My parents saw me off this morning just after dawn. All of my friends think me mad, I fear, and supposedly it's bad luck to start a voyage like mine without someone to see you off. I had thought to at least see Dabrent on the quay to try to talk me out of going, but it seems even he has given up. I would have been quite alone had Father not insisted that he and Mother accompany me. The ship is fascinating, though, and as my home now dwindles towards the horizon I have no regrets in my decision. Regrets about lacking the funds to secure faster passage aplenty, but no qualms about my plan.

"Go to Ilizmagorti, locate some unexplored ruins in the region, join or start an expedition to them, document my findings, and join the Pathfinders." Hm, now that I write it out like that, it does seem a touch ... grandiose. Then again, the letter from Master Devers seemed to indicate that, in addition to providing the location of several ruins, he might be able to point me in the right direction for an expedition. Tatadi said I was being too trusting. We'll see if she was right, I suppose.

I thought I would be meeting Devers in Ilizmagorti, but his note, left three days ago at the Red Casque, said he'd had to leave with his ship for Port Peril. Hopefully, the Jenivere will put in there long enough for me to catch him up. I'm now apparently supposed to be meeting him at the Formidably Maid saloon? If he's not there, I'll have to look elsewhere for assistance - I haven't the funds to keep chasing him down the coast...

I've finally managed to scrounge some paper to keep a proper record of my fate... While waiting at the Formidably Maid for Master Devers' arrival, to provide more details regarding the local cyclopean ruins, I was probably drugged while enjoying some of the Maid's ale and press-ganged into service on a pirate ship, the Wormwood, under the command of a truly terrifying man, Captain Harrigan. Some of the crew seem nice enough, while others are markedly not... This morning, a group of hostile crew ganged up on myself and the other new members of the crew.

I think that people could have gotten hurt if Buster hadn't transformed to his combat form. He so unnerved the thugs that assailed us that they all ran away. ... Perhaps Varnai's charged personality had something to do with it as well, I'm sure that the fat one was ... shocked at the outcome of their brief fracas. Master Scourge, the Bosun, seemed none too pleased at the revelation of Buster's true form, and I fear I earned his ire for myself when I explained that Buster protected me and obeyed my commands, but at least nobody was seriously injured.

It's the third day of my forced servitude, and I had the unenviable joy of assisting Ambrose in butchering a hog to celebrate an officer's birthday. Ambrose Kroop is the ship's cook, and is as often to be found in a drunken stupor as not, so I've had to manage the galley myself until today...

Still, I seem to have drawn a better lot in my assignment than some of the other new crew. The charming half-elf I met on the Veritance traveling to Ilizmagorti, Varnai Tideweaver, is among the other press-ganged crew. I admit to relief at knowing someone else aboard, despite wishing that he had escaped this fate, though he tells me that the work he's doing here on the Wormwood is much the same as his duties were on the Veritance. I can't tell if his nonchalance is an affectation or genuine, but it's reassuring all the same. Not that Ambrose is bad company {when he's sober}. He introduced me to Grokk, the ship's Quartermaster, and the three of us chatted for some time while the pork was roasting. Grokk seems to embrace the half-orcish reputation, but she seems decent enough in spite of that.

Later, I compared the events of the day with the four other newest additions to the crew of the Wormwood. Neryce, a strikingly pretty woman, pointed out and related a friendly discourse she had with Rosie, a burly halfling lass, while swabbing the deck. The man calling himself "Mad Harry Bonny", who allegedly asked to join the crew in the midst of the fistfight intended to subdue him for press-ganging, stank of the bilges when he finally emerged above-decks. Varnai was also swabbing the deck with Neryce, but, evidenced by his display this morning, is also a spellcaster and took the time to seek out the ship's Sorceress, Peppry Longfarthing. He didn't say exactly what came of their conversation, though, and I don't think I'll be volunteering any more information about my own abilities... Aisla, the fourth new crew member, was in the rigging most of the day today, and went to sleep almost directly after dinner, as did "Mad Harry". Neryce and Rosie were apparently propositioned by Conchabar, the rather flamboyantly attired gnome on board. After dinner, Varnai seemed to be having a very good time chatting with Sandarra Quinn. Sandarra is quite possibly the nicest person I've ever met {Tatadi didn't even come to see me off!}, which is not quite what I would have expected from an ordained cleric of Besmarra.

After dinner, I quietly tried to find out everything I could about the crew of the Wormwood, as there is clearly more going on here than meets the eye on casual inspection.

My findings follow...

Group that assaulted us are Mr. Plugh's bootlickers, and are likely to try something again in the future; led by the disgusting human, Fipps Chumlet. {M Dwarf, M hOrc, 2xM Human, 2xF Human}.
"Ratline" Ratsburger {M Halfling} is not fully with this group but has been leaning in that direction {after he was decked by Mad Harry for his pocket change last night}.
Crimson Cogward is a loner, boastful braggart who will bend anyone's ear. He beat the snot out of Mad Harry last night.
Giffer Tibs {One eyed F Halfling}, friendlyish with Rosie and Conchabar. Olderish, largely indifferent.
"Badger" Medlar {F Half-elf}, probably oldest person on the boat, has gray hair shaved into stripes. She's been talking tonight with Chiveeka {F Mwangi}, a middle-aged woman with an indifferent attitude.
The poor simpleton chained up belowdecks is Owlbear, and is kept on board as Mr Plugh's "pet." Mr. Plugh is our ... esteemed ... first officer. He gives me the creeps even worse than Master Scourge.
I got a reaction to being the Cook's Mate more than once: The Last Cook's Mate disappeared suddenly and is speculated to have "fed the crew" in a more literal sense... Wonderful.

I need to be more concise to conserve paper until I can obtain more... Less exposition!

Afternoon Activities:
Observation: Ambrose drinks all day; Grokk drinks heavily in the afternoon and doesn't stop... I managed to get my compass, lantern, and signet ring back from Grokk.
Neryce Mends things... Another spellcaster! "Barefoot" Samms Toppin is the first crew member to ask for a personal object to be mended. Neryce also tried to get some of her stuff from Grokk, successfully, I think.
Varnai worked in the rigging today and chatted with Conchabar. Mad Harry was today's Ratcatcher with young Jack Scrimshaw.

In the late morning, Jack Scrimshaw hustled up to the middle deck from the bilges with signs of a bite wound. While he headed above, Mad Harry headed down to the bilges with me and Buster, where we discovered six rodents of unusual sizeThough not encountered in the Fire Swamp, oddly.... Varnai, Neryce, and Crimson Cogward joined us {at Scourge's direction!} and we dispatched the infestation. Mad Harry was bitten several times, but survived to recover his Armor from Grokk. Varnai recovered his crossbow, I handed mine back along with my lantern, but recovered my compass and ring. After the scrum, Neryce persuaded Grokk to give Rosie her fiddle back, which earned her persistent gratitude.

Evening Events:
Conchabar, Rosie, and Varnai perform for the crew. There's some dancing. Neryce joins in the entertainment.
I tried to talk to Badger {the half-elven gal} again, but she didn't really seem to care. She said that in her experience, the best thing was to just not care. Disappointing, but I guess that's her way of dealing with our situation. I wonder how long she's been a pirate... I doubt she'd tell me if I asked though.

Perhaps tomorrow will bring more insights.

Afternoon Activities:
I tried to make friends with Crimson Cogward with mixed results.
Mad Harry looked for an opportunistic friendly conversation...
Aisla was our Lookout today in the Crow's Nest.
Neryce was today's ratcatcher, but visited Ambrose in the galley.
Varnai was in the bilges, accompanied by one of Plugh's goons {a lady}. Syl maybe?

Evening Events:
Plugh and cronies dragged Owlbear up to the mess and threw a 100g purse behind Owlbear in a fight. Mad Harry stood up to the challenge, and traded haymakers with the brute. It became evident that Owlbear was blind in his left eye, which Mad Harry was able to exploit to a degree. Owlbear tried to escape the fight but was pushed back into the ring, where Mad Harry decked him with a third punch. There was a great commotion. Plugh's cronies dragged Owlbear back below-decks. Master Scourge lashes random crew members in the crowd to quell the commotion. Mad Harry is congratulated; Neryce has been given a share of Conchabar's winnings and Mad Harry's other Knuckleduster, which she returned to him.

After the fight, we all agreed to try to find out more about the unknown cronies... with limited success.

Nothing much happens during the day, it's all we can do to keep up with ship's tasks in the inclement weather.
In the evening, Crimson Cogward approaches Mad Harry for an arm-wrestling match for funsies. Varnai and I watched. Harry wins handily, but is accused of cheating {specifically of having been assisted by Varnai's magic, a total falsehood} by the foul, lard-headed Fipps Chumlet. Tensions rose and Master Scourge arrived, to dispense lashes to Varnai and Mad Harry. Sandarra piped up and tried to take Varnai's lashes, but only got awarded some of her own. We helped them down from the deck, and Sandarra warned of a worse storm brewing. I hope she just means the weather.

Ambrose: Wistful due to the storm, he shares sea stories from his youth. Grokk joins, and it turns into a drinking session full of tall tales. Buster and the Unseen Servant are helping with the cooking.
Aisla: In the rigging, doing very well in spite of the weather.
Neryce is in the bilges with Mad Harry, and was assaulted by a bilge spider.
Varnai is looking to talk to Peppry Longfarthing about arcanist prejudice... I never did discover how Varnai's talk went, though, the storm was upon us.

We all went into the rigging today to keep the ship afloat. Barefoot Samms Toppin went overboard, but was rescued by Neryce.
Gods I'm exhausted, today was hellish.

Aisla is in the rigging today, dealing with the winds is slightly challenging.
Mad Harry is in the bilges, and was fatigued and seasick, he had a bad time of it.
I am cooking without Ambrose again, and in my seasick, fatigued state, I've had to conjure both Unseen Servants and have Buster take a Monkey form to assist me. I won't know if tonight's dinner is acceptable until people start eating, those who can at any rate.
Neryce and Varnai seemed to be not at all impacted by the passing of the storm. Stomachs made of cast iron, those two...

Nothing of note happened today. I'm not sure I'm happy about getting used to this life, but really what choice do I have?

Mid-morning, we're gathered on deck {Neryce, Mad Harry, Aisla, Varnai, Samms Toppin, and myself}, handed several crab-pots, and told to swim out to a nearby reef to gather crabs for the captain's dinner tonight.
During this excursion, we were assaulted by two reef-claws, which Buster and Mad Harry dealt with soundly. These delicacies should prove good eating, and fills two of our crab-pots. The rest are not hard to fill, and we're back to the ship after less than an hour's work.
Knowing that I would be unfit to prepare the reef-claws by myself; Ambrose was awoken by the "Grokk-Grapple" to cook them. With his help, the meal goes well; come dinnertime, everyone enjoys the variety that our catch has provided.
Caulky, the cabin-girl, during dinner, approaches us with a bag. She gives us a gift from the captain and a message that Grokk will return more of our equipment. The gift entails 100 gold measures, 2 small opals, and three healing potions. We must have pleased the Captain, though I have misgivings about what that says of us, especially the way that Caulky behaved about the man...

Ambrose is awake today. Rosie was a runner today, and delivered a note from Peppry Longfarthing to Grokk; Grokk provided several items from the ships stores.
The day is beautiful and idyllic, as only a day on the waters in the Shackles can be...
Varnai is swabbing the deck with Badger Medlar, she relates a bit about her personal history...
Aisla is chatted up by Conchabar about the polarization of the crew over allegiances to the officers versus friendships that the newcomers are forging. He asks about plans to escape the ship, speculating about the overall above-average competency of the five of us recently press-ganged folks.
Grokk approached me and gave me minor grief about my failure to drink the rum rations. Though I prefer to avoid alcohol, I matched Grokk with a full flagon of unwatered rum, and Grokk subsequently challenged the dining room to a drinking contest. Varnai took her up on the challenge. Crimson asked Harry why Harry wasn't a participant. Harry responded that he's been getting his ass handed to him too often these days. Crimson nods and seats himself next to Harry to watch.
Varnai matched Grokk for 4 rounds of drink. In the 5th round, Grokk teetered, but persevered. In the 6th round, Varnai started showing signs of the wobbles, but in the end Grokk was defeated, muttering about a handicap before she fell to the floor incoherent and unconscious.

When reporting to work today, I found that Grokk's Axe was embedded in a galley countertop. Ambrose shrugged and worked around it.
Varnai is hung-over from his drinking game last night.
Today is largely uneventful. The normal heat is mitigated by the strong breeze and overcast skies. As a result, Master Scourge is more visibly present above deck.
Aisla was the recipient of a number of grisly and potentially unsettling remarks from Syl about how easy it would be to die in the rigging...
Neryce was working with Chiveeka, and spoke with her in a comradely way; Phipps tried for a while to interject contradictory remarks. After a while, Chiveeka asked both of them to stop with the talking.
Mad Harry was working with Crimson Cogward, and made some friendly overtures. Crimson made the observation that piracy is all about getting your ass handed to you by people who don't care, and maybe getting paid after getting sufficiently bloody, but without guarantees. A cynic, or a realist?
The evening passed unremarkably.

This morning, Plugh meets us on deck with Riaris Krine, the peg-legged ship's Master Gunner. Krine tells us that we're to be taught how to actually do our jobs as pirates.
Grappling hooks are our best friends, as they're going to get us to our boarding target, etc.
Scourge provides four of his cronies to help us "practice" by playing the part of the resisting crew on our opponent's ships.
Krine sends us out in pairs for grappling practice.
Harry and Neryce manage to climb aboard; Aisla sinks her hook into Narwhal and climbs towards the boat. Harry andNeryce scuffle with the cronies long enough to let Aisla get close to the boat. Scourge nips in and cuts the rope, butAisla has reached the boat and climbs aboard. She thanks Narwhal for being a good sport, he tries to stab her, and combat ensues. Neryce conjures some magical fog to cover the scuffle. Krine yells for play time to be over. Aisla quickly chirps something obsequious, getting backhanded by Scourge for her trouble; Scourge yells for the magical fog to be dissipated, which Neryce complies with. Krine shimmies up the ropes and chastises Aisla, who apologizes. Varnai and I are last to go to the jolly boat for practice.
We've completed Boarding School. I shouldn't really feel happy about this, and I guess I don't, but I think I can seethe appeal of this way of life.
Krine reels in the jolly boat and chastises us about our rank inexperience, then hands us off to Mr. Plugh, but the rest of the day passes without further excitement.
At dinner, Sandarra comments that, while it's just a guess and he's a fairly simple soul, Narwhal is the most likely member of the non-Officer crew to straight-up kill someone. Also, he's pretty tight with Scourge, so he might get away with it?
Aisla notices that, as she's going to bed, it looks like the rope of her hammock has been frayed almost to breaking.The hammock is repaired without incident.

Today sees a greater level of tangibility to the hostility from Plugh's Cronies.
The evening sees Aisla's hammock totally gone. Mad Harry gives Aisla his hammock, and sleeps on the ground.

Ambrose is with us today. I'm cooking, the rest of our party is performing uneventful tasks. Varnai exudes a friendly aura during his day. Today is the first day that we notice that Plugh has been spending more time among the crew and less time closeted in Officer's Quarters or with the Captain.
At dinner, I tried to befriend Crimson Cogward on behalf of the party's faction. We're a party of newcomers and we're definately developing a faction. How in the world the Wormwood was {un?}lucky enough to press-gang five fairly nice, excessively competent people, I'll never really know I suppose, but this feels like things are developing in a direction that was not perhaps intended.

I've found more paper!!

More paper, but less time in which to write. Bah.

Ambrose is conscious, if just barely.
Jaundiced Jape, Neryce, and Varnai are working today in the bilges. Jape is scowling a lot, probably observing the other two.
Scourge takes Ambrose to see the captain; he's gone for the rest of the day.
Aisla is shadowed by Syl all day. Mad Harry has not been seen after morning call.

The overall mood of the day is strained at best. After dinner, Ambrose is seen leaving the Officer's quarters and going below deck.

During Dinner, while usually Master Scourge and the Officers enjoy the Captain's Table, Scourge has spent the entire mealtime and evening with the crew.

Ambrose is out for the count.
Everyone has the same job placements today, which is somewhat unusual. Neryce was beset by a Bilge Spider, and yeeped away from it past Varni and Jape. The spider fixated on Varnai, who shot it handily.

Ambrose has slept off his drunk in record time, and is awake this morning.

The party and our Goon Squad minders all have the same jobs for the third day in a row. Something is ... fishy. While I work with Ambrose, Caulky tells Grokk that she's here to check the Quartermaster's Accounts. She's trying to be ... subtle? She declines my offer of help. I chatted with Ambrose about his visit two days ago to the Captain. Shortly after having this chat, Caulky packed up and left...

During the afternoon, Aretta and Chumlet invade the bilges and close the trap door. Chumlet says something about being surprised that people don't die in the bilges more often because of the spiders. Combat ensues. Varnai and Neryce hold their own for a bit, but are looking in bad shape, but then Mad Harry arrives, having heard the sounds of combat. Mad Harry, Neryce, and Varnai manage to prevail without killing Phipps, Aretta, and Jape.

Mad Harry climed up to notify the authorities. The Authorities were not far, Master Scourge was waiting above the trapdoor...

