The Undesirables Act 3: Rising Tides

Getting Reaquainted

Reconvening after a bit of a well deserved break, the Undesirables had a team meeting to fill each other in on what they had been up to since the events of Dugafjord. Gol'rotta had taken a trip with Constance and her newly adopted daughter to a tribe of orcs for a piercing in the infant's ear that she didn't elaborate much on. Unknown to her, Scumbag had followed and obeserved the entire thing, making him believe he was also a parent to the child. Romeo had spent much of his time training and reading, as well as conversing with 'Juliet' in his mirror. Ürsa said nothing of what he was up to, but Gol'rotta had noticed the amount of time he had been spending with Astrid and asked if they were a couple, which the former Sister confirmed. Tolliver had taken a walkabout and remained absent, while Kalgrim had doubled his efforts into training and failed to appear as well. Muzu had been hard at work though, taking other jobs, no matter how small, to which he was formally thanked by Magnus in front of the others.
After that, Magnus introduced two applicants that wished for a spot on the team. The first to be introduced was Shagrat. His appearance and demeanor garnered much distrust from most members as he seemed to have a very unnatural origin. Despite this, he claimed to have witnessed part of their battle in Saltshore and was impressed, later finding an article written by Jackson Corbet. Expressing he was looking to gain a foothold toward a goal, he became very vague and guarded about the reasonings and what his origins were. Muzu even tried to use a Zone of Truth spell to get a straight and honest answer out of both Shagrat and Scumbag, who had also been acting strangely. Shagrat resisted the effects and carried on as before, deepening Muzu's suspicions of him. Romeo however was thrilled to have another aquatic member in the ranks and strongly supported the decision to welcome him aboard.
The second person was Kurg, a minotaur and former champion of the Turtledome Arena. When some members didn't recognize him, Romeo went into great detail about how easily Kurg had been defeated by Gol'rotta, seemingly unaware of the embarrassment and shame it caused the minotaur. Kurg explained that he had been accused of throwing the fight and was banned from competing anymore, taking away the only source of income he had. Scumbag insisted that he wasn't good enough to join, to the strong objection of Muzu and Gol'rotta. He was graciously accepted by the other members, giving Magnus enough people to finally make two teams.
In the morning, the triton emissary, Makuta, came to bring Muzu and any who wished to accompany him to a ship waiting to take them to Wahi Kao, Muzu's hometown. Magnus regretted that he was unable to come as he had things to take care of that Gol'rotta had told him about. The kobolds still seemed to believe Gol'rotta was the leader of the Undesirables and told him he better do as she said, to which the tiefling sighed but remained otherwise silent. The full roster of the members taking off with the ship would end up being;
Muzu, Romeo, Ürsa, Scumbag, Shagrat, Gol'rotta and Lor'anna, Astrid, Constance and Nuha.
Upon meeting the captain of the ship, Bozak Cy'wraithe, Scumbag immediately had objections to him sharing a title with Gol'rotta, starting the entire group on rocky footing with the crew. This insult was further deepened when Romeo insisted his ship was better despite being broken and unusable because of its history. Trying to prove him wrong, the captain offered for him to read their logbooks to get the history of the ship, only for the kobold to further comment on how much a specific pirate ship 'kicked their ass so often'.
Around the halfway point of the journey to Wahi Kao, gripes were put aside when a flock of harpies attacked. Their alluring song entranced Scumbag, but some quick thinking from Muzu freed him of the charm before anything bad could happen. Gol'rotta hesitated to use a spell, opting to prepare her maul instead. Despite an initial lamenting of effective ranged options from the Undesirables, Ürsa managed to make things easier for everyone with a Sleet Storm spell, followed up with a Conjure Lighting spell, weakening and hindering the harpies enough for all of the them to be dispatched before any damage was done. As normal operations on the ship got back under way, Captain Cy'wraithe announced that they were only five days from their destination.

