Session 11: Escape the Emperor Report
General Summary
The party flees, the rubbery tails of whatever inky black beasts are outside trashing about the hull. Virion Misty Steps back to the ladder, narrowly avoiding the tail and firing a third-level Scorching Ray at the strange, elongated tail. This allows Mystan and Fishcod to carry the chest forward, and Mystan uses a Healing Word to heal himself. Melody, meanwhile, scales the ladder and ties a rope to raise the chest up.
The ship lists 30 degrees to port, and Virion tries to climb up and secure a second rope, succeeding - but then goes halfway down the ladder to provide cover fire. Mystan and Fishcod surge forward, the water continuing to fill the place. A fluke from one of the whales slams into Mystan, who barely maintains concentration. Melody avoids the tales, sings a song of creation to add hooks to the ropes, and makes for the stairway.
Water floods the lower levels and Virion - avoiding the tales - affixes the box to the ropes, misty steps out, and starts pulling. Mystan pushes the box - now lighter due to water - pushes the box up through the trapdoor. Mystan then adds a Healing Word to his healing, and catches a glimpse of the pod of eldritch whales. Melody flees to the upper decks, and notices the altar is missing. Fishcod, meanwhile, makes a mad swimming dash for the trapdoor, and while they avoid the tails they fail to escape the trapdoor.
Virion ducks under a tail, and puts a hand into the trapdoor to help Fishcod. Mystan avoids another tail and, using the helmet, is able to pull Fishcod out of the water and get them onto the next level. Mystan then climbs out himself. Melody creates a cart using the song of creation to help pull the boat up. Fishcod tries - and fails - to get the boat into the cart.
Virion casts Scorching Ray at the whales again, and gets to the top of the stairs. Mystan tries to get the box over to the staircase, and fails. Melody gives Mystan Bardic Inspiration while her familiar gave Fishcod the Help action. Melody then used Detect Thoughts to understand the "Orcas", and gets headache-inducing gibberish, and the vibe that it is under the singular motive of annihilating the ship and everything upon it, almost as if they are compelled to.
Virion flees on the deck, trying to get up to the rear tower. Mystan pushes the box up to the main deck, and does not avoid the tails, one smashing into him. Melody, for her part, conjures a small canoe in the shallow flooding water, for the box. Fishcod realizes that they can just grab the box and Misty Step with it to the canoe (with a successful Intelligence Arcana Check). They then tie a rope to the canoe (DC 14).
Virion then casts a second level Magic Missle, but it doesn't deal enough damage to make the Orcas recoil. He then gets to the rest of the tower. Mystan avoids the Orca tails thanks to Melody's Bardic Inspiration, and uses his Metallic Breath Weapon to incapacitate part of the Pod - and then flees the captain's quarters. Melody dodges a tail and ties her own rope (DC 12) to lash the box to the canoe. Fishcod then unleashes eldritch blasts at the Orcas.
As the party congregates atop the quarterdeck, they avoid and stay atop till the boat gets there. As they are all loading on and the canoe is being towed, Fishcod sees a face in the water coming up towards the water. They see a face in the water, which tries to magically(?) manipulate Mystan to strike his friends. Mystan, in turn, uses his spirit guardians to slash at the strange dwarf clambering into the rowboat.
Virion uses Scorching Ray to strike with three out of four lances of energy, instantly slaying the dwarf. The rowers whisper a word to one another, in dwarvish: "Duergar".
Otherwise, the party - and their loot - escape, and not a moment too soon; the ship capsizes and the the strange cetaceans sink it below the waves. Virion uses Prestidigitation to recover the books, and the party returns to the Sea Ghost. Fishcod and Melody retire to their rooms, recovering from the horrors of what they saw.
In the night, Melody sneaks into Virion's room (Virion is having a traumatic reverie). She steals the Captain's Log and Virion's Journal - copying the disturbing portions of the Captain's Log and deeply violating Virion's privacy by reading his journal. After copying the relevant portions, she returns them both to his room. This includes personal details about two women: "Kiara" in Burle, and Kiorna Kester in Saltmarsh.
BTW, Ships have gemstones that help them deal with the cold. The Sea Ghost's is sea green, and the Emperor of the Waves's was jet black.
Melody confronts Virion in his room, and... apologizes for judging Virion so harshly. And asks him why he left the jan pana - he responds; "I was fifteen. I made do with the hand I was dealt." Melody ran into Mr. Sylvenne in Seaton. Virion realized that the world is full of cheating and lying, all ulterior motives, so he has to play by the rules of the game. Melody pleads for genuineness, and asks Virion why someone as powerful as he thinks of himself as weak. Virion wishes for safety, and dismisses Melody's inquiries into his insecurities as "none of [her] business". They shake hands, and the rest of the trip to Seaton is uneventful - Mystan plays with and bathes Raiden, upping his bond strength by 4.
They get to Seaton. Aubreck promises to pay them tomorrow morning, and everyone but Melody heads to the best bar in town, The Black Demon - while Melody heads in to discuss with Mr. Drallion.
