A Cleric, a Rogue, and a Ranger walk into a ship...

I gained the side of the ship. I immediately healed us all with a burst of holy energy for 18. I was then able to quickly heal Brennen & Shatain for 24 each. One of the A'aloss warned us there was a fire in the hold. Saigarn and his remaining A'aloss went into the ship, going after the mage and to fight the fire. Brennen, Shatain & I went down the opposite side; our target was the necromancer.

We heard calls for water as the A'aloss reached the hold. We reached the rowing decks and found nothing but tangled bones. We continued our search in the bow of the ship, but found nothing living. After checking the lower hold and the rest of the ship, we still didn't find anything. I settled down near the A'aloss and began a divination. Shatain & Brennen went through the ship again. They came up empty again.

The response I received was somewhat straightforward. "You will find them in the halls of the dead warden."

We thought about what we knew about the island. It seemed likely that when Oritan had constructed the magical defenses for the island, they had likely set up some sort of control system, like the tower we'd encountered when traveling with the Coastal Trading Company. We believed the mage & the necromancer were very likely the same people that had imprisoned the druid. We know that the people that crafted the druid's chains were likely very powerful - at least he mage likely had significant standing with Oritan. Therefore, the mage had probably prepared for this expedition by being made the warden of the island. We didn't know if that was simply an amulet or some other talisman, or if it required a ritual in Oritan.

Saigarn was comfortable guarding the ship with his remaining A'aloss. We would head back to shore in one of the longboats; we could all still walk on water, but it would be a lot easier with the longboat to hold onto. I would meditate in the prow, resting as much as I could on the way, and would finish my hour of rest once we reached shore.

Brennen joined me to rest while Shatain went into town. She went to our old guide; he told her that there were legends of catacombs under the island. Many people came to search them out. Overall, about 20% of all the expeditions that came to the island didn't return; no one had returned reporting they'd found the catacombs.

Shatain kept asking questions, but Robert refused to keep providing information without payment. Shatain gave him 20 gold, with promise of more if we found the catacombs. Robert told us that at the end of the battle, he saw an enormous bird flew off the back of the ship. It had a huge wingspan, and seemed like it was flying heavy. He saw it land at the top of the lighthouse and disappear. He didn't know much about Oritan, but he knew they built things big; the lighthouse was right up their alley.

After dithering over the 80 gold before Shatain could check Robert's information, Shatain left him the 80 gold and promised she'd come back for it if the information was false. Robert provided a quickly sketched map. Shatain rejoined Brennen & I just as we were done resting.

We believed the druid could fend for herself; we would set out for the lighthouse right away. We would have to go several hours up the main path around the island, and then head north through the jungle to get to the top of the cliff where the lighthouse stood.

We saw man animals on the way; some of them might even be worth bringing back. We didn't waste our hours. We bypassed an area infested with some sort of spider. We reached the lighthouse without incident.

The lighthouse was beautifully built; there were gazebos, columns, and other outbuildings, with the jungle cleared back about 500'. There seemed to be an indirect flickering of light near the base of the lighthouse. All the structures were roofless except for the lighthouse itself.

Brennen & Shatain moved towards the light quietly, while I stayed back. Once they got close enough, they saw the light was coming from a metal sphere that was glowing with magical fire. It was sitting on a column; it seemed like the same thing that was keeping the lighthouse lit. Looking around, they saw charred skeletons in the ground. All the skeletons were within about 20'-30' of the sphere. And of course the sphere was 20' out in front of the door to the lighthouse. There were no animal skeletons; just humanoids. None of their gear was intact beyond scorched hide and twisted metal.

Finally they waved me in. I looked for magical writings - and found runes encircling the base of the tower, the base of the column, and at 4 points in a square around the column. I recognized the symbols - the sphere was a binding for some variety of fire elemental. Something that could definitely kill us. The elemental was bound to the sphere at the base and we believed one at the top; it could travel freely between them. Fire elementals were intelligent; it could be watching us and waiting for its best opportunity to strike.

Further examination of the runes indicated there was a magical key. The bearer of an appropriate talisman would be able to pass freely. We moved back from the edge of the area by about 50'-60'. I suggested we look for any evidence of underground passages or previous attempts to dig down. If we could find something, I might be able to create a corridor if there was stone down to it.

We did a brief reconnoiter of the area. Brennen was able to find some interesting signs. This area was built in a time when Oritan seemed to have more money than they knew what to do with; the area was built grandly. He guessed there was a major passageway leading deeper, and likely ventilation shafts somewhere.

I used a magical sensor to view the tops of the columns. There were no obvious vents, but there was definitely a pattern to the columns. The columns were of a variety of geometric shapes; all the circular ones seemed to have pigeon-holes. However, there was no evidence of bird habitation. Half of the open gazebos were circular, with these pigeon-holes. It was quite likely these were the ventilation shafts.

Shatain looked over the cliff edge, and noted a few promising divots in the face. Brennen secured the rope for her and Shatain clambered down. He found a small tunnel in the rock, about 1' across. It seemed to be a sewer pipe. We pulled her back up.

I settled down to rest and memorize a few spells to shape stone. Brennen examined all the columns. They all seemed to be exactly the same. Brennen used a rope & grappling hook to get to the top of one of the columns. The top was gently sloped; it wasn't a challenge to stay on it. The pigeon-holes were about 5-6" across, and there was definitely air going in and out, and an earthy smell.

After my rest, I put my sensor into the column. There was a central shaft, but it was only about 8" in diameter. I sent my sensor farther down; it ended about 15' underground in a domed room. There was another flaming sphere in the center. The dome was about 80' up from the floor. There were people in small alcoves around the edge of the room. They were in some kind of magical stasis. About 40% of the alcoves had occupants.

We decided to prepare for a fight with the elemental, but try to reason with it. We would promise to free the elemental or bring it the talisman that controlled the lighthouse's defenses. I rested, and then made Shatain able to speak its language. Also I prepared us with spells to resist fire, and improve our hit chance.

Shatain called to the 'firelord'. A 40' lord of fire appeared, with armor, shield, sword and crown. I knew that this was and elder fire elemental; our worst nightmare. Brennen & I were shaken for a moment, but Shatain was badly intimidated.

Even so, she made a good show of kneeling and speaking gracefully to the elemental. She offered to get the talisman from the mage & necromancer and unbind the elemental. The elemental changed to a serpentine form. Still looming over Shatain, he asked who she was. Shatain told him we were great heroes who had experience with the Oritan wizards, and were happy to unbind him if we could find the mage & necromancer.

The elemental did not trust Shatain's word. Shatain offered his demon-slaying short sword as proof of his good intentions. The elemental accepted the deal, with the promise that it would kill us all if we did not deliver. It took the sword, phased it into its own substance, and disappeared into the orb. The doors to the lighthouse opened.

Were'd All The Crew Go?

Brennen & I lay down to rest a bit up the beach. Shatain & Saigarn, along with the A'aloss, watched our prisoner and interrogated him. Shatain started the interrogation. The prisoner told us there were "a lot" of people left on the ship and 4 casters. Shatain didn't think the prisoner was lying outright, but it seemed like he was overestimating the ship's complement. We also found out Captain Visk was in charge of the ship.

Note on Visk's ship: A modified warship about 100' long by 25' wide. The standard crew complement was 80, including rowers. About 150 soldiers could be crammed onboard in addition. It needs to stick mostly to coastlines, and so wasn't a true blue water ship.

