Sailing Aber and First Post
Expedition
4/8
4/9
The Iron Wolves travel to Zhalvazho and do a small extermination job on the way.
The Iron Wolves, after all of their trials, decided to take up Admiral Hall's offer to work as hired mercenaries within Xhalvaxho. They would be headed to the wild lands to the north of the Ocean of Aber. Leaving the morning after Captain Ira Doga's trial finished, the Iron Wolves spent the next month at sea. The time was spent in training, relaxation, and bonding. Pranks were had from getting Lyle drunkenly tied to the mast in the crows nest to Daniel troubling Kain's concerns of his psionic capability while in close military proximity and limit freedom. Aside from the fun though, much of everyone's time was spent on practices and activities they had prepared before the journey
Zeran's personal downtime was spent in puzzles. A majority of it was practicing with his newly acquire lockpicking tools trying to figure out the basics of the craft on two locks he had purchased for the journey. The rest of it was in comraderie and dice with the other sailors. Kain, too, worked with the sailors but not on their downtime. Kain took full advantage of this voyage to better learn the art of the naval vessel. While Kain was above deck in the salt, spray, and wind, Daniel was below deck, developing a pair of miniature printing presses to expedite their card crafting. The rest of the illusionist's time was spent in creating the glammered special cards for their packs. Deeper down than Daniel was Lyle, spending the bulk of his time amid ocean life in ocean forms. Over the course of the month, growing in tune with the currents of the ocean. Eventually, these pulls brought him down low, into the darks beyond the sun's touch. Down their, he found contact with The Dancer on Currents as she introduced him to one of her pets. While she was an archfey of abiotic nature, her pet could barely be described as living. Lyle looked upon miles of twisted tendrils, ribboned and microscopically barbed. The mess of strands had caught within it whole sea turtles. Above the waters, Gregor also attempted to contact a higher power. Practicing the coldwork of smithing, he began to rig-up a means of using his shield despite missing his arm. Outside of this, he spent time in mediation with Zeran to better understand his astral projections.
24th of Growing Ember
The initial contact that the party had with Xhalvaxho was with the port of First Post three weeks into their journey upon the 24th of High Sun. Further away from the Archipelago than most of the islands, First Post operates as the primary source of contact for the military endeavors of Phaloxil. While the officers did their paperwork and the sailors dealt with cargo, the Iron Wolves were approached by the orcish Captain Ashglade to perform your first job in the region. A simple endeavor that was more shaking out the arms and legs than anything, the islands opposite shore had been claimed by a tribe of sea spawn for raising one of their meat sources. More pests than anything, Ashglade needed them cleared out. Simple enough.
The Iron Wolves made their approach and summarily set to work from a stealthy approach. Lyle pulled on his new tie to the currents to lift up and drop tidal waves across the shore. Daniel hypnotized and enthralled, launced earthen spikes, and phantasmed both sea spawn and their giant crab cattlestock. Gregor found himself quickly surrouned and first to discover the endless pricking of the poison quills. The goliath was waylayed on all sides but with stood it with Daniel's superb support. Kain and Zeran focused more on the crabs than the sea spawn, especially after the mother unearthed from her burrow. Humongous, she snatched up Lyle's conjured spirit creatures and tore them apart. Zeran was caught up as he attempted to retreat from close quarters but fought his way free strengthened by Lyle summoned totem. Carapace cracked and limbs beginning to be torn off, the huge crab tried to flee with Kain in it's grip but the rock mounted Zeran fell upon it in a flurry of blows.
After disposing of Pterois, the Iron Wolves gathered up the corpses for evidence. Daniel crawled into the mother's sand burrow to find a clutch of eggs that Lyle then collected. Returning to First Post, our heroes were paid before finishing their last week of sailing on to Noymil Refuge and Dawnbringer Command.
