OOC:
No narration here either, sorry.

10:43, Today: Maksim Munzuk rolled 19 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 17. dexterity check.

Bodric watched as Maksim shimmied across the rope. He cringed as he saw the water-soaked rope stretch under the weight of the party's lightest member. The gnome had to pull hard with his wiry arms to keep his pack and gear from dipping down into the water. When he arrived safely at the other side and was assisted to the ledge by Alton, the dwarf breathed a sigh of relief.

As Maksim helped Whitefire's Apprentice alter and tighten the rope and secure the knots, the dwarf tried to prepare the towering Zeeny-Deedle for his crossing. "Keep the rope behind yer knees and in the crook of yer elbows. This rope will stretch more under yer weight, but keep ye movin' and pullin'! Don't be givin' up!"  Bodric searched the tall monks eyes to see if he was understanding and to see if any of the ghoul-fever remained. "Hrrrumph!"

The rope did stretch and the knots did tighten to the point of groaning. Drops of water dripped down as they were forced from the rope as the Deedle's massive body worked its way across. Dipping closer and closer to the water. Bodric saw that the distance was too great. No matter the best knots and rigging he could have set up, this was going to be a wet crossing for the monk. He just hoped the behemoth would not let go!

The rope sagged, and sagged and sagged. Yet Zeeny-Deedle continued pulling himself along as Bodric had suggested, in spite of knowing better of the idea. The water finally came up to his neck as he shot the dwarf one last panicked look. Bodric's diving brow and loud "Hrrrumph!" were enough to keep him going. His head went under next and the rope when completely under the water with him.

Bodric and the others held their collective breath as they watched the quivering rope. Suddenly it went slack for a moment! They gasped, but then noticed the rope did not snap back up immediately for there was a tether which had been secured by the resourceful dwarf. While he'd given the pep-talk to the monk, his hands had been working, fastening another bit of rope. Now it all depended on Zeeny and the Deedle and the natural instinct of living things not to drown.

They watched and waited, until finally the rope went under the water again, and the monk emerged from the water closer to the far side with a tremendous gasp. He kept going until close enough for Alton to grasp the back of his soaked robes and pull him, with Maksim's help to the ledge.  The Deedle gasped and coughed and shook, but Mage, Ranger and Dwarf had already started the process of re-rigging a tighter rope. Thanks to Zeeny-Deedle, the passage of the others would be slightly easier...

Sepulos was next up. He had not totally shaken himself from his melancholy nor had his face ceased to sting from the dwarf's slap. He tried to concentrate and drive away his fears, but there was nothing for it. He was spent emotionally, exhausted physically and far past anything he'd ever imagined himself doing as he'd sat behind his massive desk in Beymarth. Watching Zeeny-Deedle had not helped and despite Bodric's assurances that the rope would be tighter and not do that again, he only heard it as words... words which lacked any true meaning. The Lector had reached his end.

Bodric carefully tied one of the last pieces of their rope around Sepulos's waist and tethered him to the rope in case he failed... which the dwarf had the sinking feeling he might. Bodric grasped the man's arm firmly and tried to get his attention, "C'mon now! This be it! Ye can do this... Ye've got to believe..."

With a not-so-gentle shove, the dwarf encouraged the bedraggled Lector out over the water. Inch by agonizing inch he went spurred by barked dwarf-threats from one end of the rope and the encouragement of Maksim and Alton from the other. It seemed to take forever and when Sepulos finally was sure he had to be near the far bank, he risked a look down to check his progress. It was the mistake Bodric had feared...

Down below there was nothing but dark water... and the sum of his every fear. He was instantly convinced that he saw a gaping maw and he froze. His muscles failed and he released himself into his inevitable doom. He dropped away and his tether went taut. The added downward force caused the rope to stretch even more and Sepulos plunged beneath the surface of the water. The last thing he heard was a dwarven roar, "FIGHT!"

