Seeing the Chuulpions emerging from the water, Argy looks at the cupcake in her hand and throws it. (roll dice) One Chuulpion senses a magickal item coming at it and grabs it with its tentacles, pulling it in. (roll dice) The cupcake goes off in its face, blowing the head apart and the headless body staggers two steps before collapsing into a twitching hulk. (Good thinking on the aboleth!)

The other Chuulpion continues to charge the Crew.

(roll dice) Not trusting anything that may have been set by the aboleth, Aeshma first mutters a spell and looks over the lever before digging into her satchel. She brings out and reads from a scroll. (roll dice) A magickal hand appears and she sends it to pull the lever while the rest of the Crew are outside of any traps triggered. The magical hand is slimed, but manages to trip the lever anyway. Did that shadowy figure know about the lever and the trap? Was it helping, or a test? Now Aeshma understands why Clíodhna is still not sure about it.

A sound emanates from where the wreck of the ship had been. Rising from below the water is a platform and on it is a single portal with another mechanism, but this one is simpler made of a magickally infused metal ship's wheel inlaid into a single dial with various symbols. Most of the symbols are triangles with another symbol beside it ... Triangle/Devil; Triangle/Dragon; Triangle/Cloud w/Lightning; Triangle/Shushed Lips; Triangle/Rain .... and one symbol with a Temple/Loom.

Aeshma considers a moment and then shouts to Aylar and the Crew. "This must be how the Aboleth is getting between the Seas and setting up Lairs and how it accesses the Temple of Fate. Destroy it and we cripple its network!"

Bellandra tried to stay apace with the frequent shifting of realities. It seemed the had and aboleth were gone, but there were still enemies to fight. That strange portal that the shadowy figure had revealed also remained, and now Aeshma's lever-pulling had revealed yet another one!

Since Argy had already handily dispatched one of the rushing giant chuulpions, Bellandra fired a stun bolt at the remaining one. She would take care to jump to avoid its paralyzing tentacles.

She looked at the dial, which Aeshma had asked them to destroy. She had her crossbow readied to send an explosive bolt at the dial and the wheel, but before firing she pondered:

She saw symbols on the dial - one likely symbolizing the temple where they had met the Fate, but five others marked with triangles. Hmm, five symbols here with triangles, five coordinates earlier in Aylar's compass, and five stars that she had seen light up in the ceiling earlier.

What could the symbols mean? She used her puzzle knowledge and what she had heard from the crew, thinking rapidly. The symbol of Shushed Lips could mean the Sea of Whispers, where Bellandra herself was from. Baldbeard hailed from the Sea of Showers - that could be the Rain symbol. Aylar was from the Sea of Storms, likely the Cloud with Lightning symbol. She was not sure of the Devil and Dragon symbols.

Was this portal not only the aboleth's network, but also the path to the crews' lost bodies? If so, would destroying it now be dooming the crew to the fate the aboleth had previously chosen for them? Or could it be the reverse, so that destroying this connection portal would destroy the aboleth's tampering of fate, and could rescue the crew from their fates? She was unsure, and sent her thoughts out, hoping Cliodhna or Aeshma could advise.

If it seemed destruction was the best option, she would fire an explosive bolt at the dial and the wheel.


While fighting:

- If she came near Grog'tial's fallen items she would try to pick them up, since additional damage might be useful againts these chuulpions, and besides, Grog'tial might still come back and miss his items.

- If a crewmember seemed to be in mortal danger from a large enemy like the chuulpions, and for some reason she could not directly fend them off by attacking, she would try to use the sextant to freeze that enemy and save the crewmember.

- When the time came, she would quickly retreat to the portal, helping any nearby wounded crewmember along.

