From the Journals of Bartholomew Pettibone, of the House Pettibone
A Purveyor of Enchanting Sorcery
29 July 2023
A Romp Among The Waves
Just in the past few weeks, our good friend Durham was begged by Telman of Tsipa to lend him the use of the Darkwing, and then further, to join him on an extended “fishing” trip. Telman has apparently been somewhat morose and listless of late, and has been yearning to return to the high seas, to seek new adventures. Durham agreed to this proposition, and extended that same invitation to those of us who have adventured together in the past. Besides myself and Gan, our company was rounded-out with Heijo (of the ink-stained hands), the mendicant Fa Min (and their companion, Demitrytus), and the fremen spiritmaster, Lars.
I have had no prior contact with Telman, but since hearing tales from Durham and Sesel about the great ahko hunt, was excited to be introduced to this revered sea captain. I had no doubt that we could become fast friends and companions. In the great room of the Kantor, over beverages, and after recounting tales of past deeds, Telman finally explained that he had heard rumors of din-din (large, powerful, bony-headed fish) that were menacing local fishers and pearl-divers along the coast somewhere west of Cothon, yet perhaps not as far north as Ittiyqa. Telman wished to return to the waves, in a great ship (such as the renowned Darkwing), with a seasoned crew, to rid the reefs of those meddlesome beasts. To myself, Heijo, and Durham, much of his plans seemed lacking and weak; however, we ultimately agreed to sponsor and accompany this expedition – it certainly had merit!
Preparations were made, food stuffs of the highest quality (meats, cheeses, breads, spices, sweets, etc.), as well as casks of ales, fine wines, and liquors were taken on as larder. A crew of exceptional quality were rooted out and signed on. And modifications to the Darkwing were made: a ballista on the forward deck, and another on the poop. Durham's contacts at the Hanse noted that garum was often wanted in Baldeshum, and fine wines were generally well received in Ittiyqa. Therefore, a cargo was also brought aboard and stored below. We took on many barrels of the recommended items, stowing them well, with dreams of making some profit during this extended cruise, or at least to break even.
We finally gathered on a bright, yet chilly morning, at the quays beside the Hanse, dropped our lines, and set out the oars. In time with Gan's steady drum beat, the oars dipped and pulled, and we departed Cothon-Gadeed making for Baldeshum, to the north and west. The wind favored our departure, and it wasn't long before we were clear of the inner harbor. Our oars were shipped, and a full set of canvas was dressed upon the spars. And the Darkwing sprung across the waves like a kyni soars through the air! Foam rolled and shushed along our hull, and we cut a fine line to the north, and a bit west.
Gan took immediately to the helm, and we allowed him command of the crew and our course. We lamented not having Najm or Arngeir along, both being seasoned sailors. However, as the day was so glorious, a table was set out on the deck, and over beverages and snacks, we pressed Telman for more tales of great deeds, and for more in-depth information concerning din-din. He described them to us in great detail: being massive fish (often over 30 feet long!), with large bony heads, a body covered with scales like plate armor, and a razor-sharp beak. To get a better feel for their size, the Darkwing is but 65 feet long, stem to stern! He further described them as being highly territorial and aggressive, and somewhat of a schooling fish. As such, when we encountered them it may very well be in quantity, and would likely be “exciting”. Telman exclaimed that we should not have worries, as he was in possession of an “eye” that would allow him to gift us with the ability to temporarily breath water as if it were air. This was not going to be the easy fishing excursion Telman initially led us to believe it would be!
During a lull in our conversations, as Telman was fawning over his lady-friend, Durham took me aside and quietly noted that Telman was not behaving in his normal manner. Durham was also concerned about Telman's companion – whose name, I fear has slipped my mind. Durham was worried that Telman seemed curiously obsessed with this woman, who clung to him like a barnacle on an old hull. As well, Telman seemed to be wholly and continuously sauced – almost to the point of incoherence.