The dark water was cold and shocking. Sepulos tried to gasp, but sucked in only water. He felt sure that soon, thousands of jagged teeth would slice into his flesh and he would be crunched by some denizen of the deep. Almost to his disappointment, that did not happen. He felt a pull about his waist and suddenly realized he was tethered! It was something he'd missed in his fearful stupor. Instinct kicked in as he opened his eyes and saw nothing but darkness, deep and powerful. He flailed and grasped at the tether rope. His face breached the surface of the water and again he heard the sound of "FIGHT!" This time from many voices.

Suddenly the images of the last few days crossed his mind. The many wonders he had experienced after nearly two decades of searching. Discoveries that had lain secret for eons would be long lost still if he were to die here. It was enough. Fight he did from that moment on and again he began to inch closer to the far shore once his elbows and legs found the rope again.

There were cheers from both sides when he was pulled forth, a soggy mess, shivering from cold and fright and, possibly, a bit of blooming pride at having overcome one of his greatest fears.

Finally it was the young cleric's turn. She whispered a quick prayer to her far distant God as she waited for Bodric to fasten her tether. He helped her out and explained how to pull herself across. Her arms began to shake almost immediately and she was only a few feet out when she plunged toward the water. Her tether held and she flailed helplessly for a few moments. With the dwarf's encouragement she grasped onto the rope again and Bodric was able to pull her back to his side.

"It be alright." he said consolingly. "We'll have to be tryin' somethin' else."

Bodric quickly began to secure his possessions and make ready to cross himself. What he was about to try would be very risky. They were out of rope pieces for him to have his own tether, but he could see no other way. With his help and support, perhaps they could make it. If he fell, it would be the end for him. He was not a swimmer, and as had been proven in the flooded caves before they got here, he would sink like a hunk of iron in spite of his vast girth.

"Now then lass, yer gonna have to help me out. Give this every bit ye have left, and we'll be makin' it."

He helped her back into position and then grasped the rope with his hands and ankles in a way that lent her support above him. On the far side Maksim as biting his tongue to keep from making some comment about the precarious stunt, but realized the consequences if the dwarf failed. Slowly they began to make their way across.  The rope dipped down under their combined weight. Agelia's body was shaking from the exertion and soon Bodric showed signs of distress as well. The drips now falling into the water were more from his sweat than from the saturated rope.

When they were nearly across, the rope lurched. Somewhere along the way, it was giving out. There was a mushy popping noise as one of the strands began to unravel. Bodric no longer attempted to mask his terrible fear now that Sepulos was across. He pulled harder as they drew nearer. Too soon, the rope gave way and Agelia and Bodric plunged into the cold, dark water.

Agelia was the first to surface. Gasping, she struggled with the rope until she was within the long reach of Zeeny-Deedle. He grasped her much smaller hand and pulled her to the ledge.

