Episode 14 - The Drowned Table
General Summary
11th of Midyear, 1442
House Ildrafn's ship may be smaller and nimbler than the vessel flying the colours of the Church of the Six Saints, but they still struggle to slip free from the pursuit of the Inquisitors. On the main deck, Elnor Portrain works tirelessly with the other sailors to ensure their best possible chance at escape. Belowdecks, however, darker bargains are being made. Sarischa Ravana petitions Pyx to help deceive the Inquistors, while Emelyn Tahn Echen asks a boon of their god Carrion. Both are granted; Pyx will create a brief illusion of their vessel at the appropriate time to draw their pursuers away, and Carrion will form a skeletal mockery of a bird that will gouge the eyes out of the Inquisitors helmsman when released. However, while Sarischa is attempting to contact Resshe, the Golden Prophet to petition them for further aid, the Inquisitors ship lands a devastating hit. A ballista bolt crashes into the side of their vessel, nearly impaling Sarischa in the process. Damaged and reeling from the blow, the Ildrafn ship fails to gain meaningful ground as the Inquisitor's ship closes in, crew preparing to board. The boon requested from Resshe, however, appears to have been granted. As he works with the sailors to navigate the treacherous waves around them, Elnor, hears a melody from his distant past as a foundling in a busy Dunefalle city. The notes seem to guide him, and he feels that by following the music only he can hear, he might be able to guide the ship safely through the stormy seas. This opinion is, sadly, not shared by the captain or the bosun, who are quick to stop Elnor from seizing the wheel. As the Inquisitor ship prepares to launch a fresh volley of attacks, Sarischa and Emelyn emerge onto the deck. Emelyn is about to unleash the terrible bird of prey they have conjured... until they spy a familiar figure on board the enemy vessel. It is their son, Torcal Echen, a young man hopelessly devoted to The Six Saints... and the sight of him is enough to cause Emelyn to hesitate. They beseech Carrion to do anything in their power to save their son... but this is a step more than Carrion can tolerate. Emelyn's request flies in the face of Carrion's strictures, and the bird of prey lacerates Emelyn's hands as it struggles to be freed to wreak havoc upon the other ship. With the Inquisitor ship about to close in to board them amidst the churn of the stormy seas, Emelyn realizes they have no choice and unleash their fell magics alongside Sarischa's hexes. Amidst the deadly squall, with arrows flying as the Inquisitor's ship looms large, several things happen at once; Sarischa conjures a hazy illusion of their ship to sail off deeper into the storm while simultaneously afflicting the Inquisitor's ballistae crew with a flood of nightmares from the depths of their subconscious. Meanwhile, the helmsman of the Inquisitor's ship screams in agony as a strange and terrible bird of bone and sinew dives down from the stormy skies to rend the eyes from his face. Panic and confusion spreads rapidly aboard the Inquisitor's vessel, and the Ildrafn ship seizes the opportunity to pull off a daring maneuver, leaving their pursuers wildly off-course as the Ildrafn ship sails off to safety.12th of Midyear, 1442
Dawn of the following day finds the Ildrafn vessel floating peacefully amidst a placid sea. While they may have escaped the Inquisitors, their ship has suffered greatly for it; sails are torn, a mast has been split, and the damage from the ballista bolt lodged in their side is extensive. They'll need to find a place to dock to work on repairs before their vessel can make the journey back to Rhythavn Castle , but the nearest port city is Galesten , which falls firmly under the banner of House Dillestone. Unwilling to risk any additional attention to themselves while they still carry a sought-after passenger like Emelyn, Sarischa convinces the captain to instead make for Wave Rider Caverns, an ancient isle off The Seaward Coast that holds a natural series of sea caves where they can drop anchor and attempt to repair their ship far from the prying eyes of House Dillestone's vassals. As they sail towards Wave Rider Isle, Sarischa has a moment to speak with Emelyn, managing to navigate the complexities of their different faiths to find some common ground with them. Sarischa asks if Emelyn still intends to honour their agreement and betray House Antyre on the battlefield at a critical moment, a question to which Emelyn is still weighing their choice. Perhaps Loyal Clan Echen has served Antyre long enough... but if they abandon their namesake, what will become of them?13th of Midyear, 1442