In the afternoon of our second day out, as the large island that hosts Baldeshum lifted into view to our north, the Darkwing was assailed by a large, gelatinous sea creature. It slowed our progress to a crawl, and began oozing onto the deck. Mayhem ensued, and Durham began shouting, “Muagh!” Several of our crew leaped to the attack. Lars and Demitrytus attempted to poke and slash this undulating mass of goo, with little effect. Their weapons took as much damage as they gave. Recalling that these creatures are known for their secretions of acid, I focused my mind, and with a deft flick of my wrist, sent a resonating ripple through the arcane. The entire muagh suddenly shook, then quickly shrank in upon itself, morphing and resolving into a completely different creature. I had managed to shift reality and alter the muagh's form and essence into a new state of being. It became, in all ways, a modestly sized, black-feathered, carrion bird, like those often found attending battlefields after an exceptionally bloody conflict. A crow. It impotently flew off into the distance, likely confused as to its sudden alteration!
In the early morning of the next day, Baldeshum stood just to our east, close at hand. As the wind had dropped, and we were becalmed, the sails were rolled up and the oars were once again set out. It took little time for our crew to row us in to the small port of Baldeshum, where we dropped anchor. Telman spoke with the harbor master and the levy master, and secured the removal, import, and sale of all of the garum we had taken on in Cothon. And for a tidy sum, I might add!
While in port, I used my arcane skills to place myself into a state of meditation, wherein I can pierce the veil of others' minds, and learn of their surface thoughts, intentions, and dreams. While I did this, Durham engaged Telman and his woman in conversation, asking pointed questions about how they met, how their relationship developed, what their future plans were, etc. During their conversation, I focused on their minds, and attempted to glean if Telman was under some compulsion, or if his mistress was with him under a less than honorable pretense. Telman's thoughts seemed stuffy, befuddled, but genuine – a strange combination. And indeed, his companion's thoughts revealed that she had stumbled upon a “magic eye”, and had inadvertently used it to induce an unnatural glamour upon Telman. I felt no malice in her intentions, and in fact she seemed truly sorry that their relationship was little more than an accidental arcane fantasy. Durham and I agreed not to immediately confront Telman or his companion with this information, as there did not appear to be any harm intended – at the moment. We simply felt that at this point in the voyage, it might be best not to upset or exacerbate an enchantment we did not fully understand.
We took on and filled out our basic stores and water, and on the following day stood out from Baldshum. Our intention was to head east toward Ittiyqa; however, the weather had other plans. The wind was steady and strong from the north, and biting cold, and we made our way out under oars. In no time, the wind had clocked around to the south and west, the direction we wanted to go, and began blowing a hard gale. Truly, a storm was roaring down upon us, so we set and reefed our sails, and pointed our bow north, to run with the winds coming from behind. As the storm continued to increase in intensity, we let out our anchors to drag behind us, to slow our northerly progress. North was where the wind was blowing us, but north was NOT our intended course!
In the dark, early morning hours of the next day, the wind shifted again, coming from a more favorable direction, but also strengthened. Gan and I felt comfortable in maintaining sails. We had the sea-anchors hauled in, and turned our course south and west to run toward our next port of call. Even under reduced sail, we were once again making excellent time for Ittiyqa!
The storm held its strength for over a day. Gan and I manned the helm and generally had a bang-up time feeling the Darkwing sing and creak as she was rushed along southward, toward Ittiyqa! While the ride was exhilarating, the storm began to take its toll upon our rigging and hull. Some flooding occurred, but proving to be of little consequence, was easily kept under control. By the afternoon of the following day the storm had blown itself out, and we were once again becalmed. Ittiyqa lay within sight, just to our west. Our sails were rolled up, the oars were laid out, and by late afternoon, Darkwing was resting safe at dock in Ittiyqa.
Telman again made deals to have our cargo sold, and to have repairs made to Darkwing. The numerous barrels of fine wine were unloaded and sold for a sizeable chest full of gold dinar, and the crew rejoiced at our good fortune. Indeed, this was turning out to be a lucrative voyage. That evening we dined and cavorted at one of the local wharf-side taverns, and queried the locals about din-din sightings or encounters. Our questioning paid off, and we were informed that folks in the fishing village south of Ittiyqa (by name of Isfax) had first-hand knowledge of these beasts.