Note on The Fairwinds: A modified sailing vessel. True blue water ship

The A'aloss shouted down at the longboats. They'd found another living Ku Rog; he had hidden under bodies, and tried to make a break for it. Shatain switched to the Ku Rog that was (apparently) smarter. He made a deal with the Ku Rog - if the Ku Rog told us everything we were looking for about the ship, he would be allowed a duel with Shatain (and thus a warrior's death). It would be guaranteed by Saigarn, the only person the Ku Rog respected.

Saigarn walked up to the prisoner and explained again how it was going to work - The Ku Rog would answer all our questions to our satisfaction; the Ku Rog would then be given the opportunity to die honorably in single combat against Shatain. The A'aloss gamely played along, pulling Shatain forward into a ring and setting her sword in the sand. They also took out a Ku Rog axe from the boats, ensured it was up to their standard, and set it at the ready for the Ku Rog prisoner.

The Ku Rog started to talk. He told us the rowers were undead skeletons. There was a necromancer and an apprentice on board; he couldn't give us names since the crew wasn't allowed to speak with them. There were about 40 Ku Rog left on the ship, but they weren't top line fighters. He wasn't sure the Captain Visk on the ship was the true Captain Visk. The Ku Rog thought the ship's Captain wasn't the actual Visk - just something the crew was told to keep their morale up and keep them in line. When asked, the Ku Rog told us that he had no respect for the Captain Visk on the shift, but he still followed orders. We also found out that there was a catapult on the ship.

The interrogation was done. The A'aloss seperated the Ku Rog prisoner and Shatain by about 60', and handed them their weapons. They saluted to each other, and began to advance.

The Ku Rog attacked first. He struck once for 11. Shatain bluffed, and struck the Ku Rog for 27.

The Ku Rog went again, trying to disarm Shatain. He failed twice, dropping his own axe in the process. Shatain backed off, allowing the Ku Rog to retrieve the axe, earning a cheer from the A'aloss.

Shatain bluffed the Ku Rog again, and struck for 28. The Ku Rog was still alive, but just barely. The Ku Rog tripped Shatain, spilling her to the sand. The Ku Rog laid in with his axe, but missed. Shatain offered to remove her armor if the Ku Rog stopped trying to trip & disarm.

The Ku Rog showed no interest in letting Shatain get up. She struck him for 21, killing the Ku Rog.

Shatain straightened out the body and laid the axe on the Ku Rog's chest with the axe. He called out for wood for a pyre. The A'aloss kids disarmed and took care of the other prisoner.

We decided our best course of action was to attack that night. Brennen, Shatain, Barclay & I would set out from the lighthouse, walking on water, to attack the ship from the seaward side. Our crew and the A'aloss would approach in the longboats from the shore. We would focus on the Captain and the Necromancer while the A'aloss would go for the Ku Rog crew.

Our plan went astray... at about noon, the Ku Rog ship hoisted sail. However, it looked like the druid was on our side - the wind shifted, pushing the ship towards shore. She was buying us time.

The crew & A'aloss loaded into the boats. We started moving across the water. Only Shatain was having an easy time with the waves; Brennen, Barclay & I were much slower. We decided to get in the boats instead, at least until we were past the breakers. Shatain tried to keep going on her own, stumbling once or twice. She wasn't much ahead of the boat once we got to the breaker line. Shatain made more progress after that; the rest of us stayed in the boats. Shatain got pretty far ahead, but ended up getting back into the boats since she was the only one making progress.

About 900' out from the ship, their catapult started firing. The first longboat was missed by about 10' by the ship's catapult. Shatain got out of the boats and started moving towards the ship. The catapult was sighted to each increment on 100'. At 800' out, the catapult hit the 4th longboat, full of crew from The Fairwinds. Thankfully, it didn't include our Captain.

The catapult fired again. It narrowly missed the 2nd boat. Brennen started planning bowshots. He couldn't quite see the loaders for the catapult yet. The catapult fired at the 3rd longboat when we were at about 600'; it just missed. (The 4 of us were in the third longboat.) At about 550', Brennen fired at the catapult loaders; both his arrows missed. 500'; the catapult fired at the first longboat, but failed. Brennen fired at the catapult loaders again, and hit with 1 arrow for 9. I fired a couple arrows, but missed. We closed to 400' and the catapult fired at boat 1 again; still missed. Brennen & I kept firing our bows, but continued to miss. The catapult fired at boat 2, but missed. Brennen & I returned fire with arrows; Brennen hit 1 for 8. We hit the minimum range of the catapult; the Ku Rog's last shot missed boat 2. Shatain fired a few arrows at the 200' mark, but also failed.

Arrows were raining down around us. At about 180', I put a burst of Holy energy into the area of the rowers. I couldn't tell how much damage I did, but some of the oars stopped moving.

I blessed my companions. Brennen made himself more dextrous. We heard commands from the Ku Rog bringing all bows to the side we were on. Shatain was hit with 1 arrow for 7.

Brennen made Shatain more dextrous. I fired 2 arrows at the archers on the ship, but missed. Shatain cast the sound of men clambering up the side of the boat at the bow of the ship. I took an arrow for 4. The necromancer entered the fray, dropping a burst of unholy energy on us. Most of the people on our boat did not make their saves, and were sickened.

Brennen fired a flurry of arrows at the archers. He hit with all 3 arrows, for 12, then 9, making one of the archers duck. The 3rd arrow hit for 9. 5 of the archers fired at Brennen; 1 hit for 7. 4 fired at me; 1 hit critically for 16. I healed all our people for 12 with a burst of holy energy. Shatain stabled herself at the stern of the ship & got a grappling hook in place.

Brennen hit a Ku Rog for 9 again, causing him to at least duck. He missed with the other 2 arrows. I healed our boat for 20. Shatain clambered up the stern of the ship, and gained the deck. The crew was still unaware of her presence. She could see a couple of people at the bow, investigating the sounds. There was a command - "SHOOT THE DWARF!" 10 archers fired at Brennen. Only 1 hit, for 6.

We were at the ship. Brennen stayed at the back of the longboat firing at the Ku Rog trying to cut lines. Shatain could see a figure at the wheel that looked like Visk; she attacked with poison on her blade. The Captain didn't see it coming. She hit for 22. The Captain was surprised and missed his save.

Brennen fired 3 arrows into one of the Ku Rog trying to cut lines; he hit for 11, 13 & 11. The Ku Rog dropped out of sight. I imbued myself with the fury of my deity. One grappling hook got up.

Brennen loosed another round of arrows at the line cutters. He hit a Ku Rog for 19, the 2nd shot hit for 12. The Ku Rog died. The 3rd arrow hit another Ku Rog for 14. The Captain turned to Shatain. She bluffed him and struck for 24. The Ku Rog at the wheel dropped. I dropped an arrow into a Ku Rog for 13. The 2nd shot hit for 9. That Ku Rog died. The archers on the ship fired back. 2 archers missed Brennen; 1 missed me but the other hit for 5. 3 crew on the deck dropped their crossbows and turned to Shatain.All 3 hit Shatain for a total of 21. Boat 1 got a grappling hook onto the side of the ship. Boat 3 (ours) got a 2nd hook up. The Ku Rog were unable to cut any of the lines.

I fired at another Ku Rog, and hit with 1 arrow for 10. Shatain fought defensively. She still bluffed 1 of the Ku Rog successfully, and hit critically for 32. The Ku Rog dropped, dead right out. She only faced 2 opponents now. They attacked back, but both missed. Ku Rog at the side made to cut our lines. Only 2 were able to try to cut the lines, but they failed. 3 archers fired at Brennen; 2 hit for 11. 2 archers fired at me, but both missed. our boats kept throwing up hooks, but they didn't catch. Brennen fired at the Ku Rog on the rails again; he hit the first critically for 26 and killed him outright. The 2nd shot hit another Ku Rog for 12, killing another Ku Rog. The last shot hit another for 16.