Unexpectedly, the next head to emerge from the water was not that of a water-logged dwarf... It was the head of the sea-creature!

~~~~

Actions everyone?!

Agelia does not hide her discontent at things. With a cry - something that referred to excrement - she reflexively draws her mace and looses her shield.  This is after cry several seconds prior, that expressed discontent at falling.

21:04, Tue 03 June 2014: Agelia Redstart rolled 11,9 using 1d20+2,1d8+2 ((9,7)).

To give it a taste of ensorcelled mace if it gets too aggressive!
This message was last edited by the player at 04:05, Wed 04 June 2014.

A look of panic crosses Alton's face as the sea creature rises. He stands there ready, waiting to see what it will do next.

OOC: If the creature charges towards them, he will cast arcane dart.

07:18, Today: Alton Thalamine rolled 10 using 1d20+2 with rolls of 8. Arcane Dart.

OOC: Fantastic narration, Usher! What a scene!

On seeing the dwarf's misadventures (to put it all too mildly), and perceiving the monstrosity that had risen from the depths, Sepulos's first thought is a slight burst of sheer gratitude that it wasn't him in the water, that he had gotten out without mishap. But as soon as the thought was registered by his quick consciousness, he disowned it in shame. "Sepulos, you pathetic lizard!" he whispered bitterly to himself as he hefted his soaked person from the rock where he had been resting and ran to the bank to see if there was anything he could do for his poor friend. Although he was a habitual worrier about possible future disasters, in actual moments of crisis Sepulos had very little fear. "Do you see him?" he screamed to Maksim, as they stared into the water, putting aside for the moment the pressing question of how to "deal" with the thing that had risen. There was no sign of the dwarf. Still, Sepulos could not imagine that the creature, large as it was, would have had time to devour or even kill Bodric and rise to the surface in the few moments that had passed since the dwarf fell in.

Zeeny-Deedle saw the creature's head surface where Bodric should have been.  Agelia had, apparently, seen the same thing and was trying to draw her weapon even as the Deedle was pulling her in to shore.  Giving her a quick yank the rest of the way out of the water, Zeeny-Deedle grabbed the rope, his end still fastened to a stone, and pulled hoping that the dwarf was just submerged and holding on to the rope.

As he pulled, for some reason, he heard a dry and raspy voice in his mind,


Deciding that he had been through much stranger things in the fast few days he decided to give it a try.

"Oh guardian of the sea. The once great warrior Thog spoke to me and said I must ask for the opportunity to leave.  I do not know how to ask other than with my words and so I hope those are good enough for you.  Please let us pass from your realm into the realm of light and land.  We are on a mission given to us by those you have helped in the past.  We can do no good here.  We need to leave."

Zeeny couldn't keep his voice from oscillating a little as he delivered the speech.  He was, after all, talking to a fish.  Maybe Bodric was right.  Maybe he was cracked in the head.

Agelia blinks, and lowers her weapon.  Well, then!

Maksim's heart leapt into his throat as Bodric fell into the depths. The gnome rushed to the edge of the water straining out from the ledge trying to catch a glimpse of his friend. When the creature's head surfaced instead of the dwarf's Maksim scurried away from the edge and franticly reached for his bow. By the time he got the arrow nocked and leveled Zeeny was talking to the beast. Fighting all of his instincts Maksim held his shot for the monk, "Bodric… Bodric… Bodric… Bodric… Bodric… Bodric… "

Zoran's acolyte spoke sincerely to the creature, without knowing why precisely or even if this was the correct place for his petition. It had simply come to him now that they could see the rays of light reflected into the cave. The sea creature rose up a little more out of the water and cocked its serpentine head a little as it examined the rag-tag group, but especially the monk. The unblinking eyes gazed relentlessly at the monk as the long neck brought the head slowly closer. Somehow Zeeny-Deedle kept his wits and stood his ground as the muzzle of the creature drew near. It paused less than an arm's reach away for what seemed like an eternity before giving the others a final once over and then slipping down and away beneath the water.

Zeeny was not sure what to make of it except that the Deedle's head was still attached to its body and not descending into the stomach of the sea-creature. For a tense moment everyone looked at each other. The ripples gradually faded away where the sea-creature had submerged. Their attention went back to the broken rope dangling into the dark abyss below. The monk hauled on the rope, praying to Zoran that Bodric was still able to cling to it. The diminutive ranger dropped his small bow and rushed forward to lend a hand, as did the Lector of Baymarth. There was resistance! It was as if a great weight were attached far below and was slowly coming up as they pulled... but then the rope started to slip bit by bit until it finally went totally slack. Far below the dwarf's grip had finally failed and as he descended to his watery end, the three on the ledge fell backwards in a heap.

