Journey to Alphatia
Teldon's mission ... a false departure
At the port of Specularum three wizards were seen boarding a merchant ship bound for the west. Each of Karnus, Lana and the more senior Master Teldon, head of the Wizards Guild of Karameikos, spent time waving farewell to the crowd of assembled wellwishers before descending below the deck of the Eluna. The vessel had been stocked with a cargo of weapons and armour, all bound for the city of Athenos to support the continuing war effort in neighbouring Darokin.
The premise (as it had been reported to the people of Karameikos) was that the three wizards were undertaking a goodwill mission to Darokin on behalf of Duke Stefan. All this was a ruse. Their true mission, as Teldon had finally revealed, would be to undertake a journey to the Empire of Alphatia, to seal a treaty between the two nations which would hopefully encourage magic to prosper within the Grand Duchy.
As soon as the three wizards were out of sight they lost no time in relocating to the ship which was to grant them passage on the first leg of their voyage to Alphatia – the Adriana, captained by no less than Devon Hyraskos, the son of Admiral Hyraskos himself.
Karnus secured his elven cloak around Lana’s shoulders, granting her almost complete invisibility as only her indistinct outline remained. Her two companions’ forms then shrank to those of winged gulls which hopped out through a porthole, before Lana tip-toed quietly back onto deck and used her flying carpet to depart.
The three mages re-grouped aboard the Adriana which was docked at the other end of the port. Their true destination, or at least their first stop-off on the journey ahead of them, was Minrothad across the seas to the south of the Grand Duchy. Lana’s father Terlon Budanter was a thriving merchant who regularly traded out of the Minrothad Guilds however his daughter had never before visited the place.
The three wizards stayed hidden from view until their ship departed later that night under the cover of darkness. Then Lana spoke with the others regarding an incident which had spooked her back at the docks in Specularum. Whilst waving farewell to the crowd, she had murmured a short incantation granting her the ability to see through shields of invisibility. To her alarm, the figure of an invisible stalker came into view. When it transpired the stalker was aboard the Adriana, the very same ship the trio had relocated to from the Eluna, the stalker was confronted. After a barrage of multiple magic missiles, it quickly returned to its plane of origin. Still the companions were left wondering who had summoned the creature, and for what purpose…
Captain Condric Arcan
Around a week of sailing later, the ship made its way through the dank mists surrounding Trader Island to the port of Harbourtown. There the companions made contact with one Captain Condric Arcan, a merchant prince of the Minrothad Guilds whom the representatives of Duke Stefan Karameikos had engaged to carry the three emissaries to Alphatia. A suitable bargain had been struck, by all accounts involving a new trade agreement though Condric did not go into specific detail. He appeared a dashing and flamboyant figure, full of charm and wit, ably backed by his first mate, an experienced female sea elf named Faymir. The trio earned Faymir’s favour when they rescued her younger brother Gil from a skirmish one night on the harbour’s shoreline.
Sailing forth aboard Captain Arcan’s ship the Sapphire Spirit, a speedy hundred-foot clipper, the good Captain proposed a number of potential routes and stop-off points. After discussions, it was agreed the ship would dock briefly at Tel Akbir (within northern Thyatis) then after the second leg of the journey at the independent city of Helskir on the northernmost tip of the Isle of Dawn before heading out across the eastern Sea of Dawn toward mainland Alphatia.
While negotiating the waters between mainland Thyatis and the island of Hattias, the ship attracted attention from a number of thyatian war galleys patrolling Vanya’s Girdle. Karnus took one of the thyatian commanders aside and used his unique persuasion technique to assure the inspection officer that the ship’s mission involved nothing more than routine trade, and that the ship and its cargo posed no hazard to thyatian security. Lana watched, bemused, as the officer stared dully at Karnus before simply turning and walking away, murmuring to his colleagues that all appeared to be in order…
Tel Akbir
On arriving in Tel Akbir, Karnus asked for some time to himself to run a number of personal errands. Teldon and Lana therefore spent a few hours apart from their companion, taking in the sights and sounds of the city, and were concerned when there was no sign of Karnus at the agreed meeting time in the market later that evening. They returned to the ship, and were relieved when Karnus appeared on the ship’s gangplank later that night bearing a small chest full of coins. A motley band of adventuring types waved him farewell from the docks before departing into the night. Karnus relayed the night’s escapades to his companions – the adventuring party had come by a gold dragon egg which they had sought to sell to the thyatian air fleet, however the egg was stolen from them before they could ever complete the deal. After raiding the villa of a prominent member of the local Thieves' Guild, who was allied with a wizard who had attempted to subject Karnus to a magical geas, the egg was retrieved and sold for a considerable amount. Part of the proceeds were paid to Karnus, to thank him for his involvement in the rescue mission.