Deep Dives

After the battle with the harpies, a black dragonborn came from the lower deck. When the Undesirables took notice, they introduced themselves and learned his name was Al'durin. When asked why they hadn't seen him in the week they'd been on board, he explained the medical officer had kept him locked up in sickbay for that time. With getting to know him, the ship continued on its way. Gol'rotta tried to purchase spare javelins and found herself face to face with an albino dragonborn, who seemed to bear some disdain from her captain, showing she was not treated as well by the crew. She also happened to be the medical officer that had been caring for Al'durin. On watch with Muzu, Shagrat explained his situation and why he hadn't been entirely forthcoming.
Shagrat revealed that he was a new species whose people only had about a 30% survival rate in their current home in Kraken Channel. Having found a new location to set up his people, they were hesitant to announce themselves due to poor reception on previous failed attempts. Joining the Undesirables was a step into making his kind more accepted and gain a foothold into relations with other aquatic nations. Muzu didn't appreciate the initial deception, but acknowledged that he empathized with Shagrat's worries. While he had no personal power, despite being related to Kuzu, a senator and representative of Wahi Kao, he told the Aberrant what it would take to make a good impression with the tritons of is home.
A separate night, Al'durin took watch with Scumbag and the two witnessed the emergence of Bob the Dragonturtle. All crew were brought to alert, with several fetching chests of treasure. Al'durin noted that it made the ancient creature a glorified toll collector, but he seemed to be the only one that felt that way, with Romeo telling tales of history explaining Bob's importance. While most of the Undesirables were in tentative awe, Muzu and Romeo were excited, with Muzu offering a magic scroll in his possession as part of the tribute. The dragonturtle seemed particularly interested in the Undesirables, lingering longer than the crew of Stormcaller were used to and making them uncomfortable. Bob left without incident however, and returned to the depths of the ocean.
The following day, they arrived where the ship would set anchor and Makuta prepared those that needed underwater assistance with the means to swim freely and breathe underwater. Guiding them to the city, he took his leave to allow Muzu to show his friends around the city. They went to Muzu's house first, where it seemed his mother had taken up collecting an excessive number of pets, which were sea slugs. She was overjoyed to see her son, but had little clue how progress was going for his celebration other than it being delayed beacause of increased sahuagin raids. Speculating it was because a shortage of food with fishing continually getting more sparse, she assured Muzu everything was fine, it was just that Wahi Kao's attention was split.
Taking them to the temple next, the Undesirables were introduced to Kuzu. He asked how everyone felt about their deeds and goals, noting a reluctance from his son. Muzu explained how he felt drawn to something greater that he felt was in motion already. Kuzu commended his for his already accomplished feats and even stated he was proud that Muzu expected more from himself. The conversation led to reminiscing on what had happened and Muzu having the idea to try and expunge the Aspect of Death from Gol'rotta. Instead, the entity became furious, trying to get the dragonborn to attack. Resisting its call, the two pressed until visions filled their eyes. They saw events through the perspective of an orc, struggling to resist the effects of the Aspect of Death. As a way to steel his reseolve and that of what appeared to be an elven partner, this orn pleaded for the elf to look at 'their son'. Upon seeing the child, Muzu and Gol'rotta concluded this was another iunc'tura. Muzu saw it as an omen, trying to figure out what it could mean. A final attempt to cleanse Gol'rotta made them see the moment the Aspect of Death was killed, only to take hold in a new host.
With few answers, the Undesirables began to debate their next action. It was encouraged to do something to pass the time while waiting for the festivities. Kuzu was worried the mood was soured for celebration, but Muzu seemed to remain eager to have his companions enjoy themselves. It came down to visiting the markets or swimming to buried treasure in sunken ships. Between Gol'rotta's Aspect of Death and Romeo's deal with 'Juliet', the Undesirables realized there was a bit of a time limit before action was required to be taken.

