Book 2: They Watched the Stars
Chapter 2: Still Waters
Or, What you talkin’ bout Sakuachi?
Sakuachi, after meditation watching the starry sky, becomes irrational and is subdued by her tribesmen as she babbles about the “emptiness between the stars and something coming for them.” Hector helps bind Yoi-ko to heal him.
Yoi-ko, fully healed, cooks up a post-massacre feast for the crew. After bringing food to Sakuachi and asking if she is okay, Yoi-ko asks if “they are okay”. She doesn’t remember why she was suspicious but still is a bit suspicious because something doesn’t sit right with her. Hector socializes and get information about how much longer the trip is. Only two more days till land and the other tribesmen are friendly and social with Hector. Sammakko is pensive but wrestles with his memories while he enjoys the ride.
The Mermaid’s Tears is beset with a snow storm and it brings with it the hallucinogenic gas. They are in a winter wasteland which no one recognizes. Just as fast as it came, the vision is gone. An elemental monster on the deck and the captain is yelling about it as the ship is rocking madly tossed by the waves. Yoi-ko, able to balance despite the ships movement, dashes to engage the elemental and gets badly slashed. While the other adventurers struggle with their sea legs, he returns below deck with the elemental in pursuit. The battle is vicious as the adventurers’ attacks seem ineffective but the monsters slashes hit their mark. Whittled down by the magics of Sammakko and Hector’s devastating blows, Yoi-ko dramatically strikes the elemental down, falling unconscious in the process.
The band of heroes all take to the beds for the rest of the day to recover. The night is stormy and the captain assures them that despite the storm they will reach Egede tomorrow.
Hector takes to the deck to talk with the captain and the Capstan Swabby. The captain says that there won’t be any more trouble with the hallucinatory gas though Hector knows he is lying. There is no way around it and they will just have to manage it as best as they can.
At 3 am they are enveloped in gas. This delusion is in a land of black ice with a massive glowing being underneath. As they kneel to see it a scream pierces their hallucination and Sakuachi is screaming on deck. A massive dark shape rushes towards them, the same shape as the one under the ice. She cries that the stars are punishing them and two storm monsters appear on deck as though to confirm her ravings. They mesmerize Sakuachi, ignore the swabby which has been remarkably nonaggressive after initially assaulting the adventurers, and head below deck. The adventurers leap from their beds to deal with the sudden attack. The skirmish below decks is brief and deadly with the heroes subduing and dispatching the Vengeful Stars quickly.
As the hallucinatory gas dissipates the adventurers feel something has changed. Their deviant abilities strengthen!
As a group they go to the deck to check on Sakuachi. She is freezing cold and confused by the hallucinations she has been receiving. Yoi-ko picks her up and brings her to her bed. Before leaving he advises her to stop casting dispersions on the heroes due to hallucinations she is having and that a true seer knows what are her true visions as opposed to delusions. Hector soothes the groups heated feelings regarding Sakuachi’s distrust.
When they arrive at Egede, they are met by a man who rows out to meet them. Eoldir Evenhand tells the group that they are not allowed to dock. Hector talks with the captain and violence is determined to not be in their best interest. After some not so great back and forth, Sakuachi is allowed to travel with him while the heroes have to go to shore outside of town and walk back.
Level 6!