Twisting Tentacles & Torrential Tides

Tentacles waved towering in the sky far above the deck, a storm raging to mirror the creature's fury. They loomed threateningly for what seemed like eternity as we froze in terror unsure of our defense. Suddenly, the crew ran for the cannons and we release a volley of ammunition into the beast's body and fended off the mighty appendages.
 
Neoon loosed arrows with hollow blades into the creatures hide, striving for a bleeding wound to no avail -- retreating to the tower of the main sail mast. Magnus grabbed a nearby cannonball and with more force than I have seen from some actual artillery, slung the projectile at the beast's head, striking him and angering him in the process. To retaliate, the monstrosity grabbed Magnus and squeezed him vigorously, and while fortunately a massive frame like his was able to withstand the pressure, not able to afford him avoidance from being slung into the forward mast of the ship, collapsing him as he hit the deck. Blue summoned a cyclone to distract one of the tentacles while Randuras summoned a protective turret to supplement the smaller of us hoping for any kind of defense or shelter we could find. Captain Bonaparte ordered a volley of blasts into the kraken, which varied with their successes and accuracy. Any damage would help distract the beast as we scrambled for a more concerted progress against the horror we faced.
 
I steeled myself against the looming towers of sea and beast, casting my icy armor to hopefully prevent damage to my admittedly and comparatively frail frame to my other larger friends, and ideally strike damage to any attacks coming my way. This would not be an easy fight, and I would need every bit of protection and clever tricks afforded to me. The cannons continued to fire and Blue now manned one of them, landing a clean shot and wounding the creature. Neoon again fired an arrow near its eye and was able to penetrate the thinner flesh, causing a wound to gush with blood. Xinyi echoed the captain and ordered another volley of cannons to strike at the enemy, while some of the crew had at this point had begun to recover from being knocked off their feet or various conditions of regaining their senses.
 
My eldritch assaults were nearly impossible with this sea and the storm, the boat continually rocking and distracting my aim. I did my best to steady my legs and wits as I could, and support my friends as they tried to stop the creature from completely destroying the ship. Bonaparte rallied the troops and continued to muster and motivate, but in his haste one of the midshipman unfortunately froze in terror from desperate morale.
 
Magnus emboldened himself and leapt from the deck onto the body of the giant squid. Latching on, he managed to grapple the flesh and checked the beast with his shoulder and sunk his axe into the enormous skull, knocking it away from the boat several feet with Magnus along with him. We continued our attacks as he struggled to hold on, only for it to eventually wriggle loose and cause Magnus to fall into the water, snatching him up with a tentacle that had been retracted earlier under the waves only to reappear to capture him. Hoisting him high, it again threw him away, past the side of the deck along the ship into the water. A great splash, and Magnus was alone in the deep and whitewashing water.
 
Blue took his inspiration from his similar statured friend and charged the beast, slashing and biting as he landed on the side. His strikes landing, he was not able to grapple as successfully as Magnus, and found himself soon in the water with Magnus.
 
A deep breath taken and held, I focused my hex once more and struck the beast square in the torso, and was able to score a fair amount of damage to the enemy despite the crashing waves and turbulence. The beast roared in anger as it was repulsed from the force away from the ship, taking several superfluous debris and planks with it but affording us some distance for safety. With no tentacles in sight, the beast was surely about to grapple us again but the beak and its vision would at least be stifled for a moment.
 
Bonaparte ordered the crew to lower rope ladders for Magnus and Blue to pull themselves, and ordered another wave of ammunition into the giant kraken as it heaved backwards in a show of force to again strike the ship. Before it could, our cannonballs synergized the damage previously dealt from arrows, eldritch impacts and weaponry and all, and the squid's skull finally gave way under the force of artillery. It screeched and repulsed, thrashing in the waves as it soon lost its strength and faded, sinking under the water.
 
Magnus and Blue pulled themselves back on the deck, and the crew and our party collected our breath and wits as we tried to process the monstrosity we had witnessed. Blue used his jaws to allow himself to be hoisted along the side of the deck as fins began protruding from the water. Magnus used the rope ladders to pull himself aboard and the sharks now moved towards Blue as he tried to expedite his climb.
 
The waves covered Blue, and his form changed into a smaller version of the creature we had just fought. Using his new shape, he pulled himself onto the deck to save himself as the sharks descended upon the carcass of the giant kraken, now chum for the flurry of scavenging fins and jaws, Blue safe and unnoticed.
 
Captain Bonaparte, after a cry from Kico that the danger and protection we provided should at least impact our expensed deposit to Xinyi, agreed that we would receive a discount for our troubles. After all, if not for our intervention, the ship and its crews lives would surely have been lost to the waves and twisting wash and the depths below forever. We began to dry off and tend to our wounds. Luckily I had been somehow unscathed so I helped the others to their feet and saw to the recovering of their affects and items. Neoon, between a combination of fighting and seasickness was already having trouble adapting to the sea, and during the fight had done her best, but had now fully lost her lunch, heading down to her room to recover.
 
The Captain and crew broke into a barrel of grog to celebrate, which both tested and lifted our spirits through spirits, but steadied our nerves from the traumatic combat and unbelievable peril we had just faced. We recomposed our souls over cards, and I told the group a tale of how I learned my ability to bluff and play cards, the various types of games, from my time as a part of a crew of a similar vessel. Oriented as a fable of wisdom, I told them of my first sail when the captain had taken me for all I was currently worth over a final pot over a hand of Wallsard Hold'em.
 