Shatain continued to fight defensively. She bluffed successfully and struck one of her attackers for 24. That Ku Rog also dropped outright. She told the last Ku Rog to jump. He believed her, and backed off. (He didn't jump off the ship though.) Brennen picked out the line cutters, and hit with the first arrow for 19, killing that Ku Rog. The 2nd shot hit another line cutter for 19, killing that one as well. He couldn't make out a line cutter for a 3rd shot, but picked out an archer, hitting for 16; that one died as well. I tried to fire, but couldn't get a good target. Another burst of unholy energy struck our boat, along with a fireball. I took full damage on both, taking 20 and 19. Brennen made his save. Our boats were not doing well; there was only 1 survivor on our boat, along with Brennen & I. Barclay failed both his saves, and died. Our Captain died as well. The A'aloss fared a bit better; there were 3 survivors and Saigarn.

Shatain looked for the mage, but couldn't spot him. Brennen & I spotted him though; there was an oarlock towards the stern where the mage seemed to be. Shatain attacked the Ku Rog that had backed off; she feinted successfully and struck for 30, dropping him in place. Brennen shot the mage, hitting critically for 20. The mage certainly got out of the window. His next shot pegged a line cutter for 12. I healed myself for 39. An archer almost hit Brennen, but it bounced off his armor. Another bounced off of mine. A Ku Rog turned to Shatain but missed.

Brennen waited for the mage. I healed everyone in the area (Ku Rog excepted) for 6. Shatain feinted the Ku Rog in front of her, and struck for 22. The Ku Rog died. The mage stayed under cover. Brennen fired at a line cutter, hitting for 13. That Ku Rog dropped as well. An A'aloss got up one of the ropes from boat 1; it would take a little longer to get to the deck. Boat 2 got a grapple up. Archers fired at us again; 1 missed Brennen, the other hit for 11. 2 fired at me; both missed.

Shatain moved to the main deck, and attacked a Ku Rog that was trying to hit an A'aloss scaling the ropes. She hit for 10. Brennen readied an action for the mage. I healed our crew for another 17. 1 of the crew got up. The other dead were beyond my ability to help. The mage stuck his head out from another port. Brennen let fly and shot the mage for 13. The mage dropped back out of sight. An A'aloss had gained the deck, and attacked the same Ku Rog Shatain was working on. He hit for 4. Another A'aloss gained the deck and would attack soon. 2 archers fired at Brennen; both missed. 2 more archers fired at me; 1 hit for 3. The line cutters didn't cut any of our ropes. The Ku Rog on Shatain attacked, but missed critically. The A'aloss missed his attack of opportunity. Shatain hit with hers for 11, killing the Ku Rog.

Shatain stepped to the next nearest Ku Rog, and dropped him with a hit for 20. I picked out a line cutter, hitting for 10 & 15. That Ku Rog died. Brennen was still looking for the mage, but he didn't poke out. Brennen instead shot a line cutter for 13. Shatain felt a spell wash over her, but she shrugged it off without effect.

I shot a line cutter for 9, killing it. I shot another Ku Rog for 9. Shatain moved to the next Ku Rog; she bluffed him and killed him with a hit for 21. The mage still didn't poke his head out. There were 3 A'aloss on the ship; the remaining archers were occupied. Brennen got onto a line, but didn't make a lot of progress. One of the Ku Rog attacked Shatain and hit for 10.

Shatain bluffed the Ku Rog that had attacked her, and hit for 26. The Ku Rog died. Brennen kept climbing, but still didn't make much progress. I tried to get up another line, but couldn't quite make it up. The 4 archers that had been on Brennen & I moved to the edge of the upper deck to shoot on the A'aloss & 2 more Ku Rog joined them. The archers missed Shatain & all the A'aloss. Saigarn & all the survivors were on deck, except for Brennen & I.

Shatain rushed the archers. She attacked the closest Ku Rog on the stairs up to the upper deck, & hit for 11. Brennen successfully ascended to the deck. The Ku Rog attacked Shatain; 1 hit for 7. All 4 archers fired at Brennen; 1 hit for 1. I climbed slowly but surely up the rope. The A'aloss moved around to the other side of the upper deck, trying to get behind the archers.

Another fireball came out - Shatain avoided it completly; Brennen took 11. The fireball was well placed & didn't hurt any of the Ku Rog. It caught the back end of the A'aloss, hitting 2 of them. The Ku Rog attacked Shatain, who was fighting defensively. The Ku Rog missed. The archers went for Brennen again, but missed. I didn't get any further on the rope. Shatain bluffed one of the Ku Rog and struck him for 25, killing him. Brennen looked for the mage, and spotted him. Brennen fired quickly, hitting for 10, the 2nd for 12, but missed with the 3rd.

I tried to climb again, but slid all the way back down into the boat. Shatain bluffed the other Ku Rog in melee and struck him for 21. He died. Shatain & the A'aloss now had the archers pinned at the bow. They jumped off the side. Shatain & a couple A'aloss ran to my rope to pull me up.

Another burst of unholy magic washed across the deck. I was out of its range, still hanging off the side of the boat. Shatain made her save, but Brennen did not. About half the A'aloss made theirs. They hauled me up and I healed everyone for 11.

It Just Won't Die

Galdeon rose out of the water. We tried to call out to him, but he ignored us and advanced. I attempted to use a spell to make him shaken, but it failed against his spell resistance. I backed up a bit and cast another spell to make myself more accurate and do a little more damage.

We tried to back up, but once we split up, Galdeon stopped. We closed on him and began our attack. I struck first, hitting with my warhammer for 10. It didn't seem to do much. Brennen attacked next, but missed with his axe. Shatain attempted to bluff, but failed. She still hit with her longsword for 9. Again, it didn't seem to damage him. Galdeon attacked Brennen, hit critically for 19. His 2nd attack missed.

Shatain attempted to bluff again, but missed again. She hit with her longsword again, and now that we were flanking him, she was able to get a sneak attack in. She hit for 21; it still didn't seem to damage him. He was showing gashes and cuts, it just didn't seem he was taking any serious damage. Saigarn, the A'aloss and the crew were coming up on the beach. He held everyone back to keep us from getting involved. We heard him tell the A'aloss kids that he'd send them in if any of us went down. Galdeon turn his attack to Shatain. He hit critically for 23, then hit again for 10. I reached out and touched Galdeon to learn what kind of creature he now was. I learned that Galdeon had been made into basically an intelligent zombie. He was under the control of the person who raised him, but he retained his intelligence from life and could act independently. These kinds of undead were notoriously hard to kill, and weren't especially vulnerable to anything. They just took a lot of punishment until the body couldn't hold together anymore. In addition, they could heal themselves by draining life from their victims. Brennen struck, hitting for 16.

Shatain bluffed Galdeon successfully and struck for 24. Galdeon drew a hand-axe from his belt for his off-hand. He missed several times, but hit one with the hand-axe for 3. I cast a spell to protect us with an aura of good, making us harder to hit. Brennen hit with his axe twice, for 35.

Shatain attempted to bluff again but failed. She still attacked, hitting for 15. I healed Shatain for 27. Galdeon continued to focus on Shatain, hitting for 19. He fumbled his last attack; I hit him for 13, Shatain hit for 11, Brennen hit for 7. Brennen then attacked, hitting for 17 and 28.

