Finding a log
detailing the last days of the lost crew of the "Wave Ruler",
the group decide to explore further, to see if they can find
further clues to the fate the ship, believed sunk but seemingly
beached but how did it get here. Recovering the documents of the
merchant Roya was obviously important, though perhaps the share of
salvage was a more pertinent motivation for some.
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
José Juan – Foreigner from the far west, warrior,
healer and Agent of the Rule
Absent
Jalabu – Noble of Dilmun,
Merchant-Adventurer 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
The group headed down a hatch towards the stern of the ship,
finding on one side, a ruined storage area, though, disturbingly
manacles were crudely affixed to a beam with two skeletons, the
flesh stripped from them, lying underneath. Later Fetnah found a
jewelled ear-ring under one skull.
On the other side side partitions were filled in by a barricade
of fury it urge and detritus, with more of the solid organic
strands adding to the barrier. Smersh peered through the gaps, the
others behind him. Suddenly a nauseating terror, seemingly coming
from some netherworld devoid of hope or joy permeated them,
causing them to flee, painting in fear on thr top deck. Smersh had
to visibly restrain himself from flinging himself into the sea.
As they regained their composure José Juan, worried about what
had been happening, climbed aboard from the boat sent out from the
"Drink of Virtue". Seeking guidance, Fetnah decided to
reach out to the spirit of the location, a tall order given that
the sea is a place of impermanence.
However she prepared herself as best she could, invoking the
assistance of her ally Ilbalkia, calming herself and taking a
short time to cleanse herself but, more importantly, taking a
valuable Pearl received from the Keteaorum allies met near
Eshtaband, can with prayers, casting it into the sea.
Sending her spirit forth, Fetnah detected two sprits close by,
aetherically speaking, a dolphin that seemed more spiritually
present than normal, and a being both mortal and immortal
combined, not a Paira like herself, but a Dugan, one
whose ancestry included a spirit mortals consider evil.
Given that choice, who would be of more use, the sea creature,
or the half-immortal. Her thoughts touched the minds of her
companions, somehow receiving the advice that dolphins are prone
to evil, violence and deviant sexual practices. The child of a
Dugan need not, themselve, be evil.
She contacted the half-immortal, on the grounds that they were
more likely to be on the vessel, and found herself mind to mind
with the being who had filled them with fear. A mistake on its
part, as the effort had nearly killed them. Their name was Liang
Joong, who claimed to be a child of the goddess Xhi-hun and they,
and their two giant crab-spider guardian pets were brought on the
deck, Clad in light armour and with sword and buckler, they looked
as if their whole body had been bruised at once.
Liang Joong is from the Zhau Empire, beyond the lands of the
Zhuezhi. He and his companions found the ship where it had been
beached, and managed to effect some repairs. They needed a ship to
find an artefact belonging to the worship of his Mother-Goddess,
and the ship seemed brought to them for the purpose.
However, three weeks ago the vessel was attacked by tentacled
creatures from the sea, ridden by sea-serpents, Keteaorum. They
killed or captured his companions, leaving Liang Joong here alone
since. Liang Joong was near to death, the effort he put out to
drive away the group had taken most of his life force.
Leaving Liang Joong propped up to recuperate, they split up to
explore the lowest, cargo deck. Farshad, Utana and Fetnah to the
rear, Smersh and José Juan to the bow. Without Jalabu, who was
doing some investigation on his cousin Hamid absconding with the
"Farshad's Bounty" and his magic shields of light, they
had to make do with clay lamps.
At the stern, they went down steep stairs and found a ruin, the
listing ship was flooded at the port side, urns floated about in
the water, some bales were soaked or hidden under water.
The panel at the base of the state where the box was hidden had
swollen with the water, Farshad was unable to remove it Utana
yanked it out, narrowly avoiding backhanding Farshad. The box
inside was covered in intricately decorated metal plates and was
very heavy. Farshad and Utana passed it to the deck above, where
Fetnah started dragging it towards the upper deck.
José Juan lowered a lamp on a rope, peering below to the water
under the hatch, two arms seized the rope, and tried to drag José
Juan down. He resisted but he undead thing leaped up, served him
and dragged him down.
Farshad and Utana also found themselves under attack from two
of the Unliving, corpses inhabited by hungry spirits. Farshad was
injured, and retreated, Utana managed to behead one with the edge
of his spear blade, and after a struggle, despatch the other.
On the other side, José Juan struggled, grappled by one
Unliving, another was trying to claw his face off. José Juan
twisted, putting the body of his assailant between him and the
attacker, unfortunately this left him nose down in the cold water
seeping into the ship.
Smersh jumped down to his rescue, seizing the assailant and
trying to pull it off José Juan, but instead pulling two handfuls
of rotten flesh off the moving corpse.
At this point José Juan's player was having
connection problems. And it was really tempting to call a
cliffhanger ending there, JośJuan fighting for his life, but the
player got back in touch and though he was reliant on someone else
rolling this dice, play continued.
A change of hand rolling the dice proved beneficial to José
Juan, he was able to throw off the assailant and with Smersh's
help despatch one and cause damage to another, though it was the
spear of Utana that finished it off.
Injured and confused, they retired to the top deck, to look at
the wounds of Farshad and Liang Joong, and to dry out a bit.
And there we left it
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