Session 14 - The Voyage Home - The long way around Report

General Summary

Moonday 24 Patchwall

  As the dawning sun cracks across the horizon, Leeroy lifts Nar over the banister where she paints over the ship's old name "The Gladiator" with its new one: "Friending Boatship". At the same time, Mina preaches to the crew about the glory of Istus beginning the process of converting them to the glory of her goddess, while Kyra uses her arcane arts to project a puppet show behind her back. When Mina can see the silent image, Kyra is careful to ensure it's a respectful image of Istus spinning the threads of fate on her Golden Spindle, but as Mina faces the crew again, the scene morphs into cartoonish imagery of Istus chasing the tempestuous winds of the open ocean.   The Soul of Winter approaches from the stern and Karia quickly shouts out a warning to the party. Everyone gathers at mid-ships as the disciplined dwarven crew from the Soul tosses grappling hooks securing the ships together. Captain Windrune storms out of his cabin shouting across the decks, "Did you take the chest?!"   Leeroy retorts, "Why? What's it to you?"   The captains face flushes red as a strawberry as he screams back, "WHERE IS THAT CHEST??"   Karia glares at the captain as she states, "You know this is the second ghost ship we've taken over, right?"   "Right!" Mina enjoins as she pointedly eyes The Soul of Winter, "Once might be luck, but twice is habitual"   Captain Windrune takes a deep breath then responds, "Look, that chest is the only way any of us get paid. Now, did you take it?"   Kyra calmly responds, "Yes. The invaders were specifically seeking it so we retrieved it for safe keeping."   "I've got it in my bag!" Karia cheerfully adds.   Glowering for a moment, the captain responds, "Alright. Good. That's a much better situation than I was fearing." He smiles and continues, "Actually, it's for the best that you keep it anyhow. I've seen your capabilities now and you are quite formidable. Now, about the Gladiat--er...the Friending Boatship are any of you captains?"   Nar pipes up, "I've got the hat and that makes me captain!"   A small smile flashes across Windrune's face before he questions further, "Let me revise my question. Since none of you are licensed captains, will you have my first mate as captain so that you have someone with experience sailing ships, just in case?"   "Only," responds Nar, "if we are co-captains!"   Captain Windrune nods and calls over a robust dwarf, "Geff! You've met Geff Waverider upon boarding. I'm glad that you'll allow him to assist in getting both of our ships safely back to Saltmarsh."   Geff crosses over to the Friending Boatship and nods towards the party before rapidly calling out orders to the deckhands including releasing the grappling hooks. He then approaches the party and asks, "Thanks for this opportunity to be captai--err...co-captain. We still need several officers since this motley crew of pirates aren't qualified. Are you able to assume any of these duties?"   The party quickly falls into familiar roles. Nar resumes the role of entertainer in addition to her duties of co-captain. Karia climbs up the crow's nest as lookout. Kyra begins forecasting the weather and seas. Mina assumes the role of navigator. And Leeroy takes charge of the deckhands. Geff acknowledges the party's skill and deftly steers the ship northward following the Soul of Winter. The first day passes without incident, but as the sun sets on the second day, Kyra senses a severe storm in the region and likely heading toward the party. Geff calls out to reef the sails and passes along the warning to the Soul of Winter.  

Earthday 27 Patchwall

  Dawn breaks with dark roiling clouds on the western horizon. Kyra confirms the storm will overtake them and that there's no ability to circumvent it. She also increases her estimation regarding the severity of the storm.   Co-captain Waverider heeds Kyra's weather sense and orders the sails furled and secured as well as battening down the ship. The crew works feverishly beneath the guidance of Leeroy securing barrels, ropes, and the hatches in preparation of the storm.   Within minutes the rain pelts down on anyone on the deck, stinging due to the force of the winds. Waverider sensing the roiling seas, orders stringers to be rigged so that anyone remaining on deck can be lashed to it as they move around. The storm builds quickly and the waves rile up with it. Soon the ship rolls atop five then ten foot swells and all non-essential persons are sent below decks. Only Waverider and a few lookouts stay above decks in a desperate attempt to prevent crashing upon an unknown reef.   Below decks, the party gathers within the captain's quarters as Nar tries to enliven spirits, but the pitching and rocking of the ship presents too big a challenge for listening let alone strumming the lyre. For two long days the storm rages pulling the Friending Boatship with it and the party stays isolated and cramped below decks.  