Maksim was on his feet instantly searching the dark water for a glimmer of reflected light off of armor or axe, but all he could see was deep and dark and not much else. A hush fell over the small party now as the realization suddenly sank in. Bodric, who had saved each of them at some point either in the fight above or the twisting caverns below, had met his end helping the young cleric of Taiiemnian to cross the water because her arms were too fatigued to do so. He had come within several feet of the stony shore, but as Zeeny could attest, the bottom was far down and the water bitterly cold. Each of the fell to their knees or posteriors on the narrow stone ledge as they struggled to deal with the loss of one who had been, in many ways, like an anchor of strength and determination during the last week...

The tears down cheeks and lumps in throats did not have a long appearance on the stage of grief however, because not many moments had passed when the water inside the cavern began to swirl and then roil as if something massive from down below were rising toward the surface! Involuntarily they all moved back against the cavern wall, away from the water as far as they could get as whatever monstrosity from the deep continued to surface.

It was Maksim, the little gnome and oldest friend of their recently lost comrade who spotted the rising... thing first. It had angles and curves unlike anything he'd ever seen caught from the sea. As it came closer to the surface, the others could begin to make out what it was as well...

From the depths of the cavern pool surfaced a sunken ship! It rose from the water, which flooded from her decks and portholes until she sat floating upon the water. Stout masts covered in starfish, sea urchins and other fauna, nearly reached the cavern ceiling. The wood was warped and dilapidated and both rotting and preserved by who-knew-how-long beneath the waters of the cavern. Immediately, as if influenced by their recently drowned dwarf, Sepulos analyzed the vessel and made a quick determination that it should not be floating... it was being buoyed up by some sort of supernatural force.



The Lector's eyes went to the ship's plaque and in a low voice he read to no one in particular, "Fortune's Strumpet"

Whitefire's apprentice would have taken an additional step backwards had the narrow ledge allowed, for Alton recognized this ship! It could have been a twin to the ship he'd been rescued by, and subsequently thrown from... Captain Kurtz's Plunderers' Plight! It was the tall mage who also noticed the person on deck who was extending a barnacle covered plank towards them. The person was dressed in the accouterments of a ship's captain, or at least one who'd lain upon the cavern floor for a century or so. The captain's skin was dark and had almost a greenish cast in the dim cavern light. Most striking were the eyes however, dark orbs that never blinked. The same eyes, he quickly realized, that belonged to the sea-creature which had chased him into this cavern!

Finally, the plank rested upon the ledge. The Captain beckoned them to board, but spoke not a word...



We'll roleplay out your reactions to this new scene and that will lead us into Chapter 3!  Thanks for being patient everyone, and regardless of where you are at with XP at the moment, due to us being several months over my planned end date, I'm planning to hand wave us up a level. So be thinking about your next advancement...

The Usher adds: Better grab a snack now and then strap in, the next chapter should be a treat!
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:05, Mon 09 June 2014.

First, Agelia had to watch as her companions cut down... wait, that wasn't Claisant.  Whatever.  Some gross undead thing that infected Zeeny-Deedle.  But now, after everybody was in one piece, it was sturdy Bodric who fell.  Agelia can only hiss after the party reaches its conclusion.  If anybody should contest the character of so-called demi-humans, she would tell the that it was a Dwarf's sacrifice that made it possible for her to hear such disgusting things coming from their mouth!

And her mouth flew open at the sight of this ship!

Maksim saw the ship rise but was not seeing the thing before his eyes. The gnome franticly looked around the ship's deck, portholes… anyplace that would reveal his friend. His stubborn, selfishly self-sacrificing friend. How was Makism going to make it with out Bodric?

Slumping to the ground Maksim found himself staring at the sea captain and his dark orb eyes. "You raised this ship but not our fallen companion?! Why?"

