Session 13: Diary of a Deckhand aboard the Gray Hellonia

General Summary

It's fair to say that the Bridge Burners were a lot of things. Competent or lucky sailors they were not. Hence the now common saying "Better to burn the ship down than a Bridge Burner."

_{Saramonus the Pure}

_{From his Anthology series, "How I killed the Gargarak and other stories"}

Day 7 out of Phlan

What a day! Those rummin's the captain hired out of Phlan finally earnt their pay (not that the captain's gonna pay 'em anyway!). Some monstrous great fish came up from the south out of the clear blue and near killed us all! That elf shot the beast so full of arrows we thought he'd killed it on his own, but the beast just leapt up onto the deck, squashing Rollo and Adrian like so much rotten fruit, I still got bits of 'em in me hair. If it weren't for that dwarf yelling at us I think most of the crew would've jumped over the side then and there. Heck of a set of bellows on 'im, he'd make a rare first mate. Then that barbarian who's been drinking and playing cards down in the old staggered up the stairs and just jumped straight into the ol' fishes mouth. Never seen anything like it! Damn near drowned him when the thing fell back into the sea but I reckon he choked it to death! We'd be eating gargarak stew but the captain said it's for selling nar for eatin'. Managed to steal me a slice though, got to get Gobbo to cook it up later...

"Fish - I am inside you!"

_{What Atlender is likely to have said after diving into the Gargarak's maw & enlarging}

Day 9 out of Phlan

Bloody pox-riddled halfings have taken over the ship! Dunno what happened, I was on bilge duty but somehow that possee of mercenaries let the mad halfling with the hat on board and now they're everywhere, eating everything they can steal and drinking everything even the rubbing alcohol I use to polish the captain's silver! There's two in my hammock up to gods knows what so I'll sleep on the deck until we get to port! Never seen Captain Matthias this angry, think he might soil himself if anything else goes wrong! And now talk of Blood Reavers in the Moonsea! When we get to Thentia I'm taking some shore leave and no mistake.

Day 11 out of Phlan

At last Thentia! Not my favourite harbour, the wizards look down their beaks at us sailors and the whores aren't much better but at least I'll not get the pox! The captain had them Bridge Burners up on deck before we'd even dropped anchor, almost kicked 'em up the arse off the ship with their damn crate and their even more damned luck. Here's hoping there'll be no more excitement for us until we get round to Phlan again. I heard captain say to the mate that he'll probably squeal to the Merchant's Alliance on 'em whether they deliver the goods to Hydo or no, might be a reward in it for us all!

Summary

• The Bridge Burners arrive in Thentia, a wondrous and magical city!
• While on-board Capt Matthias' ship they successfully defend against a Gargarak which seemed to be driven by blood magik to attack the party.
• They agree to clear Matthias' debt by bringing the valuable Gargarak carcass to Salthzine Hydo (owner of the Mortar to Pestle). He gives them a single day to deliver the goods, otherwise he will reveal the parties presence in Thentia to the Merchant's Alliance.
• Before arriving in Thentia, Capt. Severus appears in a sinking ship and somehow talks his way onto the Gray Hellonia, striking a a very one-sided bargain that the party will provide him with a big, new ship and an even bigger hat, before he and his halfling crew disappear into the back streets of the docks.
• The Blood Reavers are on the Bridge Burner's tail led by a Blood Mage called Snarlok Fell!

Report Date

31 Mar 2020