Bellandra had learned to use her inner voice and Clíodhna heard her, and had Bellandra describe what she saw. *Very good, Bellandra. You are correct. The symbols you describe are the Sea of Storms, the Sea of Whispers and the Sea of Showers, as well as the Devil's Sea and the Sea of Dragons. That is how the aboleth captured your bodies and ships out of those seas, and how it is accessing the Temple to change time and fate. By destroying it, you destroy his ability to repeatedly try to change the fates of others, and stop it and its minions from moving between the Sea Hag Lairs in those triangles, capturing more ships to enslave.*

Bellandra had simply considered it her thoughts, but Cliodhna called it an inner voice. Perhaps her successful mental link earlier with her kin had unlocked it, she thought. She hoped her kin were safe amidst all this shifting of realities and sudden rising of foes all around - or at least that they were as prepared for battle as the crew were.

Since Cliodhna confirmed the portal's sinister nature, Bellandra fired her explosive bolt at the dial, hoping its force is enough to shatter the mechanism.

Cliodhna's mention of hag lairs reminder her that the hag they had seen earlier might still reappear. If she did, Bellandra would try what she had not had time to do earlier. She would speak to the hag without looking at her directly, "Mistress of the sea! Serve not this aboleth! Mean it or not, ye feed into its plan - surely it must rankle ye to have one such at it be master of this place! Help us, or let us proceed, and soon it will not be a rival to ye!"

Regardless, Bellandra would battle the remaining charging chuulpion as described earlier, and the drowned ones if they came too close, before retreating quickly to the portal.

Pugwash fires a hardened bolt at the remaining Chuulpion.using his cursed eye guaranteed shot. This is the most dangerous threat and must be brought down quickly.

Reminded of the briefing, Pugwash rapidly reloading with an explosive bolt, and fires it at a group of drowned ones that aren't immediately next to the crew (blowing up crewmates would not go down well).

Rapidly reloading again with an explosive bolt, Pugwash will then act on Aeshma's call. If Bellandra hadn't succeeded in destroying the mechanism, he would fire the explosive bolt at it. Pugwash suspects that if two explosive bolts aren't enough to destroy it, it would need something physical like a club to do so.

Shoujld Bellandra have already destroyed the dial, remaining Drowned ones would be Pugwash's next target.

Finally, Pugwash will retreat through the portal with the rest of the crew.

Aylar frowns at the hasty spellwork diversion, at a heavy request; whatever spark he had displayed at a prospect of destruction and fighting more enemies dies out through the seemingly quickly rising urgency of the situation. He wants to ask clarification, there be something he be nae told, he can feel that, but the circumstances be nae on the side of his inclinations of getting answers. He can only try to get across that he understands.

He will first put good distance between himself and the new big arrivals to the scene, then start gathering the tattered remnants of his previous Work, planning to finish what has been started, though he be nae sure yet what exactly be a focus fer it; once the lever be pulled and the dial is revealed, at Aeshma's urging he deems it be the center and starts quickly ensnaring it in every remnant Work thread he has available.

Once he spots Bellandra and Pugwash training their crossbows upon it, he will do his best to time sending whatever nae-presently-at-warding magick he can spare towards the dial, hoping to strengthen the resulting explosion enough to utterly destroy the mechanism.

Afterward he be making sure that Crew be ready to leave / leaving through the vortex. Though the notion do be bringing his spirits down, he will indeed follow on the Guardian's request fully.

Due to having several players ill or unable to post yet: *Next turn will be moved to start 10 PM UTC, 15 December

Gilius commands Rocky to grab Pugwash if he's still on his back and delicately drop him on the ground. Then Rocky will run towards the Chuulpions and smash them down. Once done, he will smash the drowned ones.

Once there are no more enemies, Rocky will go near Durik and crouch so as to make a big rock as round as possible. Gilius will then ask Durik : "'Aye Durik ! Do ye want to destroy that mechanism ? Fire Rocky on it with Dakka !"

After all of this is done Gilius will retreat with all the others through the portal.

Durik helped Gilius fight the huge Chulpion and then the drowned ones.
"Sorry friend, Dakka already ate big snake and he be ready to shoot it at Ablet! (also would be bad for Rocky)"

Mission 4 - Mission End

NOTE: This is the end of the missions until Part 2, but there is still a bit of story coming soon and some RP opportunities for your characters.
Warning: Cliffhanger.

