Chapter 30

It’s been a few days since the crew survived the young kraken’s attack and everyone is settling into their respective roles around the Iron Vulture.

Mond has spent the time with Cap’n Don Karnahge, learning the ins and outs of navigating the Iron Vulture from the helm. He’s become quite adept at keeping the ship on course by feeling the currents below and the winds above, both pushing and pulling on the vessel in their own ways.

Dolor’s interest in and experience with the mechanics of watch-making have lead him below deck, investigating the pipes, levers, gauges, and pulleys, in an attempt to understand the inner workings of the vessel. He’s even managed to fix several small things that Cap’n Don hadn’t gotten to and suggest some improvements. “Aye, lad, that’s a richt clever way tae gae aboot gettin’ the steam up tae the deck tae power the coffee warmer-upper-thingamajig!

As a smaller individual, Grindlefoot has a vested interest in self-defense and protection. He’s discovered that the ever-moving deck of the Iron Vulture is the perfect place to practice Way of the Drunken Fist. Gven watches him with curiosity, while Bilwin gives the halfling a few pointers on his form, usually offering a pint of ale to go with the words.

Since Bilwin’s unexpectedly close contact with Hanseath, his time has been devoted to praying and questioning his direction. He’s learning to embrace that his deity suddenly reappeared in that moment of need, but he’s uncertain if he can do it again. What exactly did he say or do? Why is he having trouble remembering what should come as second-nature to a cleric? There’s something in the back of his mind, a tickling memory of time that he cannot quite bring to the front or recall with any clarity.

Gven has been brooding and introspective, wondering how her older brother, Torp, ended up on this destructive path—planning the genocide of all magic users in Eritz. And, almost more importantly, how can she stop him? And why does she feel responsible for him? She’s not his keeper or caretaker, nor is she truly a member of the Heart of the People—they joined with Tella to find Torp, not be saviors or heroes. If only she had a magical weapon to match her strength and fighting ability, then she could really make a difference.

As night falls on the third day since they left Elsemar, Cap’n Don looks out over the bow, off into the distance. “There be a storm a brewin’. A’d bet ma extra pinky tae on it.” Mond gives the captain a side-look of inquiry. “It helps wi’ ma balance. Think aboot it, mair surface tae grip the deck wi’. Common sense, eh?” With an almost imperceptible wink and smirk to Mond, the captain turns to the rest of the crew on deck and says “Better git some rest while ye can, mates. The nicht micht no’ be whit ye expect.” Everyone meanders to their bunks and hammocks below deck, except for Dolor, who volunteers to help keep watch topside, so the captain can get some rest.

A few hours after nightfall, Cap’n Don is lying awake in his hammock—strung up close to the helm so that he can rest while keeping an eye on things—muttering to himself about the dark clouds blocking the stars and his eerie feeling about the coming storm. Before he can usher any sort of warning to the others, they’re suddenly amidst the roughest seas that any of them have ever seen, even the captain. A deluge of rain engulfs them while the winds howl and blow with gusts strong enough to tip the ship on its side, dipping the yards into the water. Barely heard by his makeshift crew, most of whom are sleeping below deck, Cap’n Don screams out “Get up! We need tae trim the sails, get them rowed up an’ oot o’ the way. Wake yer arses up, lads!”

Storm choreography

• Gven wakes immediately, feeling the stormy weather hurl the ship around, and heads up to the deck, where she can barely keep her footing.
• Dolor, keeping watch and not wanting to get washed overboard, ties himself to the main mast.
• A large gust of wind blows across the deck, but Gven and Dolor keep their feet.
• Mond attempts the stairs up to the deck, but a sudden wave jostles the boat and he falls backward, landing prone at the bottom of the stairs.
• Don sees that Gven and Dolor are close to the main mast and yells at them to pull the sails.
• Bilwin makes it past Mond, lying on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, up to the top deck and heads towards the main mast, where he sees Gven and Dolor.
• Grindlefoot, quickly waking up but still in his hammock, checks the weather with a cantrip, verifying that it isn’t a magical storm, and then moves towards the stairs up to the main deck.

• Gven climbs up the main mast and gets to the first spar.
• Dolor begins climbing the other side of the main mast, but a strong gust of wind and the slipperiness of the rain causes him to lose his footing. Before he can even think about catching himself, Bilwin casts Feather Fall and Dolor is suddenly floating downward to land softly on the deck.
• A huge wave at the front of the Iron Vulture, takes the ship hundreds of feet high and then crashing down on the other side.
  • Mond—still below deck—is trying to stand up, but is knocked back down on his butt and takes 5 damage.
  • Bilwin loses his balance on the top deck and begins to fall, but grabs one of the many ropes strung around the deck, keeping his footing.
• Mond casts True Strike to determine if the storm is magical. It seems mostly normal, but there’s a curious element of oddness to it.
• Cap’n Don asks Dolor for help with the wheel.
• Bilwin climbs the main mast, with Gven, to help pull in the sails and begins working on the first spar, opposite of Gven.
• Grindlefoot casts Daylight on the crow’s nest, lighting the whole ship in daylight. This leaves the skies beyond shrouded in a magical darkness and unintentionally confounds their captain, who can no longer see beyond the ship, into the darkness of the storm.