OOC: I can't believe Bodric's gone. No way!!!

Sepulos could barely believe what he was seeing as the mysterious ship rose to the surface with its even more mysterious "captain." What next? He didn't know which emotion was most appropriate under the circumstances: sorrow for Bodric, relief that the sea-dragon had disappeared, horror that it seemed to have metamorphosed into the figure beckoning them aboard, hope of escape, or fear that this ship was merely a demonic ploy to carry them to a horrific watery grave. Exhausted, he raised his eyes to the figure on deck and awaited its response to Maksim's question.

Alton removes his hood and bows his head as a sign of respect to the departed dwarf.

As the water bubbles and the ship appears Alton steps back; after looking around him he realizes he is trapped and covers his fright with a cold stare at the captain. To someone who looks closely, his eyes give away his fear, but his voice comes through without hesitation "Who are you that rises from the deep, and then simply beckons us to board as if you were a mere Gondolaman from Venire."

The Captain, for that is the best any of them could come up with, stood for a moment with those unblinking eyes fixed upon Maksim, Agelia and the towering Zeeny-Deedle. Suddenly each of them felt a warm sensation on their right shoulders, beneath clothing and armor as if their skin were heating in that spot.  The monk had easiest access to see what was going on. He pulled up the flowing sleeve of his simple robes to expose his well-muscled, but horribly scarred shoulder. His entire arm was covered in hodge-podge mismatched tattoos, but at the top of the shoulder was what appeared to be a newer one, fully intact.  It was in the shape of a circle and bore ancient runes and symbols in a spiral toward the center wherein was a kneeling figure, crude, much like the paintings in the cavern had been.

Agelia and Maksim required a bit more effort to bare the skin of their shoulders where they discovered the same tattoo with the exception being the symbol in the center. Agelia's was a hand holding a burning scroll, and Maksim's was a holly-leaf pierced by an arrow. The runes and markings around them reminded each of the three of the cyphers they'd seen in the ancient cavern where they'd placed their hands into the stone floor. All three tattoos glowed with warmth for a moment and then faded and were gone. Up on the deck of the Fortune's Strumpet, the strange Captain beckoned again to board...


OOC: Sorry for the delay, Loooong days this week!

Zeeny watched expectantly as the ship rose from the depths.  He had continued to pull the rope until he had the frayed end in his hands.  He had a sinking feeling in his gut as Maksim leapt aboard the ship and searched for Bodric.  Leaving Maksim to the search, Zeeny-Deedle untied the rope from he rock and quickly looped coils over his hand.

The entire process of gathering the rope did not take all that long.  Maksim had not finished his search by the time Zeeny-Deedle made it aboard the ship where he was met by the dead-eyed captain.  The strange exchange with the tattoos took only a moment and thankfully Zeeny didn't have to do much because all he could think about was Bodric.  How long had it been?  Not long, but it felt like an eternity since the dwarf had gone below the surface of the water.  If he could retrieve the dwarf, he thought maybe he could get him breathing again.  He had seen it done before.

  Usher, Maksim had posted a search aboard the ship.  If you disagree with my resolution of moving the tattoo event to the deck, let me know.

Zeeny quickly rolled his gaze over the group considering any alternative but the one he knew was his only real option.  There was Maksim but he was so light and small he would not be able to get to the bottom.  He might not even be able to get a rope on the dwarf depending on the situation.  There was Agelia, but she had the same basic problem.  Sepulos.  Similar.  None of them would have great breath holding ability either.  He, however, should have really good breath holding ability.  The Deedle could be suppressed to a state of near death.  His own body, being very small, should be able to hold on with the remaining air for a much longer time.  He could wake the Deedle when he needed and have more strength at hand than anyone else in the party.  Bodric.  He knew he owed Bodric.  The dwarf was annoying at times and abrasive but, strangely, he was also a friend.  Steeling his resolve, he pushed his fear aside.

The ship was near the location where Bodric had gone down and, as fortune would have it, the anchor was situated on the same side Bodric had gone down.  As Maksim finally gave up his search, Zeeny-Deedle quickly stripped his clothes and pack off and tied the rope securely around his chest near his armpits leaving what he thought would be enough to loop around Bodric off the end that would go down with him.  He kept only the amulet that would glow the strange light and a knife on a leather strap which he fastened to a leg.  He tied the end of the rope to the anchor and then concentrated.