-----
Clíodhna wasn't sure whether she was more relieved that she had found Aylar in the link again, or concerned. She felt him repairing the weave and sent him more power to reinforce and Work it into the warding. They were in the Weirding Sea. Nine days, she had told him. It had been nine days Ship time since they had entered the temple. Nine days of relentless battle, but thankfully only half a day that she had lost him to that portal for awhile. Half a day of turning the fury on the enemy and fighting to keep it under just enough control. Now the Crew was in the Weirding Sea and the awareness hit her as the link strengthened. She knew where they were (I know where they are), and they couldn't be there (can't be here). It was too dangerous. What was the Guardian thinking? They weren't ready yet to face the Dragon! (They aren't ready)

-----
Aeshma had been paying attention mostly to Grog'tial's disappearance and Count's injuries, then battle. But now she stops and really looks around, then turns to stare at Aylar recognizing his magickal essence combined with the phoenix energies in the damage. She knew those energies had been strong and obviously channeled somewhere despite her protections, but what could have drawn them here? She draws a rune in the space in front of her and whispers to the air. The rune flares with a bright flare of starlight and she drops her jaw and spins around, eyes searching desperately for clues. She must have been held here! Now where?

The Guardian had been staying invisible and saying very little until Aylar had asked her. She had been trying to stay back away from possibly causing havoc with the sword, but it seems it's picking up on things. As is Aeshma. That must not happen if she is to save the Crew for she fully expects Aeshma to throw a fit and refuse to go. Regretfully, she casts a Veil, then a Reveal on the lever to draw Aeshma's attention instead. The scent of the sea increases and she looks to the water's edge and sees it rising slightly as she picks up the first hints of the power incoming. It knows now, knows she's here. It will send in the Undead Sea Dragon and behind it the sea. Their Gillyweed has expired, there isn't much time left now to stop the aboleth's plan and get them out. If they don't get them out then she has come back through time and bargained with Fate for nothing. They must live.

Aylar hears the Guardian's voice strong in his mind. *Captain Aylar, when I tell ye to, ye will take them and run. Do not try to stay behind. Do not try to avenge me here. Take Aeshma and run, throw her over yer shoulder if ye be needing to. Get them OUT, Captain. Don't look back. Ye know who I be, ye know whenst I came. This be my Choice. Yer time be nae yet. Be ye understanding me?*

With all the plane shifting, visions and illusions, and the unexpected appearance of the entity that captured Grog'tial, it seems that the Aboleth and the Hag have managed to trick the crew and may even get away. The current events are beyond Argy's mundane comprehension and Aylar isn't sharing his insight or orders. Argy sighs, frustrated, (roll dice) and uses her pan behind a zombie's knees, bringing it down to where she can suitably pan sear the back of its skull in. Seeing the Chuulpions emerging from the water, Argy looks at the cupcake in her hand and throws it. (roll dice) One Chuulpion senses a magickal item coming at it and grabs it with its tentacles, pulling it in. (roll dice) The cupcake goes off in its face, blowing the head apart and the headless body staggers two steps before collapsing into a twitching hulk. Nodding in satisfaction that she has delivered her baked goodie, she returns to zombie frying. (roll dice) It's really too bad zombies don't seem to respond to her favorite groin shot, but the knees also work to bring them down to her level she notes as she sweeps another one with her pan ... and she's getting better at knowing the time for a proper facial fry.

"B-B-Beware th-the thunder-storm..." - Count Karnstein stammers while standing on his wobbly feet. - Gilius, what are ye doin'?! Ye was s'ppose to keep weather on our side!"

