Day 29
The whole party awakens looking a little green. Lavender is the only one who is fine. Mary-Ann has tea and goes back to bed. Theren is very peaky.
Voss speaks to Lavender, telling her the wind has dropped and the oars need to be used. The journey might take a little longer, as the sea is like a millpond. Lavender is concerned at how unnatural the calm seems.
Temerity stumbles onto deck and offers to give the boat a boost. Lavender cringes. Voss is unsure if this will be a good idea. Temerity offers to turn into a whale and pull the ship. Voss is taken aback by this. She declines and tells Temerity he should save his magic. Temerity looks over the side of the boat but cannot see any wildlife due to the glare off the water. He sits against the mast to try and alleviate the rocking and provides some ambience music. Lavender wanders to the rail and admires the horizon. Gage practises his knots.
Much of the day passes. Later in the afternoon, as the sun is lowering, most of the party have recovered. Theren stands on deck taking in the sea air. Mary-Ann and Gage and are interfering in the galley. Lavender is running drills for the sailors. Temerity is climbing up the mast but his hooves make it difficult – he doesn’t manage to get up there.
A shout from the crow’s nest tells them that a ship is approaching on the starboard side. Voss looks through her telescope – the colour drains from her face. The Frozen Wraith, a sunken ship, has been raised – it sank 3 weeks ago. The ship pulls alongside – it is dark wood covered in ice with torn sails, but filled with an unnatural wind. Twelve undead figures, plus the captain, are moving jerkily around on deck.
A voice colder than the grave calls out – the Master of Ash orders them to hand over the ring containing the Winter’s Core.
Gage climbs up the rigging but gets tangled in the rope. He casts hunter’s mark on the captain of the enemy ship. He fires his bow at the captain but the arrow falls into the water. The Tidecaller crew man their stations – two manage the sails, two navigate and two on emergency repairs. The navigators do not manage to plot the course; the sails are prepped effectively; the repairers stand by for damage. Lavender watches the enemy crew girding for war. She gets Anaphel to carry her over to the enemy ship. The captain points at Gage and an undead spew sprays from his finger, but a gust of wind blows it aside. He shouts something unintelligible in undercommon. Some of the enemy crew start boarding the ship with grappling hooks. Temerity delivers a rousing speech to the crew and bolsters their fortitude. He provides bardic inspiration to Lavender. Anaphel deftly picks up Lavender and flies her across to the Frozen Wraith. She lands beside the mainmast. She uses channel divinity. One of the zombie crew disintegrates, three others turn and the two who have boarded the Tidecaller turn. Anaphel mutters and huge icy shards grow out of the ground, forming spirit guardians. Three of the zombies take damage from the guardians, one of which is impaled by an ice spike and explodes. Runcible is dispelled, Theren takes damage and is restrained by ice. All of the crew, including Voss, take damage. Mary-Ann hides behind the gunwale and sneak attacks the captain, hitting him with her shortbow. It thuds into his shoulder but it doesn’t hurt him as much as it should. The zombie behind Anaphel swings a rusted cutlass at Anaphel but misses. The zombie by Lavender swings a rusted cutlass at her. Temerity uses cutting words but flubs it. The cutlass hurts Lavender. The turned zombies all run to the edges of the boat. The zombie at the stern throws a grapple and boards the Tidecaller and swings at Theren, but misses. The two zombies to the bow fire cannon at the Tidecaller, smashing into its deck. Theren uses Raulothim’s psychic lance on the enemy captain. It pierces his mind and incapacitates him. Theren uses cloak of flies and the zombie beside him grins as the poison damage does not affect it. Voss bellows out orders to the crew and inspires Temerity, Mary-Ann, Gage, Lavender and Anaphel. Lavender uses the boost to attack the zombie in front of her, who explodes.
Gage stealths and shoots his bow at the captain. An arrow thuds into him but doesn’t do as much damage as it should. The crew man their stations. The navigators still cannot plot a course; the sails continue to be prepped well; the repairers do not manage to repair the ship. Lavender moves past the zombies manning the cannon and approaches the captain, using reckless attack with divine smite. The captain remains incapacitated. Temerity uses guiding bolt. Chikatika’s collar glows, imbuing Temerity with energy and he smacks the captain with radiant damage. The captain explodes and covers Lavender in putrid liquid. The other zombies disanimate and fall to the fall. Temerity collapses to the floor. The Frozen Wraith begins to sink. Anaphel swoops up Lavender and flies her back over to the Tidecaller.
Lavender smiles and congratulates Anaphel, who reciprocates.
Lavender looks over at Voss and wonders if they can continue. Voss thinks that it can make it to Adalens. They can patch it up there. Temerity smiles and asks if they would like a lift now. Voss is unnerved and gives up. She tells Temerity to go ahead if he feels like it.
Temerity runs to the front of the ship, grabs the massive towing rope and dives into the water, polymorphing into an orca whale. Theren throws up as the boat rocks from the huge wave sweeping the ship. Temerity begins to swim towards Adalens for the next hour.
Mary-Ann sleeps in her hammock. Voss approaches Lavender. She knew there would be trouble, but not as much as this. She thanks them for their help.
Lavender asks for more information. The Frozen Wraith were pirates who terrorised this area. They were supposedly brought down by a kraken, or a ship that took them on, or perhaps something else that was not of the sea. Voss believes now that they must be cautious now, or they will suffer the same fate. Lavender side-eyes Gage. She asks Voss if Temerity knows where he is going. Voss gets Gage to direct Temerity telepathically. Theren resummons Runcible.
Mary-Ann awakens and heads to the kitchen to meddle.
Gage asks the crew to train him in nautical manoeuvres. The crew feels offended by Gage’s attitude – Gage feels that sailing a boat cannot be that difficult. They put him through his paces until he is utterly exhausted.
As Temerity’s polymorph ends, he releases the rope, leaps out of the water, changes back and splats onto the deck.
Lavender is below deck considering the phrases Master of Ash and Winter’s Core. She wonders if it is the ring.
The sky suddenly darkens. The wind picks up. Voss shouts. A magical storm approaches. It is very unnatural. Ash is scented on the wind.
Lightning strikes the crew, causing severe injuries throughout. Mary-Ann tries to see what is going on in the cloud, but can see nothing. She tries to repair the ship, but cannot. The crew tries to secure the deck, but fail. They try to navigate through the storm and find a safe route. Gage assists with the navigation successfully. Temerity tries to inspire the crew. He delivers a rousing speech. Temerity pulls on the strange cloak he acquired to shield him from the rain. Magic swirls around him. His cloak glows brightly. They stare in anticipation. He shakes it out. The cloak billows behind Temerity, regardless of the wind. He has activated his Cloak of Billowing. A huge wave shakes the side of the ship. Gage, Mary-Ann, Temerity and Theren are knocked down. Voss tries to navigate through the storm and succeeds. Lavender struggles through the wind and manages to secure the cargo. Theren uses magic to shield the ship from the storm.
Another wave smashes the ship, knocking everyone except Mary-Ann down. Temerity and Gage somehow manage to avoid being thrown overboard. Theren collapses unconscious to the deck. Mary-Ann tries to repair the ship again and this time she succeeds.
The sails fill with wind and the storm is weathered. The dark clouds continue to rage behind them, seeming almost angry that they have escaped.
The ship limps away across the water, still in one piece.