Sunday 2 Ready'reat

  Late during the night, the ship slowly settles back to an easy sway amongst the restless sea. Everyone heads above decks and watches as stars slowly emerge from the dissipating dark stormy clouds. Finally, the sun breaks the horizon and Mina starts deducing their location. However, without any landmarks, there's not enough information to firmly pinpoint. The best she can do is they've traveled eastward with the storm.   Karia climbs to the crow's nest and several hours later shouts, "Birds! To the east my friends!". Looking that direction, the party identifies the flying specks as hawks or maybe falcons, but land based birds all the same.   Geff approaches Mina stating, "I'm not sure we should trust land until we know where we are."   "Why?" Mina asks, "Procan has been a friend so far."   At the mention of Procan, Kyra perks up with a wry smile and quickly using her arcane energies to project an image of Istus with a single tear trailing down her cheek.   Mina immediately retorts, "I'm not abandoning Istus, but we can recognize that other gods have their area of control. Anyway, let's head east toward the birds and see if we can't pinpoint where we are."   Captain Waverider spins the wheel to head toward the birds and a few minutes later Karia cries out, "Land ho!" As the ship signals the port, a pilot rows out and climbs aboard before guiding the Friending Boatship to a wharf near the center of town. After collecting a dozen silver as payment, the pilot quickly scrambles off to await the next incoming ship. The crew quickly ties up and lowers the gangplank.   Leeroy leads the party onto the docks and sighs, "Land! Oh it feels good to be on land again!" As the party follows Leeroy onto the wharf, Kyra casts a quick spell to disguise herself as a human female.   The party quickly establishes the highest priority is stocking the pantry with both food and fresh water. They call for the ship's cook named Chet who agrees to gather information on the availability of supplies.   Leeroy then stops a passing dock worker, "Hey, where are we?"   The dock worker looks askance at Leeroy, "Spittleton. A bit nor' nor'west of Jetsome Island. Yo'r lucky to have made it here, you must've pleased Procan to have survived that storm that blew through. Much better than that merchant that left just a week or two back that crashed upon Tyrant's Rocks."   "Oh?" questions Kyra, "what happened?"   "Some claim it was Keoland pirates, they've been plaguing us for years. But I say it was the captain didn't make an offering to Procan, so he claimed the ship and its contents as his."   "Pirates?" Kyra ponders, "How do you know they are Keoland pirates? Has anyone been to Keoland and lived to tell the tale?"   "The Sea Princes trade here and tell us how they've been robbed at sea," explains the dock worker. "There might be one lady that's seeking passage to the Tyrant's Rocks and she might be from Keoland. She's seeking help to recover items from the wreck. Me, I say what Procan has claimed as his is best left alone. Besides there are demon rays out there. She's likely hanging out at the Drunken Barrel."   "So it has spirits there?" jokes Kyra.   "Not for at least a year," states the dock worker.   The party heads off toward the Drunken Barrel while lightly chuckling to themselves. Upon entering the small tavern, they are greeted by a large burly barkeep, "Ho there strangers! I'm Hamfist. How may I serve ya?"   "We've heard tale that you've the finest spirits on Spittleton," claims Kyra.   The Hamfist's smile slides away as he responds, "Hasn't been that way for a long while now."   "Ah no matter," Kyra continues, "what's your specialty here? Perhaps a nice floral wine?"   Hamfist quickly leans into the spirit of the question, "No nothing so dainty for us. We don't have a large selection, but there is this recipe that my father passed down to me. It starts with our excess crabs that we combine with some barley and we ferment them into a frothy brew."   "You mean you make crabeer?" asks Mina. "Nar you like claw wine. Do you think you'd like this?"   