Count cannot fathom how it's possible that he got struck by lightning in a cave. Or can he? Could it... Could it really be... the proverbial love striking like a bolt from the blue? But why now? Clearly not 'cause o' that pink-ridden abomination... As if SOMETHIN' really wanted to convince me that I wasn't just bluffin' to avoid kissin' the Hag. - Count looks at Aeshma, utterly dumbfounded. - Oh my. She really is into me, ain't she, to go fer such extremes. An' must consider me - quite rightly - brilliant enough to decipher her cryptic signals. Damn, woman, ye could just tell me.

No time for contemplating it now. Count brushes off the ash and throws out the remains of the charm and the whip as giant chuulpions emerge from the water. "Spread out!" - he yells, seeing the monsters charging at them. He runs to some of the remaining zombies (roll dice) and decapitates one while slicing the legs out from under another, then decapitates it too. (roll dice) Sensing another behind him, Count reverses the saber and stabs behind himself, (roll dice) then whirls and pulls the Frostbite from the now frozen torso to behead the Drowned One which had thought to sneak up on him.

Bellandra tries to stay apace with the frequent shifting of realities. It seems the hag and aboleth are gone, but there are still enemies to fight. That strange portal that the shadowy figure had revealed also remains, and now Aeshma's lever-pulling had revealed yet another one!

Since Argy had already handily dispatched one of the rushing giant chuulpions, Bellandra fires a stun bolt at the remaining one. (roll dice) It bounces off its armoring, but still manages to stun it as it goes off. (1d4=2 turns) She leaves it for the Crew to take care of as she looks at the dial, which Aeshma asks them to destroy. Bellandra reloads her crossbow with an explosive bolt, but before firing she ponders: one of the symbols likely represents the temple where they had met the Fate, but there are five others marked with triangles. Hmm, five symbols here with triangles, five coordinates earlier in Aylar's compass, and five stars that she had seen light up in the ceiling earlier. What could the symbols mean? She uses her puzzle knowledge and what she's heard from the crew, thinking rapidly. The symbol of Shushed Lips could mean the Sea of Whispers, where Bellandra herself was from. Baldbeard hailed from the Sea of Showers - that could be the Rain symbol. Aylar was from the Sea of Storms, likely the Cloud with Lightning symbol. She was not sure of the Devil and Dragon symbols.

Was this portal not only the aboleth's network, but also the path to the crews' lost bodies? If so, would destroying it now be dooming the crew to the fate the aboleth had previously chosen for them? Or could it be the reverse, so that destroying this connection portal would destroy the aboleth's tampering of fate, and could rescue the crew from their fates? She was unsure, and sent her thoughts out, hoping Cliodhna or Aeshma could advise.

Bellandra had learned to use her inner voice and Clíodhna heard her, and had Bellandra describe what she saw. *Very good, Bellandra. You are correct. The symbols you describe are the Sea of Storms, the Sea of Whispers and the Sea of Showers, as well as the Devil's Sea and the Sea of Dragons. That is how the aboleth captured your bodies and ships out of those seas, and how it is accessing the Temple to change time and fate. By destroying it, you destroy his ability to repeatedly try to change the fates of others, and stop it and its minions from moving between the Sea Hag Lairs in those triangles, capturing more ships to enslave.*

Pugwash fires a hardened bolt at the stunned Chuulpion, aiming through his cursed eye. This is the most dangerous threat and must be brought down quickly. (roll dice) The shot penetrates the armor straight through the brain. Pugwash reloads an explosive bolt.

(roll dice) Seeing the Chuulpion stunned and with a bolt already in its brain, Count jumps on its back and uses Frostbite to sever the jointing at the head.

Gilius commands Rocky to smash the Chuulpions down, just to make sure. Once done, he tells Rocky to smash the drowned ones still left. Gilius asks Durik if he wants to help destroy that mechanism? "Fire Rocky on it with Dakka !"

Durik helps fight the drowned ones, (roll dice) cudgeling the head of one in while knocking it back into another. "Sorry friend, Dakka already ate big snake and he be ready to shoot it at Ablet! Also would be bad for Rocky!"