A Haunted Jaunt

Heading to the marketplace, the Undesirables gathered snacks and supplies to prepare for a treasure hunt on a sunken ship. Scumbag bought a speargun so that he still had a ranged weapon underwater, while Ürsa looked at stalls in search of shells. Taking a random direction, Scumbag led the search, heading east to where they ran across a long sunken ship. Investigating, they were set upon by the undead crew. A long and tough battle was eventually won, yielding a large amount of gold from the ship's hull as well as some pristine armor and a ring. Romeo took the figurehead as a trophy before the Undesirables took a breather to decide what was next on the vacation agenda.

For Glory

Upon returning, the group caught the tail end of an arena match. Several decided they wanted to fight as well, leaving Muzu, Scumbag and Ürsa in the stands. The others asked for waves of fighters, agreeing to the rule that opponents would keep coming until they were knocked out. In the battle, Al'durin showed more of his abilities to impressive effect. Between Shagrat's empowering spells, Romeo's durability, Al'durin's frightening pressence and Gol'rotta's raw power, they nearly completed the first wave of combatants and were starting to work on another when the sound of horns being blown caused a halt in the fight. It was announcing another sahuagin attack.
Rushing to the edge of the city, the Undesirables found that it had been a pitifully small party and were already being dispatched by Muzu's mother and the city guard by the time they arrived. Noting that one was in a position of surrender, but also hiding something, Ürsa wild shaped into a shark and swam over to investigate. Believing him to be a real shark, the sahuagin telepathically begged him to bite her arm and make her look injured. Instead, he grabbed her cloak and thrashed about, letting several of the party see that she was sheltering two children. Getting in the way of Tiuru, Ürsa and Al'durin were hesitant to let her pass, unsure if she would harm them. With Al'durin's imposing presence, it was enough to get her to assure them that she had no intention to hurt the mother or her children, but the senate would still have to decide their fate. The sahuagin did not resist the escort or the Zone of Truth cast by Shagrat. With her description, the Undesirables suspected they were hearing about the second Rider of the Apocalypse: Famine. Declaring that he would go after them himself, Muzu's courage rallied the senate to his support.

Rite of Champions

Confirming their plan was to attempt to trap Kuhrok Gi'resh, the leader of the sahuagin and potential host of Famine, the Undesirables took their rest for the evening. During his slumber, Muzu was visited by Poseidon, as well as numerous other gods and demigods of the sea. Asking if he truly meant what he said about bringing down Famine while in the senate, the god admitted he had been one of the many to agree to bring in the Riders in the first place. Seemingly regretful, Poseidon charged Muzu with correcting his mistake, to which the triton replied "If that is your will". Telling Muzu to gather those he deemed worthy and to bring them to Honor's Call, the dream faded and Muzu awoke.
Rushing to the others, he quickly summarized what he had seen and told his team that he deemed them worthy and wished for them to accompany him. With little hesitation, they followed. When they arrived in the arena, all important members of Wahi Kao were there in the stands, waiting as if in a daze. When the Undesirables stepped into the center, the observers all came to, but before they could question anything the combat pit was sealed off with an elemental wall. The floor beneath them opened into a deep abyss that Muzu and Ürsa realized was the Elemental Plane of Water. From the depths, a Lusca emerged. With nowhere to go and some unease and panic from some of the Undesirables, a battle began.
Ürsa supported from a distance, using powerful spells and revealing his Constellation Form for the first time. Muzu rushed in and goaded the creature to attack him rather than others, drawing its attention in the beginning of the battle. As the melee fighters rushed in, the damage the lusca sustained broke it free of Muzu's compelled duel to attack others. Struggling to untangle themselves from the writhing tentacles, Gol'rotta was eventually grabbed before the lusca shot a cloud of ink to obscure the battlefield and reposition itself. Al'durin attempted to strike fear into the creature, but quickly realized it wasn't smart enough to understand fear. Shagrat blessed and supported as best he could, finding it difficult with all of the things that could help with none feeling like it deserved to be low priority. In the end, it was Scumbag who freed Gol'rotta with a shot from his speargun, severing the tentacle from its body and allowing her to get in some powerful blows before stunning the creature with a draconic roar. With such an opening, Romeo got in some great and powerful blows against the lusca. Muzu ended up landing the final blow, attacking the monstrosity with a divine smite from his trident.
The Rift was sealed again and the barrier removed. With all of the influential people of Wahi Kao present, Leviticus, master of the arena, announced Muzu as the new champion of Poseidon. Taking the group to a place called The Champion's Garden, the Undesirables received weapons and items to aide them in their fight against the Riders of the Apocalypse.
Knowing word of this event would spread quickly, Kuzu encouraged them to make haste out if the city if they wanted to avoid being delayed by admirers. With the condition they either pay him back or return them once their mission was completed, he paid for each of them to have a combat trained giant eel mounts. Setting out west, the Undesirables began their hunt for Kuhrok Gi'resh, the sahuagin they suspected of being possessed by the Aspect of Famine.

