Our cast

• Utana – Noble of the Rule of Haraxa, Agent and Acting-Databdara (Magistrate) of the nation
• Farshad – Merchant of the Rule of Ishtir, musician and Agent of the Rule of Haraxa
• Smersh – Larcenous Priest from long time ago, and a nation long gone, Databdara (Magistrate) and agent of the Rule
• Fetnah – Shaman from a long time ago, and a forgotten and lost land, and agent of the Rule

Absent

• Jalabu – Noble of Dilmun, Merchant-Adventurer and agent of the Rule.
• José Juan – Foreigner from the far west, warrior, healer and Agent of the Rule
• Arpaesis – From the far western land of Ta-Khemet, student of Arcane Lore, and agent of the Rule, currently studying books of Lore
• Dhran the White – of humble origin in Ishtir, warrior, agent of the Rule, currently studying in the capital and trying to unionise

Rest seemed well deserved for our heroes, after making peace with the Marsh Kurrim and potentially, though accidentally, thwarting both a Zhuezhi plot and an attempt by a dead god to return to the world, they were learning the Smersh's family's estate was well on the way to being restored, the last of the corpses littering the wetlands between the manor and the town were properly disposed of, the road repaired and the administration seemed to be ticking along with little interference.

A meal and mild work chat had got to the drinking stage, when in burst a well set man, dressed plainly and sensibly, but with signs of previous riches, demanding to know who was in charge.

Utana being out of the room to powder his nose (probably literally, nobles of the three Empires wear a lot of make-up), Smersh, acting Databdara (local civil official responsible for enforcing the law, settling disputes and gathering taxes) made himself known.

The man, Roya, unlike many nobles of the Parsuma and Mada elite of the Three Empires, does not view commerce as something beneath him. His tale was of his ship, the "Wave Ruler" in which all his fortune had been invested that, returning with a flotilla from the port of Alangangarai, the furthest away known port of the Lands of a Thousand Gods, and the one with the biggest opportunity for profit.

On the return, a storm rose, battering the flotilla. When the storm cleared, the "Wave Ruler" was gone, only detritus left on the surface and so it was assumed lost.

He cannot outfit a ship himself, but he has supplies at the dock, food, wine, replacement tackle, if the Databdara can do their duty and retrieve the vessel them the least he can do is supply the,

Smersh, Fetnah and Farshad were joined by a freshly made up Utana as they sought to ready the "Farshad's Bounty" for the voyage. Unfortunately they found that Hamid, Jalabu's cousin, had found a way to make good on his claim on Uktannu's old ship as compensation for the ninety swindled from their family by the false Farshad. He had forged an order to take the ship out on sea trials, using Smersh's official seal, stolen and returned after use.

The custom cutters used before would be too small to tow a ship like the "Wave Ruler" but fortunately a naval transport, "Shurana's Eye" had recently arrived, bringing more soldiers to the area. The captain, Artana (I was so tempted to call him Farshad), a bluff old salt, was willing to help the civil authorities (and do something more interesting than ferrying troops).

The ship being outfitted, and gear aboard, the ship set off, sailing in a search pattern around the last known position. Fetnah did not take it well, already being seasick, Smersh's attempts to ministration to her went awry when instead of a soothing tea, he in fact made a purgative.

During the ten days of the search, the group studied nautical arts. Utana, already skilled in reading the stars to navigate the wastelands, mountains and deserts, learned a little about doing the same at sea. Fetnah and Farshad learned a little about the work of a ship's crew and, after tending, badly, to Fetnah, Smersh learned a little Herblore, just rote learning of recipes, but a start.

The "Wave Ruler", when found, proved to be a large, imposing vessel. Coming to it from the starboard side, the ship was heavy in the water, and listing to port. The masts were missing, the steering oar was waving in an unusual manner. The sides of the ship showed strange holes and ripped planks, and were slimy with algae and weed.

Artana determined that the "Wave Ruler" would never make it back and he was not going to tie "Shurana's Eye" to it, in danger of being dragged down. Instead a boat was sent over with two sailors to crew it.

With rope and grapnel, and, for Fetnah, a helping hand from Smersh, they clambered aboard. The deck was mostly clear, a quarterdeck at the back for managing the steering oar, the stump of the mast, and at the fore, a well constructed but scarred shed.

Fetnah examined the quarterdeck, the stump of the steering oar waved back and forward. The statue by the oar was broken of at the top, obviously freely ripped, as the splintered surface was still bleak and unweathered. Having determined that, she wandered back down the steps.

Farshad wriggled in under some of the ropes, only to regret it as a spiny spider-crab thing attacked him, skewering him with a sharp claw, though failing to cover the brave Shevam's mouth with some repellent fluid, that hardened as it hit the deck.

Smersh pulled Farshad out of the shed, as Fetnah drove the creature off with a spell.

Meanwhile Utana investigated a cabin under the quarterdeck. On one side, the statue came down from the quarter deck, and went below. On the other most of the furniture was rammed against the wall and tied in place, but at the back was a painted screen,a table in front of it, covered by a cloth, and in front of that a long box.

The screen depicts a blue skinned woman in red armour. Her mouth is lined with needle sharp teeth. One arm has a long sword held in her hand, resting on her shoulder, in her other hand is a water dipper. Her lower half seems to transform into a legless form

The cloth converted in symbols, unknown to Utana, but the armour of the figure seemed reminiscent of the Zhuezhi or perhaps more correctly the Zhau beyond.

The others joined Utana. As Smersh looked in the box, which seemed to have five complete mortal skeletons in it, the others rooted through the furniture.

Farshad found the log, detailing the aftermath of the storm, a landfall made, originally some success in survival before the ship was attacked by warriors in canoes. There were initially beaten back, but they were overwhelmed.

The last entry
“We cannot get out. They are up on the bridge, and the Second Deck. Frim and Ludani and Nathai fell there . The water is up to the bulwark on the port side - we cannot get out. The end comes. Drums, drums across the deep.”

And there we left it