He had never meditated to slow his body down as the more advanced monks had and normally that meditation would have been done sitting and with plenty of time.  Those were not luxuries he had.  He gave it a few moments then tripped the pin that dropped the anchor.  Immediately turning and launching himself over the side of the ship as the anchor burst free and rushed to the depths.

10:38, Sat 14 June 2014: Zeeny-Deedle rolled 1 success using 1d20 with the Target Number system with a target of 6 ((18)).  Finally, a success.


He felt the peace roll over him almost immediately when he focused his mind this time.  It was a strange feeling.  He could feel the fear as if it belonged to someone he was reading about in a book.  In much the same was as a reader, he watched and knew what would have to happen.  As his body hit the water he slowed the Deedle's functions.  Bump.Bump....Bump.Bump....Bump....Bump........Bump........Bump.........  The Deedle's heart slowed till it barely beat as the anchor chain ripped past him.  Grasping it in one hand and the amulet in the other, the Deedle sped to the bottom of the cave.  In moments it was pitch black all around him.

When the anchor struck bottom, the chain slackened a little.  The Deedle was very sluggish now with its barely beating heart and Zeeny was shocked at how slow it was to let go of the chain.  He very nearly struck the bottom and barely made it away from the chain which piled up on the sand next to the anchor.  Quickly he started searching.  The Deedle was heavy and he was able to pull himself along the bottom of the inlet as he searched the bottom for the dwarf.  All the while he kept his trance and controlled the Deedle's heart keeping it slow.

The Usher comments: I don't think this is in the original script. The actors may be ad-libbing here. And the scenery in this set is not very well done. Too dark, bleh. What *are* those other shapes anyways?

OOC: Heh. Not what I was expecting at all, but that's what I love about RPG's! You never know what players will do! Go with it Z-D!

The gloom was barely illuminated by the glowing crystal hanging around the Deedle's neck. It took a few precious moments for Zeeny to realize what he was looking at for the perception under the water was strangely blurred. He finally saw a pile of what looked like armor, weapons and... hair, which calculated out to be a high probability likelihood of being a dwarf. The monk pulled himself and his heavy chain step by agonizing step closer to the pile and grasped it by a handful of hair. It was much heavier than it looked. He wrapped his extra bit of rope around it as best he could, then with failing strength, tugged hard on the anchor chain leading upwards.

Luckily for all involved, the monk's vows of poverty helped him to overlook other shapes down there which might be chests; mental conditioning caused them to not even register...

Not waiting for the chain to start the slow, cranking ascent, Zeeny-Deedle started his own slow, cranking ascent.  One end of the rope was tied to the anchor and the other to Bodric with Zeeny-Deedle in the middle.  He cut the rope connecting him to the anchor and retied it in a loose loop around the chain.  The loop would allow the rope to slide up the chain but not over the anchor if the worst happened and he passed out.

He slowly started climbing the chain hoping that the others would get the anchor hoisted before he lost consciousness.  Even now, the Deedle had been without proper air for too long and he himself was starting to get sleepy.  The world was darkening and getting numb.  Hand over hand he kept on pulling himself and the dwarf up the chain as far as the rope would let him go.

Agelia can only look at her new "body art" with surprise and confusion.  She would have to analyse them more thoroughly when she got the chance, but at the moment...

13:35, Tue 17 June 2014: Agelia Redstart rolled 6 using 1d20+1 ((5)).

To identify the brand.

The chain cut into Zeeny-Deedle's hands as he tried to pull himself upwards. There were countless sharp slicy things which had grown on the hammered steel over the decades the ship had sat upon the bottom of this forgotten hideaway. Zeeny exerted every bit of will he had over the Deedle which was beginning to shake from the lack of air.

Then the limp bundle which he was tied to... moved. It moved! Bodric moved! Zeeny doubled his efforts, but it was too much. The darkness of the cavern lagoon began to close in on him. His hands slipped on the chain which had stopped moving. It must have gotten stuck. Zeeny fought down the panic, but it was a losing battle. The hairy, roundish blob that was the dwarf's corpse suddenly jerked and shook with spasms and convulsions. Zeeny willed the Deedle to grip the crusted chain links. Then Bodric began to calm down. He raised his head and looked at the monk with a totally bewildered look on his face.  Zeeny began to black out as the Deedle's grip failed.