Shatain attempted to bluff, but failed, and missed with her attack. I healed everyone for 17 with a burst of holy energy. Brennen attacked, but missed with both attacks. Galdeon dropped his hand-axe and touched me, draining 16 from me.

Galdeon attacked Brennen with power attacks, but missed with both attacks. I struck with my warhammer for 7. Brennen attacked, hitting critically for 28; he missed with his 2nd attack. Shatain bluffed Galdeon successfully, and struck for 23.

Galdeon struck at Brennen again, hitting with 1 power attack for 18. I struck again with my warhammer for 8. Shatain bluffed Galdeon again and hit for 27. Brennen hit once with his axe for 17. He was visibly weakened; his natural dexterity was no longer in play.

I hit with my warhammer for 10. My attacks didn't seem to be doing much. Shatain struck again, hitting for 22. Brennen laid in with his axe again, hitting twice for 18 & 15. Galdeon attacked Brennen, missing once but hitting critically with his 2nd attack for 15.

Brennen hit twice with his axe for 22 & 18. I struck with my warhammer for 13. Shatain struck with her sword for 27. Galdeon turned his attention to Shatain, but missed her with both attacks.

Brennen's axe didn't slow down. He hit with both his axe attacks, the 1st for 17 & the 2nd critically for 38. Galdeon used drained life from all of us; Brennen & Shatain lost 12, I lost 25. Black, crackling energy was dumping out of his body. I disengaged from combat, and moved 30' away. Shatain exited combat as well.

Shatain fired a Sunforged arrow at Galdeon, but missed. Galdeon reached out and tried to grapple Brennen; Brennen avoided it barely and ran towards us. Black lightning exploded out of the body as Galdeon detonated, leaving a pit behind. The body was well destroyed. I recognized the black lightning was seeking significant sources of life to drain - thankfully, we were on the beach, so there were no large animals, etc. nearby. We figured he had approached the beach so slowly to pull in larger fish and come up fresh.

We rested, and prepared for our assault on the Ku Rog vessel.

The Ball and Chain from Hell

I settled down and cast a divination. to see how we could free the witch. Unfortunately, it failed. The witch was also less than helpful when we asked what she could cast and what hadn't worked for her in the past. She had attempted to dispel the chain, without success. Her magic was unrestricted except for shapeshifting.

Heavy rain started to fall. We built a shelter to rest for the night; I'd be able to try again the next day. The monkeys brought the witch food. The monkeys also didn't seem to want us to complete our shelter. Brennen & I built the shelter with surprising ease, despite the interference of the wild life. Coincidental or not, the rain stopped as soon as we completed the shelter.

We asked Barclay what he thought he could do. He figured it was worth trying to break it. I asked him to try his hand at identifying the chain. He refused to go alone, so we all went. He was able to tell us the chain was made of Hellsteel. That was a bit of a misnomer; the chain was made of negatively aligned spiritual material.

The next day, I attempted to divine again. I found that it couldn't be removed simply, as a curse. I cast again, asking how we could separate the chain from the witch without killing her. This answer seemed to come from a darker place.

"There are 2 ways to unmake this chain. The one who forged it can unforge it, or a blade or tool must be forged of the same metal to break it."

Barclay didn't know how to make the metal. We'd need to figure out how to create the metal, and then find a smith that could do it. The A'aloss worked with mystical substances, so we might be able to find a smith there that could make it. Alternatively we could try journeying to O'ritan to find the wizard that bound the witch.

Robert was eager to leave We struck a deal on the organs. He told us he would probably clear 1,000 gold on it, and offered us 400 gold up front. We accepted the deal, and split it between ourselves & Barclay.

Shatain also asked Barclay about contacting Ezekiel. He didn't think he could contact Ezekiel from the island, but if we sailed out a few days he should be able to do it. This seemed a good first step before taking a longer journey to O'ritan or A'aloss.

We looked back at the witch. She was poking a finger into the orb. She looked up, and suggested I divine whether the necromancer that made the chain was the same that was helping General Isador. It was a good question. The same dark voice responded with a simple yes.

The witch told us she thought her best course at this point was to drop the ludstone into the orb. She needed to inspect it from the inside to figure out how to fix it. She believed she could get back out when needed.

She was also comfortable continuing to examine the orb while we went to see if we could forge a weapon to break the chain. We returned to the woods, heading back to the town. In a sick twist, we weren't attacked by any monsters, but the insects and brush were far thicker than we remembered. It took a full day and night to return to down.

In the gloaming before dawn, we reached the clearing around the town. On the horizon, we could see 2 ships. One was burning. I cast my senses out onto the waves; I couldn't get all the way, but I could get close enough to tell the ship on fire was ours. There were several longboats in the water.

Behind us, we heard a familiar hail. Saigarn was back, with most of his youngsters. He told us the adventure had been a fine one. The missing A'aloss were in the town infirmary, recovering from their wounds. He didn't want me to heal them, but he did ask if I could make sure their wounds wouldn't kill them. They had to experience the pain of combat. I was happy to do so once we figured out what was going on with the ships.

Within a few minutes, the longboats were close enough for me to see them clearly with my extended senses. There were 6 longboats, 2 from our ship. The other 4 were Ku Rog vessels. Each longboat held about 10 people, and the groups were exchanging missile fire. The Ku Rog were likely attached to General Isador's army; he was known to have an excellent spy network. Regardless, we would need to kill the Ku Rog and take their ship if we wanted to leave the island.

We had about 5 minutes before the longboats reached the shore. I quickly went to the injured A'aloss. Saigarn revised his opinion; he wanted me to get them up & fighting in case they were needed.

There were only 2. I healed them first with a burst of holy energy, then directly cured one of them who had a broken leg. We all left the infirmary, and we formed ranks of archers on the beach. The fishermen on the beach hastily picked up their gear and went into town. The rest of the townsfolk closed their shutters and prepared to defend themselves if necessary.

I told Saigarn & Brennen to let me know when they were ready to start firing. I would bless them to help their arrows fly true. The A'aloss had about 30 arrows each, so we would have plenty of time for aimed fire. We could tell the Ku Rog did have their shields out; they'd been taking missile fire from the other longboats.

We heard creaking from behind us - the townsfolk were bringing out a catapult. It would still be a little while before they were ready to fire. It was very obviously pointed at the Ku Rog vessels. Once the closest Ku Rog boat was about 160' from shore (and the farthest away at 220') we prepared to loose.

We noticed the 2nd Ku Rog longboat seemed to have a human captain at the fore. He appeared to be wearing armor. We recommended to Barclay that he focus on that boat. He was ready with fire & lightning, though waiting for the best time.

We changed our plan - Brennen, Shatain & I all focused on the human among the Ku Rog. Shatain & I missed. Brennen made a direct hit, hitting the human in the chest. He was still standing, and in fact snapped the arrow off and dropped it into the water. Brennen fired his second shot at an orc, but it skipped off of armor. The Ku Rog moved their shields to the front, protecting the rowers. The human was pointing towards us and gesturing or giving commands. The A'aloss made 2 hits. Barclay loosed a magical ball of fire at the 2nd boat, doing 16 to most of the orcs on that boat. The human didn't seem fazed as the flames washed over him.

I dropped a burst of holy energy on the 2nd boat. I penetrated something's spell resistance and did 13. Some of them made their saves, but most of them took full damage and were blinded. A fireball came from the 3rd boat and hit our lines. The 4 of us got out of the way, but many of the A'aloss didn't. Everyone who failed took 30. Brennen fired a moonforged arrow at the armored human, and hit for 16. It still didn't seem to affect him. His 2nd arrow killed another Ku Rog on the 2nd boat; they were down 6 now.