During the Bloody Hour before dinner, Scourge announces that Arretta has died of her wounds, and demands accountability. Scourge elaborated that Doc Quarne identified a spear injury as the fatal blow. The Crew seized Neryce at Scourge's announcement, and at his direction she was placed in the Sweatbox for a day. I wish there was something I could do, but I know if I try I'll be joining her, and Buster would ... disapprove of my incarceration.

Dinner happens without further incident; Varnai relates the actual events to Sandarra while seeking healing.

Today is subdued, and nothing eventful transpires.

This evening, Neryce is hauled out of the Sweatbox in preparation for keelhauling {!!}, when the 'ship ahoy' call is sounded. Neryce is forgotten in preparations, and Sandarra is able to restore her to consciousness.

Our friendly faction has solidified at roughly half of the ship's crew who are taking sides. Three or four crew members obviously want nothing to do with either camp, but there are as many decent folks here as vile wretches, and that alone gives me hope.

We've been ordered to take and hold the ship's wheel and jolly-boats, and to kill {or incapacitate?} any enemy crew members who cross our path with extreme prejudice.

I don't know how to feel about this. I can't refuse without getting keelhauled, and that might remind them of the punishment they deferred for Neryce as well. I guess I have to try to wound and subdue but not kill. Buster has never been very good at that, though...

For our Great Success in seizing the Wheel and defending the Jolly-Boats as ordered, we were each rewarded with hefty purses of gold and several items: more curative draughts of moderate potency and a potion to make the imbiber invisible. For warning the Captain of his assailant, we were given an amulet that hardens one's skin for extra protection in combat and a short sword enhanced by magic. For our direct contribution to enemy crew reduction and subsequent prisoner-based crew augmentation, we were awarded an extra purse of 450 gold to be divided up between us.

In total, we've gained 1,700 gold pieces as the result of our actions during the taking of the Man's Promise.

It seems that Neryce's punishment has been forgotten and her excursion with Varnai to put out the fire below-decks during yesterday's combat is either unknown or unobjectionable to the officers.

Having partied and healed up, Captain Harrigan announced that Mr. Plugh would be taking a crew and the Man'sPromise back to Port Peril for salvage.

Plugh chose all his surviving cronies, Master Scourge, Owlbear, Chiveeka, Sandarra, Rosie, Conchabar, and after a moment of consideration, the five of us to form his crew. We had only just enough time to gather our possessions...

Crimson parted on good terms with Mad Harry; Grokk was tearing up and gifted a potion of Haste to me from theShip's Stores. Ambrose, at the last minute, also joined the crew of the Man's Promise, apparently at Harrigan's direction, but probably not on good terms with Plugh and Scourge. Ambrose is a kind fellow, whereas Plugh and Scourge are truly the scum of the earth.

The bulk of the crew on the Wormwood was replaced by the captured sailors who were willing to turn pirate. Three such sailors accompany us to the Man's Promise.

On the Man's Promise, Plugh assembles the crew and informs us that we'll be tasked with the same work, but that it will be harder, and that any punishments will be carried out with the Cat 'o Nine rather than the Lash, if it comes to that. Plugh also informs us that the gambling and drinking in the evenings will stop, to allow us to properly sail the ship each day. After sunset, all crew is prohibited from going above decks. Finally, we're told to avoid speaking to Plugh. Ever.

As the crew is bedding down, Plugh's Cronies, Sandarra, and Rosie are moved by Scourge to the empty Officer'sQuarters in the forecastle. This bodes ill with me, though our friends can handle themselves well enough I'm sure...

The days start about a half hour earlier than on the Wormwood...

Sandarra and Rosie variously inform us that in the dead of night, the Cronies vacated their quarters and assembled in the Captain's Quarters for purposes unknown.

Varnai realizes late in the day that the ship may not be moving in the correct direction to head towards Port Peril..."North is ... that ... way?"

Over Dinner, Ambrose joins our speculation about the crew and alternate destination, saying that we're likely headed to Rickety's Squibs in Bloodcove, a nautical chop shop, to rebuild the ship and keep it rather than handing over the profits.

The Rahadoumi Sailors, Larry, Curly, and Moe {the lady}, are not initially friendly... Larry has the distant stare of a man who has seen his comrades killed. Curly is friendly enough, but is clearly aggravated by the absence of alcohol. Moe seems highly furious and unapproachable, as we killed two of her best friends.

On day 3, Rosie takes six lashes with the cat for nearly breaking Narwhal's arm in an altercation over sleeping accommodations. Late that same evening, thunder is possibly heard as we retire for bed.
On awaking on the 4th day, the sky is dark and overcast; barely an hour into the day, sheets of rain sweep the ship. All available crew is moved above deck to keep the ship afloat - by noon, riggers have trouble seeing the deck. Varnai is working about 10' up, Aisla is working 30' up. Buster and I are at the ship's rail, securing lines; Neryce and Mad Harry are elsewhere on the deck.

In the evening, Neryce hears an odd noise, like waves crashing, but also with a chittering vocalization... Creatures are climbing up out of the sea up the hull of the ship... After dispatching the Grindylows, the ship runs around on a reef off the northern coast of a small island.

On the morning of the fifth day, we can see that on the East side of the Island, a butte of rock juts up above the island, on the West, a large mountainous ridge exists.

The morning after the storm, after finding ourselves aground, Plugh assembles the crew. Several people are missing:
Conchabar, Kipper, and Sandarra.

Plugh sends the Party with a longboat to the island to fetch water. The Party decides to spend the 48 hours we have left to search for Sandarra and Conchabar {and Kipper}.

The North Shore appears to be all rocky rubble and sheer escarpment...

When we get closer, we can tell that there are skeletons decorating the north shore every 100 feet or so, as a warning to stay away. This is Bonewrack Island. Wonderful. I don't remember exactly why this place is supposed to be horrible and nasty, but that's definitely the recollection I'm having.

We proceeded along the island, and discovered a path past a ruined farm. Following the path, we scaled the mountain to find a stockade with a spring and a hunting lodge; inside the lodge was a rotting corpse swinging from the rafters. We left it alone.

We struck out towards the shipwreck to the Southwest that was visible from the stockade, discovering that it was a Chelish wreck, the Infernus.

We sighted Grindylow nearby and moved in to investigate, resting at dusk a short ways from the wreck.

We approached the wreck and disturbed a large Moray Eel, which chased Neryce back the the jolly boat before being driven away by combat with Mad Harry, Aisla, and Varnai. Buster was able to recover an expensive bottle of perfume from the wreck, Neryce reported seeing a cage that had been broken out of.

Finding no sign of Sandarra or Conchabar, we returned to the northeastern shore. We found a path leading inland, past a ruined tent smelling of rotting corpses but containing only piles of clothes and rugs. We refrained from further examination at my urging, as I was nervous about our encounter last night with the undead wenches from the Chelish ship.

Further along the path, we came to the ruins of a bridge which Buster was able to ford with a rope, but at which we also encountered two large frogs which tried to eat us. We dispatched them without being injured and continued along the path to reach an abandoned village with an overgrown safe harbor on the north shore. Aisla went back to the jolly boat to move it to the north shore while the rest of us moved to scale the northeastern promontory. Upon reaching the top, we sighted grindylow at the jolly boat and hustled back down to meet Aisla just past our rope bridge. We rushed the beach and managed to capture them.

Varnai engaged in diplomacy, and in a convoluted exchange, agreed to be conducted to the Grindylow cave near the wreck of the Infernus...

We entered the cave on the southwest side of the island, and were ambushed by six grindylows and an armored, helmeted leader who we believe is the Son of Grindylow.

After the assault, we backtracked into a narrower side passage, whih curves around the watery cavern and gives easier access to the path further into the Grindylow cave.

We crossed the Devilfish pool, and proceed to the west up the incline.

When we crested the rise, we were at a cauldron-shaped room, containing Kipper, Conchabar, and Sandarra tied upon the wall and Mama Grindylow next to them, apparently by suction. Upon our appearance, she screeched in Aquan {I think she said "feast on these morsels" or somesuch?} and dropped her hostages into the murky lagoon. Varnai and Neryce sprinted forward and buoyed them up. Mad Harry bolted our potion of Haste and was fed an Enlarge Person draught by Aisla, and lumbered forward as well.

Mama G Entangled them all and dropped to the water, to be pounced viciously by Buster and bombed by Aisla. The Whale, a massive Grindylow-thing, surfaced and grabbed Buster in its mouth, presumably in response to its Queens command. Mad Harry assaulted it while it swallowed Buster, and Mama G drank down a healing potion and submerged. Mad Harry was all fired up, dealing terrible blows to the giant Grindymonster, while Varnai and Neryce freed our friends.

I think I might have overheard Varnai and Sandarra flirting in the midst of combat, but perhaps it was my imagination - I was somewhat distracted by an advancing wall of barricade flotsam propelled by more of the Grindyclan. Whatever they said, Sandarra cursed the creature that had consumed Buster before Mad Harry rent it asunder. Buster mauled his way out of its gullet, and while Neryce submerged briefly, Conchabar worked some magic of his own. Varnai led the group back to the exit while I, invisibly adroit, greased the incline to thwart the Grindywall and render them more vulnerable to Aisla's bombing. As our crew extricated themselves from the water, Sandarra called upon her faith and a surge of healing energy swept over us.

Renewed, and having handily routed the erstwhile rearguard, we regrouped to learn that the Grindyqueen had released a Lacedon to assail us and might yet hold another in reserve. Neryce bestowed Mad Harry with an aquatic nature and he descended into the depths and slew the Queen and her undead minion.

Our rescue of Kipper has led to an unsurprising revelation: Plugh plans to kill us all when we return to the Man's Promise. Hopefully Kipper can provide us with additional information before we return...

Armed with the knowledge of our impending deaths and with malice aforethought, we pursued the dispute in a forthright and direct manner. ... By which, of course, I mean that when Scourge conducted us into the Captain's cabin, we were all ready for a fight. Buster was in full fighting form, Aisla was bouncy, Neryce and Mad Harry were both slightly on edge, and I was feeling pretty nervous. Varnai, though, was as cool as an electric cucumber, having charged his Shocking Grasp before entering the cabin.

I was surprised to hear Plugh congratulate us and offer kind words, but Varnai must have caught something I missed because he extended his charged hand for Plugh to shake. The fool took it, and was shocked to discover that the tables had been turned upon him... Scourge bellowed for the cronies, who were apparently waiting just outside in ambush, and combat was properly joined.

It was a proper brawl, and I can't recall it properly. Once Plugh and Scourge were down, someone offered amnesty for cronies who would lay down their arms. I can't recall who said it, but Maheem was the only one to act on the offer. It may be worth noting in his favor that he didn't just stop fighting, he actively joined our side and tried to subdue Syl. Unsuccessfully, as it developed - Syl died in the fight {and good riddance}. Scourge's last act, as I recall, was to sneer, unless that was supposed to be a grimace? Plugh was strung up, still alive but grievously unconscious, from the rigging as an example to the remaining crew.

To: Master and Officers, The Allegiance
From: Purser, The Allegiance
Please find below a review of various matters that might benefit from your input and consideration.

Revised Crew Compliment:
• Officers:
• Captain: Varnai Tideweaver
• First Mate: Nerÿçe Trítonsdôttìr
• Master Gunner, Second Mate: Aisla
• Master-at-Arms, Bosun: Mad Harry Bonny
• Navigator, Purser, Chief Engineer: Emalliandra
• Master Chef: Ambrose Kroop

Suggested Officer Promotions:
• Chaplain, Doctor: Sandarra Quinn
• Quartermaster: Conchabar
• Bosun's Mate: Rosie
• Gunner's Mate: Kipper

General Crew {Riggers, Swabs, Bilge-rats}:
• Chiveeka
• Larry {the Rahadoumi sailor of the vacant, distant stare}
• Curly {the Rahadoumi sailor who misses his booze}
• Moe {the Rahadoumi sailor who saw her two best friends killed by us and is probably still mad about that...}
• Ratline Ratsburger
• Fipps Chumlet
• Maheem
• Narwhal
• Patch Patchsalt

Mascot: Owlbear
Total Crew Compliment: 19, 20 counting Owlbear or Buster, 21 counting Owlbear and Buster.
Spellcasters aboard able to use Animate Tools: 2

Notes on formerly hostile crew members:
• Fipps: Bully personality, may harbor a grudge for his fall from favor... Unstable? Irredeemable?
• Narwhal: Clearly displeased with Fipps for his abject desertion. A Loose Cannon? Irredeemable?
• Patch: Highly motivated at the prospect of a full share under Varnai's command. Mercenary? Redeemable?
• Ratline: Willing to leave te past in the past for a bigger share of the loot. Mercenary? Redeemable?
• Maheem: The first to lay down arms voluntarily, helpful vs. other less cooperative crew {Syl}. Less mercenary? Redeemable?
• Kipper: Grateful for his life, saved by our actions, helpful against Plugh and Scourge. Mercenary. Friendly? Redeemable? Reminds me of Jarnath in some ways, so that's something I suppose.

Proposed Orders of Business:
1. Sail to Rickety's Squibs for ship reconfiguration.
2. Decide what to do with Plugh, who has not yet been killed {last we saw of him he was dangling unconscious from the rigging during the crew induction phase...}?
3. ????
4. Profit!

Having arrived without incident at Rickety's Squibs, we were met by Master Rickety Hake, who agreed to squibb our ship for 2000 gp. Valuing our Plunder at roughly that level, I proposed such an exchange. With Captain Varnai's consent, I also contracted for the installation of two smuggling compartments and a wider rudder to facilitate easier handling, paying for these modifications out of our personally accumulated wealth.

We're properly pirates now, I suppose...

Aisla has been cooped up with her alchemical concoctions for over 24 hours now, and if I knew anything of her art, I would venture to disturb her creativity to check on her, but I dare not disrupt her in my uneducated state...

In the middle of the second day of our refit, several locals invited Rosie and Conchabar to participate in a game of nine-pin on the docks. Rosie invited us as well. The locals moved to hoist up a keg of beer from the river, when the keg was ripped from them by an unknown force from beneath the waves.

Varnai leapt in to rescue the man who had been hoisting the beer, and was able to extricate Jenkins, but was then bitten for his trouble by a Water Naga youth. Acting erratically, the Naga roiled the muddy waters while Mad Harry leapt into the fray. Neryce started a summoning incantation while I loosed a crossbow bolt... Buster finished his transformation and repositioned himself for a charge at the Naga. Varnai, heavily injured by the bite, withdrew from the fray while Rosie joined in and Conchabar strummed a rousing tune. Mad Harry sliced at the enraged monster again, while Neryce's summoned squid assaulted the creature from beneath the waves. I fired again, and hit, and Buster leapt forward to land a bite on the monster. Varnai conjured a snowball, but missed; the Naga, still agitated, invoked the magics of its species to become invisible, and vanished beneath the waves.

Master Hake arrived after the commotion had died down accompanied by Chandra, his druidic associate. I noticed that Neryce and Chandra exchanged remarks in a language I've never heard before... Chandra explained that this kind of attack was somewhat atypical for the local Naga, which matched what I have read and heard of the species. Chandra indicated that she had, on behalf of Master Hake, negotiated a peace with the Water Naga living upstream... I explained that the creature had appeared to be a youth and perhaps also unhinged. Chandra indicated that it was a real possibility that the muddy condition of the river and the drought could have driven the creature past the bend... She indicated that she would travel upstream to speak with the Naga. She indicated that my offer to accompany her was inadvisable at present, but seemed open to the idea of a potential future visit...

Sandarra arrived at this point and healed our wounds, while Master Hake indicated he would give us a 250gp discount on our squibbing...

Our third day at Rickety's Squibs dawns even hotter than the past two, with no possibility of rain in sight...

In the afternoon, while discussing the matter of the renaming of the ship, we begin to hearing shouts of alarm from the outside. We discover that the docks and town appear to be under attack from a swarm of roughly two dozen giant wasps.

We were able to save another dock worker, and were able to down four wasps. Two more were downed by other combatants; five residents are dead or were carried off by the wasps. Many more of the villagers were injured by the wasps, however, but the aftermath of the attack was not nearly as bad as might have been expected.

Rickety Hake, having been further inland at his residence, arrives on the scene after the fight is over. He curses the drought, curses the absence, however necessary, of his Druid, and curses roundly at the delay to his enterprise.

I dispatched Buster to pursue the wasps against a potential opportunity to rescue any of those people carried away...

Only a few minutes after the flight of the wasps, a Chelish galleon weighed anchor in the harbor, and a longboat with nine men drew up at the dock. Eight bodyguards and a peg-legged man {Captain Merril Pegsworthy, as we shortly discovered} emerged from the longboat and assumed a defensive {but not explicitly threatening} posture.

Captain Pegsworthy expressed interest in a squibbing, and seemed reasonably content to hear that he'll have to wait another day or two. He's clearly no friend to our former Captain Harrigan, and upon learning of our exploits in obtaining our current ship, asked after the privilege of christening our squibbed vessel. The honor of having our ship christened by a Free Captain is exceptional, and I'm glad that Captain Varnai was so willing to accept.

Captain Pegsworthy is wearing an Andoran Eagle Knight's uniform jacket, that while somewhat worn and well used, is clearly a favored garment. He appears impressed by the Captain's retelling of our daring deeds...