Ride Forth

With the borrowed eels, the party moved west with Scumbag and Ürsa taking the lead. Following the current they determined the direction the raiders had come from the night before. On their way, they encountered some magma snails. After some debate over what uses they could think of for them, the two snails were entrapped within the Mirror of Life Trapping in Romeo's possession.
Continuing on their way, they came across a shipwreck. Romeo suggested there may be treasure inside and that it would be a shelter to rest in. Getting a closer look, Scumbag and Al'durin saw signs of a large creature hiding inside. Taking some shots at it, a titan hermit crab sprang from a hole in the hull of the ship and grabbed both of them. Springing into action, they worked to free Scumbag from its grip as Al'durin used Misty Step to escape. Romeo managed to break the crab's pincer and free the other kobold before the Undesirables finished off the creature. Using the ship to rest as suggested, most had trouble sleeping with the impending fight before them.
While the kobolds feasted on crab, Muzu took the opportunity to try and take the mirror from Romeo's pack. Alerted, Romeo attacked and upon seeing the triton he demanded to know what he was doing. Stating that he wanted to borrow it to ask 'Juliet' some questions, Romeo refused. As they argued, Aerefract almost completely overtook Romeo as he forced his will through the kobold, remaining defensive. The possession from the dragon turned Romeo's scales a burnished bronze, but also showed a tarnished and corroded streak along his neck. Muzu admonished the dragon's greed and for using Romeo like a puppet, which didn't seem to phase the dragon. Attempting to smooth things over, Scumbag offered treasure in exchange to borrow the mirror for Muzu. The dragon begrudgingly relented, but would only let questions be asked in front of Romeo before he let go of his control.
Ürsa was immediately infuriated at the idea and went to leave. The devil grabbed his attention, offering an apology for holding one of Ürsa's secrets. Fed up with 'Juliet's' riddles, he told the devil to speak plainly before they insinuated to each other that they knew the other's true name. Seething, Ürsa left while the rest listened to what the devil had to say.
Muzu asked if 'Juliet' knew what Poseidon meant when he asked Muzu to correct his mistake. Mockingly, the devil suggested that Poseidon had been one of the gods to initiate the apocalypse with the Four Riders in the first place. Pressing why he might do that, 'Juliet' seemed disgusted as he spoke of how fickle the gods were and how the mortals of Malgrave didn't need them. They called for the erasure of everyone that defied them so that they could start over with devoted worshippers. With his immediate questions answered, Muzu used Lesser Restoration on Romeo as he suffered from the shock Aerefract's presence had on his body. While the kobold thanked him, the triton left without a word.
On watch, a few members were unsettled by the stillness, with Ürsa sensing some sort of sinister force. With the lingering conversation with 'Juliet' on his mind, he failed to rest well. In the morning the group continued on the trail. Noting how dead the reef was becoming, they approached the sahuagin base with caution. Finding sahuagin skeletons littering their cave system and signs of battle. Finding a chamber with primordial runes carved all over it, Gol'rotta felt Death try to overtake her, bit she easily pressed it back. When the feeling passed, she was shocked to see she could now read the mad ravings of Kuhrok Gi'resh as he succumbed to hunger and insanity.
Outside, Scumbag tried to lure anything around with the scent of blood, first from his hand and then with frogs summoned from his Hat of Vermin. Drawing a massive tiger shark, it appeared immune to dominating spell effects. Eventually, it turned and a voice spoke through it, beckoning Gol'rotta to follow. They all followed with Gol'rotta until they saw a figure in the distance. As they got closer, he called out to her again, telling her it was time to gather the other two Riders...