Shatain fired at an orc on the 1st boat. She hit for 16, taking one of the rowers out of service. Brennen spotted the mage on the 3rd boat with 2 arrows for a total of 23. I channeled a burst of healing energy into us, healing everyone for 23. The A'aloss, back to full strength, fired at boat 2, killing 2 more rowers. The ship stopped. The armored human turned to the remaining 2 Ku Rog, who were barely alive, and commanded them to keep rowing. Barclay fired a lightning bolt at the ship with the mage, and appeared to kill him.

Shatain fired at the rowers on the armored human's (the captain) longboat, but missed. Brennen fired and killed one of them with a hit for 24. The captain sighed, took the rower's place, and started rowing. Brennen's 2nd shot killed the other rower. The captain sighed, and pointed at the shore in a clear threat. He maneuvered his longboat to jump onto another. I channeled more healing energy into our ranks, healing everyone back to full. We saw the mage's body flop out into the water as the rowers rid themselves of dead weight. The A'aloss fired again, hitting a few Ku Rog on the first boat.

Brennen fired at the first boat, but missed with both shots. Shatain fired at the first boat as well, but missed. I shot and hit 1 of the rowers on the first boat for 7. The townsfolk fired their catapult, clipping the first boat with a ball of flaming pitch. It ripped off a chunk of the longboat, and set it on fire. The Ku Rog started abandoning it. The A'aloss fired again, picking off 3 rowers on the third longboat.

Shatain fired at the third boat, picking off a rower with a hit for 7. Brennen fired at the third boat as well hitting 1 rower with a critical hit for 23. It killed a Ku Rog that had just dropped his shield to take up an oar. Brennen hit with the 2nd arrow for 15, killing the 2nd replacement. I fired, but completely missed. The A'aloss loosed again, killing 2 more rowers. There were only 2 rowers left, and they seemed to be stripping off their chainmail; they were getting ready to swim back to the ship. The captain had boarded the 4th boat, and it continued towards shore. It seemed it was a bit against their will.

Shatain fired at the 4th boat, hitting a rower for 6. I fired but missed. Brennen fired, hitting a rower for 13. The 2nd arrow hit as well for 8. The A'aloss fired at the 4th boat as well; only 1 hit. Saigarn hit 1 as well.

Shatain fired at the 4th boat, and killed a rower with a hit for 7. I fired but missed. The captain appeared to have acquired a crossbow. He couldn't tell that Brennen was the most accurate archer He fired at Shatain, hitting for 6. Brennen fired at boat 4, hitting a rower for 11. His 2nd arrow hit the same rower critically for 21. The rower was alive, but wasn't rowing. The A'aloss & Saigarn fired, peppering the 4th boat as well; another rower died.

Shatain fired at the 4th boat, hitting a rower for 5. I conjured a spiritual hammer, which attacked the Captain and hit for 3. I caught the Captain by surprise; he caught himself from falling off the boat. I couldn't tell what happened, but it seemed a gust of water knocked him off into the water. Brennen fired at the 4th boat; the first arrow hit for 11, the 2nd arrow missed. The A'aloss & Saigarn attacked; Saigarn hit with 2 arrows. The rest missed.

The 4th boat was now close; 40' away. Brennen hit a rower for 9, but missed with the 2nd arrow. I hit the Captain with my conjured warhammer critically for 12. I fired an arrow at the 4th boat, hitting a rower for 7 and finishing him off. Shatain fired and hit for 6. The Ku Rog on the 4th boat returned fire; 3 of them had crossbows. They all missed. The A'aloss all missed. Saigarn hit with both his shots.

The boat was at the beach, just 10' out. Shatain fired an arrow, killing another Ku Rog. The 3 Ku Rog fired their crossbows again. 1 fired at Shatain, but missed. Another fired at me, hitting for 7. The third hit an A'aloss for 1. Brennen fired 2 more arrows, hitting a Ku Rog for 13. The 2nd arrow hit for 14. I shot a Ku Rog for 24, killing it. My hammer missed the Captain. The A'aloss hit with 2 arrows, Saigarn hit with 1. Another Ku Rog fell. The longboats with our crew were just reaching the shore, with our Captain.

Brennen fired again, fumbling the first shot, but hitting with the 2nd for 13. One of the Ku Rog that hadn't been hit took that shot. My hammer missed the Captain. My bow hit a Ku Rog for 10. It was the same Ku Rog that Brennen had hit; he sat down in the longboat. The A'aloss dropped their bows and picked up their melee weapons. I dropped my bow and took up my warhammer and shield. The remaining 4 battle ready Ku Rog got out of the boat and rushed the beach. The A'aloss elbowed forward. Shatain bluffed one of the Ku Rog, but missed, scraping the Ku Rog's shield. 2 of the A'aloss were hit by the Ku Rog, taking solid hits.1 of the A'aloss hit the 4th Ku Rog.

Brennen attacked a Ku Rog with a 2-handed power attack, but fumbled. A Ku Rog took advantage, hitting him for 8. A Ku Rog attacked Shatain, hitting for 10. Shatain bluffed him in return, and hit with her longsword for 19. One of the A'aloss took a critical hit from a Ku Rog, and went down. I healed everyone for 11 with a burst of holy energy for 11. My spiritual warhammer struck the enemy Captain for 12.

The A'aloss attacked, getting in a few hits. The Ku Rog were looking pretty beaten. Shatain struck a Ku Rog for 18, killing it. The A'aloss almost looked offended at losing the killing blow. My conjured warhammer missed the enemy Captain. There was nothing for me to hit. Brennen attacked a Ku Rog with a 2-handed power attack, hitting for 14 and killing it. The last Ku Rog was completely surrounded by foes. He dropped his weapon and surrendered; the A'aloss groaned in frustration and were only kept in check by Saigarn. The Ku Rog was quickly stripped of armor and weapons.

My spiritual hammer missed once more and blinked out. Shatain asked the Ku Rog prisoner what their Captain was. The Ku Rog told us it would be the death of us. I placed a sensor underwater, near where the hammer had disappeared; the enemy captain had been moving towards the friendly longboats.

Our remaining crew was on the beach now, and very happy to see us. Our captain praised our quick action, and was effusive.

The water was murky, but I saw a glimmer of movement. The enemy Captain was 40' away from shore, moving in. He was walking across the reefs, which were very difficult to traverse. I imbued our cold iron weapons with good; Shatain chose to use her longsword.

The enemy Captain started coming out of the water - it was Galdeon, with a longsword at the ready. We all cursed, but got ready to face the undead.

Manticores and witches and chains, oh my!

As the days counted off, approaching our destination, the hold became almost unbearable to stay in. It was unnaturally cold, and we didn't feel very welcome. There wasn't much we could do about it, so we started rotating guards more often to minimize our exposure. After a few more days, we were more fully feeling the effects of the exposure. We all felt sick, and looked ill.

About 2 days from the island, the crow's nest called out that a ship had been spotted approaching us. The A'aloss identified it as one of their ships. On the upside, they did not engage in piracy; however, they could still attack us. The captain put up signal flags, and we received a friendly response. We passed close to each other, within about 100'. The A'aloss crew looked beaten up, and they were coming from the direction of the island. The ships were not willing to stop to exchange news.

Saigarn was willing to ask the ship about news as it passed. They didn't communicate well; all Saigarn could really tell was that they said they were haunted. He asked if they needed assistance. They didn't respond, other than to repeat they were haunted. They continued without stopping. The captain was happy to let them pass; he didn't feel we needed to take on any more troubles.