Master Hake approaches and, after listening to the end of the tale, asks if we could investigate his watchman's lack of response atop the watchtower. After having Buster drive off two wild boar on the trail, we found Lyle Goodwin, the watchman, dead atop the tower from a severe allergic reaction to a wasp sting. He was survived by his parrot, Rotgut, who now appears to have decided to adopt Mad Harry.

On our return, Captain Pegsworthy has hoisted over a cask of Chelish spirits for consumption, and invites us to test its contents for potability.

In the morning, I awoke to news that the Allegiance was nearing completion, and accompanied the messenger back to examine the results. Having found the changes highly satisfactory, we attended Captain Pegsworthy's christening of the Allegiance, and put out to sea. Moe elected to remain behind at the Squibs to replace the watchman, Lyle Goodwin, so our crew is even more reduced, and I suspect we will be unable to enjoy the full measure of the ship's performance until our numbers are expanded.

Location of Note: Tidewater Rock - South of Botakku Rock, this castle commands an excellent position for defense as well as a base to assault shipping lanes. It is often used in toasts for good fortune.

As we sail away, morale is high and the crew is in good spirits, and clearly have gained a bit of respect for us, even the more questionable members. Our next task is to determine what target or targets to raid in order to obtain plunder. Plunder will be integral to our ability to attract new crew members, but we'll be very limited in our ability to pillage anything due to our diminished crew compliment... Ambrose suggested a raid on a small fishing village, which was met with less than entirely rousing enthusiasm by the Captain. I suggested that perhaps we could assault a ship to take its cargo alone, and leave its crew alive, the better to spread tales of our infamy...

Personal Log:I hope we can find a merchant of less savory character for our raid, one whose chattel are undeservedly possessed...

I never thought to become a pirate, but it seems that I am one now, and with companions of surprising compatibility and complimentary skill. There is much in this way of life for a kind and good soul to question and challenge. Much benefit of goodness could be had here, I think, if only based upon the reactions of the crew to the fairer terms offered by Captain Tideweaver. I know not if I possess the courage and strength of character to be such a soul, nor if our circumstances will allow it, but I cannot turn from the path I have found. I must stay the course, no matter the risk, for I now have companionship and friends where before my life was solitary and a poor comparison to my present state. Also, while I recognize that any path must be shaped in part by others, I feel I must pursue redress for the grievance of being forced by circumstance and contrivance to kill those I might otherwise have not.

Syl, Plugh and Scourge deserved death, as might others still from the Wormwood, but the Rahadoumi soldiers and the officer we cut down all died because we chose to sacrifice their lives instead of our own. I chose to save my life by taking hers... I can only hope that the choices that brought her to that moment were her own, for then at least one of us would have been acting freely. I advanced down a path that was not of my own choosing... We all did, and for that, Harrigan must pay. Now that I have regained my freedom, I choose this path freely that was until of late forced upon me, with a clear conscience and a purposeful mind.

Spending the previous day finding the village that Ambrose recalled on Firegrass Isle, we decided to weigh anchor and sail in this morning to start our recruitment drive. We anchored in the harborage; Sandarra, Rosie, and Conchabar accompanied us in one of the gigs to the shore.

We were met by a large contingent of spearmen at the dock, but they allowed us to land and did not obstruct our recruitment. While many of their youths seemed to be interested, they were shepherded away by adult members.

At sunset, having pursued a fairly boring day all told, we rowed back to the ship. We were followed by a small fishing boat to the ship, carrying two people, a young woman {~18 or 19} and an even younger boy {aged ~14}. They introcuce themselves as Opal and Reef. Opal is nearly 6' and well muscled especially for a woman; Reef is a highly scrawny, small lad. Their parents are dead, they told us, and there is nothing keeping them in Goatshead.

Captain Varnai welcomed them aboard, and we resolved to get underway towards Chelish shipping lanes in the morning.

Once we get into open waters by the second day, the seas are calm and nothing much happens. There was a rainstorm of moderate strength during the 6th and 7th days but otherwise the weather has been clear.

In the early afternoon of the 11th day, there are calls of a ship on the horizon. Our course is bearing 112; the sighted ship appears to be to be almost dead astern... It appears to be a single masted lugger, from the description, flying the colors of the Aspis Consortium.

Once in range, shots from their catapult and ballista damaged the Allegiance; Aisla attempted to fire one of our Alchemy shots, but it exploded in her face...

We closed and rammed the lugger, with our crew standing ready to grapple...

Having rammed the Kurstav, we prepared for boarding.

After a skirmish of less than a minute, the Captain of the Kurstav surrendered and we were able to plunder his cargo, consisting primarily of weapons and armor. The Allegiance has also acquired the two siege weapons carried by the Kurstav, a light catapult and a light ballista. We also acquired two Chain-shot payloads, as well as miscellaneous Aspis Consortium paperwork of no apparent value.

Under the Captain's cabin, Harry located a secret compartment. Opening it, we discovered that it had been trapped, firing two darts at Harry. One hit him, the other missed rotgut and embeds itself in the ceiling. The compartment is revealed to be only just large enough for a person to fit uncomfortably, but it actually contained several heavily laden bags filled with uncut gems and a small wooden box. The box, on investigation, is found to contain a very large amount of narcotics.

The chainmail worn by their captain, Aspar Tharkidor, showed magical emanations, and was seized by Aisla; I acquired a new suit of Masterwork Studded Leather from a fallen Marine and the captain's masterwork rapier.

Having obtained Plunder and sufficient crew, I recommended to the Captain that we should make our way to Sangore, as the largest port in close sailing distance. I estimate our journey should take roughly two weeks.

We have encountered a Keelboat, appearing to be a fishing vessel, but have not engaged, and it passes by without incident.

Sangore is a large port, as I expected. Ships of all shapes and sizes can be found here.

Captain Varnai ordered a night of carousal.

{Our Infamy and Disrepute have gone up by one each, to put us at 3 each.}

In the wake of our carousal...

Taking Conchabar with me, I set out to negotiate the sale of our plunder. I was sadly unable to make an advantageous bargain, and came away with only 2,000 gold crowns. The sale of the spare Ballista went slightly better, netting us 375 crowns.

Meanwhile, Captain Varnai pursued the acquisition of new crew, spending what remaining of our uncut gemstones after paying our current crew. 9 folks join our crew, of these three are somewhat remarkable:

• Ten'n'one - a short, mousy man {or a tall halfling}, a chatty blowhard.
• Fishmouth - a heavy, obese man with a large mouth and a moist demeanor.
• Anika, aka. Killjoy - a dwarven woman a bit on the older side. She indicated that she was a Bosun several years ago, but her captain has retired long since. A no-nonsense kind of dwarf.

After making our purchases, including a number of flags and colors, we depart Sangore without incident.

We passed a Rahadoumi craft making for Sangore, flying the colors of the Rahadoumi Light Legionnaires. We did not engage.

After a moderate storm, we have come across a foundering fishing trawler on the open seas. It appears that the hull is taking on water, and Captain Tideweaver has ordered us to render aid.

Closing, we have discovered a breach in the hull just above the water line. The craft appeared to be abandoned, with a fishing net still deployed.

Varnai, Neryce, and Buster swam down to investigate what appears to be a sinking lifeboat, and discovered that it had been hulled as well.

I asked Buster to investigate inside the trawler, and he stealthily discovered six fish-people {Sahuagin} lurking below-decks, wielding tridents, and apparently waiting for something to come down the stairs. As Buster was withdrawing, he heard one of the Sahuagin identify his presence, and booked it out of there, but he was detected.

I recommended a pre-emptive strike against the breach with our remaining incendiary bolt, which the Captain authorized. Making up for the earlier misfire, Aisla expertly nailed the breach, incinerating all but one of the foul creatures. The survivor was observed by Buster scuttling off towards the briny depths, and we sailed on.

Rosie reported the death of a Sahuagin that attacked the ship. Her account indicated that the fishy fellow clambered up on deck and tried to drag Pete into the sea, but that she was able to stop the creature with her axe.

Recording specifically which Pete was attacked for posterity is ... problematic. Several days ago, Aisla started a trend, which appears to have caught on with the crew entirely, of referring to any of the crew whose names fail to come to mind as "Pete" ... Nobody seems to mind, and somehow there hasn't been any real confusion as to which Pete is meant in any given context - certainly I know which Pete Rosie was talking about. I wonder if other pirate crews experience this phenomenon. The Wormwood seemed not to, but I'm not so sure that it was ever a representative sample of what passes for normal around here...

The creature was wearing the shiny iridescent necklace that Buster reported seeing in the fray with the trawler, which Captain Tideweaver awarded to Rosie for her intrepid feat. Ten'n'one crept up at this point and tentatively identified the necklace as Deep Platinum, and worth enough to buy a small house. This information tickled a memory for me,and I was able to recall reading of the existence of Deep Platinum... This was sufficient grounds for Varnai to find Rosie again and speak with her about its value. She seemed disappointed to have her reward rescinded, but accepted it with good enough grace.

After Varnai recovered the necklace from Rosie, I was able to study the necklace more thoroughly and identified it positively as Deep Platinum. I recall having read the following, excerpted from "Travels and Exploits of Marcus Konstrachus, Volume 14, Annotated Revised Edition" ...

Deep Platinum
This rare platinum alloy is characterized by blue-black whorls of an almost disturbing aspect, and is virtually unknown to those living above the surface of the sea. It is actually mined from platinum deposits in the deepest ocean trenches, where it is tainted by exposure to poisonous deep sea vents called "black smokers." Only aboleths, krakens, or other creatures of the ocean depths can recover this metal from these fathomless trenches. On land, deep platinum has the same value as normal platinum, but it is of inestimable value to undersea races such as the sahuagin, who often ascribe religious or magical qualities to the rare metal.

Based on this, and the weight of the necklace, I estimate it to be worth roughly 2,000 gold measures to land-dwelling folk, but I have no way to tell how valuable it might be to the races of the deeps, nor do I presently have any desire to try to find out.

In place of the necklace, Neryce offered to transmute Rosie's trusty axe into masterworkedness. I also think that, as Bosun's Mate, Rosie might be invited to provide input regarding improvements for the ship that the necklace might fund. Varnai said he'd consider the thought...

Conchabar reported discovering several ships stores depleted unexpectedly, and Kipper drank slightly too much and wailed heavily on Pete, to the point that Sandarra had to heal him back to life...

Mad Harry took Kipper to task, while I resolved to stay up tonight so that Buster could watch the ships stores in secret.

After an uneventful night of assisting Buster in watching the ship's Stores, the dawn brought a pillar smoke into view. A Chelish cutter was locked in combat with a burning brig, and prisoners were being led below deck by Chelish marines on the burning ship.

Captain Tideweaver ordered course changes to bring us into the fray from the east, as though out of the rising sun.

The Famished Main, out of Corentyn {the Chelish outpost at the northern end of the Arch of Aroden}, was clearly overpowering the brig, named the Vorsfang, probably a local ship from the Shackles. The superstructure of the Vorsfang had not yet thoroughly caught fire by the time our approach was spotted, but its sails were a lost cause. The Famished Main loosed several ballista shots to no avail, but appeared to have lacked sufficient time to mount a proper defense.

Combat was swiftly joined against the handful of Chelish Marines and the ship's captain. Quickly seizing control of the situation through magic and skill, Varnai accepted the surrender of Siventris Tiserond, Master of the Famished Main.This left us with 25 Chelish crew, plus Captain Tiserond, and 14 pirates, former prisoners, from the Vorsfang.

The Vorsfang itself was fully ablaze by the time we were fully in control of the situation, but Varnai and Neryce were able to keep the fires from spreading to the cutter easily enough.

We plundered the Famished Main, and recruited 14 happy new crew members. 13 are Petes, the 14th introduced himself as Tanos, obviously an Aasimar, though possessed of a brooding demeanor. Tanos identified a blade taken from him by the Chelish that he "would do anything to recover." I believe that Varnai intends to return it to him.

Captain Tideweaver's silver tongue was able to attract three additional Chelish Petes and one of the Chelish Marines, who introduced himself as Tomaas, giving us 48 crew members in total, and finally the ability to keep watch 'round-the clock and sail through the night as well as during the day.

To deal with the residual crew of the Main, we stripped the ship and remaining crew of all items not essential to sailing operations: weapons, armor, their four ballistae, the full contents of their arsenal, and anything else of an incidental nature, and seized their surplus food stores to leave them only enough food to make landfall nearby.

As part of this bounty, we have seized several maps and charts of the region that appear to be more up-to-date and accurate than the ones I've been using. After pointing them in the direction of the nearest land and returning one shovel, we sent them on their way.

Of note, Captain Tiserond possessed a magical ring and armbands that Varnai said should together provide him protection equivalent to leather armor, and a healing draught Aisla rated as possessing "improved potency". We obtained 6 draughts of common strength from the marines. We also seized a masterwork light crossbow and 50 enchanted bolts.

As the sun sets and the Famished Main is sailing to the North, what seems like it might be a whaling ship is sighted to the West, riding low on the water. It crosses the reflection of the setting sun, and as the sun slips beyond the horizon, it's suddenly nowhere to be seen...

I expressed concerns, possibly fueled by my exhaustion, that the ship sighted might have submersible properties, as I seemed to recall reading accounts of submarine vessels of gnomish fabrication in the Great Library in Absalom. Better than than a ghost ship, to be sure... As the twilight deepened, a lone ship's bell was heard tolling across the vacant waves...

During the morning, fog is seen to the north, near the horizon, but it is not significant and has no apparent impact on ship's operations.

During the afternoon, the ship is passed by a breaching whale. The crew finds this entertaining.

Below-decks in the afternoon, Owlbear is playing with a crustacean, but he also appears to have been injured somehow. I gently enquired; Owlbear pantomimed what seemed to be an attack, but I'm not really sure. Sandarra confirmed that this appears to have been the result of an intentional strike with a plank of wood. After Sandarra healed his wound, I left Buster in his hedgehog form with Owlbear with instructions to watch over him.

While finishing dinner, Buster reported that some crew are harassing Owlbear. I commanded Buster to contain the situation and advise the crew to stop and wait for our arrival. We covered the distance to the lower deck swiftly and found Fishmouth and three Petes waiting for us. Fishmouth, when challenged, tried to sidestep the issue. Buster recounted an encounter where the crew ganged up on Owlbear, intimidating him and pelting him with fruit. Captain Tideweaver rebuked Fishmouth, who spoke for the group, and promised it wouldn't happen again. When I challenged Fishmouth on the matter, he reluctantly admitted to injuring Owlbear earlier with a plank as well. Varnai left their punishment to Mad Harry, who elected to drub them soundly with their weapons of choice. I left Buster to continue to play with Owlbear.

Harry and Fishmouth move topside to brawl. Fishmouth got a quick hit in at the start of the fight, but was quickly dispatched thereafter. Ten'n'one appeared abruptly, brimming with oily apologies for his friend, and offered additional apologies and a healing potion heavily laced with rum to our moderately wounded Bosun. He dragooned two Petes to help him carry his portly comrade below-decks.

A quiet pall subsumes the ship today, shrouding all with a cloak of unease. No additional effects transpire, however.

In the evening, a storm rolls in from the North. Varnai orders a course change to the South to avoid the worst of the gale. We are buffeted by severe weather, but it is, so far, not so bad as the tempests we suffered in our early days at sea.

I suggested that we check the storm's wake for ships that might have foundered in the weather. Today saw sails on the horizon to the northwest. No telling if the scene we encountered was the result of the storm or not, but it certainly is interesting. The closer of the two ships is easily identifiable as a Sargavan Galleon; it is pursued by what is clearly a local Warship, likely a Wyvern-class... This might be one of the Free Captains, but there's nothing in local customs that discourages intramural conflicts. The Galleon changes course shortly after catching sight of us, but this provides the Warship with a better chance to close.

Joining the pursuit, it takes several hours before the Galleon is overtaken and boarded by a horde of pirates. Further, the Devil's Pallor is easily carrying several ballistae and catapults which are now aimed roughly at us, now that they've overtaken the Sea Shanty. Neryce reports a count of at least 80 people between the two crews. Ambrose suggests leaving as a feint to circle around to ambush the victors, and we broke off to the west. I unfettered Buster and left him as a tern to observe the fracas, Aisla prepared our initial volley, and the crew made ready for boarding. Buster reported that the count returned by Neryce appears to be slightly low, and the bulk of the numbers appear to be pirates - from what he can tell most of the Sargavan crew has been massacred. 25 minutes in, Buster reported taking fire. I had him fly away from our location and re-summoned him once he was far enough away.

Our return an hour or so later caught them disentangling themselves from the Sea Shanty, and our approach has apparently gone unnoticed until just before we enter weapons range. Aisla's initial salvo destroys their ship's wheel and sets fire to their sails, but the Devil's Pallor crew manages to put out the fire, and lobs a catapult stone at the Allegiance for minor damage.

After the initial volley where we lost 3 Petes, we continued to exchange fire. Another 3 Petes are slain in the subsequent exchange of shots, but it seems that the crew of the Devil's Pallor is showing signs of a break in morale. They appear to have retreated from the rails, and Captain Tideweaver orders the Allegiance to close for boarding...

As we grapple to the side of the Devil's Pallor, the enemy crew does not seem to be willing to engage us and is remaining below-decks. Ambrose indicates that two options present themselves: attacking an entrenched enemy or setting fire to the ship and waiting...