Kuhrok Gi'resh, Rider of Famine

Gol'rotta refused outright as the other Undesirables circled around to make a pincer around the sahuagin. Throwing her trident at Kuhrok, it pierced his shoulder and began a battle between them.
First to act was Ürsa, whose pent up rage from all of the events since Dugafjord, well as the strange powers affecting the tides forced a change in him. Involuntarily transforming into his werebear form, his pent up anger came out in a powerful Moonbeam. Taking it without flinching, the sahuagin removed Gol'rotta's trident from his shoulder. He looked her in the eye and told her he'd find Death a more suitable host before throwing her weapon back at her. Throwing his own weapons as well, his javelin became a streak of lightning, electrocuting several of the party before burying into Shagrat.
Al'durin and Scumbag fired shots at Kuhrok, finding it difficult to hit through the swarm of piranha encircling him. The dragonborn put a Hex on him to make spells more effective. Gol'rotta charged her maul with radiant energy and smashed it into Kuhrok. Romeo swam forward, attacking the tiger shark first. Reflexively, the Rider took the attack for his mount. Switching targets, Romeo switched his attention to the Rider himself. Sensing danger Astrid put up her Beacon of Hope, filling area with light that looked like a starry sky.
Shagrat took advantage of Al'durin's hex and cast Hold Person, paralyzing the sahuagin in his place before spewing acid over him. Muzu followed suit and laid into him with mighty strikes from his trident.
Even through the paralysis, the Undesirables could hear a primal roar come from Kuhrok, and with it came a sapping of their energy and exhausting several members. Shaken by this, they poured themselves into the fight and pushed their limits.
Enraged further by the profound hunger set upon him, Ürsa used a Blight spell to inflict massive damage. Shagrat felt his spell slip away as if Kuhrok had died, but with another roar draining more strength and a transformation, Famine completely took over the sahuagin's body.
Unleashing a flurry of attacks, Gol'rotta was severly injured, but still fighting strong. Al'durin rushed in with his sword, carving massive damage into Famine.
Scumbag managed to snipe through the the pirahna swarm and shouted a distraction, creating an opening for Gol'rotta to hit.
Following up with her assault, Gol'rotta crashed into him, landing a massive divine smite in the process. Romeo shoved Famine back, getting him at an angle to prevent the others from potentially seeing the mirror as he revealed it to Famine. When it didn't trap the entity, he continued to attack to weaken it further.
Astrid healed Gol'rotta as Shagrat used an unconventional tactic, putting a Bane on both Famine and Romeo, the enchantment allowing Romeo to attack again, using a weal from Ürsa's starchart to counteract the curse.
With a final strike, Muzu used a divine smite to take down the Aspect of Famine and took the entity into himself. Shagrat was the first to try and figure out where it had gone and suspected that the triton now housed it.
Seeing the sea elf village of Selennia, the weary crew went to find a place to rest and eat. The elves were shell shocked after they had been assaulted by sahuagin that had stayed loyal to Kuhrok. They were also suffering the effects of Famine's presence. Ürsa and Al'durin fed the hungry elves before going to the surface side of the town.
Eating more than they ever had before, they all settled in for the night. As he slept, Muzu had a dream. It came in the form of the final memory of the previous host of Famine. An elven woman coming to, before being killed by a vulture headed being and having her soul removed, and Famine with it, and sealed into a gem.