(Continued below ...)

(... continued from above.)

Aylar frowns at the hasty spellwork diversion, at a heavy request; whatever spark he had displayed at a prospect of destruction and fighting more enemies dies out through the seemingly quickly rising urgency of the situation. He wants to ask clarification, there be something he be nae told, he can feel that, but the circumstances be nae on the side of his inclinations of getting answers. He can only try to get across that he understands. He puts a good distance between himself and the new big arrivals to the scene, then starts gathering the tattered remnants of his previous Work, planning to finish what has been started, though he be nae sure yet what exactly be a focus fer it; until the lever be pulled and the dial is revealed. At Aeshma's urging he deems it be the center and starts quickly ensnaring it in every remnant Work thread he has available. Once he spots Bellandra and Pugwash training their crossbows upon it, he focuses his intent to best time sending whatever nae-presently-at-warding magick he can spare towards the dial, hoping to strengthen the resulting explosion enough to utterly destroy the mechanism.

-----
Clíodhna feels Aylar's urgency and his pull on what power is available to him connected to his previous Work, then understands what he is attempting and reinforces the power of it while steadying the flow, showing him how to use all the hues contained in the starfire light as the colors of his threads.

Then she senses it, the withdrawal of the sea beneath the Ship. She leaps into the sky, streaking for the height to see. He hadn't ... oh, but he had. He had called the sea, and the sea was coming. She threw more power to the shields and lifts while she feels him turning the Ship into the coming wave. He had evidently had enough of hiding and decided to break the stalemate. It's evident the Dragon Turtle already knows and is prepared. "Brace!" she yells to those below. "A little warning what ye be planning be nice."

- Ye were busy reinforcing the Captain. -

She mutters under her breath. "Stars above, save me from Penguins!"

Laughter comes back at her. - I heard that. -

-----
The Guardian watches, as yet still invisible. She knows what Aylar wants to ask, what he wants to know yet doesn't. She waits, quietly, not wanting to disturb his Work nor his intent. Only once he is done and ready to trigger it does she tell him what she deems she can. *My choice, Aylar. To close this future, this fate. Once it be done, it be done. The new Fate threads that be woven take root and I will have come from a future that will never be. There will be no phoenix egg left for the aboleth to try its foul corruption on, no memories to haunt, no fury to rip and tear at her ... my heart and spirit. Let it be enough that ye know that much, and that ye can stop it here. Live. Save the Crew, Captain.*

Once Cliodhna confirms the portal's sinister nature, Bellandra prepares to fire her explosive bolt at the dial, hoping its force is enough to shatter the mechanism. As Crew are currently involved fightint Drowned Ones, and only a few are now left, Pugwash acts on Aeshma's call and also targets the dial. (roll dice) Seeing Bellandra ready to fire, he also fires. Pugwash suspects that if two explosive bolts aren't enough to destroy it, it will need something physical like a club to do so.

The explosive bolts go off, and Aylar sends a surge of power. (roll dice) The explosions send the ship's wheel spinning off into the water, while the explosions combined with his surge render the rest of the dial into a mishapen lump of melted slag. It is impossible to tell what it ever was, and Aylar also notices the magick within it has been released. There is now no magick left to it at all.

Captain Baldbeard's sharks are cleaning up the last of the Drowned Ones when several of the Crew notice the water's edge that had been creeping higher, now begins to draw away more rapidly. A roar that resounds in the depths of the ocean rises from the water ahead of them. From the doorway to the unexplored tunnel opposite the one they came through comes a flash and the swift approach of the glowing astral form of a phoenix. Then from Aylar's side there is another bright flash of magick. He feels an immediate magickal binding thrown on the sword, locking it down in a powerful ward before it can even think to flare up, and suddenly a full phoenix leaps to the sky, overtaking then merging into the astral one, glowing with a steady light. "Run!" it cries the order to the Crew with Clíodhna's voice. "Run for the vortex, NOW!"

