells Glitterstem that he feels his luck has changed since he found the ring. Glitterstem detects no obvious signs that Miletus is under the ring's control, however.
He then has a conversation with Minocquanee in something resembling gnomish. The 'earth goblin' tells him about his family, his capture, and the uneasy relationship between his people and the ingoeth. Feeling that he needs to get Minocquanee out of danger as well, he convinces Miletus to flee northwards, deeper into the woods. There, he finds them a cave, and secretes them in it.
Report Date
10 Feb 2019
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