Victorious Return

When they woke in the morning, the Undesirables gathered as Gol'rotta discussed a letter she had gotten overnight. Her praetora had sent information she had requested. While it wasn't extensive, it gave some insight into other events that lined up with things they had already known. Learning the name of the orc she had seen memories of, Gol'rotta learned of his part in the Reclamation War, as well as his wife, an elven woman.
Muzu confirmed that the same elf had been the previous host of Famine as well, leading into him sharing his dream. With the description of the avian humanoid, they pressed 'Juliet' for information. The erinyes refused, saying it was not in the line of his first agreement and that he wanted a deal for the information. Being decisive, Romeo offered to shorten the amount of time before his release by one month.
Eagerly accepting, 'Juliet' explained that what Muzu had seen was a Nagpa, a creature cursed by the Raven Queen. They were immune to aging, but craved knowledge like others crave food. Forbidden from obtaining knowledge anywhere but from ruins and dead civilizations, they seek ways to end cities so that they can learn from them.
As if he wasn't done, the devil began antagonizing Ürsa, telling him that he had given General Arseny the ideas that had made Astrid suffer. This happened while the druid was trying to repair the mirror and his anger forced him to shift to his werebear form again. Romeo attempted to distract the devil as well as keep him out of Ürsa's sight by clinging to the face of the mirror. Restraining himself from shattering it with Shagrat's help from a Calm Emotions spell, Ürsa finished the job and stormed out, causing damage to the inn as he went. Not finished goading the team, he also informed Gol'rotta that it had also been him that showed Arseny how to make the Draconian Ritual.
Going for a walk to cool his head, Ürsa ended up going shopping for a massive amount of tallow, much to the confusion of the rest of the group. Swimming back east, the Undesirables noticed that life was coming back to the reef already. Back at the sunken ship, Ürsa used his purchase as a spell component to cast Reincarnate on the titan hermit crab that had once inhabited it. Reviving it as a tiny hermit crab, he named it Shroomp and kept it as a pet.
Camping in the ship again, Shagrat suggested trying the mirror on Muzu or Gol'rotta to see if it would even work if they found the other two Riders. While everyone agreed it was a good idea, the topic diverged into the potential locations of the Riders instead. Gol'rotta voiced her opinions for War residing in Frostbane, specifically in the leader. With that, she also voiced her concern that Romeo's patron, Aerefract, might have crossed paths with Pestilence. Romeo seemed at a loss from the suggestion, revealing that he had been researching dragon diseases to help. He admitted to finding out that a normal humanoid could not inflict such a debilitating condition to a dragon, which Gol'rotta said was even more reason there was a distinct possibility Pestilence would be the only thing that could cripple a dragon.
On watch, Romeo apologized to Muzu for stabbing him. Muzu in turn apologized for attempting to take the mirror without asking. With a peaceful night's rest, the group headed back to Wahi Kao and received a hero's welcome. Muzu announced the defeat of Famine, kicking off the party they had been waiting for.
Taking some time for business, Shagrat set up the last few things he needed to get his new settlement going. Gol'rotta was directed by Tiuru to the arena to reunite with her adopted daughter. Romeo took the time to consider what kind of triton rites he'd want to compete for. Everyone else began to celebrate, though several seemed concerned it was not the time.
Amid the revelry, Kuzu asked the Undesirables the fate of the sahuagin tribe. Knowing their prisoner had nothing to return to, she was offered to stay with the tritons or go with Shagrat. During more partying, Muzu slipped away to find Qoolp'ool. Presenting him with a black pearl, a symbol of the kuo-toa goddess, Muzu told him that he served his goddess well and apologized that no one had listened. Honoring him in return, the kuo-toan told him his goddess considered him a bearer of the title 'Seachosen', the highest honor his people had, despite not being a worshipper. They parted with Qoolp'ool reminding him "The storm has calmed, but it is not over".