The next 2 days passed quietly, though we weren't sure how much more we could take. That night was cloudless, with a full moon. In the middle of the late watch, we heard the call of "land ho!" There was a lighthouse atop cliffs, the highest point of the island. The rest of it was relatively flat; maybe 3-4 mi across. There was a small, shallow harbor with a town. There were fishing boats but it was relatively undeveloped. There was no dock that would fit our ship.

As we came in and set anchor, we saw the lighthouse appeared to be built of shining white marble. The captain told us this island had originally been a prison island for O'ritan, but they had abandoned that projected centuries before.

The captain told us to get on with our mission once dawn came around. He told us he would stay as long as he could, depending on available supplies. We were given a dinghy, and rowed into the town. There were a few fishermen at the docks. Despite its poor appearance, the town seemed perfectly normal. The fishermen were friendly, waving and asking for news (though many continued about their work.)

There was a lot of mixed races; humans, A'aloss, a few half-elves, etc. Everyone seemed to get along pretty well, and most were friendly. Shatain spoke to some of the fishermen to see what could be discovered about the witch. The first fisherman he spoke to just shrugged and sighed; he told Shatain that many people sought the witch. She was hard to find. Many people said she was on the beach, or at the center of the island, just about everywhere. The fisherman pointed us in the direction of a shop in town where they might have good information.

We sat down with the fisherman. He told us that most of their commerce was subsistence fishing. Frequently though, ships came in and dropped off adventurers seeking treasure. The fishermen were happy to help us find the valuables on the island - for a cut of course. Shatain told him we weren't seeking treasure, just the witch. The fisherman told us he wasn't sure what to tell us. The witch wasn't known for helping people. Looking at our ill appearance, he asked if we were in need of healing.

We decided to head to the shop - called Adventure Town. The salesperson was very keenly interested in any new arrivals. He told us that the island was used for special prisoners. Contrary to popular belief, at this point the island was just a prison for the witch. The salesperson, Robert, could show us to her for the small fee of 100 gold.

Because of the enchantments to contain any prisoners, the island attracted a wide variety of magical beasts. Most adventurers came to hunt them, and then sell their kills for gold. Saigarn took the A'aloss crewmen out into the wild for an adventure.

We took Robert up on his offer, paid his 100g, and bought a week of rations for each of us (at 1 gold per day of rations.) Barring anything unforeseen, he expected us to be at the witch's residence by the end of the day. Robert was dressed in leather with a few weapons; dressed for skirmishes, not full combat.

However, it wasn't long before we ran into something. A few hours into our hike, we ran into a manticore. It was about 40' down the trail when we saw it. It was gnawing on the corpse of something when it looked up at us and roared.

The manticore flew spikes at us from its tail. 1 hit me for 7, 1 hit Shatain for 6, 1 missed Brennen, and 1 hit Barclay for 8. It then lifted off into the air. Robert fired at hit, hitting for 5. I called a hammer of spiritual force, which attacked and hit for 4. Shatain fired an arrow, hitting critically for 18. Brennen fired his bow, hitting with 2 of his 3 arrows for a total of 13. Barclay summoned a staff from thin air, and fired a bolt of lightning at the manticore. It didn't dodge, and took 21. The manticore fell out of the air, smoking.

Robert warned us the manticores rarely traveled alone. I knew the organs were our best catch - heart, liver, kidney. Robert had killed hundreds of animals, and offered to carve it up and preserve the pieces. We could negotiate prices later. We were fine with that, since we weren't terribly interested in treasure. Shatain & I watched for companions while Brennen watched Robert work. Unfortunately, Robert was cagey and Brennen really couldn't see much of the extraction.

Robert commented we were lucky it was a female; the males tended to be larger & more aggressive. Just as he spoke, we heard a roar and saw a larger manticore flying in. I fired my bow, hitting for 5. Shatain fired next, but missed. The manticore was flying directly into us, and loosed a volley of spikes. They hit me for 13, Barclay for 8, Brennen for 13 and Robert for 11. Brennen returned fire, hitting with 1 arrow for 6. Robert missed with his short bow.

We started to feel the effects of the poison - everyone made their save but Robert. We'd need a little more time to get it out of our systems. Robert drew his longsword and moved forward, but missed the beast. Shatain couldn't bluff it, but still hit for 9. I hit it with my warhammer for 9. The manticore struck back, hitting me with both claws for 11 and 15. It missed with its bite; I couldn't take advantage, but Brennen & Robert did, hitting for 7 and 6. Brennen attacked with his axe, 2-handed, hitting heroically for 11. He missed with his 2nd strike. Barclay struck with a bolt of lightning. The manticore managed to avoid the worst of it, but still took 10.

Everyone was able to avoid the effects of the poison, except for Barclay. He was looking pale. I healed myself for 30. Shatain bluffed the manticore, and hit for 26. Brennen attacked with his axe again but missed with both swings. Rob hit with his longsword for 4. Barclay sent a wave of arcane missiles at the manticore for 12. The manticore struck back, attacking Shatain. It hit with both its claws for 10 & 14; the bite missed.

Robert shook the poison off. Barclay started to. Shatain feinted the manticore again and struck with her longsword for 24. The manticore died.

Barclay overcame the poison. I healed everyone with holy energy. The first was for 6, then another for 16. That just left Shatain still injured; I healed her up with another spell.

Brennen watched Robert extract the venom sac from the manticore's tail, but couldn't tell how Robert did it. He was pretty sure about how (though he didn't know it was completely wrong.) Brennen was able to determine how the organs were extracted, however.

As we continued our march, Shatain asked Robert about the witch. He told us she was believed to speak common, but people didn't mostly come to her to ask questions. She was also known to have a... less than conciliatory attitude.

After a few hours of marching, we reached a small, round hill. It was very symmetrical; obviously man-made. At the top was a 6' high stone table. The witch lay atop it, completely naked. She was a A'aloss. As the only person who could see over the lip, I respectfully asked if she could help us.

She asked if we'd traveled far, and suffered many hardships. After we answered in the affirmative, she told us to ask our question. I held up the orb, and asked if she could repair it. At her request, I told her what we knew about the orb's history.

She asked what we could do for her in return. I said we didn't know much about her needs, but we were bold and creative. She turned, and showed us where a magical chain was embedded in her back. It was attached to a small stone that lay on the table. The table itself had a low rim around the edge; just enough to not move the stone over.

She told us the stone was a magical stone that could not be moved from the lowest point it was set on. The chain could not be broken. We could conceivably move the stone for her, but that wouldn't be good. She told us that Oritan had implanted the chain. She'd won an argument with an Oritan wizard, but in the process left him crippled. He went to his homeland, and later returned the favor.

At my request, she let me examine where the chain was implanted. The last link seemed to circle her spine. Removal would not be easy, but her freedom was her price for repairing the orb. We showed her the orb, and she told us it would take time to study.

I attempted to identify the chain, but failed. Brennen studied the metal; it was definitely not any metal he'd seen. The surface was both rough and smooth. It had not been mined or forged. I then used my knowledge skills to learn about her bond to the chain.She was a very powerful druid. The chain appeared to be a living creature. If for example I was looking at her soul, the essence of the chain would be the opposite of hers.

This was definitely necromancy. Oritan did not care for necromancers; this chain might have been forged with the assistance of Emilgar.

The devil's in the details... and by details I mean orb.

All the sailors eyeballed Valdrys when he boarded the ship to work his spell. The captain asked us several times if we were sure we could trust him, as the shaman gathered together a small zoo of insects and other animals. After calling the spirits for about 20 minutes, he told us it was done. If a demon came out, it would be very confused. There wasn't any daylight, but it would be enough for us to get the drop on it.