Varnai offered an opportunity to parlay. Whispered voices muttered about the offer before being told to 'Shut up' by their captain. He suggested a face-to-face parlay, where we offered him the lives of his remaining crew in exchange for his plunder. He countered by threatening to detonate his ship's alchemical stores and blow us all up... Neryce and Varnai tried to distract the Hobgoblin Captain, Gortiss Svard (of the Newport Svards), while Buster polymorphed into a cat to investigate his claims.

Buster, in weasel form now, reported explicitly seeing, and smelling, only one barrel of Alchemist's Fire, upon which news I conferred with Aisla. She indicated that one barrel would not be enough to do more than make our day moderately worse. I advised Varnai to kill Captain Svard if he was not prepared to be reasonable. He commanded his crew to attack at this point, and a brief fracas ensued. Varnai shocked Svard with a Branching Bolt, and Aisla dropped two bombs on his head, felling him tidily. While trying to quell the combat, most efficaciously achieved by Neryce's striking appeals, we called for the new Captain, but the barrel Buster had noticed earlier exploded before aught could be done. Varnai shouted an amnesty for fleeing crew, which they generally accepted. With Buster gone from the explosion, I was able to summon three fiendish ponies to aid our plundering.

We have lost several Petes, but gained a number of replacements well beyond the necessary volume to replenish our crew. We have obtained a net increase of 18 Petes, as well as the Cook from the Devil's Pallor, Blind Ben, giving us a total of 62 crewmembers. We have also managed to double up on plunder, despite the loss of the Devil's Pallor. Varnai ordered a party to celebrate out victory, but as the sun sets, the ship-ahoy call is sounded again, and we recognize the whaler we saw some days ago on the horizon. Again, after it disappears in the sunset, the sound of a single tolling bell echoes across the waves. Should this happen on a third occasion, I do not know how well the crew will take it...

The party to celebrate our success continued into the wee hours of the morning. Dawn, if it can be called that, has revealed a world shrouded in fog, which deepens as we sail on, rather than being burned off by the sun... It's definitely unusual, but I will not permit it to impede repairs any more than necessary. Given the success of Buster's unfettered investigation of the fracas yesterday, I have asked him to remain in the form of a tern for easy reconnaissance, though he has complained that today seems ill-suited for an aerial reconnoiter, and that he much prefers his hedgehog form for day-to-day activities, and that poking his nose into things was what got him killed yesterday, but he has conceded the point with good grace that a mobile scout is invaluable.

As we wind up the repairs near our best guess at Sunset, for the fog has not lifted, a ship's bell is heard tolling nearby, growing louder in the fog... After several minutes, it stops, but the fog is too thick to see any nearby ships - indeed, seeing the water from the rail is a dicey prospect at best. Shortly after the bell ceases its tolling and we are able to hear the creaking and flapping of a ship to port. Off the port bow, a worm-eaten hulk of a ship is visible through the fog. The nameplate "Deathknell" is briefly visible before it is lost in the fog again, its bell tolling once more in passing.

Reacting at once, Buster leapt into the air to streak after the departing ship, and I gazed through his eyes as the tip of its mainmast submerged beneath the waves with no apparent reduction in its speed... The rotted sails were visible underwater as the Deathknell continued out of sight into the depths. While I was thusly occupied, Mad Harry related the following tale:

The Deathknell is a whaling ship with an insane captain who somehow lost his whole crew, and has been reappearing to hunt other vessels. It's said that his stalk transpires over the course of three nights and culminates in an attack, to replenish the crew of his ship and slake his unrelenting hunger...

I do recall something about the Deathknell being related to an undead horror, but nothing that specific... The last time we spotted this apparition was on the horizon after our encounter with the Famished Main and the Vorsfang, but if Harry's account is true, Captain Tiserond and her crew may have fallen prey to the Deathknell. I confess, I feel a twinge of remorse for their fate, if such it was, for we deprived them of any defense save speed, and I gravely doubt that their diminished crew could long have outrun a ghost ship crewed by the tireless dead.

I suppose that all too soon, we shall discover if our crew is able to stave off an attack of the damned...

Today's dawn sees the fog clear to reveal an angry sky, indicating the advent of a storm. Morale is low, and murmurs of doom are becoming pervasive. The crew clearly does not believe they are able to effectively combat the undead. Regardless of the threat of the Deathknell, the oncoming storm is looking to hit before dinnertime. Varnai spoke to the crew and roused their spirits, and we proceeded handily with securing the ship for the gale.

The storm hit in the midafternoon, and while the ship rolled in the storm, a ships' bell tolling from aft is plainly heard. The Deathknell approaches...

Under Varnai's guidance, the Allegiance comes about to try to catch the Deathknell flatfooted...

As we came about and loosed a barrage of ballastae bolts; we were in turn harpooned by a massive shot. The Deathknell began to submerge and Mad Harry leapt out onto the harpoon lodged in our hull and sliced at the rope connecting our ships. He clearly hit, but didn't cleave the rope; Buster leapt out to finish the job, successfully, and was caught by Harry before he could fall into the waves. Almost immediately thereafter, several brine zombies clambered on deck. Such creatures are resistant to fire as well as bludgeoning and piercing weapons. The crew reacted with courage, repelling several of the brine zombies, but the Deathknell resurfaced and launched grapples at our rails...

In the teeth of the gale, several more zombies began to scale our hull while the eldritch spirit captaining the Magnimarian whaler clanged away madly at his bell. Looking over the rail, I saw that the captain was alone at the helm and sent Buster to assault him, following after myself in the hopes that it would draw some of the zombies away from our hull, successfully... Harry followed me, while Neryce, Aisla, and Captain Varnai aided the Petes in dispatching the remaining zombies on our decks. After clawing spectrally at Buster unsuccessfully and being swiped for his trouble, while the crew of the Allegiance polished off more zombies.

After his lack of success with Buster, the Captain of the whaler turned his attention to me. He was, it seems, was a breath-stealer, who nearly made me his thrall. After stealing my breath and being mauled again by Buster, as my comrades fought on against the zombies, I lost consciousness. I'm told that Harry vaulted the rail to the upper deck of the whaler and slew the captain before he could consume my life essence, killing the remaining brine zombies as well it seems. Neryce revived me as the Deathknell began to sink. Unwilling to resign myself to her loss without a look at the hold, I summoned a celestial pony. It dashed below deck to report back finding a whale carcass, several dirty boxes, and a vast mass of human remains. We evacuated to the Allegiance just as the lines connecting the ships were starting to unbalance our ship. Harry, Neryce, and I cut them off and scaled the hull to return to find that nary a Pete had been lost in the fray.

Neryce has been training Rotgut, with a degree of success. There was an incident with Killjoy, Pete, and a barrel that I don't think was ever explained properly... This afternoon, though, Pete was reported as having a violent fever that Sandarra disclaims any ability to magically treat. Neryce examined him and did her best to treat the poor soul. We have quarantined Sick Pete while Aisla has retreated to her quarters to work on a treatment.

Several other Petes come forward claiming possible illness, as well as Fipps Chumlet, who heretofore had been keeping a low profile. Sandarra reports that one of the Petes is probably ill, one is probably just worried, and Fipps is probably just fat. ... We've quarantined each of them, giving the paranoid one a placebo.

This morning, the sick Petes are properly sick, as are Fipps and Sandarra, while placebo Pete has returned to work feeling fine. With Sandarra ill, I asked Tanos to assist Neryce.

I've noticed that the crew continues to experience morale issues, grumbling about the trials we've faced - first the undead then the stirrings of a plague. Mad Harry has reported similar findings. Varnai addressed the crew to alleviate their concerns, though I'm not sure how much it was necessary. Mad Harry discovered that Ten'n'One was the source of the majority of the unrest. Mad Harry spoke with him on the subject, and he was typically obsequious in his response. Buster has agreed to cautiously shadow the shifty halfling going forward.

Consultation with Ambrose, Onyx, and Sandarra has yielded limited leads on regional relief, but Ambrose suggested trying to locate a small settlement with a healer whose help we could request. Sandarra, on consultation, also requests that Conchabar, who has fallen ill along with another Pete, be made to be quiet. Rosie, who had been unobtrusively observing, promised to deal with the Gnome. Based on our findings, my official recommendation to Varnai was to make for the larger island in the near chain southwest of Motaku Isle, on the basis that it has a notably large inland lake. We will likely take two days to make landfall.

Six more sick Petes today, as well as Ratline, Reef, Fishmouth, and Chiveeka. Sandarra is recovering well, as is the initial Sick Pete; Fipps is probably recovering the best of our ill crew. Conchabar has worsened, however.

During the afternoon, Blind Ben makes an argument to Varnai in favor of, in the event of a death due to illness, a cannibalistic consumption of the deceaced "to improve our strength and resiliency to the plague." Mad Harry challenged his premise, asking if consuming the dead who were to weak to resist the disease would help at all. Blind Ben responded that he "always felt stronger after eating, but that our true strength is in our bones, and if we can't use that strength we should share it." Varnai's face was priceless.

Ten'n'one was discovered attempting to break quarantine to visit Fishmouth, and was warned away by Mad Harry. Buster reported his attitude as 'shifty' ...

As sunset draws near, Lookout Pete shouts down the "sails-ho" call. Sails are indeed visible to the west, and appears to be coming on slightly faster than we can make way. As the last rays of sunlight wane, the ship is identified as a four-masted Chelish Man'o'war. We've hoisted the yellow Plague Flag and lit the braziers to clearly illuminate it, but the Chelish ship has clearly turned to overtake us...

Over the night, our pursuer has gained on us, but we have 6 more sick Petes and the Chelish have gained on us further. By my calculations, we should reach the island before the Chelish catch us up. Varnai orders the Plague Flag taken down prior to landfall.

Fipps Chumlet is pronounced recovered by Neryce, and he asks if he can help. Sandarra is no worse, possibly slightly better, but still ill. Reef has worsened, while Conchabar has not. All of the Petes are still ill...

Approaching the island, we can see a clear entry to a sheltered cove, there are several native riggers about, they either give us a wide berth or proceed towards the village at high speed. As the Chelish Man'o'war reaches the mouth of the cove, it slows and raises a flag signaling the ability to render assistance. The Dominator, as we can now see it named, has dispatched a jolly boat.

The man in charge introduces himself as Commander Kayanne Kane and offers the "aid" of his ship, under the command of Captain Pericountess Axia Lorvika. Ambrose identifies the Dominator as a pirate-hunter, and observes that the flying of the Plague Flag has probably secured their temporary clemency, that they almost certainly have no plans to board us, and that they are probably looking for surrender and not conquest. Varnai enquired as the the intended nature of the assistance he offered. Commander Kane offered the contribution of medical supplies and stores. Varnai engaged in a careful negotiation, and while it was clear that Commander Kane would have liked to have an agreement to allow some of his men aboard, he accepted our protestations good-naturedly enough.

While this transpires, I pen a hasty message to the village asking for aid and send Buster off to deliver it to the local village headman or shaman person. On his arrival at the large hut, he deposits my missive and nudges it forward towards the guards outside the hut. He waits as they pick up the missive and take it inside. An man somehow intimidating, despite being shunken by age, emerges from the hut and gestures at Buster with his staff. He commands Buster to return to the ship, and sensing his hesitation, intones that he will join us shortly. As Buster wings away, the witch-doctor walks slowly down to and across the water to the Allegiance, levitates up to the deck, and asks if our intention is to leave the village alone if he renders aid. We heartily replied that this was correct, and he forthwith proceeded to the hold to examine our sick. He was able to heal Reef and Conchabar by having his snake suck the disease out of them, by biting their chests.

A small team of individuals from the Dominator have returned, without Commander Kane, and once again attempt to weasel their way onboard, without success. They do provide us with some supplies, however, and depart. The witch-doctor, meanwhile, has been compensated for his efforts with some of Ambrose's best rum, and agrees to return to assist us each day so long as he is compensated and we do not come ashore.

The Chelish supplies are most helpful, and two Petes have recovered as a result of their use. Buster's flyover of the Dominator has revealed that the ship is steered via a wheel, which for a ship of that size means that it must be hooked up by a rope-and-pulley system, which suggests that if we can disable this system, they would be disabled for several hours. Neryce's forecast suggests that tomorrow night, during the oncoming rainstorm, will be our best chance to escape.

While the Allegiance has been at anchor, it's been much easier to ensure minimal exposure to our quarantined crew, and we have no additional ill crew today. Repairs have proceeded well in spite of the weather. The witch-doctor returned today with curative assistance for three of our crew as well as a bangle he tells us to hand in the quarantine area to suck out the illness that remains with the crew.

Rain has arrived as forecast, and appears to be getting worse roughly as expected. Neryce tells us that the rain should last through tomorrow evening, and should clear up thereafter. Leaving tonight is clearly indicated, and Varnai gives orders to prepare for our departure once visibility to the Dominator becomes impaired.

The downpour is torrential by sunset, as we finilize preparations to depart. Aisla and Neryce set off to sabotage the Dominator, accompanied by Buster in the form of an unfettered Octupus. On arrival, the trio discovered that the rudder control ropes were housed within the hull, but happily Neryce's warp wood twisted the rudder hinge housing sufficiently to permit Buster to squeeze in and bite through the rope. On signaling back to the Allegiance, Varnai ordered the rudder dropped and started casting alter winds to aid our flight. Neryce, Aisla, and Buster rejoined us, and we continued to glide out of the cove with the tide.

Our departure was detected, and despite Neryce's conjured mists, several ballista shots landed home on the hull, but Varnai concluded his long-winded transmutation and we were able to slip away without more than a subsequent half-hearted volley from the incapacitated Dominator.

Two more Petes have recovered today, and no further Petes are reporting signs of the illness. Per my suggestions, we have pursued an evasive course while continuing repairs to the ship.

Four more Petes have recovered today, bringing our healthy crew total up to 50 Petes, and again, no further Petes are reporting signs of the illness. Repairs continue as we make our way to Quent, which should take us another 5 days, and hopefully our remaining sick Petes will have recovered. Once we reach Quent, we shall neet to replenish our stores and supplies, though, as repair efforts will have severely depleted our existing stock.

Our crew is healthy, our hull is fully repaired, and our spirits are high as we sail into Quent, the second-largest city in the Shackles.

As with Sangore, Captain Tideweaver ordered a night of carousal. The antics kicked off at the Lusty Mermaid, then continued at Fat Jessups, and wound up at the Three Sailors Smiling. It was here that I caught up to our group, having finished today's negotiations for the sale of our plunder, and discovered the pleasurable company of Captain Merril Pegsworthy. On hearing of our encounter with the Deathknell, he related a similar experience for one of his subordinate ships. His crew lost roughly 30 men in the exchange but also reported seeing the ghost ship sink beneath the waves...

Having secured enchanting reagents and alchemical supplies enough to support our endeavors, on returning to the Allegiance we encountered a old, bent fellow with a cane and dressed in relative finery. The man is clearly aged, but the timeless age of a properly venerable fellow. He introduced himself as Doren, and requested passage out of Quent, with no destination in mind. I suspected at once that he was connected in some way to the Hurricain King, and suggested that we not press him for fare. After tasking Pete to show our elderly guest to a cabin, we discovered two Petes missing. Rumors from the crew suggested that they both wanted to stay behind in Quent. Varnai took a few hours to track them down to confirm this, and it turned out that they each had relatives in the city and indeed wanted to stay behind, which Varnai happily accepted. On returning to the ship, Varnai spoke to the crew on the subject of voluntary participation, and Pete elected to avail himself of the chance to go ashore as well. This leaves us with 59 Junior Officers and Crew, one mascot, and one passenger.

The fog today, while not so thick on as the gloaming we encountered around the Deathknell, was still thick enough to masque the approach of a midsize fishing vessel flying no colors off the port bow. The Allegiance was still within the Cape

Even more odd than the absence of colors, this keelboat appears to be traveling much more swiftly than it ought to be able. Varnai ordered a course correction to intercept. Neryce, taking a turn at the spyglass, noted their course change away from us and reported that all of the sailors on deck, while clearly humanoid, have their faces fully shrouded as though making a desert crossing.

As we slowly close, Neryce reports that the people on deck are all dressed identically and have every inch of their skin covered. As Varnai commands them to heave to and show their colors, they manage to execute an adroit turn, again beyond the theoretical capability of their craft, and start to slip away into the fog. Varnai is having none of this, however, and after righting our course we are in pursuit once more.

As the Allegiance closes again, tendrils of fire strafe our sails just before Mad Harry orders the grappling - it seems they have a spellcaster...

The past several days have been odd to say the least.

On capturing the keelboat, which proved to be crewed entirely by spellcasters who fought to the death (taking three of our Petes with them), in a shielded chamber in their hold, we discovered a sealed silver sarcophagus inlaid with intricate runes in deep platinum, radiating highly potent necromancy. After two days of cautious scrutiny on our way back to Quent, I concluded that touching the coffer would not be ruinously hazardous and might provide additional answers, as we were unable to find any other source for the keelboat's heightened speed and maneuverability. Instead, all I have now are more questions.

The block of silver (we discovered that the casing was merely designed to look like a sarcophagus) is apparently occupied by an entity claiming to be able to offer a soul-binding bargain. It claimed that the cost would be harmless to the bound bargainer over the long run, but we all decided the offer was not sanguine.

