Session 03: Sailing to Arkdale Report

General Summary

Our story resumes the evening that the party boards the ship. The ship has already weighed anchor and pulled away from shore. Still bolstered up by the fantastic meal prepared by Ol' Chowder, the team is provided protective amulets while onboard of the ship that can increase the buoyancy of the members should they fall overboard, and advised that any members wearing heavy metal armor should consider doffing during the voyage - those who would fall overboard would act like anchors and surely perish before they could remove underwater. Enjoying some downtime with the crew inside the forecastle of the ship, Fara and Tiathina try their hand at gambling during a game of dice. While they did lose their hand, they did walk away with some interesting information. Rumors around a seafarer's bar in Arkdale named "The Shanty" spoke wildly about the possibility of something dark that ultimately befell Captain Kit that night, ranging from magic to an old sea hag, although the sailors admit that word isn't always to be trusted. The sailors also provided information on the abductions across many of the areas that the Sea Queen sets to port, although widespread there have been an unusually high number that seem to come from Arkdale. There was also mention that this could be tied to the existence of a slave trade. In the midst of conversation, something unsettling is noticed - the movement of the ship comes to an abrupt halt, easing to a dead stop amidst a placid sea. The winds that were strong before have disappeared completely, leaving the sails lightly luffing. The temperature drops dramatically as a fog rolls in around the Sea Queen unnaturally and an ominous green light appears in the distance. Captain Oro calls the ship to arms, uncertain of what to expect - instructing the crew to hold arms as a strange vessel approaches. Sailing in under undetectable winds, an ominous semi-transparent ship with ripped sails somehow carries the ship forward, stopping alongside the port bow without any command or retraction of the sails, as if the wind just stopped filling. An ominous voice from a figure on the other ship identifies as Captain Blackbeard, providing a message of his ship being taken down by something dark, warning about something dark and foreboding using the waters for unknown purposes. A final warning to beware is given as the strange ship fades away into the night, disappearing completely as if it was never there, just as the winds suddenly return with force, filling the sails and pulling the ship onward. Captain Oro walks away from the rail shaking his head, voicing concern of how it must have been something very dangerous to take down one as strong as Captain Blackbeard - a man he knew back in his navy days sailing along side him. After the unsettling evening the team wakes rested and ready for a new day, greeted by Ol' Chowder and his biscuits and gravy. After observing the crew conducting a tacking maneuver to adjust the ship's heading, the party joins the crew in practicing the use of heavy ship protection weapons, finding some great experience learning their way around the catapult and ballista. Later in the day as the team burns some of the day exploring the ship, Fara notices some strange Thieves Cant markings on several of the shipping crates in the hold - other than the subtle markings nothing else of interest is noticed. Ol' Chowder drums up a fantastic meal of Owlbear steaks - further boosting the health of the party and crew. A storm brews over the horizon as the sun sets down. Later after a failed investigation by Fara to learn more of the crates, a member of the crew calls out from the crow's nest of possibly seeing a set of eyes reflected in a lightning strike. Captain Oro calls the crew again to full alertness during the massive storm and huge rolling waves that cause the deck to sway dangerously back and forth - drawing defensive weaponry from the arms room in the forecastle. A large group of sahuagin surround the ship with several massive sharks, and one feminine sahuagin seems to be leading them. Several crew members manning the ballista are thrown overboard and killed, while several party members help man the large catapult. Ultimately the party is able to break the assault, killing the sahuagin princess and dispersing the danger with a final explosive projectile from the catapult, but not before she was able to draw down a lightning strike that destroys the mainmast, setting several sheets of canvas ablaze. The session concludes as the crew and party provide a weary but watchful eye on the waters as the storm continues through the night.