The Isle of Wave Rider looms on the horizon; craggy shores, steep cliffs, seemingly inhospitable. As they approach closer, however, signs of human life become more apparent, the grandest of which is a great carved mural dedicated to Lameral, the Slumbering God of the Sea. Beneath that mural is the entrance to a great network of seaside caverns big enough to sail their ship into, and soon enough their torchlight allows them to make out carved stone docks and walkways within the caverns. At some point in time, an entire village existed here, hewn into the salt-rimed rocks, though now it stands as a testament to the bygone past, bereft of lime. Lashing their ship to the stone dock, the sailors warily pray to their gods as they take full stock of the damages and determine what to repair first. Sarischa and Emelyn, however, are curious about the remnants of this strange settlement carved into the caverns of this inhospitable rock. As they explore the stone-hewn huts closest to the dock, Emelyn begins to smell the florid stench of rotting flesh... a scent that only they seem to be perceiving. They delve deeper into the twisting tunnels, leaving the safety of the docks behind. Sarischa follows along, curious as ever... and Elnor follows after, concerned about protecting his charge. Emelyn follows the scent deeper and deeper through the ancient settlement until they at last arrive at a large chamber dominated by a hewn stone table. There around it sit twelve skeletal figures, all of whom appear to have been lain to rest in a seated position. Using their knowledge of the dead and their attunemen to Carrion, Emelyn tried to discern the true nature of this macabre display... and received fragmented flashes of the past. In ancient times, Wave Rider was a great temple complex dedicated to the Sea God Lameral. But when Alaric Bantevar came with the Invasion of the Norvalled Raiders, he was determined to purge the old faiths from the land to aid in his conquest of the Antari people. When his soldiers arrived on the shores of Wave Rider, the druids of Lameral gathered here in quiet prayer to the Sea God, beseeching her to drown the invaders. They remained there, seated and praying, up until the moment that Alaric and his warriors strode in and had their throats slit where they sat. While the Isle was ravaged by Alaric, it did not remain lifeless forever. Elnor is the first to notice the figure in the corner, swaddled in a woven coat of old fishing nets and kelp. When they stand, they are gaunt and tall, nearly six feet, with one milky-white eye and weatherworn skin. As the humanoid figure starts to approach Sarischa and Emelyn, Elnor strides between them, hand on his blade, ready to defend his charges. Then the gaunt figure opens their mouth, letting pour forth a steady trickle of seawater. Soon they are joined by three others, similarly garbed, warped and twisted and eking seawater, algae and small scuttling crabs from their slack-jawed mouths. Elnors heart begins to quicken as he ushers Emelyn and Sarischa towards the doors. Sarischa tries to speak with the strange being, but is met with a low, sonorous howl from the open mouths of the creatures, an echoing wail that burrows deep into their minds, whittling away at their courage. Elnor calls for a hasty retreat, but in the ensuing flight from the great hall, Emelyn winds up separated from the others. Lost in a twisted maze of stone tunnels, Emelyn uses Carrion's gifts to call forth the shade of a long-dead fisherman who used to make offerings to the druids here, and the specter agrees to lead them back to the docks. The sailors are relieved when the trio return from their expedition. Watches are posted, and the crew redouble their efforts to repair the vessel, realizing that this place does not want them here. Elnor, unnerved more than he may ever have been in his life, casts his gaze up towards the high tunnel openings within the great sea cave... and sees one of the strange creatures staring back at him from afar. *END OF EPISODE*Missions/Quests Completed
The crew successfully evaded capture by the Church's inquisitors... for now.
Notes
- Who are the unnatural denizens that dwell within the depths of Wave Rider Caverns?
- Will Emelyn Tahn Echen honour their agreement with House Ildrafn and betray their liege lords in House Antyre?
- Did Emelyn's son survive the storm?
Elnor Portrain
Emelyn Tahn Echen
Sarischa Ravana
Report Date
14 Mar 2023
Primary Location
Secondary Location
Related Characters