He told us enchanting our weapons would be very quick if we waited a few days for the full moon. We agreed, and after another somewhat unsettling ritual, our weapons were ready. The shaman bid us farewell.

We entered open water, and arrived at S'Oritan after 2 weeks with no more demonic attacks. The captain switched out the crew again. When we asked, the captain told us we were entering magical waters. Some of the sailors simply wouldn't go, so we took on new ones that were a willing to take a little more pay.

The new crew was a bit strange. Everything about the way they ran the ship was a little different; it was driving the captain crazy, even though everything was done well. We sailed for 10 days without any demons.

On the 11th day, the Captain announced we were crossing into the magical zone. We were warned to be especially careful; strange things tended to happen out here. On the 12th day, with Brennen watching the orb, something different did happen.

The man in the crow's nest with the orb suddenly screamed and clambered down the mast. Brennen had his bow ready, watching for anything. The area around the orb was getting darker. I came on deck to assess the situation. The darkness grew to a 10 foot inky radiance. Everyone was pretty creeped out. All the sailors were performing little rituals to hopefully protect themselves.

I arrived on deck. I conjured daylight on the tip of one of Brennen's arrows. He fired at the mast, pegging it in above the bag with the orb. We saw feathery black wings unfold as the darkness dissipated. A black humanoid in full plate stood in the crow's nest, with a big, black bow. It was an Erinyes, a powerful devil. Its bow & arrows burst into flame as it searched the deck for a target.

Acting quickly, I grabbed as many of Brennen's arrows, including the Sunforged ones, and made them good. Brennen fired 3 arrows, hitting with 2 (1 critically) for a total of 40. The image of the devil blurred, turning into 9 images covering the sky. Shatain fired at one with a normal arrow, and one of the images disappeared. He called to the crew to fire at the devils. The crew didn't have any projectile weapons, but the guards ran below decks to get their crossbows.

Shatain fired another regular arrow, but missed. Brennen fired 3 arrows, killing 2 images. The last arrow missed, flying far off into the sky. I smote the demon with a burst of holy energy, hitting it for 27 though none of the images were dispelled. It was also blinded, as it failed to resist my power. The devil returned the favor with an unholy burst, well enough to hit us despite its blindness. Brennen & I resisted the damage, only taking 11. Shatain took the full 22 and was sickened for a round.

I struck the devil again with more holy energy, hitting it for 23. It was still blinded. The devil attempted to summon allies, but failed. Brennen fired his bow again, destroying 2 of the images and hitting the devil for 8. Shatain fired an arrow and dispelled another image.

Only 3 devils were in the sky now. Shatain fired again, but missed. The devil vanished. 2 of the crew looked up - the demon had teleported high up into the sky.

I took the opportunity to heal us all. Brennen raised his agility, and I blessed us all.

The devil reappeared, and hit me with 2 arrows for a total of 24.

Brennen fired his bow, dispelling 1 of the images and hitting the devil for 9. The devil died, and sank into the sea. It was about 120 feet from the boat, and none of the sailors would go after it. We had hoped to salvage the bow, and possibly some of the Sunforged arrows.

We hauled down the orb and inspected it. The crack was more distinct. We decided to take the orb down to the hold. We rested, and thankfully nothing else came out that day.

The night was different. The room got frosty, and a shadowy demon appeared. It was confused. Shatain attacked with her short sword, but missed. I brought up a spiritual warhammer, but it failed against the demon's magical resistance and disappeared. Brennen hit the demon with his axe, hitting for 28. The new weapons were quite good.

Shatain attacked again, hitting with her short sword for 28. Brennen struck with his axe for 12. The demon died, staining the floor of the hold black.

The next 3 days and 2 nights passed quietly. The last night however, another demon decided to try its luck. The room went frosty, and a demon appeared.

We got the drop on this one. I struck it with my warhammer for 8. Shatain hit with her short sword for 27. The demon broke out of the confusion, and started avoiding the light. It dropped through the floor. As it started to run, we all struck with attacks of opportunity. I hit for 24, Brennen hit for 13, and Shatain hit for 19. The demon died before it could disappear into the sea.

The next morning, we arrived in a port, and had to swap our crew again. We landed in A'aloss - the warrior elves. This would be a hard recruitment. I offered to go out to find crew. I polished my breastplate, and made sure all my weapons were hung, battle ready. I was half A'aloss; I fit in pretty well though I wasn't trying to be one of them. Brennen & Shatain stayed back with the orb.

We noticed a large Ku'Rog boat in port next to us. Our crew ran to it, seeking passage out.

I asked the dockmaster where we could acceptably recruit for crew. He recommended the taverns, none in particular. The first tavern we went to was pretty rough. So was the next one. The third was a little better; I decided to start there.

I settled down at a large table, and bought a round of drinks for the patrons. I talked about our mission; we were going to small island off the north coast of Selvesia. No one at the table really wanted to go, but they all had nephews, sons-in-law, etc. that they thought should go. One of the elves said he would go along to shepherd the younger A'aloss. It would take a few hours to a couple days to gather everyone up however he would join us on the ship, the Fairwind, in an hour or so. His name was Saigarn.

I purchased a cask of A'aloss wine from the barkeep and made my way back to the ship. I let the captain know about our successes. Saigarn joined us a little later with his kit. We introduced ourselves. He seemed happiest to meet Brennen. His gaze over the guards was scornful; he growled to Brennen in Dwarven that they were green.

Shatain & I went down to the hold to guard the orb. Saigarn went with Brennen to find arrows. Saigarn guided him to the finest smithy he'd seen in a long time; it was set into a hillside with carefully built forges and perfect airflow. The A'aloss had learned their craft years before from the elves; they'd learned well.

The smith appeared younger, but all the A'aloss seemed young. The smith was impressed with Brennen's weapons, but disappointed that Brennen hadn't made them himself. After coming back to consult with us, Brennen bought a few Sunforged arrows, and several quivers of high quality arrows for us.

Over the course of the next 2 days, while waiting for the young A'aloss, we acquainted ourselves with Saigarn. He was happy to teach us the language, and I helped the younger A'aloss with Common. I showed Saigarn the orb, and told him about the crack. I also warned him that no one should be near the orb with gems. He took good care to ensure none of the A'aloss had anything like that.

The A'aloss worked well on the ship, and they learned Common very quickly. Learning A'aloss was different - everything was in the details. It was a very complex language. Their culture was strongly focused on war; the language was really a highly developed battle jargon. When they weren't learning language, Saigarn was keeping the kids working at a fever pitch. They were doing easily 3 times as much work as they needed to, but it kept them out of trouble.

This included a guard watch on the orb with us. On the first night, a demon appeared. The kids looked a little concerned.

This one wasn't confused, but breaking the spell took all of its effort. Shatain successfully bluffed the demon, and hit it with her short sword for 32. I hit with my warhammer for 8. Saigarn attacked with his sword, and hit. He didn't do much and stepped back. Brennen attacked, but failed critically.

The demon started to retreat, sinking through the floor. Shatain hit it with her short sword for 17. Brennen hit for 9, killing the demon.

Saigarn was a little surprised that we had no problem killing it. We told them about the properties of the demon. Shatain loaned him the moonforged, ghost touched longsword. Saigarn said he knew the sword.

Saigarn told us he'd traveled with General Isador, and was part of the company that named Galdeon Swiftblade. We told him about our conflict and fight with Galdeon. Saigarn waxed a bit philosophical, pointing out the circle of action that brought him to us.