High and Low Tides

With festivities underway, The Undesirables took part in the arena, assisting the sahuagin woman in her Rite of Citizenship. With an overall rousing success, each member gained the right to call themselves citizens of Wahi Kao, which Romeo eagerly took. Ürsa convinced Astrid it might be at least a fun idea since their homeland was always cold and Gol'rotta took it as a foothold towards starting diplomatic talks between the tritons and Clan Sivak. She talked to Kuzu afterward, and the senator seemed very open to the idea.
Milling through the crowds and partying a short while, Romeo asked Muzu to show him the coral burial grounds. Appreciating a moment to themselves, Muzu told everyone of the significance of the burials and what it meant to his people. Aerefract came out and had a heart to heart with Muzu, apologizing for the situation in the sunken ship and expressing his hope that Muzu would honor Romeo's wish of wanting to be buried with the triton heroes. While he made no promises, Muzu assured him that he saw no reason for such a request to be denied.
Returning to partake of the ongoing feast before turning in, Muzu and Gol'rotta had a shared vision of a celebration, seeing memories of the past. The faces of the four that had been host to the Riders before they were sealed away. It was a memory of their final meal together with their friends. Catching Muzu's attention, Gol'rotta gathered the others in the suite they were staying in to discuss what they had seen. Leading into a discussion on how to possibly track former hosts to locate the current ones, scrying the location in Muzu's dream and how to kill Nagpa, the conversation wound down after 'Juliet' was added into the talk.
Taking his leave when Romeo went outside to keep the erinyes from bothering others, Muzu headed for the Temple of Poseidon. There he left a note with his Ocean Champion Trident, his Guardian Seal and a satchel of coin on one of the pews before sinking into the pool of holy water. He was welcomed by Poseidon and declared that he had completed the task his god had asked of him. When Muzu asked what came next, Poseidon offered to separate Famine from his soul, but there was a chance he would not survive the extraction. The lord of the sea also stated that the triton could give himself entirely, guaranteeing that there was no way Famine could cling to his spirit in Malgrave. Stating he was willing to do whatever it took to banish the Rider, Muzu willingly left with Poseidon, giving his spirit entirely and was escourted to live on Olympus alongside the gods that resided there. With his sacrifice, he guaranteed Famine, Rider of the Apocalypse, could never return to Malgrave. The Four were now Three.