Aylar feels a corresponding flare of alarm in his link to Clíodhna, and power poured into his weave even while she is obviously struggling. *Aylar, run! Get them out!*

Aylar orders the Crew to the portal, but Aeshma stares as the two phoenix become one, then ignores orders and turns to start running for the unexplored tunnel when a curtain of flame erupts before it, blocking her. Sighing, Aylar moves her forcibly, finally having to pick her up and run for the vortex.

Aeshma fights like a fury, and even summons up a headwind to batter at Aylar. "Put me down! We have to go back! Put me down, dammit!."

Glancing back, the Crew see an Undead Sea Dragon rising from the water, with the sea rising and coming behind it. The Phoenix streaks on an intercept course and strangely there is no automatic phoenix fury at an undead that Aylar can sense, only a complete calm and a deep and abiding sorrow. Aylar can still hear her in his mind, knowing it's the Undead Sea Dragon she's addressing, not himself. Turn away. Fight it. Ye know I cannot let ye have them .... Turn! TURN!

(roll dice) Bellandra grabs Grog'tial's dropped items as the Crew retreat at a run towards the portal.

*Fair winds to yer sails, Aylar.* There comes a blinding light and the sea sweeps in to fill the cavern just as the Crew reaches the vortex.

-----
Traveling through the vortex should have been quick, but the Crew can't shake the feeling that another alteration had just happened, another 'arranged fate' for them just avoided. Hopefully now with the aboleth locked out of the Temple, things will go back to something close to normal. They arrive on the side of a mountain overlooking the sea. The sister of Fate waits there for them.

As soon as he puts her down, Aeshma turns to Aylar, her eyes haunted and stunned. "You left her! You left her! How could you? She was right there and you left her in that thing's tentacles!"

The sister of Destiny interrupts. "That future, that fate, is now no more," she tells them. "Your admiral came back from a future that was not to be, to change yet another death arranged by the aboleth, the annihilation of the Crew. Captain Aylar was not allowed to tell you, and even he did not completely know her intent. Nor did he know that the mechanism there had been set up by the aboleth to entrap her, using her own magick's if she fought - to imprison her and to power it. His working earlier freed much of it, but it needed to be finished to stop the aboleth from ever using it again." She regards Aeshma, "He did not know her physical form was still imprisoned there."

Suddenly Aylar feels a terrible wrenching, as if something has been torn from the heart of the Ship, as if the Ship has been crippled somehow. The wailing rises deafeningly in his blood. There is an intense vertigo, and a sense of a void opening up before him. Then the plunging pain of a mortal wound echoes in his breast and he knows instantly it is her wound. His Fey Charm roars to life, the banshee striking back through the link even as he feels Clíodhna trying to slam the link down or push him away as she's falling from the sky. The Phoenix Charm flares with power suddenly, and then dims. *I entrust ye with it.* Then there is blackness and he can't feel her anymore.

"It is time you all return now." The Fate hands Aeshma a small chest then indicates to them to step into the vortex once again. "You still have your prior deaths to repair, but from this point forward your fates are now in your hands and will not again be altered. Go."

(Continued below ...)

Clíodhna felt the incoming power through the link. Understood the Guardian's purpose at last and knew exactly what was coming for Aylar and the Crew. *Aylar, run! Get them out!* She added her mental voice to the other and shifted more power into the Weave, the wards and protections he had worked for the Crew, even as she saw the wave approaching, both here, and there.

Then another portal was triggering somewhere close. The memories hit her hard, causing a vertigo and deja vu ...
She was overextended and she knew it, trying to cover too many things at once. The captain had miscalculated. She had tried to warn him, but this once he didn't listen. For all the times he swore he knew to listen when her intuition spoke so strongly, this one time he had been too focused on his own intent and it had spelled their doom. The energies were out of control, a portal between planes had opened, she threw all her magick into trying to turn back the deadly energies that were killing them, the evil seeking to ensnare them. It came flooding back, the horror as she felt the terrible undead disease take him, ravaging through his body and organs, infecting his mind, and she could not save him. "Let me go ..."