• Gven finishes gathering up the sail on one side of the first spar, then scoots over to the other side to begin working on it.
• Dolor makes his way over to the helm, assisting Cap’n Don with handling the wheel in the turmoil of the storm.
• A sharp, loud, and bright crack of lightning strikes the water nearby.
• Mond finally reaches the top of the stairs and moves towards the smaller aft mast.
• Don releases the wheel as the tumultuous waves have their way with the Iron Vulture and he can no longer control it.
• Bilwin is able to tie up one of the sails on the main mast.
• Grindlefoot casts Call Lightning, attempting to control the storm.

• Gven is just able to get the rest of the sail on the lowest spar rolled up and then begins climbing to the top spar, which is in complete darkness, out of the daylight spell.
• Dolor attempts to grab the ship’s wheel during a lull in the spinning and Cap’n Don joins him, bringing the Iron Vulture back to a semblance of control, although they have no idea which direction they’re heading.
• Another shear wind blows across the ship’s deck, knocking Mond down and causing 3 damage.
• Mond climbs back up the aft mast to the spar.
• The captain continues to help Dolor with the wheel.
• Bilwin climbs further up the main mast, to the top spar on the same side as Gven to help her gather up the sail.
• Grindlefoot makes his way to the bow mast and is able to climb to the spar.

• Gven fails to tie up the second portion of the sail on the top spar.
• Dolor continues to help Cap’n Don at the helm.
• The Iron Vulture finds itself climbing another monstrous wave, pitching upwards and then suddenly downwards.
  • Grindlefoot is thrown down to the deck from the bow mast, causing 9 damage.
  • Gven loses her grip on the top spar of the main mast and falls a short way, but becomes entangled in the netting and takes 18 damage.
  • Bilwin is able to maintain his hold on the top spar of the main mast, but still takes 9 damage.
  • Mond rides through the wave without any incident, looking around with a grin to see if anyone noticed his success.
• Mond is able to tie up one of the two sails on the aft mast.
• Don continues to manage the ship as well as he can at the wheel with Dolor’s help.
• Grindlefoot climbs back up the bow mast.

• Gven untangles herself from the netting and ropes to climb back up to the top spar and help Bilwin.
• Dolor stands his post at the ship’s wheel.
• Another sudden blast of wind cuts across the ship, causing several of them to fall from their current positions.
  • Gven falls to a lower point on the main mast and takes 8 damage.
  • Grindlefoot falls from the bow mast, hitting the deck and taking 8 damage.
  • Mond falls to the deck from the aft mast, taking 8 damage.
• Mond climbs back up the aft mast to the spar, yet again.
• Don maintains his position at the wheel, alongside Dolor.
• Bilwin fails to roll up the sail on the main mast’s top spar, while encouraging Gven to climb back up.
• Grindlefoot has an idea; he wild shapes into a giant spider and nimbly climbs up the bow mast.

• Gven climbs back up to the top spar on the main mast.
• Dolor continues to help the captain maintain the wheel.
• Climbing and then cresting yet another gargantuan wave, Bilwin is knocked off the main mast, but only takes 3 damage.
• Mond is finally able to roll up the sail on the aft mast.
• Bilwin begins his climb back up the main mast, to help Gven roll up the final sails.
• Grindelfoot, as a giant spider, fails to roll up the sail on the bow mast.

• Gven is barely able to roll up one of the two sails on the main mast’s top spar.
• Dolor and Cap’n Don continue to fight with the Iron Vulture’s wheel to keep a sense of stability in the rough seas.
• A stab of lightning comes from the dark clouds, but Grindlefoot is able to control where it lands and sends it far away from the ship.
• Mond waits at the bottom of the aft mast, holding on tightly to keep his balance.
• Cap’n Don suddenly looks at Dolor, spreads his mouth in a wide grin and shouts “dis is livin, ain’t it boyo!”
• Bilwin ties off the last sail on the main mast and the ship suddenly grows a little calmer.
• Grindlefoot, still as a giant spider, leaps off of the bow mast, letting the wind propel him in its fury, while he shoots webbing out of his butt at the mast—it’s really from his abdomen, but Grindlefoot the halfling doesn’t know that. The giant spider spins around the bow mast in a large circle, encasing the smaller sail in webbing and effectively making it unusable by the wind.

Within seconds, the ship becomes more manageable, even with the storm continuing to rage around them. The captain, with Dolor’s assistance, is able to keep the ship upright and on course, although they’re uncertain where it will take them.

They soon feel the rain becoming softer and the waves getting more gentle, when the clouds part to reveal a calm sea surrounding a small island. Sitting on a very large rock, two hundred feet high, is a large female figure, wearing leathor armor and holding a very large greatsword.

Nodding her head to the group, she says “you’re a very bright thing in a very dark place. That’s unusual. I wasn’t expecting that.”