We decided to bury the thing, and disembarked to bury the sarcophagus. The bulk of the work went smoothly, but our party was attacked by a giant beetle. The beetle's charge slew Buster outright, and nearly killed Mad Harry as well. Neryce saved him at the brink of death, as we subdued the beetle, but left it alive and stabilized to hopefully serve as a guardian over the entombed silver sarcophagus.

With the Keelboat in tandem, we returned briefly to Quent to carouse again and vend our various items of plunder. My negotiations were rather successful, and we have put out to sea again carrying reagents for the creation of alchemical concoctions, valued at 4,000 measures, for Aisla's endeavors as well as 8,000 measures-worth of materials for my own studies into the enchantment and enhancement of armor and weaponry.

My initial work on my crossbow seems satisfactory, and I was able to augment Varnai's Vindictive Harpoon with conductive tracery and inlay. This modification seems to have gone very well - he's now able to use the harpoon as a conduit for his electrical attacks. Mad Harry seemed taken with the enchanted falcatta we liberated from the inimitable Captain Svard, and I was able to acquire a well-made kukri to enchant for him, so as to leave him with a well-matched set of blades. If Svard had a name for his weapon, it went to the depths with him, and Harry has taken to calling his new toys 'Falcon' and 'Cucco' ... I wonder if the constant presence of Buster (taking a turn as a tern), Rotgut, and Neryce's albatross (whose name I've yet to learn) are taking too severe a toll on our Bosun...

Our second visit to Quent was just as pleasant as the first, and it is with bolstered spirits that we embark again. I've advised an easterly course around Motaku Isle, cutting through the large unnamed lagoon south of Dahak's Fang and then into the long southwest passage marked on the Chelish charts as 'Cuthroat Run' - I believe that the Wormwood transited this passage at least in part on our initial journey from Port Peril.

This morning, in the wee hours, our ship was attacked by what I can only describe as a fragrant Kelp Monster. Neryce identified it as a Sargassum Fiend, but Kelp Monster sums it up nicely. It killed two Petes and nearly slew Rosie before we managed to subdue it. The crewman we now call 'Bomber Harry' has been appropriated by Aisla for her artillery squad after ingeniously lighting up the creature with one of the ship's lanterns, or so I'm told. I was late to the fight. Remembering the proper conjugation for an imperative command in infernal to 'assist the people on deck in attacking the kelp monster', as well as the proper way to say 'kelp monster' in that diabolical tongue, right out of a deep, peaceful sleep, is not the easiest of things to manage. Not that I really intended to summon the Hell Hound, it just sort of happened while I was still waking up. As I arrived, Aisla had just lofted a bomb at the creature. Imagine my surprise when, instead of detonating on impact, the charge's outer coating fractured as it slipped deeper within the tangled mass of seaweed and then detonated heavily. Based on Neryce's autopsy afterwords, I think its fair to say that the bomb carried the fight...

While she was unable to extract some pheremonal glands she wanted, we did discover a magical helmet that grants the ability to breathe water ... most of the time. Periodically, though, it will cease to function until returned to the surface. Aisla dubbed it the 'Helm of Stylish Drowning' and the name seems to have stuck. A marvel at naming things, our Alchemist.

As we entered the archipelago south of Dahak's Fang, lookouts sight a fair-sized town heretofore unknown to us (including Ambrose)! None of my charts denote a settlement as existing here, and I prevailed on the Captain to permit us to investigate. The waters here are more shallow than on the open sea, as I expected, but the reefs and shoals were more surprising. Still, after weighing anchor and leaving Neryce in command, Varnai set off to visit the native town. Harry, Aisla, Conchabar, Sandarra, and I accompanied him, and were greeted relatively warmly by the natives. Shortly after arriving and stating our intentions (bartering for resupply and the offer to join us for any wandering souls who might take interest), the natives introduced us to their other guest. William Vaashammyr, aka "The Fish Man" to the natives, was marooned here some 5 years ago when his ship had its keel detached by a reef. He seems an earnest sort and has expressed interest in accompanying us when we depart.

The town is called Y'kenqu, and we were later introduced to its leader, Ochii. He seems to be the shaman here, leading me to believe that there must be some cultural relation to the village on the sheltered cove where we encountered the Dominator. Ochii does not possess the same kind of presence as that shaman, but the societal structure appears to be similar. During our meal with him, Ochii seemed wary and moderately suspicious of our motives, not unreasonably I suppose, but hopefully our honesty and lack of ulterior motives assuaged his concerns.

As we departed, William offered to show us the rough location of his ship when it encountered the reef and sank. The distance from shore he claims to have swam is truly remarkable, but Buster was able to locate the wreck after 8 minutes of searching. It seems that a giant crab, on the scale of the beetle that attacked us while burying the sarcophagus, has taken up residence in the remains of the Corking Gull. Dinner will be tasty tonight, I think.

After dispatching the crab handily with well-placed strikes from Harry and Buster and a beautifully placed bomb from Aisla, the harvest of crab increased our plunder by a sizable amount. We did contribute some of the crab to the villagers of Y'kenqu.

William recovered an iron-bound chest and a footlocker from the wreck of the Corking Gull. The chest was filled with money; his footlocker contained a magnificent hammer, the Vaas family hammer.The Vaashammer is a Legacy Weapon: normally it's a +1 weapon, but in the hands of a Vasshammyr, it becomes a +3 weapon with a x4 crit modifier that slowly breaks the armor of it's targets and punishes those wielding it who flee from combat...

It's been quiet. Harry thinks perhaps too quiet, with hardly any disciplinary issues over the past week, not even from Ten'n'one. I've tasked Buster to resume a closer watch on the fellow, and have resolved to investigate the tale-telling of our passenger, Master Doren, as it may be contributing to the crew's improved conduct...

Tidewater Rock was originally constructed around two centuries past by the first Hurricane King, Magna Stormeyes, and has been held over the years by a number of piratical lords. With the recent "alliance" of the pirates of the Shackles with Sargava it has diminished in relevance as a point of defense for the Shackles. The most recent Free Captain to inhabit the Keep was Bertram Smythee, aka. Iron Bert after his storied Ironshirt armor, who lost the bulk of his fleet and his life some ten years ago to Captain Barnabus Harrigan. His widow, despite Harrigan's attempts, continued to hold the fortress against his onslaught, until he finally gave up and left her to rot. Master Vaashammyr indicates that the lady was reasonably well known to him before his shipwreck, and expressed a desire to perhaps visit the stronghold.

Based on our course, a correction to the east should bring us to the Rock by midafternoon.

Later that afternoon...

page 33, top-rightA tower rises like a solid block from the sea at the edge of the Windward Isle. The pounding surf rolls around its base and partially covers the steps that lead up to its front gate. A few arrow slits pierce its walls here and there, and a single shuttered window opens high upon the face of the fortress. A roof of metal shingles rises from its battlements where sentries keep lookout and siege weapons stand ready on corner turrets.

On arriving, the Lady Agasta Smythee challenged our approach from the battlements, but was persuaded by William to meet us. We were met by her major domo, Roister McCleigh, who requested that we volunteer a hostage to be held against our good behavior and well-intentions. Neryce volunteered, and was conducted to her captivity, after which we were permitted to join the Lady Agasta for dinner and conversation.

The heavy iron chandelier over the long oaken table in the solar at the top of the keep was already lit when we arrived and were greeted by the striking Lady Agasta. After some catching up with William about his father (who William clearly believes to be dead), Varnai manages to steer the conversation to the subject of our blood vendetta against Harrigan.Infamy: 10 | Disrepute: 10

Lady Agasta was unwilling to merely enter an alliance, but proposed a political marriage to Captain Varnai for a period of one year, during which time co-comittent use of the spouse's property is unrestricted. After that year, the marriage can be dissolved in divorce at the discretion of either party amicably. If the arrangement ends in divorce, it is expected that both parties will return the other's properties and part amicably. Varnai agreed.

Aisla released fireworks to ... celebrate.

Becalmed on the fever sea, a lookout has sighted a pod of dolphins in the distance. Neryce indicated that they appear to be fleeing, though, and as we watched a toothy maw on a long sinuous neck breaks the surface long enough to swallow a dolphin. Neryce identifies the creature as a Sea Serpent, an incredibly rare, mythical inhabitant of the oceans. Varnai summoned a breeze at this point, and we were able to sail away slowly.

A ship is sighted on the horizon unlike any normal ship. Sails rise from a bluff, gilded platform. Close examination of the ship through the Farglass indicates that this is a vessel of Osiriani design. As the ship closes, we can see thugs in over-embellished armor moving about between buildings on deck, and they have raised a flag of parlay. The ship is called the Jeweled Bird, and is not

A Guards-master bellows a greeting and charges us to permit him to conduct us to his boss, Master Lacuni, to assist him in an issue of navigation, as the crew of a Ship of the Shackles. After a moment of consideration, Varnai agreed.

Guards-master Jeg conducted us below-deck to a thoroughly decadent harem chamber, where Master Lacuni greeted us jovially and enjoined us to accompany us to his office. His lackeys conducted him in a palanquin; we followed in silence. Guards-master Jeg appears to be a long-suffering man.

In Lacuni's office, after we were all seated, he sent a guard to fetch the "purple and blue" and then spent ten minutes basking in his own existence. Once the guard returned with a large cage full of purple and blue exotic birds, which piqued Neryce's interest, Lacuni explained that as a Merchant King, he was investigating the opening of new trade routes to the Shackles and was in need of navigational assistance to Port Peril and the court of the Hurricane King.

On being asked his purpose, he offered to show us his merchandise, something that clearly puffed up his ego every time he had the opportunity. We were conducted through a nursery full of plants both mundane and exotic, some of which appeared to be very interested in our progress. (Neryce identified several as being poisonous or otherwise high-risk.) Below that, we were conducted to the menagerie proper, a cramped, horrible collection of rare animals kept confined, and in many cases chained, in spaces far too small for them. Amongst the ones that Lacuni gleefully called to our attention were his rust monster, his bulette, his black dragon youngling, and his owlbear. His beast had much less freedom of movement and much closer quarters than Owlbear does on the Allegiance. The most vile display, though, was when his guards were called to restrain the [] for Lacuni to pet.

I could take no more, and in my role as both naviagtrix and purser, I advised Lacuni as helpfully as I could that in actuality, Port Peril though large was often frequented by less than reputable folk and saw very little of the Hurricane King. I suggested that he would be better served by heading to Tidewater Rock, the Hurricane King's nearby fortress. After some minor questions, Lacuni agreed and summoned his navigator.

Alphonse, the navigator, is a local man who explained that his charts had been charred and burnt in an accident with one of the creatures when it had gotten loose, and recognized that Tidewater Rock had not seen the presence of a Hurricane King in quite some time - I agreed, and explained that Varnai was the lord of Tidewater Rock and that we had every intention of disrupting Lacuni's operations permanently. Alphonse warned me that Lacuni was clever in his own way and that is seemed that he must have "bought 'stupid' just because it was for sale" ... In the end, Alphonse wound up copying my charts and backing away slowly having advised me in no uncertain terms that he wanted to stay uninvolved and that he'd be on the side of whoever won in our conflict. He did confirm that he had no intentions of notifying Lacuni about our plans. Hopefully the Captain has gotten along better with Jeg...

So, we found this big boat, all golden and stuff. Belongs to a guy called Lacuni, real asshole. He's got a lot of guards, though. We could take him, but we don't got a lotta Petes to take a ship that big. Better safe than sorry: Cap'n Varnai and Emma want us to take him back to Tidewater Rock and sepa seprate seperate him from his crew. Sounds like fun. Plus, Lacuni gave our crew free reign of his ship's luxuries, prolly to make us like him more, so I get to sit around and watch his dancing girls to make sure the crew don't cause a ruckus while they're having fun. O'course, I don't gotta watch all the time! Heh.

My reign as captain has been a trying one. Emma's paranoia has only made it worse, though her heart's in the right place. I still feel like I have not fully entrenched myself as leader. The way Harrigan did (may the depths take him). Someone like Ten-in-One could easily knife me in the back and take my place, regardless of whether he intends to. Then we encountered the Jeweled Bird. Some wealthy merchant became lost in the Shackles and lost all of their maps. His name was Lacuni, a reprehensible noble with the most miserable guard-captain I have ever seen.

This could be my chance.

Some of the crew were late to duty this morning, perhaps after too long on the Jeweled Bird, but this is not perhaps a horrible thing. We're making way reasonably well, given the speed to which Lacuni's craft is limited. Sandarra is clearly distraught by the conditions on the Bird, as was Doren from his visit. Rosie has been availing herself of the cortisans on Lacuni's ship, which has put Conchabar in a state...

This evening, our ships are moored together in a northerly curent and our crew is invited again to enjoy the pleasures of the Bird. Harry has gone over to investigate the brothel services, while I have agreed to attend tonight's dinner with Lacuni - I was absent from the event last night, claiming the need to chart our course and rest.

Tonight also saw Ten'n'one's attempt to infiltrate the more restricted areas of the ship - he was discovered by Lacuni's silent white-robed sister, Alyse. Harry has sussed out that she is some sort of devout and reportedly took a vow of silence. Ten'n'one does report that there is a large-ish section of the undership that might be Lacuni's quarters or might be a vault, and that it was always guarded by at minimum six men. He also reported seeing a great vareity in the slave population, with some appearing to bear tattoos from the Shackles. He further reported the presence of seige weaponry on the Bird, below-decks, that could be winched up and deployed in minutes or less...

Pete reported a sighting of the Sea Serpent to starboard today, around noonish, but nobody else was able to corroborate. Harry had him take a rest, but we increased watchstanding anyway.

We've made reasonable progress again, and we were able to advance the premise that there can be scoundrels marauding these waters, and that Lacuni's safety would be better protected by our freedom to maneuver.

If the winds hold, we should make Tidewater Rock by evening.

There was a moment of concern when the Jeweled Bird made for the harbor mouth to moor at our fortress, for it seemed that its girth and draft might eclipse that of the channel. It was fortunately able to pass without incident, and the Allegiance took her appointed station to block any possible escape.

Lacuni was unimpressed by the keep, particularly its first floor entryway and its ladder, and grudgingly climbed up only after it was clear that his guards were unable to hoist him in his sedan chair. He did appear to be mollified slightly by the history of the place, but his overall lack of regard for the fort is nearly palpable. As we reached the fourth floor Varnai declaimed, "One last thing you should know about negotiating in the Shackles: it is best done from a position of strength. Take them!"

Swift attacks from Varnai and Buster felled Lacuni in short order, but his sister did something and his bleeding figure vanished. Still silent, she surrendered into the care of the Keep's staff. Jeg indicated an unwillingness to oppose us in person, but indicated that to make good on the promise made by Captain Tideweaver we would still need to take the Jeweled Bird. There was a cry of alarm from below in the tower that strangled off abruptly. Jeg cautioned that we had tarried overlong in our discourse, and we sped down the tower.

On the second floor, we encountered a slime-coated demon. Recognizing the creature as a Babau Ta'anari, I tried to caution against electrical attacks, though Varnai had already launched his charged harpoon. As I feared, it made no mark on the demon. Neryce englobed it in a conjured ball of water, though, as I enhanced Buster's abilities for the fray. Buster proved ... ineffective against the demon, but once it escaped the globe and fled, Buster was able to support Harry's attacks. When the demon fled down the ladder, Harry dropped on it and fought from the floor. Varnai and Neryce launched snowballs against the fiend, while I greased the floor and Buster harried it from above. After about a minute of only partially effective attacks, Harry managed to dispatch it, and Jeg advised us that Lacuni did have dealings with Cheliax.

Neryce empowered us to walk on water, and we charged off across the bay to where the Jeweled Bird had rammed the Allegiance. Aisla reported via Buster that the crew was repelling attempts to board the Allegiance, and that standoff fire was proceeding apace. Buster also got a description of where Lacuni was taken by the winged creature carrying him, and headed in that direction.

We managed to scale the Bird, where Jeg hoped to bring a contingent of guards to our side. Buster reached the Harem and was immediately assaulted by a scimitar-wielding demon. He reported smelling Lacuni on the far side of the chamber behind the stairs. Aisla reported a fracas between a stranger in the hold and Master Vaashammyr, who she's joined in defense of the ship. Vaashammyr was able to land a solid strike on the stranger.

Jeg was somewhat successful in quelling the scrum as we made for the Harem. Buster located Lacuni while withdrawing from his bat-winged foe, as we proceeded into the Harem. The demon interposed himself between Buster and Lacuni; Mad Harry, the captain, and I entered the Harem. Buster pulled a knight's move and bit at Lacuni; Aisla's combatant vanished as we saw a fair-haired fellow with a bloody cutlass appear in the Harem. He attempted to offer us terms to end the conflict before revealing itself as a succubus. The bat-winged demon appears to be an incubus. Wonderful. Lacuni, clearly panicked, shouted a command word, and became invulnerable for a short while.

We were able to counter the feints the demons made long enough for Conchabar, Sandarra, and William Vaashammyr to arrive. Vaashammyr immediately hammered the Succubus out of our plane, leaving a freshly vulnerable Lacuni to be slain by Buster, who handily ripped out his throat. I observed the termination of the Incubus's contract, and saw him grin evilly and vanish.