Nar scrunches her face a bit as she answers, "Like is an interesting term when you are talking about a varietal of the claw."   "Those are interesting necklaces that you have," Hamfist notices, "Where did you get them?"   Karia perks up, "I made them! We killed an old mean croc called Thousand Teeth and I plucked his teeth for my friends."   "Did you know," questions Kyra, "A croc grows one tooth every year. It's like a tree ring but for a crocodile."   Hamfist listens intently as he fills a glass and slides it over to Nar. "Truly? You are quite knowledgeable folk. The Sea Princes must appreciate folk like you."   Nar takes a long draw on the beer and comments, "That is by far the crabbiest beer I've tasted."   "Would you say it 'bites back'," teases Mina. "Tell us more about the Sea Princes. Why do you like them?"   "Well that's a long story," Hamfist begins, "But it rings special to me. You see once upon a time, they were just simple pirates that raided from the trio of islands nearby with towns barely bigger than Spittleton, but they drove back the mightier overbearing nations like Keoland and became mighty in the process. They built fleets and liberated southwestern Keoland from the selfish crown. Since then, they've done good by us and they are far better than the Scarlet Brotherhood."   Both Nar and Karia question, "Scarlet Brotherhood? What is that?"   "The way I hear it, they're on a crusade from a land across the sea," intones Hamfist, "but really they are merely vicious pirates that attack our merchants on sight."   Karia asks, "Is there a reason for their attacks?"   "Well," muses Hamfist, "they claim to be true Suloise and that they must eradicate the mixed races from their land. It's a bunch of hooey, if you ask me, seems more like they just like havin' a reason ta murder folks they don't like."   Karia asks, "What about that storm that blew through yesterday, is that typical for this area?"   "Our weather," begins Hamfist, "is often a bit mercurial which reflects the nature of Procan."   "Ah, there are many things happening here," Nar muses, "The waves are choppy and Procan is a man. Istus is a woman and controls the winds of fate. Could they be having a tiff?"   Kyra loses patience and yells, "Look! I'm just trying to find a woman in this bar! Do you know of anyone trying to reach Tyrant's Rocks?"   A lady sitting in the back of the bar perks up at the mention of the shoals. Catching the attention of Kyra, the party meanders their way to her table. Upon reaching her, she introduces herself, "Greetings! My name's Krichelle. Why are you interested in Tyrant's Rocks? Would you be willing to help my brothers and I recover some sentimental items from my father's ship that ran aground there? I assure these items have little value to anyone other than our family."   "Why haven't any of the locals helped?" asks Kyra.   "They believe that my father didn't provide an offering when shoving off and therefore the wreck was Procan's will or something" replies Krichelle, "you'd think they'd want off this little spit of an island, but nobody will assist us."   "I'd be careful assuming any god's will," Mina states. "It's often beyond our mortal senses to know their long-term plans."   "You mentioned brothers," asks Kyra, "Where are they?"   "They'll be along soon," responds Krichelle. "Ah in fact here they are now! These are my brothers Krobert, Kret, and Kphillip."

Rewards Granted

50 xp for using the Expedition system for sea travel
100 xp for roleplay

Total 150 xp/person
  -15 sp (total) payment to the Pilot
-10 cp (total) payment for crabeer

Missions/Quests Completed

Survived the tempest storm
Found Spittleton
Met Krichelle

Character(s) interacted with

Wolgar Windrune (captain of Soul of Winter)
Geff Waverider (1st mate of Soul of Winter, temporary co-captain of Friending Boatship)
Hamfist (bartender of the Drunken Barrel)
Krichelle (lady in the Drunken Barrel seeking help to retrieve sentimental objects from Tyrant's Rocks)
Krobert, Kret, and Kphillip (Krichelle's brothers)

Related Reports

Session 13 - Death of the Emperor Report
Session 15 - The Voyage Home - The Froth within the Sea Report