Somber Farewells

Gol'rotta woke with a gasp as Death and the memories of the former hosts reacted to Famine's departure. Realizing something was wrong, she gathered the others and headed for the temple as Romeo knew that was where Muzu had said that he was going. When they arrived, they found Muzu's body near the holy pool. Gol'rotta tried to resuscitate him while Romeo found the note left behind by their friend. Shagrat knew that it would be impossible to ressurect Muzu. Romeo and Gol'rotta were furious, neither hiding it well, but the dragonborn decided it was best to honor his final wishes.
Astrid went to retrieve Kuzu and Tiuru so that the team could have a moment with their fallen friend. Gol'rotta adjusted and straightened Muzu's armor before his parents got there with a familiarity that suggested a ritual practice. Upon their arrival, Kuzu was stunned into silence and Tiuru roared in agony and rushed to her son. As if suspecting her to harm Gol'rotta, Romeo stood in her way but Al'durin interfered with a spell, allowing Tiuru to shove both Romeo and Gol'rotta aside. Giving them time alone, the Undesirables gathered outside the temple. After a while in silence, Kuzu asked them to fetch Makuta, his assistant, and asked them to honor Muzu's funeral with their presence. Romeo stayed at the temple while the rest tried to get some sleep. Despite having smashed one of the pews in the temple, Kuzu seemed unbothered and asked the kobold to accompany him and his wife during the procession. Asking him to be a pallbearer, Kuzu also inquired to if Romeo had been close to Muzu. Unsure of how to answer, Romeo stated that they fought by each other's side.
Bringing Muzu to rest in the coral burial grounds, the ceremony was somber. Gol'rotta asked if she could perform a funeral rite of her people to honor Muzu, to which his parents said the honor would be theirs. Sprinkling a metallic powder about the stone tablet, she sealed the sarcophogus with ice from her frost breath. Romeo left his Diver's Knife from the Heroes Garden on Muzu's tomb before taking his leave as well. Gathering their things, Shagrat made the last of his preparations for his settlment of Dragonturtle Lake and Gol'rotta asked Kuzu about setting up diplomatic relations between Wahi Kao and the Argentum Bastian. Taking their things back to the Stormcaller, they began the trip back to Westfall.
Astrid brought forth the journal Gol'rotta had been asking Ürsa for on his behalf. At a quick glance, Gol'rotta quickly noticed that Ürsa had redacted 'Juliet's' real name as well as a location of where to find it. Furious, she went to confront him with Romeo close on her heels. Astrid stood in the way, saying that Ürsa wasn't himself and she wouldn't get anything from him. When the two tried to force their way past her, Al'durin stepped in on Astrid's side after she said she feared that if the crew knew about Ürsa's condition they would kill him. Shagrat confirmed that Ürsa was indeed losing control and in his werebear form. Astrid tried to explain that he had wanted to talk about the devil and what to do about it together and knew he was not his usual self. It wasn't a distrust in Gol'rotta, but in the Aspect of Death inside of her. Hurt to her core, Gol'rotta stormed away and avoided the both of them for the rest of the journey.
Romeo took the moment to call out Al'durin, accusing him of being contrary to what the rest of the party desired. Al'durin rebuked the claim, saying that it was unfair to attack a messenger in Astrid's case and with Tiuru, he said that he knew what it felt like to want to hold a loved one who had passed in his arms one last time. Tensions high, they returned to the Verdant Manor. While noticing that Astrid was severely wounded having been trying to care for Ürsa, none offered to help her.
Inside, Magnus was talking to a young man he introduced as Vangelis. Appearing human, when he introduced himself, his eyes began to glow and a set of musical voices numbering twenty or more spoke as well. They called themselves The Choir, sent by Apollo after Muzu's death to assist them. Gol'rotta accepted the explanation without question, but told the entity that their vessel was just a boy and she would make him battle ready. When Magnus inquired what had happened, he was met with silence. Al'durin stepped up to fill him in on everything that had happened, as well as introduce himself. Astrid tried to smooth things over with Gol'rotta, with the dragonborn acknowledging that it wasn't Astrid's fault but Ürsa had still betrayed her. The Duskman acknowledged she was aware of how well the captain had been resisting the entity inside of her, but Gol'rotta still couldn't bring herself to be around either her or Ürsa. In the meantime, Shagrat said his farewells and headed out. Tolliver returned from his walkabout shortly after.
A little more than a week later, there was a knock on the door. Recognizing the obnoxious speed and that it continued without end, Gol'rotta knew that it could only be one person. When she answered, her suspicions turned out to be true and she greeted a small dragonborn, addressing her as Pip. The initial surprise of the appearance and mannerisms of their new guest made the Undesirables had a hard time believing her when she said she was Gol'rotta's sister. Clarifying that they were cousins, Gol'rotta finally got Pip to reveal her purpose in coming to Westfall. Pip told her that she had been summoned to testify before a war council and describe everything she had seen when dealing with General Arseny Vadima in Dugafjord. Al'durin was the first to volunteer to accompany her, which gave Gol'rotta the opportunity to ask all of her friends to come with. Stating that she would need them there to verify her statements and requesting Magnus be there as the leader of the Undesirables to speak with the praetora, she had also promised Tethys, the silver dragonborn corrupted by Vadima's ritual, that she would bring her home. With everyone agreeing how important her mission was and ready to support her, the Undesirables prepared for a journey to the Argentum Bastian.

Date of Events
Hibren 3-, 156AT
Player Characters involved
Romeo
Muzu
Ürsa
Sivak Gol'rotta
Scumbag
Shagrat
Al'durin