The events of the past week have been ... disturbing. Our victory over Lacuni was marred by Neryce's demise under the crimson saw-toothed sabers of the erstwhile merchant's Red Mantis Assassin War Priest of a sister. After some precision ordinance delivery courtesy of Aisla's steady hand, and careful examination of the keep, we determined that Alys had made good her escape, presumably to return to vex us at some later time. Fortunately we had already made arrangements for dividing our spoils with Jeg, which enabled us to make our way at best possible speed to Rickety's Squibbs in search of Chandra's ability to Reincarnate Neryce.

This was happily accomplished and Neryce was reborn, to our vast surprise, as an Undine. Though I'm not thoroughly versed on the possibilities, the odds of this happening seem slim at best, so I can only imagine that Neryce has earned the favor of Gozreh.

Our carousal on the first night was heckled by a large drunken man with a bludgeon for an arm, Vincent "The Bear" Baar. Harry seems to like him. I don't know if I should be worried... After Aisla spiked his drink and he fell over, I was able to learn that The Bear is a ranking member of the crew of Tessa Fairwind, Free Captain and Lord-Commander of the city... He was covered by a Bear-embroidered blanket (to sleep off his condition) brought out from the back room, so I can only surmise that his condition tonight is not at all abnormal.

On the third day, I met Pegs the Gnome, with Neryce and Conchabar, while vending our supply of incense, herbs, and sundry "spices". He is, I'm told, the fellow to see about illicit mercantile endeavors. He was described to me as unsavory, and he certainly fit the bill. The sort of chap who might not sell his own mother, but wouldn't hesitate to buy mine... I also spoke to Doren, at the Captain's behest, to encourage him to come to me for information about Draconic lore, rather than pestering our dragon. Tonight's carousal was interrupted by The Bear again, and Rakazon spat acid at him and ended the evening. Harry and I managed to distract The Bear while Varnai masterfully asserted control over our draconic cohort. They departed, and I managed to elude Vincent's advances long enough to settle up with the barkeep and try to mollify the propriter.

On the fifth day, Varnai received word that three of our Petes were jailed for burning down a house. I discovered this when Varnai and Harry came to find Buster. We visited the jail, and then turned our attention to the arson. We questioned several potential witnesses to the arson, before we were located by the Lady Tessa Fairwind. She advised us that up-and-coming captains would be well-advised, once having made something of a name for themselves, to gather a sizable volume of partying plunder and make for Port Peril to crave an audience with the Hurricane King, perchance to be granted a Letter of Marque as a proper Free Captain. She also kindly gave leave for our imprisoned Petes to be released for 100 gold each. We collected our crew and made ready to depart once our cargo was offloaded.

After our departure from Quent, the only real incident of note on our voyage to Tidewater Rock was an "attack" by Hanovers, aquatic fey gremlins. We drove them off, after capturing one for Aisla. We arrived just after sunset, and Neryce advises us that there is a serious storm brewing, but we should be able to secure the ship and take shelter from the storm in the keep.

Roister McCleigh advised us on our arrival that Martus was attacked by Sahaugin the day before our arrival, and that while a guard from the keep threw himself into the fray to shield the youth (to his own peril), Martus was wounded in the leg and it appears to be infected. Neryce was able to treat the infection, but discovered an injury to the bone as well, and cured Martus with her magic.

As the first tendrils of the storm break over the Windward Isle, Roister notes unusual activity outside, and a guard bursts into the Dining Hall to blurt out the news of a Sahaugin attack. Neryce dispatched Coolridge to warn the Allegiance as we make our way down to the fracas. Roister has taken up his ancestral claymore and joined us against the invaders, he seems to feel strongly about the attack...

We dispatched the fish-men with relative ease only to learn of a larger threat looming... Exiting the keep, Buster and I both caught sight of a massive, black-sailed ship blocking the mouth of the Windward Cove, and at least two longboats headed for the shore near the fortress. As soon as we emerged into the lightning-lit night, an eldritch fog shrouded the harbor. When last we glimpsed her, the Allegiance was starting to get underway, presumably in response to the albatross's warning. At Varnai's command, we've taken a defensive posture on the stairs to the keep...

While we defended the keep (leaving Buster to hold the stairs while we engaged a strangely tattooed sorceress who nearly killed Roister), Mad Harry closed with the Thresher. The crew performed marvelously and the Thresher retreated into the teeth of the gale - the sorceress was dispatched and captured, but released a sea-urchin spine from her false teeth and killed herself before we could ask any questions. I've copied the map and inscription tattooed on her back, and Alfonse and I believe that it is a treasure map that could lead us to the lost treasure of a former Hurricane King.

From blue bight's embrace
Spy the Grave Lady's prize tooth
With the Dawn flower's first kiss
Climb the Captain's wayward orb
To claim old king's hoard.

We've deciphered the map, and are on our way to Mancatcher Cove, the site of the treasure cache of Captain Cyrus Wolfe. Hopefully the map that Neryce created from the sorceress's remains will be useful once we arrive. Local history records that the Alpha Captain lost his right eye in a fight, so we'll probably be engaged in some sort of activity that is directional.

On our way, we passed a years-old shipwreck with an interesting bowsprit, and when we went to retrieve it at Varnai's behest, I discovered that it was actually a Ship's Sentinel, ensorceled to defend its ship from any attackers. We resolved to return after I was able to research the method for transmigrating the construct to the Allegiance. The next day, a shrouded, hooded man wreathed in an almost palpable air of menace appeared on deck accompanied by two large fire elementals. He vanished immediately, though Buster was able to get a swipe in at him, and we dispatched the fire elementals without serious difficulty, though there were some tense moments.

On our arrival at the cove at dawn (by happy chance), Neryce was able to espy a rocky outcropping that looked a bit like a skull bearded by tree roots and vines. We climbed up the escarpment and entered the left "socket" -- since Captain Wolfe lose his right eye -- and made our way into the cave we found there. At the back of this cave, we encountered tree roots with the caricature of a king carved into them beyond earthy soil. I conjured several Earth Elementals and advised them to search for buried treasure. They assisted us in locating a boarded-off shaft that led down into a water-filled cave...

After descending into the depths of the watery cave, we encountered several Sahuagin patrols, none of which gave us significant trouble. Examination of the map Neryce created from the slain sorceress revealed that we appeared to be in the chambers it detailed; we were able to follow the map to the throne room of the Sahuagin chieftain with well-ordered dispatch. There was a brief moment of trepidation when we offered a shark we had killed to the civilian Sahuagin population to keep them busy. They informed me that this shark was the pet of their chief, Krellort, and that our lives were forfeit. I promised that we would be back shortly with Krellort's head, to permit them to devour the shark. While Krellort was highly belligerent, we dispatched him in short order and cleared the caves of further resistance.

On emerging from the caves, having rescued a Locothah matron and her eggs in the process, we returned to the Allegiance, only to discover her rudder had been disabled and that the Thresher had returned to block the entrance to the cove. The Junk had taken a stand-off position and was firing at the Alligance.

Neryce boarded the ship to aid its defense, starting with enshrouding the Allegiance with an obscuring mist, while Rakazhan joined us in preparing to assault the Thresher. We set off at a run across the waves, thanks to Neryce's lingering gifts, to board and seize our newest prize. After a brief exchange of hostilities, with the crew of the Thresher taking the brunt of things, Rakazhan's acid and Varnai's lightning cleared the decks with dispatch while Buster dealt with the artillery crews, Aisla's skill as a grenadier kept the majority of the remaining crew suppressed, and Mad Harry engaged their captain, a punch-ugly galoot with whom he'd wrangled before. Blows were exchanged, and the crew might have rallied against us, but Mad Harry scored his second headshot of the day with an egregious blow and the fight went out of them. A wizened man with a cane emerged on deck, took stock of the fracas, and immediately surrendered the ship unconditionally. We learned his name was Ezekiel, and then saw a vine monster assaulting the Allegiance...

Buster and Rakazhan leapt into flight, saving a Pete from being dragged up into the foliage, but exposing themselves to the creature's attacks. Mad Harry, Varnai, and Aisla dashed off across the waves again to join the new fracas; I remained to encourage our newest crew to support the attack against the vine monster. Some of their ballistae crews managed to land shots, while the Captain and Aisla assaulted the creature more directly. With the Captain's arrival, the creature's attacks focused on the senior officers, and it was rapidly dispatched.

We arrived at Rickety's Squibbs today to have the Redemption (formerly the Thresher) rebuilt and repaired. Master Hake projected a 3-day squibbing, and accepted our various chattels valued at ~3,000 measures of gold as payment. He also mentioned that a mysterious stranger all swathed in cloth had made enquiries after us several weeks past - Hake reports that he disclaimed any knowledge of us, but the likelihood that this enquirer and the fellow who brought the two fire elementals are one and the same. This portends disturbing developments, I have no doubt.

Our fledgling squadron set off today from the Squibbs to make the 10-day journey to Port Peril. The weather was pleasant, if cool for the Shackles, and we have a following sea. I've advised Varnai that it should not be necessary to stop at Tidewater Rock, and he agreed that we should press on to make Port Peril before the New Year. I expect us to arrive on the 25th, but delays are always difficult to anticipate.

Midmorning today Buster noticed a lot of blood in the water, far more than could have come from a single man. Our flotilla made cautious progress and shortly came upon a pod of whales fleeing a massive giant shark. The megalodon chasing them appeared to have caught two, and was in the process of consuming them. We elected to avoid further contact, and sailed on, cleaning off any lingering blood on the hull once we were a half-day on.

Good tailwinds and fair weather let us make the passage in nine days - arriving at Port Peril this afternoon, we immediately sent plunder with a messenger to Fort Hazard to secure an audience with the Hurricane King, and turned our attention to carousal.

The Mermaid's Bucket is, according to Neryce's blue pamphlet, a "drunken stumble" from our docking slip, and the Captain seems to have taken a shine to it. Ambrose suggested that we keep all of our very best stories under our hats, but we did spread some wealth around to make more of a splash on our first night in port. A splash was made, perhaps too well, as Mad Harry overindulged and had to be carried back aboard...

Tsadok Goldtooth, a half-orc and first mate to the Hurricane King, met us on the dock this morning, as well as a broad selection of cronies. He indicated that he was here to determine Varnai's fitness to be received by the Hurricane King, Captain Bonefist. Apparently we're to be tested in the practices of piracy.

The first test was for one of us to climb to the yardarm of a nearby brig and unfurl the mainsail before Tsadok's man managed the same task on the brig's mizzenmast. Aisla volunteered and dashed aboard; I think I saw her takea swig of one of her concoctions "for luck"... She casually strolled up to the mainmast, eschewing the rigging, and casually strolled up the mast to the yardarm in a fashion rather at odds with gravity. As she was working on the second knot, Buster alerted me of a sailor meddling with one of the lines for the boom. I tried to ask Tsadok if the man was his, but identifying the fellow was proving challenging until he was assaulted by an angry albatross. Neryce does usually have sharper eyes than Buster... After I was able to point him out, a somewhat annoyed Tsadok admitted the man was his. Aisla encountered no further trouble, though, and moonwalked the last leg of her journey.

Tsadok's second challenge was a card game. I confess to the temptation to volunteer and have Buster read his cards to me, but that seemed to be far too easy, as well as something over which Tsadok might take serious exception, so I suggested the Captain take him on instead. Varnai struck me as the sort to be good at card games, and I was not wrong. In spite of a crooked dealer, Varnai was able to win the game handily, taking all of Tsadok's 100 platinum sphinxes. There was minor fluctuation, but after the first hand turned out to be a draw and Varnai won the second, he was never really playing with his own money. Tsadok was a grudging loser, and tried to intimate at the end that as the test was "just a friendly game", Varnai could return his platinum now that it was over. I guess the Captain felt like rubbing his nose in the loss, because the way he returned the coins was beautifully magnanimous.

The third and final trial was a fight against a marsh giant Tsadok called Fishpork. After roughing him up a bit, Neryce summoned a wall of water and slammed him back into his cage. Buster closed up the cage once more and the fight was essentially over. Tsadok derided us somewhat for our show of mercy, but allowed, inasmuch as we had bested his tests, that we would be permitted an audience with the Hurricane King at the party tonight at Fort Hazard...

Not trusting these dressmakers, I have enchanted my armor instead. I was almost certain that this would work, but it's very nice to find my expectations born out.

Kurdak Bonefist is impressive. His party was remarkable.

Mad Harry dragged us to a bar he wanted us to experience tonight, the Riptide Alehouse.

Neryce mentioned seeing Caulky Taroon, the cabin-girl from the Wormwood, and that she seemed to be doctoring some drinks at the bar.

We were chatted up by Captain Pierce Jerrell, another Free Captain, who seemed to take a shine to Neryce in particular and ordered us a round of drinks. Buster reported that he had eyes on Caulky; I had him follow her as a cat as I unfettered him. As he shifted, a brawl seemed to wash over the entire common room: drinks were spilled, an unconscious sailor landed on our table, Captain Jerrell made a pithy remark of some sort, and combat descended upon us.

After Neryce turned into a dancing grizzly bear, though, I think the fight went out of the other patrons...

As we made our escape from the Watch through the kitchens, Buster reported that he had lost Caulky, but presumably she was busy trying to drug press-gang targets. I was able to learn than the Wormwood made port yesterday and sounds to be pursuing aggressive recruitment strategies... The Captain made a public announcement to the crew to be on their guard, and approved William Vaashammyr's request to start his own recruitment drive for the Redemption.

After working on the enchantment of a pair of boots for the bulk of the day, I am quite pleased at the results...

Tessa Fairwind invited us to dinner tonight, and we discussed various political matters...

The general sense that the Hurricane King rules with an iron fist is not inaccurate depiction, but there is a Council of Pirate Lords of the Shackles. Kurdak Bonefist is, however, an unpopular ruler and Tessa is generally the accepted "heir" to the throne.

Tessa confided in us that while she does not actively seek the throne, it would be unwise to avoid obvious allegiances. She also expressed some serious concerns about potential Chelish actions and asked us to investigate the lax attitudes her counterparts display, as well as to search for Chelish spies and informants.

Tessa indicated that in exchange for our cooperation in investigating these matters, she would welcome us into her fleet at the conclusion of our tasks. After ensuring that the Lady Fairweather held the same opinion of Captain Merril Pegsworthy, we accepted the Lady's charge.

Tessa provided us with detailed magical charts, and pointed out two locations for us to begin our investigations: the House of Stolen Kisses in Quent, "a temple of Calistria and one of the best information brokerages in the Shackles," and the Temple of the Hidden Name, a secret temple of Norgorber that the Lady said may operate in the town of Beachcomber on Bag Island. She also gave the Captain her Fleet Pennant, with instructions to use it only in dire need.

Lady Fairwind indicated that she would be leaving Port Peril in a few days to return to Quent. To allow the crew to rest further and to deal with various financial transactions, Captain Varnai indicated we would depart Port Peril five days hence.

Our departure from Port Peril was unremarkable, as was our journey to the town of Beachcomber on Bag Isle. I was successful in advancing the notion that we should visit here first and follow up in Quent to better be able to consult with our patron...

Varnai was able to discover a potential location for the Temple of the Hidden Name, and we shortly thereafter found ourselves in an alley outside a warehouse...

The Captain's silver tongue got us in the door, where the attendant, Slip, was able to slyly verify the ability of the Temple to provide us with the information we sought, but that to reveal it to us, we would need to provide a commensurate secret. He requested, in trade, information regarding the fate of the Brine Banshee and the secrets of her maneuverability. Last I heard of the Brine Banshee had it leaving Ollo on Shark Island coming from Quent, roughly sometime last Gozran.

We visited Quent again to check in with Dendrianne, High Priestess of Callistria, who set us the task of locating a Callistrian relic, the Golden Vesple, and discerning the fate of the ship carrying it, a vessel called the Lady's Sting. Dendrianne also indicated that Doctor Hannelius Finch of Ollo had knowledge of some way that could help us locate the Brine Banshee.

We set off again for Beachcombe to consult Slip about the Lady's Sting, while dispatching Vaashammyr and the Redemption to Ollo to start the investigation into the Brine's Banshee.

Returning to Beachcombe, our second visit to Slip at the Hidden Temple of Norgorber went much the same as the first. We traded the secret of the truth behind our interactions with Master Lacuni for his insight on the wreckers that preyed on the Lady's Sting. He pointed us to the north, to seek out Varkarla halforcen, the Wizard Captain of the wreckers. They apparently are based in the southeast of the Rampore Isles...

Based on the length of time it may take us to locate Varkarla's wreckers, Varnai has dispatched new orders to the Redemption to await us in Ollo, as we may be somewhat delayed. Neryce procured for us a very accommodating tern to carry the missive, and the enchantment she cast on the creature was fascinating to observe.

After a violent storm lasting 3 days and an encounter with what Neryce tells us was a Gargaia, and two further days of searching the Rampore coast, we finally sighted a ship, and began to close. We rapidly discovered (by blundering into them) a vast array of illusions. The after deck was swamped by noxious fumes at the same time that the ship lurched onto a reef that appeared out of the open water...

After a massive scrum, we emerged victorious with Varkarla dead at our feet. The ship we initially saw proved to be yet another illusion, but Rakazhan located her encampment on a nearby island, where a significant volume of plundered booty was found, as well as an enchanted Shackles Ensign. We also, by dint of careful searching, managed to discover the Golden Vesple wrapped in a sheet hidden in the bottom of a barrel. Wrecked on the reef, we discovered the remains of the Lady's Sting and another ship, the Firewind.

