Winedark, Chapter Twenty-Seven
General Summary
Wherein the Blasters gain a new clockwork crewmate, enjoy a feast with a djinn, and Kharlo embraces the Storm
To the Gauntlet
While the Vastblasters were making the VastBlaster ready to head to Matahak, both to attend to Captain Pitch's Hag patron business and to explore why Kharlo Chondricht is perhaps problematically drawn to Kogos' Gauntlet, Sea Sibyl Loshi Saltbloom stopped by with a gift for their expedition. She presented the Blasters with a large brass coin engraved with an octopus. Upon speaking the code word, which is consortium, the coin is transformed into a clockwork octopus capable of healing the party. Nice! The crew quickly nicknamed their newfound tentacled friend "Sorty," and its value was soon proven as our heroes were beset by mutated killer whales and sahuagin priestesses as they voyaged to Matahak. These were dispatched, with Sorty doing not so much healing (where it deploys a "squirt-based" mechanic) as a bit of blasting of its own. It is worth mentioning that Captain Pitch turned one whale into a hermit crab and then yeeted it into the ocean. As the VastBlaster continued its voyage, it was visited by another strange guest--this one a water-based djinn called Shazzah the Beloved. He quickly made himself at home aboard the VastBlaster, regaling the crew with stories and tales as they feasted on all kinds of oceanic delights (including some of that Kharlo made). A good time was had by all, and, as Shazzah left, he mentioned to Kharlo that he knew his sister. No, not Sekha and the Razorfin, but Tenkhi, the Stormtooth who perished saving a whole ship of souls from destruction. Shazzah called her very brave.The Storm Comes
Kharlo was left to dwell on that as the ship skirted the fringes of Kogos' Gauntlet. It turned out that Pitch's intentions to steer clear of the maelstrom were for naught, as the Storm does what the Storm wants, and it clearly wanted Kharlo--the VastBlaster found itself immediately engulfed in a dizzying, all-out gale. It was all the crew could do to keep the ship afloat and withstand Kogo's barrage. Kharlo himself was swept overboard, losing consciousness as he hit the surface of The Vast. He came to himself in a raft, facing down a pair of Water Weirds. Immediately, he knew this to be the test. His Stormtooth trial was commencing. Remembering the guidance and assistance of his friends allowed Kharlo to triumph over these creatures before a massive wave destroyed his raft and sent him to the bottom of the Vast and rendering him unconscious once again. This time, he came to on a rocky outcropping, static lightning somehow crackling through the water. His friends were with him--specters of themselves to aid him in this contest, which found him locked in combat with a goddamn Storm Giant. It was a brutal fight, with Kharlo's compatriots eventually being swept away by Kogos' champion. Just when the fight seemed bleakest, a form emerged from the finial situated behind the giant--it was Tenkhi, here to aid her brother in this endeavor. With Tenkhi's help, Kharlo defeated the Storm Giant, proving himself worthy of the title of Stormtooth, and also of the finial the giant guarded, which happened to be Tenkhi's finial, and seems to be somehow still connected to her spirit. As Kharlo grasped the finial, the rocks shot to the surface of the Vast, and his worried crewmates scooped him up. He did his best to recount his experience to the VastBlasters (although Irk, through communing with Kogos during the storm, somehow got the gist as it was happening). Although the details might remain personal to Kharlo, what was important was that he was changed--he is now a Stormtooth, and thus, of the Storm. You can't run from your future forever. With that, it was time to see about a rival hag coven. Pitch's kelp Hag Eye keyed in on a location and the Blasters set course for the confrontation.And That's Where We Left It
We'll see where the Hag's Eye takes the Blasters during our next session.Various & Sundry Details
- While in Awa Harbor, Kharlo met with Thrasgredrid Alehorn, a cleric of Kogos, to get guidance about what he might face in the Gauntlet. All that she could offer was that it would be intense, as Kogos is a fickle, powerful god. Cool, thanks!
- Also in Awa Harbor, Irk got a sick tattoo that represented his newfound appreciation for all kinds of gods. It looks like a giant Vast Bloom, with the sigils of each god where the pods would be. And it also functions as a holy symbol. Nice!
Rewards Granted
- Level 8!
- Tenki's Finial
Character(s) interacted with
- Loshi Saltbloom, Sea Sibyl
- Thrasgredrid Alehorn, cleric of Kogos
- Shazzah The Beloved, affable marid
- Tenkhi, Kharlo's sister, former Stormtooth, deceased
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