Captain's Log: Sea date 3816.09.20
The Light of Dawn was en route to the island of Christeen when the ship was hit by a sudden storm. When it passed, my vessel seemed to have gone where no one had gone before...
At first glance it appeared my ship was resting on a grassy plain, but it soon became apparent we had become trapped on a grassy Sargasso. I set my crew to work freeing my ship and we were soon aided by the jade-haired Halfling passenger. From the bodies and flotsam that was washing ashore on the seaweeds it was clear we were not the only vessel to be caught in the storm, but we were clearly the most fortunate.
Having established we were safe, Dar, the little folk, resolved to scout-out the surrounding area. At first it seemed miraculous to see him become a bird or beast but by now it was almost commonplace. Almost. He flew off as an albatross – normally a good omen – while my crew settled into the six-hour task of freeing the Light of Dawn.
Less than an hour later the bird returned, bringing word of a half-drowned Jen and his capture: a horrid crone with great strength. My passengers grew greedy at the mention of the gold box the crone held, as did my crew, but our appetites were held by our gnomish passenger’s tales of the potency of sea hags. While my crew proved happy to simply free the ship my passengers were too moved by the story of gold and prisoners to sit idle. Trouble-seekers I name them.
For me and my men the intervening timed passed swiftly in a day of hard labour, and we were readying to set-sail when our trouble-seeking passengers returned, with a new companion! They vouched for him and asked he be granted passage on the Light of Dawn, which I reluctantly accepted. Curious of what my passengers engaged in I asked they relate their story, so it could be entered in my log. What follows below is the tale as told to me by on Roderic Fallstaff (apparently of the Dumickton Fallstaffs) and Thia Savasci.
We rode off in the direction Dar directed -
(He means we walked.)
Well, of course we walk. "Rode" is just a descriptor.
Of course it is.
So we walked forth, after persuading Zook to accompany us. He's afraid of water. The seaweed was proved it could support our weight but there were still large patches of open water or light growth that continually threatened to sink-us. Only one such as Thia, with her mastery of the ranger skills was one of the few that could navigate the endless hazards.
Lilly and Dar did as much as me.
They assisted.
We navigated the Sargasso effectively enough, but going was slow except for the smaller folk-
(She means lighter.)
-who had no difficulty keeping up. After an hour or so it was a chasm of sea that gave us the most trouble, an 80 foot gap was all it was. Swimming is not one of our best skills. While most of us just swam across, Roderic, true to form, summoned a pair of celestial fish to carry him across.
Celestial porpoise, which are actually mammals.
Zook took some convincing to enter the water, but the porpoises helped his fear. After careful plodding for another hour or so we came upon a couple of ghouls feasting on a corpse. We slaughtered them rather quickly. Eventually, we spotted the ship Dar had told us about. As subtlety and stealth appear only in our vocabulary, I threw Dar on deck to secure a rope.
I had suggesting conjuring a small elemental servant to secure the rope, but it was simply easier for my companions to hurl Dar.
The ship itself was impressive, a mammoth war vessel of a bygone age. A full forty feet across and able to carry hundreds of sailors.
I do enjoy vessels that carry lots of seamen.
. . .
Below decks we found a Sea Hag. Even with her face covered she was still very unpleasant to look at. She held the unconscious man we had come to rescue over a hole in the hull, he appeared alive. After a sparse conversation with the Hag, Roderic decided to attack. Apparently, talking isn’t one of our best skills either.
I felt my time was wasted upon her. In retrospect conversation might have worked but I do not regret unleashing a torrent of magical bolts into her face.
I moved into position to attack as Dar speared-
The hag! Dar speared the hag. With his harpoon.
- but-
That's what happened! But such was the evil power of the hag she tore the harpoon from her flesh and attacked the unconscious human with it.
Sure. We succeeded in beating the Hag down into the murky depths and rescuing the injured man. A shark was summoned by Dar swam off to finish her, but we’ll never know if she survived.
The last we saw of her body was it sinking into the murky depths, punctured by a score of weapon hits, leaking vital fluids, and being perused by a shark. We have seen the last of her.
Returning we decided to spare Zook and walk around the open water. It seemed safer than risking letting him drown again.
He swims as well as most anchors.
Slower and dryer, the path around was no less dangerous as we were set-upon by another pack of aquatic ghouls. Zook and I employed bows while Lilly used the seaweed itself to entangle them. Our rescued friend proved himself skilled, both unarmed and with Lilly's longsword.
Having bravely dispatched the dozen ghouls, we returned to the Light of Dawn just as it was setting off, and retold the tale of the sea hag as we have just told you. With absolutely no embellishments save ones for the modesty and regarding the masculinity of our newly rescued and nameless companion.
That was the tale, as told to me by Roderic and Thia of those Trouble-seekers and their encounter with the sea hag. While their hearts were in the right place I pray to Ra that I will never encounter their like again.