Saigarn then told us General Isador sought the orb so that he could live eternally. Isador was feeling his age, and wanted to live to see his dreams fulfilled.

Over the next month, we slew many shadow demons. The cargo hold was mostly black, and had developed a permanent chill. The captain kind of liked it; it was a good place to store perishables. We had many conversations with Saigarn and continued learning the A'aloss language. We tried to get the younger A'aloss involved as much as possible. They rotated staying near me with a bucket of 50 arrows so I could align them quickly in the event of a more serious encounter.

One night, the hold went dark instead of cold. Another devil. Brennen swung and hit once, for 11 after its damage reduction. Shatain attempted to bluff, but failed. She also missed with the short sword. The devil hit us with a burst of unholy energy. Brennen & I made our save and took 11; Shatain failed, took 23 and was sickened. The A'aloss were mostly neutral, so they took some damage as well. I aligned the bucket of arrows.

Shatain bluffed the Erinyes, and hit with her short sword for 22. I struck with a burst of holy energy for 17. It was able to resist, so it wasn't blinded and only took 8. Brennen hit for 13. The A'aloss fired; 1 hit for 8. The Erinyes teleported to the back of the room, 20 feet away and out of melee range. The Erinyes fired at Brennen 3 times, once critically for a total of 39.

One of the A'aloss hit the Erinyes for 4. I healed Brennen for 40. It attacked Brennen again, hitting 3 times for 39 again. The devil then teleported, but we weren't sure where. Brennen told the A'aloss to go up top, warn the crew, and find the thing.

I healed Brennen twice, for a total of 60, bringing him up to full. Shatain and the A'aloss got on deck; it was dark and stormy. They couldn't see anything, but the A'aloss divided up the arrows and tethered themselves.

I heard a scream from the Captain's cabin. I conjured daylight on my holy symbol as we all charged over. Shatain was first to the cabin, bursting in to see flapping wings and the Captain poorly fending it off with a sword.

Shatain flew across the room, clearing a table and jamming his sword into the devil's neck, killing it with a blow for 31.

Everyone gathered on deck and I healed everyone with channeled energy.

A Farewell To Binky

The rest of the day passed without incident, long enough for us to exit the canal and return to open water and sunlight. We stopped to resupply in the port city just outside the canal, on the coast of the inner sea. We had about a day in the port before we headed out to sea. There was nothing we could really think of that we didn't already have.

We did take the opportunity to appraise the diamond we'd picked up from Michael, now that we had sunlight. Shatain & I examined it separately, and we agreed it was probably worth 4,000 - 6,000 gold. I suspected it could be worth more to the right buyer.

The majority of our crew swapped out again. Our guard stayed; they hadn't been rattled by the demon's appearance. Shatain went into town to pick something up that she kept secret from all of us. Brennen & I took the opportunity to bathe and get our clothing cleaned.

I also sat Binky down and asked him what he wanted to do. I'd become fluent in Goblin, and so there was no need to keep him around anymore. I gave him the option of leaving, and he took it. I gave him 10 gold and sent him on his way.

The orb remained quiet throughout the day. We returned to the ship just before sunset. We also picked up 3 hooded lanterns, and I cast a spell on them that would provide a supernatural flame that would never go out. With all 3 lanterns in our cabin, it would always be bright enough to incapacitate the demons.

Once we were in our cabin, Shatain brought out her surprise - a cask of Dwarven ale. We spent a restless night with a close call, but nothing came out of the orb. At first light, Lieutenant Stanley, the head of the guard contingent, came to us and told us we'd be sailing within an hour. We went to sleep once we were underway.

We woke as the room went frosty. I tore the door open and let a flood of sunlight into the room as the demon appeared. I struck it with a burst of holy power, for 21, also blinding it. Shatain's short sword lit up, faintly purple. She struck the demon, hitting for 15. Brennen hit with his axe for 9. The demon was confused, but managed to get out of the room. It went down into the belly of the ship.

We went down with our lanterns; along the way I conjured daylight. We entered the crew main cabin to find a sailor huddled against the wall. He was white-faced, and just pointed in the direction the demon had gone. We went into a storeroom, and found nothing there. We let Lt. Stan know and he got all the crew upstairs.

We prepared for nightfall. I kept a few more spells letting me have daylight and holy energy at the ready. Shatain went below with 3 of the guards with her sword out and radiating daylight. Brennen & I went down on the other side of the ship with the 2 remaining guards, lanterns at the ready.

Shatain encountered the demon first. She was faster, feinted the demon, and struck with her short sword for 20. The demon died, staining the floor black. We'd found it quickly enough that it hadn't had a chance to recuperate.

We thought long and hard about how to contain this thing. During the day, we hoisted the pouch with the orb up to the top of the crow's nest. During the night, between Barclay & I, we could keep the daylight up long enough for the other to rest. Alternating throughout the night would be unpleasant, but it would work.

During the night, we found out that Barclay's first name was Jack. He'd drawn this assignment by getting to familiar with Ezekiel's daughter. A full week went by. We were close to the end of the cask of Dwarven ale. We'd had a few cold spells, but the continuous daylight seemed to do the trick. It seemed the demons could see the environment around the orb, so they would know if we slipped up on our guard.

We stopped at a port city. We decided the best thing we could do is make our weapons able to hit incorporeal creatures. The demons would be able to clearly see our weapons along with the daylight, and hopefully it would be enough. It would take several days to have it done, but the captain was fine with the delay.

It took all day before we found a magic user that would be able to do what we needed. We believed the diamond would cover the cost. His name was Valryd Balarist, and he was more a shaman than a priest. We explained what we wanted to have done, and he was amenable to it.

He examined the diamond carefully, and felt it was definitely a fair trade. Brennen noticed as he had the gem, his features shifted in a weird way for the briefest moment. Something was really, really wrong with this man. Valryd asked for a moment and went to his desk. He cast a spell; I couldn't tell what it was.

Cold, cloying, greasy darkness washed over us. We recognized it then as a blast of unholy energy. Shatain was sickened and took 21; Brennen & I made our saves and only took 10.

Shatain feinted, but failed. However she did hit with her longsword for 6. Brennen attacked next, hitting once for 12. The shaman attempted to make Shatain blind, but failed. I smote him with holy energy, and the shaman collapsed to the ground. He had been possessed by one of the shadow demons.

I created a magic circle against evil to prevent him being possessed again. I then healed the shaman back up. We believed a shadow demon had been very crafty, and hidden itself in the diamon. He told us he would do the enchantment for free, and we needed to get the diamond as far away from him as possible, right away.

I conjured daylight, and then attempted to dispel the diamond. It failed. Valryd cast his own dispel, and succeeded. The shadow demon appeared, disoriented from being cast back into the diamond. I brought up a hammer of force, which attacked and hit for 10. Shatain hit with his short sword for 28. Brennen attacked and hit critically for 10. The shadow demon attempted to flee. In doing so, we all took attacks of opportunity. Shatain hit for 11. Brennen hit for 3. I hit for 2. The demon died, and stained the floor black.

The shaman was happy to take the diamond, now that we'd cleansed it. In addition, he would hallow our cabin, and give it daylight for a year. We decided to have the spell done in the main hold. It would easily cover the room. The captain was not easily convinced; he was more worried about superstitious sailors than protection past the end of this mission. Together, Shatain & I convinced him we'd be able to remove the effect once we'd arrived at the island.

The shaman arrived. I convinced the captain to let him on so he could see the hold. Over the course of the next week, Valryd enchanted our weapons and hallowed the hold. During the time, one of the demons decided to test its luck.