Session Report 50 - An In-Lightning Experience
General Summary
"I do not know when first I overcame the storm, but I know now that Zarkina favors me."
-Grov
White Mask In The Woods
While returning to the ship to tell the crew that the next day will be spent anchored by the Isle of Statues, Gunther walks along the statue-studded path through the woods. In the corner of his eye, he catches a glimpse of something - he stops and looks to see a white masked figure peering at him through the trees. Seeing him looking at it, the figure, steps between the trees and vanishes. Gunther runs back to warn the others, and, despite their best efforts, the group is unable to find much more about the figure. They ask the sculptor if it might be her sister, but the sculptor dismisses that idea.Later, upon returning to the ship, the group finds that one of the statues was unpetrified while they were on the island and killed - throttled. The group is concerned by this but doesn't follow up.
Grov finishes posing for his statue and the sculptor informs him that she'll complete the finer details very soon, but that he can now leave. She is given some food as payment for her work, which she thanks the group for, and both sides wish each other well.
Bay of Sails
The Flying Flagon next makes way for The Bay of Sails. On approaching the bay, Nora shares some knowledge of the settlement. Officially, the island is uninhabited, though nobody truly believes this. In fact, it's Flint Guild territory, and the guild normally doesn't let non-members in. Approaching the isle, this becomes obvious. The outer edges of the isle are jungled, and the waterway into the bay itself (which is not subtle in hiding the ships anchored within) has two well-armed guard towers. Approaching the towers hoping to parley, a warning shot is fired by a crowgun-wielding guard. The Drifters decide not to push their luck, and leave, heading further north to the next isle.Braving The Storm
The seas go from calm to choppy to incredibly stormy within an unusually short period of time. The skies rumble with thunder and lightning, and Locke gives his best not to hit the ship upon jagged rocks surrounding the isle, which is highlighted as a silhouette in the distance. The wrecked ships of less skilled or less fortunate sailors are strewn about the rocks. The isle itself is a large one, coated in a swampy rained-out jungle and with a prominent mountain to the southeast, whose peak seems stucks with lightning every minute or two.The Flying Flagon is pulled into the bay and anchored in the closest thing to an "eddy" to be found in the stormy waves, just behind a large rock in the middle of the bay which provides cover from the stronger waves coming in from the sea. A Rowboat is lost to the waves in the process of getting to land, which Gunther begrudges. Eventually, the group figures out how they will reach land. Gunther will use his ring of water walking to simply walk there. Grov, being attuned to the storm, will swim using his exceptional physical abilities alongside the blessings of Zarkina. Ramone will transform into a shark, holding a rope in his mouth and carrying Locke and Laire behind him, with assistance from Locke to help the two breathe underwater. Grov is exceptionally good at swimming, managing to even beat the shark to land. The group set their eyes on the mountain which, now closer to it, appears to have stone structures built near its top. The climb begins.
Isle of Storms
The climb is a difficult one, and the rain does not make it any easier. Nonetheless, the group is well-equipped to handle it. Laire is naturally inclined to climbing, as is Grov. Ramone is able to boost his climbing capabilities with magic. Locke, meanwhile, is able to place himself mostly within the bag of holding, leaving only his head to breathe, and stays on Laire's waist. Gunther clings to the back of Grov, who has little problem even with the two of them.As they ascend the mountain, the group sees a clot of figures silhouetted in the distance against the lightning. Soon, it becomes obvious that these are the cultists of Zarkina, and they are not initially very friendly, channelling lightning to strike down upon the group. However, Grov manages to quickly scramble his way up the mountain face towards them. They strike once more with lightning, and Grov takes the full blow, seemingly totally unphased by the strike. He then roars, calling forth his own lightning in a display of power. The cultists halt their assault, recognizing Grov as a person of worth.
The cultists acknowledge him as a "stormborn" and one of their priests asks to escort him to the holy site. Gunther, a fellow worshipper of Zarkina is also allowed to the holy site, though the remaining three who climbed the mountain are not allowed any higher up, and are given temporary lodging until the stormborn is done here.
Eye of The Storm
At the top of the mountain is an open-roofed temple to Zarkina, with a golden lightning rod which is being struck near constantly. Within the temple is a relic of self-apparent significance - a bright blue crystalline orb which crackles with internal lightning, set into the far wall of the temple. The Eye of The Storm, without a doubt. Grov approaches the eye, finding more difficulty in each step as he grows closer and closer. Lightning crackles between Grov's fingertips, crawling up his arm and enveloping his entire body as he reaches for the eye, which begins to crackle with a new, red, lightning. Grov pushes with all his strength, and reaches, touching the eye. He feels the very will of Zarkina for a moment, and his mind is beset with images of the storm, and a greater understanding of it is formed in an instant. A sheet of red lightning comes forth from the sky, and Grov knows he is blessed with new power. He is energized and accepts the opportunity to learn under the cultists for a couple more days.Gunther also attempts to approach the eye, but the essence of the storm is not within him as it is with Grov. The eye strikes at him with lightning, which Gunther manages to take firmly, though the shock still hurts. It's clear that going any closer would be suicidal, but Zarkina nonetheless grants him a small boon.
All but Grov descend the mountain, allowing him to learn under the cult for three more days. In the meanwhile, they get to a bit of work.
The Driftwood, Once More
The ship is in need of repairs, and the isle is filled with trees that have been struck with lightning - a key component to the prosthesis that Locke has planned to make Harry. Once a tree has been felled and stored, and the ship has been repaired, Gunther (the ship's bosun) and those working under him begin work on something which had been discussed for a while - renaming The Flying Flagon to The Driftwood, reclaiming The Drifters' claim to the title. The new name is christened on the back of the ship.Ramone also spends a bit of time around the isle, finding other vestiges of the cult - most of them aggressive, which leads to more than one quick escape. He also finds a shipwreck with a bit of loot and a couple of spell scrolls, both of which he is able to use.
Report Date
17 Jun 2023
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