Now it was the dwarf which grasped the chains as the massive body of the monk slumped lower into the water. Somehow the dwarf was able now to hold on to him while he had his own set of convulsions. The Deedle went limp. The chain moved upward slowly as if with a great effort. Deep inside the Deedle, Zeeny realized that he was experiencing a new sensation. The Deedle took an involuntary breath!  Precious oxygen began to pump into the lifeblood. Bodric pulled upwards as the monk's eyes opened again. The dwarf nodded and looked upwards. As his beard swirled in the dark water, Zeeny thought he could make out strange slits in the side of the dwarf's thick neck. He reached a weakened hand up to touch his own, and found he'd grown... gills!

Up on the deck the others were scrambling to free the bound up chain and pull it back in. The retraction mechanism was not working properly for it had a barnacled skull jammed in between the cogs real tight. Even the strange Captain joined in the effort to pull up the chain and anchor and the payload they all hoped was still alive. Maksim pulled with the strength of two grown humans for his lost friend. Agelia, Sepulos and Alton joined in pulling until they saw a terrific surprise breach the surface of the water... Zeeny had gone down to save Bodric, but it was Bodric holding Zeeny which surfaced. When the clamored on deck, the both began to vomit up bucketfuls of seawater. Finally each took measured gasps of precious air, acclimating themselves again to breathing a gas rather than a liquid.

Bodric raised a hand and touched his neck, but the gills had disappeared. Zeeny's were gone too. They both dropped to the deck, each happy to be alive. "Thank ye lad!" Bodric coughed, clapping the monk on the shoulder. "I don't be knowin' how that happened, but ye saved me! And thanks to the rest of ye for pullin' us up!" Bodric winked at Sepulos. "See? I told ye we'd make it!"

As they shared a happy moment together, the strange Captain stood silently waiting, watching them with his never-blinking eyes.





[Private to Agelia Redstart: You recognize that the tattoo is very similar to the hieroglyphics of the Cavern Art. It must be connected in some way to your accepting the call to be a Watcher... ]

OOC:
Ok, so I tweaked the Captain a little, but this is waaay cool and stuff. ;-)

We'll make any last comments, rp's or parting shots and then wrap up this Chapter. You've all advanced to third level now, and I realize that not a lot happened with you Alton, but this way we're all on even ground for the next chapter.  Make your advancements and I'll introduce the next Chapter possibly before Monday if I really get my act together.  Thanks everyone, and please give me some feedback if there's anything I can improve or change...
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:05, Sat 21 June 2014.

Agelia swears that she sees something on Bodric, but shrugs it off as delirium from a long...however long they were underground.  Right now, she's just happy that she isn't accountable for his death.

When Zeeny finally finished heaving he looked up and saw that Agelia had obviously been about to dive in after them from the state of undress she was in.  After a few moments of confusion from that inaccurate observation, finally Zeeny realized that that something had happened when the captain looked them over and that Agelia had been trying to inspect her shoulder.  Shrugging off the misadventure, he exchanged descriptions with the others of the new markings.

It took a few times to identify the new markings on the Deedle, but it as it was done, the ship left the cavern and entered the sweet beauty of the sunlit waters.  Zeeny had thought he might never see sunlight again and it was everything he had thought it might be.

OOC:  Usher, can we get descriptions now after having studied them?"

Riding out of a forgotten cavern on the deck of a sunken ship, captained by a silent fishy-type who was still partly sea-creature, might have been considered strange, too strange to be believed, even in a story told by an old man before a crackling fire to a passel of wide-eyed children...

But... the sun shined down upon those rotting decks, and the Captain's hand was sure upon the wheel as his unblinking eyes scanned the horizon. The crew was a motley bunch, long overdue for a hot bath and battle wearied and much more than a little sore.

Near the bow stood Miss Agelia Redstart, the young cleric who had happened along to see terrible horrors in the village of Gilgamar over two weeks ago. She had survived an attack by creatures under the earth and was just getting over the lingering effects of an enchanted pendant. She had grown and learned and progressed. Now she stood with her eyes closed and the wind blowing her hair, smelling the sea and the freshness after the thunderstorms.