The ship lists 30 degrees to port, and Virion tries to climb up and secure a second rope, succeeding - but then goes halfway down the ladder to provide cover fire. Mystan and Fishcod surge forward, the water continuing to fill the place. A fluke from one of the whales slams into Mystan, who barely maintains concentration. Melody avoids the tales, sings a song of creation to add hooks to the ropes, and makes for the stairway.
Water floods the lower levels and Virion - avoiding the tales - affixes the box to the ropes, misty steps out, and starts pulling. Mystan pushes the box - now lighter due to water - pushes the box up through the trapdoor. Mystan then adds a Healing Word to his healing, and catches a glimpse of the pod of eldritch whales. Melody flees to the upper decks, and notices the altar is missing. Fishcod, meanwhile, makes a mad swimming dash for the trapdoor, and while they avoid the tails they fail to escape the trapdoor.
Virion ducks under a tail, and puts a hand into the trapdoor to help Fishcod. Mystan avoids another tail and, using the helmet, is able to pull Fishcod out of the water and get them onto the next level. Mystan then climbs out himself. Melody creates a cart using the song of creation to help pull the boat up. Fishcod tries - and fails - to get the boat into the cart.
Virion casts Scorching Ray at the whales again, and gets to the top of the stairs. Mystan tries to get the box over to the staircase, and fails. Melody gives Mystan Bardic Inspiration while her familiar gave Fishcod the Help action. Melody then used Detect Thoughts to understand the "Orcas", and gets headache-inducing gibberish, and the vibe that it is under the singular motive of annihilating the ship and everything upon it, almost as if they are compelled to.
Virion flees on the deck, trying to get up to the rear tower. Mystan pushes the box up to the main deck, and does not avoid the tails, one smashing into him. Melody, for her part, conjures a small canoe in the shallow flooding water, for the box. Fishcod realizes that they can just grab the box and Misty Step with it to the canoe (with a successful Intelligence Arcana Check). They then tie a rope to the canoe (DC 14).
Virion then casts a second level Magic Missle, but it doesn't deal enough damage to make the Orcas recoil. He then gets to the rest of the tower. Mystan avoids the Orca tails thanks to Melody's Bardic Inspiration, and uses his Metallic Breath Weapon to incapacitate part of the Pod - and then flees the captain's quarters. Melody dodges a tail and ties her own rope (DC 12) to lash the box to the canoe. Fishcod then unleashes eldritch blasts at the Orcas.
As the party congregates atop the quarterdeck, they avoid and stay atop till the boat gets there. As they are all loading on and the canoe is being towed, Fishcod sees a face in the water coming up towards the water. They see a face in the water, which tries to magically(?) manipulate Mystan to strike his friends. Mystan, in turn, uses his spirit guardians to slash at the strange dwarf clambering into the rowboat.
Virion uses Scorching Ray to strike with three out of four lances of energy, instantly slaying the dwarf. The rowers whisper a word to one another, in dwarvish: "Duergar".
Otherwise, the party - and their loot - escape, and not a moment too soon; the ship capsizes and the the strange cetaceans sink it below the waves. Virion uses Prestidigitation to recover the books, and the party returns to the Sea Ghost. Fishcod and Melody retire to their rooms, recovering from the horrors of what they saw.
In the night, Melody sneaks into Virion's room (Virion is having a traumatic reverie). She steals the Captain's Log and Virion's Journal - copying the disturbing portions of the Captain's Log and deeply violating Virion's privacy by reading his journal. After copying the relevant portions, she returns them both to his room. This includes personal details about two women: "Kiara" in Burle, and Kiorna Kester in Saltmarsh.
BTW, Ships have gemstones that help them deal with the cold. The Sea Ghost's is sea green, and the Emperor of the Waves's was jet black.
Melody confronts Virion in his room, and... apologizes for judging Virion so harshly. And asks him why he left the jan pana - he responds; "I was fifteen. I made do with the hand I was dealt." Melody ran into Mr. Sylvenne in Seaton. Virion realized that the world is full of cheating and lying, all ulterior motives, so he has to play by the rules of the game. Melody pleads for genuineness, and asks Virion why someone as powerful as he thinks of himself as weak. Virion wishes for safety, and dismisses Melody's inquiries into his insecurities as "none of [her] business". They shake hands, and the rest of the trip to Seaton is uneventful - Mystan plays with and bathes Raiden, upping his bond strength by 4.
They get to Seaton. Aubreck promises to pay them tomorrow morning, and everyone but Melody heads to the best bar in town, The Black Demon - while Melody heads in to discuss with Mr. Drallion.
Melody Rose Hazel Turen
Neutral Good Forest Gnome (Hermit)
Bard 3
Bard 3
12 / 18 HP
STR
8
8
DEX
16
16
CON
11
11
INT
8
8
WIS
13
13
CHA
18
18
Virion Sylvenne
C/N Wood Elf (Noble)
Wizard 2
Wizard 2
7 / 12 HP
STR
12
12
DEX
16
16
CON
13
13
INT
16
16
WIS
14
14
CHA
14
14
Co'oquilan Mystan
Bronze Dragonborn (Acolyte)
Cleric 3
Cleric 3
10 / 24 HP
STR
14
14
DEX
11
11
CON
14
14
INT
13
13
WIS
16
16
CHA
13
13
Fishcod
Report Date
04 Apr 2022
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