The next day we pulled out from Ittiyqa, set sails (as the wind was from the north), and briskly made our way to Isfax, where we anchored overnight. In the morning, as the pearl-divers were heading out in their small boats, we intercepted one and Durham offered 50 gold dinar if they would guide us to where din-din were known to be prowling. His offer was readily accepted, and we took this diver, a proud and haughty young woman, aboard the Darkwing.
With fair winds, we made our course toward the east, toward the many reefs that line the coast. Toward din-din territory! However, prior to attaining our destination, Darkwing was once again assailed; this time by unknown sea creatures. Large crustacean-like creatures began attaching themselves below the waterline, and gnawing into Darkwing's wooden beams. Flooding began almost immediately, and a flurry of ordered chaos soon overwhelmed the Darkwing.
I quickly performed an arcane ritual upon myself, allowing me to breath water as air (as a safety contingency), and then ran below to find Telman. As had become his wont, he was drunk, and abed with his companion. Completely useless. I retrieved his “eye” of water breathing, and upon returning to the main deck, gave it over to Durham. Lars and Demitrytus stood before Durham, and after he bathed them in the eye's rays, they jumped overboard to engage these “boat-eaters”. While they initiated melee combat, I once again caused a ripple to resonate through the arcane, and altered one of the creatures into a crow. However, several more of these beasts remained. Lars and Demitrytus made short work of one, and Durham flooded the surrounding waters with a repellent made from eel distillate, after which the remaining beasts departed, perhaps sensing their impending doom. Soon thereafter we dropped anchor along the southern reef, and began making repairs.
On the following day, our pearl-diver guide informed us that this area likely held many beds of pearl-producing mollusks (of enormous size and danger), as well as din-din. The ability to breath water was once again bestowed on several of us: myself, Heijo, Gan, Durham, Lars, our guide … and Telman. Yes, Telman was finally rousted – however briefly – from his amorous and inebriated ways. This was accomplished by having his companion fall under an arcane compulsion to sleep, essentially relieving some of the enthrallment she had placed over the old sea captain. While Fa-min and Demitrytus remained aboard, keeping watch and manning a ballista, the bulk of our company dove to the bottom and began to search for the pearl-producing mollusks. In no time we were approached by a gigantic gellikite, threatening to crush and rend us with strong pincers and mandibles. As it approached, but still at a great distance, I lashed out with striker, and managed to obliterate the crab, but at fair cost to myself, as well.
To our surprise, the utter destruction of the gellikite drew in a small school of very large, and hungry, din-din! They were upon us quickly, snapping first at our guide, taking her life in an instant. Lars steadied himself upon the seabed and was able to drive a javelin deep through the eye of an approaching din-din, while Gan carved an enormous gash along the side of another, as it flashed by. Even underwater, the speed of his attacks were uncanny and unnatural. I attempted to manipulate the arcane once again, but my focus was disturbed, and my effort bore no fruit. However, the din-din responded as most animals will once harmed sufficiently, and as a single entity, their school turned tail, quickly departing our immediate area. The encounter was over, almost as soon as it had begun.
Sadly, we were not able to capture or kill any of the din-din. We gathered up the shredded corpse of our guide, and returned to the Darkwing. We completed some minor repairs, raised anchor, put on all sails, and made our way east, toward Cothon-Gadeed, toward home. As we sailed under favorable conditions, our guide's remains were carefully cleaned and laid upon the captain's berth, and I performed a ritual that knitted her wounds and returned life back to her mangled body. Although she would remain weak, and require several days of bed rest and recuperation, she was back among the living.
The weather continued to favor us, and before noon of the next day, we found ourselves returned to the inner harbor of Cothon-Gadeed, tied up safely to the docks of the Hanse. Our adventure had most certainly been exciting, profitable, and interesting. However, now the work of untangling Telman from his enchantment lay before us … or more rightly … Durham.
[written by Phil, player of Bart, regarding a certain recent expedition aboard ship and earning Bart 100 xp per level]
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