Clíodhna tried to clear her mind and shake off the memories, but she knew what it meant, what it was trying to tell her. The enemy had learned from their last encounter, but so had she. That was its plan. She had been skeptical when it let them in so easily, when it held back, then took the Crew through such twisting of time and space. It had finally tripped the true trap. Threatened on two fronts. It wanted her overextended, thought it knew her, and it did, but not completely anymore. She'd adapted, observed, and learned she sometimes needed to depend on the Crew. It wanted her overcommitted, and she was. She knew it. She would have to make a choice. She could choose to reinforce Aylar and the Crew or to shield the Ship and it's secret. A phoenix knew better than perhaps any that the energies of the spirit never truly died. They transmuted, reformed, rebirthed. That was why the undead were anethma to them, it didn't allow the transformation and rebirth into something more. So she had saved his spirit, saved him within the heart of the Ship itself, surrounding him with the light until he could be freed fully of the undead claim upon him. The hardest lesson in her lives had been when to ...

- ... to know to let go. Let me go, little star. Let me go. -

She was proud of this Crew, so very proud of them. It would be up to them now, but just in case - she reached outward with one more call. Then Clíodhna threw her magick to Aylar reinforcing and stabilizing him, holding the flow steady before storing the largest part of it and locking it down into the feather ... and let go.

Clíodhna felt it go, the wrenching out of what had so long been a part of her, a connection forged so long and so deep it was second nature, like breathing, and the void it left as he was torn from herself and the Ship raced up to consume everything. She felt the scream trying to tear its way from her being, but she refused to give the enemy the satisfaction. Then came a stabbing pain to her heart, a terrible dark drain came upon her and she knew she was spinning down out of control. She heard the wailing in her mind, felt Aylar, felt his Fey Charm awakening and prayed she had given him what he would need as she sought to slam down the link before he felt too much, to not let it jump from her to him. But he had woven her into the weave and the Fey Charm he had Worked wanted vengeance and was already lashing back, holding on to the link. Brutally she attempted to cut the link also, but it was stronger than she had anticipated and Aylar's intent in the feather's Working now united with her stored power and his Will as his storm raged with fury and purpose, seeking the threat and retribution. At least she had denied the enemy her power, and there shouldn't be enough left within her to immolate them or be used against them, she had made sure of that by locking it into the feather in his charm. *I entrust ye with it.* She turned to fix her eyes on the stars as the blackness took her.

-----
Cap'n Rummyfangs felt the tear at the heart of the Ship. All the phantom crew did. She was falling! He had to catch her! Rummyfangs dashed around the deck, looking up, hoping she wasn't going in the water. He adjusted again, running to the bow, no the stern, no it was the forecastle! He could catch a bird, he was a Felinoid. He was good at catching birds!

Then he remembered he usually caught birds with his fangs and his claws. No fangs or claws this time, just catch her, he reminded himself firmly. Then he looked up. He was in the wrong place! He ran and leaped for the Quarterdeck, reaching out just in time as she dropped. He smiled. He caught her! He caught ... Cap'n Rummyfangs looked in his arms and almost dropped her as his own jaw dropped. Oh! She was .... He looked around, then down again. She was .... When he looked up again Sensei was there staring him down as he threw a spectral blanket over her and reached as if to take her from him. Oh. Uhm. He was about to hand her to him when felt her move. She was alive! Well, she was okay! Then the blanket slipped and he saw the terrible wound. No! Had his claws done that? Horrified he looked down into the blue glowing eyes just as she faded away!