In the morning we pulled into port of Wallsard, with gulls crying and swarming the shoreline in the skies above. The massive structures we had started from re-embraced us along with our new companions. Frigates and large ships docked with the city's sheer rock face carved as accommodations for bigger vessels, and it again reminded me of my time of sea faring a lifetime ago. The population's dense citizenry bustled with activity, and we walked among the markets and crowds. The fort towered over the lower city layout, built into the side of the fjord and various switchbacks to help travelers and merchants to climb and traverse in and out of the city and inland beyond. The sprawl of the architecture making it hard to find anyone who doesn't want to be found, we accompanied Xinyi as she handled the business once the boat was stored and stowed.
 
The marina greeted us as a familiar structure, and the captain sent us off with well-wishes and reminded us we would or could cross paths again if needed, thanking us for our help and companionship. After exchanging brutish flexes and various poses between the captain and Magnus, they shared a hearty handshake while the rest of us looked on in amazement and slight confusion.
 
Kico, Blue, myself found ourselves in familiar territory, so we decided to return to the place where we started, but unfortunately the tavern we had originally gathered and started our journey had changes ownership, but was still clearly the same facility. The Laughing Sprite was still as full and roaring with patrons as ever, and while it was difficult to find a seat at a table for all of us, we were still greeted by familiar faces. Jorund still serving souls travelling and staying the night in the rooms, and Branigan filling mugs of ale and delivering meals to each table. She bounded up to our group excited to see returning guests, and explained that while Jorund was still fine and healthy, he realized his time among the living is not forever, and had entrusted the legacy of the tavern to her to continue after he shuffled among the mortal Cyorion coil. Jorund graced us with a free round as we sat down in the back of the tavern and took up seating.
 
Spade surprised me with a slide up next to our table and reintroduced himself to our new friends. He had been investigating a lead on the cultists that had killed Issica, which had led him to a den called The Hovel, where he had found Benny, and led him to a brothel called the Forlorn Lover. Spade mentioned a man called Two-Tricks, who had sent himself and Issica here to try to find information about the Aether Shards, but had then sent Benny to check on her. A couple people had been keeping an eye on Issica beyond Benny for differing and less than protective interests, but they had now found themselves at the bottom of the harbor. Utancia's Two-Tricks is owed a bloody eye at the least for the death of Issica, and we'll make sure if our paths cross that they answer for the death of a decent soul. Two-Tricks wants shards of the Aether Mirror, for his own purposes and power sending agents even as far as Syrio and Katala, however that was much too far for us to find ourselves without large amounts of time and travel, only to possibly come up empty-handed.
 
Alas our group sat around the table and debated what to do. Randuras had heard of Two-Tricks, and explained that he was a crime boss, and responsible for plenty of strife with the Wyvernfall Mining Company, which when mentioned, Spade shrank and nearly spat out his drink. Randuras was a bit angry when he put two and two together, and demanded Spade show him his wares.
 
A woman suddenly barged in looking for Eikellen, making claims that Mirabelle had been disgracing his family name and reputation, and eyes widened when she spotted my likeness. Hurling accusations, she lamented that friends of Mirabelle had been responsible for spreading rumors and misgivings regarding the Van Cuthberts of Gilsa, confusing them for the similar clan from Brosster's Hollow. She handed me a letter penned in Mirabelle's hand, and it read in her first hand account offering publication of research for the archeology for her findings in the Brosster Hollow dig, being the place where she was first involved when she met trouble that brought us all together. I had to be the bearer of bad news, and after I informed Miriel that Mirabelle was no longer with us, and this was all just a misunderstanding and no ill-intent meant, Eikellen calmed her down while we straightened things out. Eikellen took this opportunity to excuse himself from the group, taking Guinevere with him as a ward in Miriel's care. They departed with fond tidings as we wished them health and a happy future in the Van Cuthbert house and a bright life ahead of her. It was a bittersweet moment as Neoon gave her a keepsake to remember forever.
 
Jorund told us that the Van Cuthberts were known to have made a pact with a devil named Qolijo, who renegged on that deal and sank their estate into the swamp depths. Rumors abounded that they may still be dealing with demon, and while we began to determine our next course of action some of us noticed a commotion outside the tavern. Blue was kneeling on the street sobbing uncontrollably. 'The trees, they are screaming!' clutching his chest. The young man from the Dayde Woodland who was being attacked and we had saved once long ago, Gavin Bolbeck appeared approaching us, now again bloodied and covered in grime, muck, and out of breath looking exhausted from fleeing over miles to reach us.
 
Gavin blurted out that they had been attacked, and his mother had been mercilessly slain by a scaled creature named Ikeltek, who claimed they were going to 'kill the soul of the forest'. We were astonished and bewildered by this news, recognizing the name instantly from our past. It immediately became clear that now we must defend the Dayde from the ravages of Ikeltek and put a stop to his villainous rampages. Now we knew where to find him, we had an obvious choice and a path to follow.
 
We already knew this madman had been the cause of Mirabelle's demise, and had warned us in his hubris that specifically 'Mirabelle's Soul Was Only The First'. If any of us have a say, it will be his last, and with much overdue harsh prejudice.