Our extended stay in Quent was very well received by the Petes, and provided me with a lucrative opportunity to fill our coffers while emptying our hold.

Dendrianne thanked us for our efforts, and for our success suggested we contact one Jaymiss Keft, in Drenchport, who claims to have knowledge of a spy operating in the Shackles. Our meeting was stilted, however, as she indicated that it was a very busy time for the temple.

There has been no word or sign from the Redemption, and I feel some trepidation as we set sail for Ollo...

The journey to Ollo was stormy, but generally dull. Three days out, a passing Locathah warned us to steer clear of the Sahaugin Coast on account of elevated raiding activity of late, but that was the only excitement the voyage offered.

We did pass a ship leaving Ollo of notable appearance, though. Bearing the name "God's Hammer", it looked to be half-demolished with a skeleton crew, but there was a sizable, very dead, aboleth chained to the prow in place of a figurehead. It passed without incident, however. The pilot looked to be a pleasant, perhaps jovial sort, though the priestly lady who emerged on deck briefly looked to be more reserved.

Our actual arrival was met with little enough fanfare, and we have been able to make our way to see Doctor Fitch without any difficulty, though it is clear that the Redemption is not in port. This either means that our message missed the Redemption entirely or that Vaashammyr elected to ignore the Captain's orders... Hopefully Fitch will be able to shed more light on the subject.

Doc Fitch, when we found him, indicated that he had met with Vaashammyr several weeks ago and told him the same thing he was about to tell us. He introduced us to the leg of an old shipmate, Vargas Brack, and explained that he can use the bone to find the rest of Master Brack, and has no reason to assume that he was off of the Banshee when it was lost, so finding the body should locate the wreck.

Fitch indicated that he tasked Vaashammyr to recover the Ring of the Iron Skull from Milksop Morton, aboard his ship the Dryad's Grave, and that while our man had appeared brashly overconfident, he seemed well in command of his faculties, but has yet to return with the ring. Milksop allegedly sails his sloop between the Smoker and Shark Island, so we've set out to try to track him down.

I'm not sure if the Captain hopes that William was bested by this Morton fellow or not, but hopefully once we defeat the Dryad's Grave we'll have more answers.

It's taken us two days to reach the Smoker, and though we have not yet run across the Dryad's Grave, we did find Tanos and several Petes waiting for us on the quay when we made port.

Tanos indicated that they had received the orders to remain in Ollo and that while Vaashammyr had originally thought that the Redemption could deal with Milksop Morton and his crew, had agreed with Tanos that orders were orders, and had stalked off into town. Several hours later, much to everyone's surprise, Vaashammyr returned in haste and, in a tone brooking no argument, ordered an immediate departure. It took nearly two days for Tanos to persuade Vaashammyr to stop to finish resupplying the ship, and when William would not desist in his intention to continue to sail east, Tanos elected to remain behind at Plumetown, to wait in hope of our arrival.

With a two-week head start, the Redemption could be almost anywhere in the Shackles by now, and Varnai has ordered the Allegiance south based on the word in the local pubs that the Dryad's Grave stalks the Redbow Channel between Shark Island and Nalt's Island.

Yesterday, Neryce managed to Scry on our errant comrade, William Vaashammyr, and we learned of the reason for his rather abrupt departure from Ollo... It seems that his dead grandfather, a towering monster of a man, is alive again and has become active in the Shackles once more, and while William is able to wield his family's relic with some degree of skill, his grandfather had completely mastered the family legacy prior to his demise... Varnai instructed William to carry on, and that we would rendezvous with him once our present task was concluded.

A day's sail through the Redbow Channel found us making preparations to overtake a ketch-rigged schooner that could only be the Dryad's Grave.

As we closed on our target, her captain emerged to warn us off. ... His mistake. I'm sure he was shocked at the speed with which both Neryce's and Varnai's lightning struck him, and Aisla's bomb sealed his fate. Very little was left for Mad Harry and Buster to do but fend off the attacks of Morton's Ship's Sentinel before dismantling it with overenthusiastic abandon. Milksop's crew, floored to a man by their captain's abrupt reversal of fortunes, provided no further resistance, and we took the ship without loss of life. Several crewmen elected to become Petes under Varnai's colors, while the rest were imprisoned.

Though Neryce had predicted clear skies, the evening saw the onset of a fairly severe storm, and we lashed the ships together in the lee of an unnamed rocky escarpment to ride it out.

In the wee hours of the morning, at the height of the storm, a Pete came knocking at the Captain's door, bearing news that Sandarra had fallen into some kind of seizure. Varnai sent the Pete for Neryce as well, and set off to investigate.

Arriving at the door to the Officer's Quarters, we found the officers out on deck. They indicated that they "didn't belong" in the room, or words to that effect. Neryce and Varnai each tried to enter, intent on rendering aid, and reached the same conclusion in turn, retreating from the chamber. Sandarra continued to contort herself on the floor, and I did overhear Neryce saying something about the storm being unnatural. I suppose as a votary of Gozreh, she would know... Once Harry had also failed to enter, I summoned to me a heavenly Sentinel Archon, and bade the noble canine to render aid to Sandarra. My ally demurred, however, indicating that a divine presence was at work whose authority far superseded his own. With a murmured benediction to Besmarra, Sandarra's chosen patron, I sent for a holy symbol and an offering.

Making an offering to Besmarra, and holding Her holy symbol, I stepped into the room with every fiber of my being attuned to the idea that I was not there to help Sandarra, but rather to join her in whatever experience she was having. I do not know what impact this had, if any, but Sandarra's seizure stopped and everyone was suddenly able to enter the chamber and help her again.

Sandarra, only mildly bruised from her ordeal, related that she had received a vision from Besmarra of an alternate world where a man, miles-high, rose from the waters of the Shackles and, covered in armor hewn from the flotsam of ruined fleets, wielding a gleaming hammer, destroyed the Shackles entire with a single smashing stroke.

All were pleased that Sandarra was unharmed, but Divine Prophecy is dangerous at best...

Our journey back to Ollo has been subdued, but Varnai was able to persuade Milksop to ransom himself and his crew. He conducted us to one of his safe houses, and retrieved a fair ransom. We were also able to sell the Dryad's Grave through the helpful agency of the Harbormaster, though I'm sure he kept a sizable cut of the proceeds for himself. Given the other events with which we have to contend, it does not seem particularly objectionable, though.

While I've been in a tizzy over the ramifications of Sandarra's vision, Varnai has quite sensibly directed our focus on the immediate task of locating the Brine Banshee and the secret of its uncanny speed. Doc Fitch has joined us for the journey along the last voyage of the Brine Banshee, on the condition that he get a portion of the treasure she had been hauling.

We set sail to the north-east in the morning.

It's been a week, and if not for Neryce's repeated divinations to show that we were still headed in the right direction, I might have given up hope. This morning, however, Fitch announced that we had arrived above the wreck.

Preliminary dives have corroborated the presence of the forward half of a shipwreck at the top of a deep trench in the ocean floor. Presumably the aft section of the wreck fell into the trench. I just hope it's not too deep...

Our initial foray yesterday was less successful than I'd have liked. We encountered a merman, and his pet sharks, who took exception to our investigation. Sadly he refused to listen to reason, so I made sure that Buster got the last word. After checking the wreck and finding nothing that would explain exceptional speed or maneuverability, Neryce, Harry, Buster, and I descended into the trench to reconnoiter.

In the numbing cold of the depths, just as the rest of the wreckage came into view, we were attacked by a massive creature with claws and scales. Buster sacrificed himself so that Neryce, in the form of a giant octopus, could jet the rest of us to safety. Mindful of the bends, I was careful to exhale the whole way up, I'm so glad that Aisla's water breathing draughts last for such a long time...

Today, when we descend, we will need to be better prepared to deal with the creature. Buster could barely land a solid blow on it, but hopefully it will be more vulnerable to Varnai's magic...

We are returning to Ollo, I'm told, our hold full of gold, our wheel new and old, our Azlanti as shocked as ever she's bold.

Yesterday was ... different.

Perhaps starting at the beginning, and stopping at the end, would be the wisest course of action, Emma... A wise course of action, yes.

The day began well, with tactical preparations and magical enchantments to protect us on our foray into the forbidding depths. We descended and fought tooth and claw with the Creature of the Black Depths. Our mettle was tested, sure enough, but we prevailed in the final accounting, and not too much the worse for wear, while Neryce advised us that the Creature had been mortally wounded. With plenty of time left, we set to explore the wreck. Our first discovery was the secret of the speed of the Brine Banshee, which out of consideration for our agreement with Slip, I will not divulge here. Subsquent exploration of the wreck revealed the gold and silver bullion that had been lost with the ship, a portion of which will go to Doc Fitch.

Then, as we were finishing our exploration, the Creature returned to press the attack once more! It burst through the rotting hull of the wreck, and raked its claws over Harry with wild abandon. Harry began to behave oddly at this juncture, and Neryce signaled that he was probably dominated. Harry and the Creature squared off against us, and I focused all of my power in an attempt to dispel its hold over him. My eldritch strike, though strong and true, was thwarted as easily as a castle turns away the thrust of a child's wooden sword, and I knew in that moment how badly in trouble we really were.

In desperation I offered myself, in my native tongue as a child of Azlant, in exchange for the freedom of my companions, and hoped that my guess, dread though it might be, was right.

A brief negotiation followed, and I surrendered myself to the Creature, imploring my Captain and friends to remain with Buster while I descended alone.

On being taken below the shelf on which the wreckage lay, the Creature's guise was revealed to be a veil for my most ancient enemy, an aboleth: I had been right...

I hoped to be able to bargain for my death, rather than for a lifetime of servitude, but I was surprised again, this time by the creature's demand: it wanted information regarding the whereabouts of the Dark Councilor. It tried to threaten me with death, first my own (how foolish as I'm the only one who knows for sure how to find the thing) and then with the deaths of my companions (a bluff I called, since Harry is really no match for either Neryce or Varnai alone, let alone together). The aboleth was desperate enough that it tried to reason with me. It was at this juncture that I started to taunt it. I mocked its attempts to obtain this so-sought-after information, and instead provided it with the news of Sandarra's vision as an additional reason for it to release my companions... After relating the vision, the aboleth became even more agitated, and demanded to know what exactly the Dark Councilor had said to us.

Nonplussed at this abrupt turn of events, I blurted out that it had offered a pact, and had seemed desperate, almost pathetically so, to have one of us enter into an agreement with it, but that none of us had.

The aboleth released me then, and said that we were free to go. Then it left in haste for the depths.

We spent the bulk of the rest of the day loading the gold into the Allegiance. I was very quiet. I've been very quiet ever since, really...

Our return to Ollo was uneventful, and after offloading the share of the bullion due to Doc Fitch and acquiring additional supplies, Varnai ordered our departure for Beachcomber the following day.

The notion of providing Slip with some excerpts of our interactions with the Gods Hammer in exchange for additional information about its crew and/or mission is an idea that continues to taunt me each night... I'm not sure how much would be too much to tell.I saw some interesting shops in Beachcomber, and I'm hoping that there will be enough time for me to slip away and investigate them once we arrive, though Cailean knows that Varnai has a tendency to hammer out the details of our excursions right at the last minute...

This afternoon, an odd thing came up... There may be an extra Pete aboard, though nobody seems to be able to locate anyone they don't recognize. Varnai ordered a quiet but detailed headcount, and I am now worried that the aboleth may have recalled one of my taunts and put it to good use... I seem to recall suggesting that a better way to have gone about trying to locate the Dark Councillor would have been to quietly take over a Pete and observe the crew for some time.

I seem to recall the aboleth saying that our group would not be molested further, but I may have misunderstood his intent, or he may have been lying to me, or he may have passed the suggestion along to the Archmage. Or I could be being paranoid, and this phenomenon could be something else entirely.

Two days ago, the fifty-first Pete was nowhere to be found, and we have been unable to locate him since. I have advised Varnai to not worry about it for now.

Yesterday we arrived at Beachcomber, and spent the day carousing, and delivered the information Slip wanted in the evening. We also informed him of the divine vision Sandarra had been granted, warning of the destruction of the Shackles.

Today we've re-supplied and visited Slip. We've learned that there is a naga on the shythering coast who may be able to point us in the direction of spies in the Shackles. We have also learned a number of useful bits of information about the God's Hammer.

We arrived in Drenchport and found Jaymiss Keft fairly easily; his talents as a scrimshander are respected. He advised that we turn our attention to one Haddon Pike, Master of a merchant craft called the Grimgrin, who lives in a bungalow overlooking the water just north of the docks. Keft commented that Pike seems to have a unique talent for running with an empty hold both coming and going...

When we arrived at his home, we found Pike to be rather dead, face-down in his fish tank. I conjured a trio of Pharasma's Nosoi scribes, appropriate company for the Day of Bones, to help me question his corpse. His answers were not always the most intelligible, but we were able to learn a good deal... Pike had no knowledge of his killer, but was indeed a spy working for a woman named Kelet, watching the Master of Gales. He was recently supposed to have met Ms. Kelet in Hell Harbor, an appointment he had not kept.

Neryce also questioned Pike's fish, some sort of Dire Piranha, who indicated that Pike had fallen face-first into the tank, after which Grinner ate his face. We took Grinner for the Allegiance, and also extracted a waterproof bag from underneath his tank.

The bag contained a large sum of platinum and gold, an ornate scrimshaw tube holding several scrolls, and several encoded log books. Once I decrypted the logs (an easy enough task), they seemed to confirm his spying activities. The document in the scroll case, on the other hand, was an incomplete copy of the infamous Chelish Opera, the Trials of Larazod, but written in Infernal. Comparing the translation to my recollection of the High-Common copy from the Great Library in Absolom, either the translation was done very poorly or this is more than it seems.

Aisla, meanwhile, had examined the crossbow bolts protruding from Pike's back and pronounced them coated with a thin but deadly dose of Deathblade poison. Clearly, Pike's death was executed with malice aforethought. Varnai has ordered us all back to the ship to wait for Kipper, Fipps, and their Petes to arrive from Hell Harbor.

On the journey to Drenchport, we first attempted to Scry on Master Vaashammyr as we had before, but this proved fruitless. From Neryce's description of the difficulty, there is some active effect blocking her magic... The second attempt was much more helpful, though, as we were able to focus on Fipps Chumlet, who seemed to be trying to keep a low profile at a bar with Kipper. Varnai and I worked to establish a whispering conduit through Neryce's divination, and once we did Fipps nearly blew their cover. We were able to learn from Kipper and Fipps that Vaashammyr and a good portion of the crew of the Redemption had been captured by the Lord of Hell Harbor, Arronax Endymion, as Chelish spies, while the Redemption itself lay impounded. Varnai ordered Kipper to learn as much as he could and then gather the remaining free crew to join us in Drenchport...

I've finished decoding the infernal text of the opera, and it validates all of the things that we were told by the dead man himself... Pike was engaged by Rowina Kelet to spy on ships coming and going from Drenchport, with a preferred focus on those flying the colors of the Master of Gales. Pike was to periodically report back to Hell Harbor with his findings.

We've rendezvoused with Kipper, Fipps, and their Petes, which means we can leave Drenchport. Varnai had a small crew of Petes join him, Aisla, Neryce, and myself in sailing the Grimgrin to Hell Harbor to continue our investigations. Mad Harry has been entrusted with the Allegiance to remain skulking nearby but out of sight. It'll be two days to Hell Harbor, which should give me enough time to finish our Hats of Disguise...

We arrived in the early afternoon in Hell Harbor, and quietly set about the process of gathering information about Rowina Kelet, William Vaashammyr, and the Redemption. Kelet is apparently a harbormaster; the best place to learn more about our erstwhile crew was the Copper Cauldron, the tavern where most of the Keep's Guardsmen choose to unwind after their shifts are over. We went in disguise, and met a number of helpful guards.

They seemed quite taken with my blonde alter-ego, Alina, and I managed to keep a number of them distracted. Varnai was more urbane, though, and managed to strike up a conversation with a trio of sergeants. We discovered that while Vaashammyr was captured and apparently has been questioned repeatedly, he has not been executed and is being kept in the high security area of the keep. We also discovered that Lord Arronax Endymion, was recently joined by a mysterious woman from whom he receives and follows a great deal of advice, a troubling tidbit.

We've resolved to investigate Rowina Kelet tomorrow, while trying to puzzle out how to rescue Vaashammyr.

With the location of the warehouse overseen by Rowina Kelet in our possession, we've made our way down to the docks to discover a quiet quay and a single guard. The warehouse seems to be closed. Varnai, disguised as 'Griswold Pike', was less than successful in gaining access to the warehouse, so I introduced myself to him disguised as Helena. I claimed to be Rowina's cousin and said that I was trying to find her. Guardsman Tom was kindness itself, and we chatted for some time. I learned that Rowina was missing, but that it was suspected that she was dead.

