Session 25
General Summary
Before beginning pursuit of the Anaconda, the Deep end secured the crew by intimidating them into submission - the effort led by Rani and Ghilani, who drew 3 vials of the Captain's blood. After struggling to get the lock to the Captain's quarters open, Newt began shoving all of the various trinkets in Porysis' office and everything on his desk into Rani's Bag of Holding. The Widow took the Captain's swords and hid them underneath crates in the hold. Without any trace of subtly or stealth, Ghilani tried to go back down to grab one, but was promptly berated by the party when he brought up one of the swords. Maybe he can snag one later...
The party began pursuit of the Anaconda and the remainder of Porysis' fleet. With Moira at the helm, the party barreled past the stragglers, taking some hits, but generally cruising along regardless of the damage incurred to the ship (it's not their ship after all). Pulling up alongside the Anaconda, Rani cast web to slow the oars and, seeing this, Ghilani followed up with a well-placed fireball to the remainder.
Newt and The Widow were the first to board the slave galleon. The Widow teleported into the lower deck, arriving near the front row of manacled slaves. Placed alone on a bench was a large green dragonborn, with a tattoo of a crescent moon and stars. Beyond the slaves, The Widow found himself alone with near 20 crew members. Meanwhile, Newt landed on the main deck right next to the Captain. Shortly after, Rani climbed up the side of the Galleon with Moira following behind her after turning over the wheel to Ghilani.
With nearly all her oars on one side destroyed or stuck, the Anaconda veered towards the Cobra's Envy, giving it a gentle little love tap.
Using borrowed Thieves' Tools, The Widow freed the green dragonborn... who immediately abandoned The Widow and booked it down into the hold. Up on the main deck, Newt took care of the commanding officers, while Moira and Rani held their own amidst a hoard of crew. Of course, the Widow didn't fair as well, getting ganged up on and grappled. Ghilani passed the steering wheel to the blind cleric, who then asked the "ground" to help her steer. George is also a lovely name for a lady.
Ghilani cast fireball on the sails to dash the Anaconda's hopes for escape. Newt tried and failed multiple times in the art of intimidation. The Widow really enjoys being grappled. Rani and Moira proved to be incredibly excellent at the art of intimidation, punting a dead crew member down the stairs and... awkwardly asking the crew to stop.
Eventually, with Vorgar armed and having released hoards of now-armed slaves, The Deep End was able to commandeer the Anaconda and reunite with the naval fleet. After thanking the party for releasing him, Vorgar asked - or demanded - to take one of the commandeered vessels so that he may sail immediately to the aid of the Moonguard and their charge. He mentioned that Porysis did attack them, but he was accompanied by another ship that seemed to simply... appear out of nowhere. Vorgar asked after Yue, supposedly his cousin, and whether or not she was still making that trek. When Moira asked if he wished her to convey a message, Vorgar said to let her know that she should take care of herself, but leave his name off the message.
Having gathered what they needed from the Cobra's Envy, the party boarded one of the naval boats and set sail back to Port Oceana. Oksha and Newt spoke briefly on the deck. Oksha asked about how Newt feels about the spirits. She is concerned that... maybe they aren't all meant to be helpful.
Rani and The Widow took the first watch. Rani expressed her concerns for Moira, revealing that their cleric had asked Rani to kill her if it was necessary. Since the Widow seems to be the expert, how do you better communicate with your god? Maybe, if they can get the god version of Lakshmi on their side, they can force Caliban to speak to Moira more. The Widow responded incredibly awkwardly. It seems he's dealing with some... stuff pertaining to what happened at the festival and with Belle. Maybe you'll see him again, right?
Ghilani saw his mother when she was young, smiling amidst a familiar field of flowers. Then, in the blink of an eye, he watched her age and deteriorate, the light slowly fading from her eyes. A voice spoke. "She was so strong for you, my dear. Held on for so long... you must be stronger. It's in your blood, after all."
Newt listened to the desperate lies of a dead man before Diavolo separated his head from his neck, silencing the lies once and for all. He then watched Thyron pick the lock to his own temple when he forgot the keys. You never know when you'll need to get in somewhere you're not supposed to be.
Rani moved through familiar environments - burrowing in sand, climbing trees with unbelievable ease, and running alongside the swarm in pursuit of some prey. A golden mist guided and then followed until it coalesced and engulfed her: a stroke of a brush, a step in a dance, the beat of drums... a golden dragonborn statue swallowed by the Dune Sea... the faintest trace of a silhouette of a golden dragon in its wake.
Moira awoke to the sound of dripping water and heard a cloaked figure weaving a never-ending tapestry speak to her. After processing the shock that Caliban was speaking to her, she asked about what was wrong with her. Caliban appeared to not know what Moira was referring to, but seemed alarmed when she mentioned the Dread King. Was it not Caliban who stopped her hunger? She saw the vision and it subsided? Caliban asked to know exactly what she saw. Although hard to read the starry eyes and face made of the cosmos, the god of fate seemed... lost in painful memories for a moment. "I am who commands the tides and the cycle. But you... mere mortals, you command the storms. So tell me, Moira... is the power of your fate truly in my hands or your own?"
The Widow allowed Therarask to bring him to the familiar golden platform, getting almost shoved down onto the couch as hands quickly patted him down to ensure he was, in fact, fine. After demanding to know why The Widow was determined to be do difficult at every turn, the Widow and Therarask got into a fight over what happened during San Futas. What did Therarask expect? They knew what The Widow had been through and they lied. Therarask claims they weren't lying. In that moment, they weren't Therarask... they were Belle. Does The Widow not understand how much trouble they were already in for traveling all the way? Why is The Widow so daft? Why are you always so daft... every time? There is something Therarask cannot tell The Widow. Angry, frustrated, and hurt, the god dismissed him, the dream fading.
And when Ghilani awoke, he drew a crude picture of himself wielding one of Porysis' swords alongside the rest of the party. Can he please have one of the swords? He left the drawing with the sleeping Rani.
Rewards Granted
You've acquired a Galleon to take back to Port Oceana as well as crates full of explosives, small trinkets that Porysis may have acquired from the people he captured, and whatever miscellaneous junk was on his desk in the Captain's Quarters of the Cobra's Envy. You also have some neat swords. Ghilani really wants one, by the way.
Missions/Quests Completed
Porysis Sozsatos has been captured and defeated. His fate is now in The Deep Ends very capable hands.
Report Date
05 Dec 2021
Primary Location
Secondary Location
Related Characters
Comments