Hiya,
Captain Ahappi went to St Thosos (with Fraud, who meditated at the Baron's Keep) and got a good deal w/one of Fraud's family friends on some strong nets and ropes and chains, to catch bats and iron-constructs should the need arise. He also had an interesting chat with the scribe/sage Evakranem, who gave him a phial of “living rust”, which he cautioned must be handled with great care, that might defeat the Mostali things. However he said it would work best if they were immobilized somehow first, and then the rust released as you beat cheeks outta there (it has not been thoroughly tested on non-metallic substances/beings). And he got a new scorpioneer for The Shadow; a no-nonsense mercenary in it for the silvers. Curly(?) the sailor hit the local bars to tell his tale of slaying bats with just a dagger, and won many a drink bought in his honour.
Meanwhile, back at Aria's Well, word came that there were odd lights and sounds coming from the cave back near the Ralosian settlers' farm. Local kids at the 'Well were taking interest in the “cursed” fumarole, daring each other to poke it with a stick or similar nonsense. The adults, Boamund learned, saw it as a sign of past Talaris' failures and confided that they were happy to see Boamund taking charge, rather than Fraud or Cyroosta. But morale was still not good, and word of bandits, pirates, dragons, undead and other horrors around the island did not make it any easier for peasants or rulers alike. It was a grim time on Giraine, even for Giraine!
But some found rest and even comfort. Maugis and Miguel were recovering and re-connecting with their local contacts during their recuperation. And Miguel found himself lying calmly in the brush around the 'Well on many nights, listening to the eerie strains of the lone giant swamp-spider who had built a pale nest of webby shrouds in the treetops.
Alas, all rest is short-lived, save the eternal rest of Solace.
Ahappi returned with the others and after this week's delay, The Shadow rowed out into the Night-Channel again. There were no bats this time, just the increased gloom that had come to the channel of late. Within a day or so, you'd reached the gap in the reefs where the abyss leading down to the “Drowned Castle” was. There were no Ouori this time to guide you, and even Omen was not to be seen. Silence held over the seas here, with still waters holding a sheen like glass. It seemed… unnatural.
Ahappi, Shaven, Boamund, Miguel and Maugis let loose their spells and dove into the depths. Miguel lost his bearings en route, but soon rejoined the rest. As they neared the shadowy form of the ship, a powerful sound rent the silence of the dim depths. “OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooooOOOOoooooooo!!!” called the bone-rattling vibration from an unknown distance and direction. What it was, none could say; it was an alien noise.
You swam to the shipwreck and looked it over from a safe distance. It was much as it had been over a year ago, but almost every surface was encrusted by strange growths of coral, iron and stone, especially in the Courtyard area outside the main bridge. You decided to make haste for the Bridge, wary of resurgent powers of Chaos that clearly had regained some foothold here. But then strange events transpired.
All of you felt strong emotions welling within you- your passions were set aflame by some unknown power here, that did not abate. Yet even Fraud Shaven held onto his sanity and swam onwards with new focus, rather than distraction- Chaos was here and he and Boamund were bent on destroying it, while Ahappi was consumed by his fervor to gain glory as a great sea-man.
Moments later, a queasy feeling wrenched your guts and you found yourself standing, dizzied, on the swaying deck of a great grey stone ship, with surf crashing on and into its crumbling bow, and strange hazy shapes rushing around you in disarray. You grabbed onto secure handholds or prepared for battle, Ahappi shouting challenges, when the vision shifted again and you returned to the underwater wreck, still shivering from the convulsive force of what must have been you encountering a weak boundary between the planes. Ahappi and others were reminded, too, of past events where time had lost its way, and this was why you were here in part, to investigate its cause.
Was what some of you glimpsed next a part of that cause? None could agree what it was, but there was a shape in the distant gloom; a large thing that drifted outside the wreck for a moment and then vanished. Was it biological, mechanical, neither; a ghost? It was hard to look at, hurting the eyes to gaze upon it, and it was only there for a moment. Puzzled, but aware of your short timescale for being underwater, you headed for the bridge, and swimming over the old stone staircase to it, you entered the shattered chamber.
The quasi-organic/ferrous growths were everywhere here, leaving little sign of the bridge's former outlines. And soon they heaved themselves into action, with segmented metallic bits taking familiar humanoid, lumpy, jagged forms of metal and cnidarian and who knows what else. Six of the Mostali constructs stomped across the bridge floor to confront you, faced by Boamund, Ahappi and Fraud with the others guarding the rear.
The initial battle was fierce and frightening. The things had changed again- they seemed to adapt their forms and abilities each time you'd confronted them. They were faster now, for one. Pummeling fists were deftly blocked by the front ranks, but your weapons did not bite into them, even your best blows. The absence of St Tutry's Tear was felt- that sword had helped you in the past, but was far away with Ciddar. Fraud's chaos ward reflected upon him- was it too weak to overcome them? Then Miguel swam into a tactical position over your flank, striking with his spear, but he was met by a metal-thing from the back ranks that surged forward with surprising speed, powered by jets of water that expelled behind it, leaving the calm bridge waters clouded and hot. It rammed him and almost knocked him senseless, back down to the staircase. Maugis was quickly there to aid him. But now the front ranks faced four things rather than three.
You fought on, then… you un-fought. Suddenly, with that queasy feeling juddering through you again, you returned to earlier in the battle, but with memories of subsequent actions still present. Time had un-done itself. [1 round was passed; we played the 2nd round then it re-started] These foes were bad enough, but now could you even rely on time to move forward here? It was a place of Stasis and Stone, but Change had come to it in the form of Chaos, and maybe something worse. Time had gone mad. You contemplated making speed out of here to escape this battle- but could their jet-speed now keep them up with you? It was a precarious situation, and there was no time for strategic conference. You had to act, or die in a place where no one would ever find you again…
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