Not far from her stood the Lector of Baymarth, Sepulos, who was so tired and so exhausted that he could have fallen asleep right in his soggy shoes... but he did not, and would not as long as the cavern was in view. He faced behind, watching where they'd been. Like the young cleric, he too had experienced life-changing events these last few weeks. He'd found positive proof of his long studied race of forgotten elves. He'd spoken with a forest guardian and somehow ended up falling deep into the bowels of the earth. Nearly eaten by giant bugs and soaked to the bone by chilly cave-water, he had finally set foot in a holy place. Even now as he looked back on the cavern he cursed himself and his weaknesses which he'd allowed to stand in the way of putting his hands into the stone floor as the others had. In his time of self-pity, he'd passed up the chance of a lifetime. As he stood on the rotten ship, he wondered if he'd ever have a chance to redeem that poor decision.

High up in the Crow's Nest stood the stalwart little gnome, Maksim Munzuk. He had returned from a hunt to find his village destroyed two weeks ago. The trials had been deadly ever since. He was supposed to be keeping a sharp eye out from his perch, but the only thing he could see were they bodies of those he'd known and loved. He also saw the maniacal face of Tuar, the young necromancer who'd been in he and Bodric's group of friends, standing before the terrible Demon-Lord, bringing down a terrible curse upon the village. Maksim had suffered much and overcome even more in the caverns below the village. He had thought his oldest friend dead, drowned after saving them all only to die at the end. And now, they sailed along the coastline without a destination nor a plan, simply wanting to be... away.

Alton Thalamine, the promising apprentice of the late Master Whitefire, clutched his Master's magical staff close to his chest as he looked out over the sunlit waves. like the others, his last half-month had been filled with emotion and adventure. He'd attempted to carry out his Master's contract with a small village to provide for the fireworks this year. He'd found a lovely sea-lass to show him around the bay. He'd stood on the deck of the infamous Plunderer's Plight, the ship of the pirate, Captain Kurtz. He'd been thrown off said ship when pirates' superstitions flared and nearly drowned. He'd helped a bedraggled group of misfortunates like himself to reach safety, and he'd seen the sister ship rise from her watery grave. The most emotional even to happen of them all was to be somehow miraculously reunited with his Master's Staff which had strangely appeared beside him on the ship...

Sitting quietly by himself with his eyes closed was the enigmatic monk, Zeeny-Deedle. What an adventure the last few weeks had been. Leaving his monastery had been a shock, but it held little to that which followed. A battle with river raiders, getting sucked into the caverns below Gilgamar, fighting huge insects and surviving being bitten by a ghoul... it would take the tiny blob inside the head of the muscular brute a long while to sort it all out and categorize it and ponder on it. Those thoughts were for times future however, for now, Zeeny communed through meditation with his God. In the caverns he had nearly lost his faith, only to find it again stronger than ever. He had committed himself to the pursuit of personal excellence, and he had set aside concern for self to save another...

Bodric. Broad of Belly and Brave, he stood midship watching the shoreline and glancing back once in a while in the direction of the cavern and Gilgamar. His week had been just as much as a spring waterfall as the others, only he had died. Sunk to the bottom, never to come up, only strangely, he had! With the help of the tattooed freak, he'd come up from the depths, through some monk-magic or power of the Gods, he'd found he could breath water through slits on his neck that had disappeared when he came up to the ship. He remembered the thoughts he'd had as he stood on the bottom, weighted down by steel and dense dwarf-bone. He'd thought of his lost wife and children and those who'd been close to him in Gilgamar. He thought of the Aberration beasts and their Huntsman Master. He also thought of the pledge he'd made to be a Watchman to fight against the evil that was foretold to come forth.

The small company sailed on that way for nearly an hour before they gathered together and tried to come up with a plan. The Fortune's Strumpet and her fishy Captain waited patiently, riding the gentle waves of the calm waters between storms. For more storms were coming, of that everyone felt sure...


The Usher concludes: Thus we come to the end of this Chapter and find ourselves wondering at the portents foretold and their coming forth as the company discovers what's gone on in the wide world during their time underground...