-----
Your current inventory can be found in Post 2 (loaner

books are read and returned)
Argy = Fate's mountain
Aylar = Fate's mountain
Bellandra = Fate's mountain
Captain Baldbeard = Fate's mountain
Count Karnstein = Fate's mountain
Durik = Fate's mountain
Gilius = Fate's mountain
Grog'tial = (Abducted) Clown school
Kyp = Dragon Turtle
Mighty = Fate's mountain
Pugwash = Fate's mountain

NPC
Aeshma = Fate's mountain

In a tavern on the seedier side of this exotic port town, Devin of Moonsea's half-elven hearing picked up the call of an owl. He finished his song and his drink, then smiled at the gathered ladies as he packed up his lute.

"Me apologies, fair ladies, but I be called by another and darest not dally longer in yer most pleasant presence."

He mounted the stairs to his room, collected his kit and his trusty rapier and pulled his night-dark hair into the silver moonclasp. It didn't take long, he was used to the travel, road or sea it made no difference to him. Some would say he ran from place to place, or was run out on several occasions, but they would be wrong. Often he was guided. Many would say he had a weakness for the ladies, or for the drink, but both were only a temporary easement or distraction from the Dreams. A new adventure, however, now there would be a fine distraction. And if she was calling on this humble bard, then it must have turned dire indeed. Something had gone wrong in the planning if she was calling on one with his gift, and his curse. It had been a long time now, but he would never not answer her, for so many reasons.

One last glance around the room. Leave nothing behind but false trails and misleading clues. He closed the door, went back downstairs and tossed a silver with a nod to barkeep and stepped out into the night. His gaze automatically sought the moon and bowed his head in reverence to Her. Then he strode silently to the rear and looked into the trees, where his cat-green gaze met that of the owl.

"M'lady has need of me?"

The owl dropped a coin and Devin's quick reflexes automatically snatched it from the air. A wolf's head coin. His boarding pass. There must be one of the Wolves of the Sea ships in port then. He could only hope it wasn't Captain Jac's ship. The lady Jacelyn was not only immune to his charms, she was a fierce fighter and phenomenally lucky at cards or dice. He already owed her several silvers. He restrained a sigh and simply bowed his head to the owl.

"Tell M'lady of Stars I depart forthwith."

With that he turned his steps towards the docks, knowing there would be a ship flying the Wolves flag waiting for him. Tonight, no doubt, he would Dream.

*(Ye knowest I wouldst never not answer ye, Fair One.)

Devin?! Really? I ask ye fer a character to help fill out me Crew for Part 2 and ye bring Devin of Moonsea, the incorrigible beshadowed rascal and infamous ladies' man, onto me Ship? Lady of Light have mercy. I be warning ye, Devin, Argy knows how to use that pan and Bellandra be no light-weight. :P

Ye woundeth me, M'lady. I assure ye I assiduously read this thread, yer sign-up and yer linked Northern Tunnels. I looked at the crew balance, what ye have lost and how replaced. Ye currently be down a scholar and a tactician as ye know I don't play the heavy hitters and ye have a plethora of dwarves. Devin best covers both, as well as already having a weakness/curse that can be turned to boon for the crew. It be also a way for ye to pass info as needed into the crew's or captain's hands. Furthermore, Devin has experience with the sea, and be comfortable shipboard. I believe I recognize yer female captain as Captain Jac, whom he already hath acquaintance with. And by whatever name she be going by now(Clíodhna? Did ye tell him or be this serendipity? lol.), ye know Devin has history with yer phoenix lass, and while he wouldst never reveal her secrets, he knows her ways, how to read her words, and how to get around a certain troublesome oath and what she won't say. She never gave up on him, and he wouldst never give up on her.

As for the other - I throw meself on the mercy of the ladies. Feisty Argy hath been tragically ill-used and slighted, without even a kindness returned, while fair Bellandra hath been simply ignored altogether, excepting yon Penguin with exquisite taste, with not a word to her beauty be spoken. As for Aeshma, calling a witch a vixen be not in me own mind wise, and an Aasimar deserveth a gentle more musical refrain upon her ears. Besides, someone be having to save ye from that "rakish" (ye) and "'andsome" (Argy) Captain o'yers. :P Ladies, be kind and tell yon GM that Devin be the right choice?