Meanwhile, Neryce took the form of a shore bird and slipped into the warehouse. Once she overheard Tom admit that he had never met Ms. Kelet, Neryce adopted a more matronly disguise and emerged while I pretended to recognize her. Neryce was rather more striking, somehow, and Tom seemed to be seriously distracted by it; we departed without any issues. There were some very interesting ledgers we managed to retrieve. One of them lists all of the Pirate Lords ranked by some numeric value, a dash, or a question mark. Some names were also marked 'Send with Corlan', presumably a courier. Some asking around discreetly pointed us at Corlan the Tengu, a resident of the Rookery district.

We arrived at the address in the Rookery after collecting a worrisome number of misgiving looks from the tengu residents. Their opinion of us surely was not improved by the two crossbow bolts that lodged in the sternum of our now-deceased host, Corlan the Tengu. Neryce caught sight of the assassin on a nearby rooftop, and I opened a portal to let us cut off his escape. We made short work of him, and recovered his instructions to kill Pike, Kelet, and Corlan, then return to his employer. With additional assistance from another three of Pharasma's Nosoi clerks, I was able to obtain some additional information from the assassin and from Corlan.

Zoskia Galimbar is the next link in the chain, apparently running this spy ring from her base in PortPeril, the Jasperleaf Apothecary. She sent the assassin to kill her agents, Rowina Kelet, Haddon Pike, and Corlan the courier. Corlan was last used as a courier 19 days ago, when he left Hell Harbor for Quent.

This is all wonderful progress in our task for our patron, but we still have a rescue to plan...

To rescue Vaashammyr, I've attempted to forge an infernal text of the Trials of Larazod, the opera in which Pike had his encoded instructions. Neryce is scribing scrolls, Aisla made potions.

Varnai went to town hall, to meet with Tina, the burgess to whom supplicants for an audiance with Lord Arronax should speak. Tina arranged an audiance for us with Arronax for 4 days from now, just before lunch. This should give me just enough time to finish a magical bag for us... I've also located a Cleric of Shelyn, called Marette, to be able to accompany us to the audience and cast Zone of Truth if necessary. Marette is, I'm told, a slightly distracted young elven woman with oddly functional wind chimes for earrings, meaning that she melodicaly jangles at almost all times. Finally, I've made arrangements for Magic Aura to be cast on our hats on the morning of our audience.

I don't know if I'm being too paranoid or not too paranoid enough...

We're sailing to Port Peril, and should arrive tomorrow if the weather holds.

Vaashammyr remains lost to us, though I have hopes that Arronax will continue to spare his life... The audience went ... badly. I overestimated both the degree to which the Lord of Hell Harbor was mired in the manipulative clutches of his newest adviser, as well as his willingness to listen to reason. He seemed wholly unsurprised when the woman revealed herself to be our nemesis Alys from the Demons of Avarice incident. In the ensuing fracas, it provides some consolation to record that we were able to hold our own against the Red Mantis Assassin, to her ultimate undoing in telltale swirls of red mist.

Arronax was furious, and redoubled his efforts against us, apparently he had been hoping to take advantage of an alliance with Ilizmagorti in some fashion. Seeing that we were clearly overmatched, we made a hasty retreat. Our successful departure was no doubt aided by the confusion and disarray caused by my parting gift: a fine, tall, strong oak tree ... in the doorway to the audience chamber.

While I rode Buster into the clear afternoon sky, Neryce was able to take the form of some sort of massive bird to carry Aisla and Varnai back to the Allegiance. We departed for Port Peril at once, and were joined by the Grimgrin en route. We were all quite pleased to see that the message Neryce dispatched with Coolridge had reached the crew before the guards could detain them.

Varnai is right, dwelling overmuch on what's past and done is unhealthy. Though I swore after we departed Hell Harbor that I would not willingly part with Buster again, I fear that I may have no choice if our plan for Zoskia Galimbar is to work. Buster and I are, almost certainly, the most recognizable members of our infamous company, and I do not relish the notion of providing any more information as to our identities than is necessary when dealing with this woman.

We will secure entrance to the shop and identify our interest in joining her organization as substantially more talented subordinates than she has had heretofore. With any luck, our final report to our Lady will be more complete than she bargained for...

More and more, I feel that our attempts at deviousness and intrigue are only just slightly missing the mark...

Yesterday, Zoskia Galimbar escaped our clutches, and tried to kill us in the bargain, but hopefully does not know who precisely we are... The initial conference went well, I thought, but almost immediately after she left to 'attend to an experiment', the potted plant exploded in a cloud of poison, and her guards descended upon us. By the time we secured their surrender and made our way upstairs, the spymistress had escaped. She left us a plaything for Buster, though, in the form of some sort of hell-cat abomination. Additionally, we were able to recover some of her papers she had tried to destroy... The most intelligible one, dated roughly three weeks ago and written in infernal, read as follows:

Silence is now key, our plans will go into full force once our agent finishes his preparations. Destroy any remaining evidence and discreetly sell your business, and report to Nisroch for your next assignment.

I would surmise that this missive might be what prompted her to engage the fool of an assassin we killed in Hell Harbor, but I seriously doubt that we have the necessary resources to pursue an investigation into the identity of this Nisroch ourselves. This should be sufficient for Lady Fairwind's purposes.

Today will hopefully be more fruitful, albeit along a different track... Per Slip's suggestion, we are planning to pay a visit to Lord Wolfgang Starling, the keeper of the enchanted, intelligent violin Amadeus, in the hope that it might shed additional light on the God's Hammer Situation. That subject still gives me chills to think on, after the encounter I had with the Aboleth under the Brine Banshee...

Our visit to Lord Starling this afternoon was quite remarkable. Though we had made no appointment, he was more than happy to invite us in; apparently our reputation has preceded us even insofar as the landed gentry of Port Peril are concerned.

It seems that the platinum magnate takes a good deal of pleasure in introducing his guests to Amadeus, on display in the Plum Study, so our task was quite pleasantly accomplished. We found that in order to speak, Amadeus must be played, a task initially taken up by Lord Wolfgang himself. We explained the nature of our quest, and Amadeus agreed to hear our story. Hoping to protect the nature of the tale, I did my best to present the story in High Celestial of the Seventh Mode. I must have acquitted myself reasonably well, as Amadeus seemed to understand our quest. By the time I finished, we had been joined by Lissy Starling, to whom her father graciously surrendered the violin. The change was both immediate and astounding.

Where Wolfgang had merely allowed Amadeus to play itself, Lissy's playing fully engaged with the violin to produce an effect far more potent than before. As the music ebbed and swelled, the Plum Study around us was subsumed into a different scene. We were standing in what was clearly an arcane research laboratory, in the center of a smallish but well-appointed cottage. The house was set on a hill, or rise of some sort, overlooking a picturesque coastal town. The scene came to life as the figure of a man holding a violin began to speak. The man, who was indistinct enough that I could not reliably describe him yet at the same time seemed almost too familiar, was apologizing to the violin for having to leave so abruptly, but explained that his time to act was very short and he could not afford to pass up the opportunity.

The scene froze, then, as Amadeus introduced us to his last keeper, the mage Bartholomew. The lilting melody explained that the arcanist had sought immortality, but found necromancy repugnant, and had therefore turned to the study of intelligent magical items. Amadeus had initially been intended only as an instrument for study, but the magician and the violin had bonded over their shared musical preference for Merrion's Taldan Waltz in G minor.

The scene was limited by the violin's perceptions, but there were some sufficiently constant elements that we were able to examine them. One book kept next to Amadeus in the cottage was titled "Principles of Unnatural Longevity" but had no indicated author. Another book addressed necromantic processes; Amadeus explained that Bartholomew had been trying to permute these with the intent of preserving his soul, but had ultimately abandoned the project as utterly infeasible. Another sheet of parchment read as follows:

"Mira appears capable of assuming humaniod form, of a sort, implications? Duke arguably humanoid, not really, look into it."

There was one last memory that Amadeus was able to share... The vision went dark, and the voices around us were muffled, as though coming from outside a violin case. Another voice, rougher and deeper than Bartholomew's, speaks first: "Bart, are yeh sure about this? I don't know wha ta do with him..." The wizard replies, with conviction: "That's ok, I have to follow my destiny." As the vision faded back into the Plum Study, Amadeus indicated, as a guess, that the first speaker was Gorven, a dwarf who had occasionally run errands for his friend some 100 years ago.

After this, Lissy stopped playing and we retired to the East Room for lunch. We chatted for a time, complimenting her playing, and then she asked if we would be entering the Free Captains' Regatta, as it seems that the Master of Gales will be the Arbiter this year, rather than a contestant, and therefore others have a chance to win. The winner, from what I've heard, takes a large purse of gold, rights to govern a small island, and a seat on the Pirate Council. As one of the newest Free Captains, Varnai would doubtless garner a great deal of attention and notoriety if we should win, but I recall with some trepidation the fates of some of the mythological figures whose meteoric rise to power was followed abruptly by an even swifter fall...

Based on the traditional timing, we should have just enough time to visit Quent and Beachcomber before returning to Port Peril for the announcement of the starting location for the Regatta a week from now...

We set sail for Quent almost directly from Lord Starling's manor, to make our report to the Lady Fairwind. She was pleased with our progress, and also encouraged us to enter the Regatta. I'm sure it would be quite the feather in her cap for Varnai to become a member of the Council...

Our business finished, for the moment, in Quent, we made a quick run to Beachcomber to pursue additional information related to the God's Hammer Situation with Slip, for recovery after the Regatta.

That accomplished, we returned to Port Peril just in time to learn that the Regatta has been announced as starting at Cauldron's Rock, the northernmost island in the Shackles. I believe that we should be able to make it in roughly four days if the weather holds and we don't give the crew a rest, but since the race is not scheduled to start for another week yet, I've advised Varnai to give the crew a more restful journey.

We arrived in good time after a restful cruise, and were invited to join Tessa Fairwind aboard her flagship, the Luck of the Draw. Late in the evening, Tessa provided us with a list of other competitors to watch out for, which should prove useful.

This morning, we received a formal invitation to attend the pre-race meeting this afternoon aboard the Kraken, the Master of Gales' flagship. At the meeting, the Master of Gales himself firmly cautioned us all regarding the inadvisability of engaging in any conflict during the race; apparently disqualification as a result of engaging in open hostilities might be both abrupt and final...

The course for the Regatta this year starts at Caulrdon Rock heading East by Northeast through the the Raker Shoals, then toward the edge of the storm until reaching Iris' Splinters, sailing between the pinnacles. Once through, the course runs 30 miles through the Eye of Abendigo itself, heading Northwest until reaching Sharkskin Reef, a set of concentric rings of coral reef with a massive rock spire in the center. Finally, we'll proceed Southwest out of the storm to Combing Point, the finishing point for the Regatta. Under the best conditions, this course would take a full day of sailing, and I'm sure that we won't be sailing under the best of conditions.

Gozreh sleeps poorly this evening, it seems, if Neryce's distraction is any indicator. Whatever is occupying her thoughts, though, she's kept it to herself.

The race started fairly well, with the Allegiance winding up in the front third of the competitors. As we deftly navigated the Raker Shoals, Neryce warned us that the Eye of Abendigo was surging, as though it was rushing out to meet us. The currents between the Raker Shoals and Iris' Splinters have turned even more treacherous... As the mirrored pinnacles hove into sight, we plunged into the storm proper.

As we closed on the Splinters, the Redcap was visible on our starboard bow briefly, before a savage cracking sound of wood being sundered echoed over the buffeting waves, followed by another louder noise as the vessel capsized. Neryce espied a massive dark form moving from the wreck of the Redcap towards us. The shape was revealed as a Dragon Turtle, which attempted to capsize the Allegiance as we approached the Needles... Aisla moved to the rail and glared at the sea, and the Blessings of Besmarra subsumed the shelled drake in a violent whirlpool. We moved, now unharried, to thread the Needles, and scraped through with the assistance of one of my Feathered Fans.

The run through the hurricane began then in earnest, and the storm seemed to grow worse. Several hours into the run, one of our rudder lines snapped, and I took Mad Harry and several Petes into the hold to conduct repairs, while the storm somehow grew even worse. By the time I finished and returned above-deck, Neryce and Captain Varnai were both behaving very oddly about the storm. I started to sweep the storm around us for magical emanations, we were abruptly becalmed and a quartet of wizards appeared on the mid-deck.

They traded barbs with the captain briefly, but when it became obvious that hostilities were inevitable the Captain shouted a battle cry and the crew leapt to attack. The magi seemed to target our crew deliberately and, despite our most ferocious assaults, none of them fell before they teleported away to safety...

We had but a moment to catch our breath before a Brine Dragon overflew the ship to land on the aft deck and spewed acid at Buster and Varnai, catching another Pete in the spray. I shouted for everyone to wait and, in the pause, struck at the drake's mind with my most potent magic. Though most dragons have powerful resistance to magic, I could feel hers buckle before her will broke and my magic took hold. After a brief negotiation with my new ... friend ... we apologized for our trespass and surrendered a sizable amount of precious gems to secure our passage. The dragon's discourse revealed that she had been alerted to our 'incursion' by the four magi and had come to repel our invasion.

We were able to effect repairs while becalmed, and continued the race once the wizards' abjuration abated. On approach to Sharkskin Reef, Neryce called on Gozreh to shield the Allegiance from the worst of the gale, and permitted us to navigate the reefs and shoals fairly easily. In transit, we encountered the foundering Darcys Pillage besieged by a lightning elemental; we drew up along side to rescue what crew we could while I parlayed with the extraplanar menace. We rescued 13 crewmen, the bosun, and Captain Darcy, before sailing on through Sharkskin Reef. I was able to learn from my electrified friend that it had seen only one ship make transit through the reef ahead of us, which cheered the crew when Captain Varnai announced it.

Emerging from the Eye of Abendigo after being underway for over 24 hours, we were able to espy only one ship ahead of us; naturally it was the Wormwood. As we closed to overtake, Varnai was attacked by two Invisible Stalkers. He kept control of the ship quite handily while Neryce limned his assailants in blue and violet Faerie Fire and Aisla and Buster dispatched them. In the last minutes of the race we pulled ahead of the Wormwood into a small but decisive lead.

For our victory, we received a purse of 14,500 gold, but also discovered that 8 ships were lost during the race. The Wormwood came second by two ship's lengths; an hour later the Pharasma's Price emerged from the storm for a solid third. Zarina Visk, aboard the Pharasma's Price, but from the Barnacled Bitch, accused the Wormwood of attacking and sinking her former ship in Sharkskin Reef, but we refrained from involving ourselves in that dispute. I'm certain that the attack on Varnai as we closed on the Wormwood came from Harrigan's pet sorcerer, Pepry Longfarthing, but absent any proof it would be folly to make accusations, especially since we had already won.

It was a five day sail back to Port Peril for the formal celebration of our victory and the conclusion of the Regatta, taking place rather appropriately on the Gozrehn holiday of Currentseve. In the midst of the festivities, the Master of Gales provided Varnai with the charter of ownership for the Isle of Empty Eyes, but cautioned us that we were not the first winners of the Regatta to attempt to tame the island. Apparently we have until the Summer Solstice to establish control over the island, solidify our base of operations there, and prepare a State Reception for a representative of the Council of Pirate Lords, after which Varnai will have successfully proven his worth as a proper member of the council. I suspect that doing something else remarkable, such as deposing Arronax at the Master of Hell Harbor, would also secure Varnai's seat on the council, but I suspect the task we've been assigned will prove somewhat less demanding.

During the after-party in Port Peril, Aisla received a rather ornate letter cordially inviting her to a meeting on the Albatross, but cautioned that the safety of any companions she brought could not be guaranteed. The note was signed "T". The messenger who brought the letter was obviously dominated, but collapsed into a catatonic heap when I attempted to ward him from evil influences. I dismissed my protection, and he recovered almost immediately, after which Aisla elected to attend the meeting, alone and unaccompanied. As she walked off into the night, I briefly wondered if we'd ever see her again.

Aisla returned with an exceptionally interesting story, and a curious artifact to match. Apparently she was invited to join some kind of entropy cult populated by creatures twisted by exposure to the shattered remnants of a monster from the past...

We repaired immediately to the Mystic's Redoubt, and sent for the Whaleskull Scroll from the Allegiance. The Redoubt requires a donation for annual membership of either 1,000 measures or an interesting and unique item... The donation exchange was rather interesting, as a result.

Aisla accepted what appears to be an augmented crystalline shard similar to Liquid Agony, if my research is correct. Normally, holding or carrying manifested Agony would only inflict the most unimaginable pain, but Aisla's crystal seems to be transmuting her, like a creeping contagion. The creatures who contacted her apparently use it so induct new members of their organization, and said that it was a fragment of the shattered heart of their most powerful brother...

Neryce executed a divination, and related a vision of a child being hunted, killed, and devoured by a monster in the River Kingdoms. I was able to trace a story dating back some 1300 years ago about a monster that rampaged through the settlements in that region; it was the only story from the region that seemed to match the vision. Aisla conceded the wisdom of removing the crystal from her arm.

When I summoned a Hound Archon to seek its advice, it confirmed the unspeakable evil contained in the crystal but could provide no further advice. A research fellow at the Redoubt accosted us then, to chastise me for unauthorized summoning, and turned out to be fairly adept at alchemy. He offered to test the crystal with his alchemical tools, and Varnai and Aisla accompanied him. I remained in the history stacks, and found other stories scattered across history of creatures that match the descriptions that Aisla provided...

We have less than four hours of preparation time left if we're to get a good night's rest before meeting these creatures again...