Lana recounted her own day’s events, involving a report of a local nobleman having been arrested for inciting a riot in the local gladiatorial arena. Before an audience of thousands the noble had taken to his feet and claimed to have met with a desert prophet who encouraged the Ylari people of Tel Akbir to remember their heritage, to rise up against their thyatian oppressors and take back the land which was rightfully theirs. Needless to say, the noble was swiftly arrested by the local sheik and sentenced to be executed.
Captain Arcan too had gleaned a few rumours onshore – the city of West Portage had fallen to the Alphatians who had summoned an array of formidable creatures to guard the Bay of Wolves, which Captain Arcan wanted to avoid at all costs. Docking at West Portage and cutting across the Isle of Dawn to reach Alphatia was therefore no longer an option – the ship would sail to Helskir without any stop-offs.
Setting sail once more Captain Arcan summoned the three companions to witness part of the special deal Duke Stefan’s negotiators had brokered. As a merchant prince of Minrothad, Captain Arcan possessed a degree of power over the forces of nature. Drawing forth a drawstring pouch Captain Arcan recited an incantation directed at the elements themselves, and a strong gale picked up from the south. The ship’s sails filled instantly propelling the ship forward at incredible speed, all under perfect control. Arcan grinned from the aft castle of the ship as his silken shirt billowed wildly in the breeze, calling “behold the power of a merchant prince!”
The castaway
The ship tore north along the western Sea of Dawn, its speed never flagging by day or night. Only a few days into the second leg, a cry went up from the crow’s next. Gil had spied floating wreckage only a short distance ahead. Lana and Karnus emerged on deck as the ship took only a little time to close the distance, both spying a lone figure clinging to part of the wreckage. Lana dashed to her quarters to fetch her flying carpet but by the time she returned both she and the crew were obliged to duck as the form of an enormous blue dragon soared overhead. In polymorphed form, Karnus’ claws plucked the semi-conscious figure from the water and deposited him on deck before reverting to human form and dropping nimbly to the deck himself. Murmurs of awe spread through the crew. Lana set her carpet aside and rushed to the castaway’s side. His swarthy skin clearly marked him as being of Ylari extraction, though he was barely alive and suffering badly from exposure. Lana administered first aid as best she could, then the man was taken below deck to rest. He refused to do so however, a mad urgency raging in his eyes. He swallowed only a few mouthfuls of drinkable water before relaying his tale. He introduced himself as Hosni bin-Amin, a humble fisherman from Tameronikas whose boat had been attacked by an enormous sea creature known as the 'dendan'. Hosni’s boat was broken apart and the creature dragged him down to the bottom of the sea where he would have drowned, had he not been saved by merfolk. The sea-dwellers nursed him back to health beneath the waves, allowing him to spend time in their undersea city however it soon became clear that their home was under threat from some unknown peril. The peril could only be diverted, Hosni claimed, by the intervention of a trio of wizards who would arrive on a ship from a faraway land. The merfolk had bid Hosni return to the world of men to seek out these three wizards and guide them to the bottom of the sea.
Karnus, Teldon and Lana exchanged doubtful glances upon hearing the fisherman's tale. Ought they to believe his claims? Karnus and Teldon examined his thoughts via ESP and both uncovered the same astounding results – the man’s mind appeared to have been tampered with, to include a set of fake memories. A part of Hosni's intellect knew the memories to be false but could not exert dominance. As Karnus relayed his findings to Lana she recalled the reports of Erewan elves who were accused of burning a chain of temples in Alphatia, and who under scrutiny were found to have fake memories implanted in their minds. It appeared Teldon’s party had attracted the attention of foes on a grand scale who were obviously seeking to delay or entrap the three karameikan wizards. As Hosni succumbed to Teldon’s Sleep spell, the companions' resolve stiffened. They would not allow their attention to be diverted from the mission, which now seemed to be of more significance than ever.
Unbeknown to his companions, Karnus spent time with Hosni and managed to quieten the tormenting voices. An account of that experience can be read here.
As the ship sped onward from Tel Akbir, Hosni's disposition appeared much more mellow. Thoughts of his family filled his mind as he wondered how they would be faring without him. It was decided that Hosni should be teleported to as close a point to his home as possible – which would be Tel Akbir. Lana invoked a teleport and moments later, to everyone’s great relief, Hosni was observed via crystal ball ambling through the streets of the city, having safely arrived.
The ship of the damned
Next day another shout went up from the crow’s nest as Gil reported sighting a ship on the western horizon. Accordingly to Gil it was a longship, propelled by rowers, in the style of the Northmen raiders. Karnus and Lana strained to make out the speck which was fast approaching the Spirit on a direct intercept course. Karnus drew forth his own crystal ball (which unlike Lana’s was endowed with the additional of clairaudience) which allowed him to take a closer look at the ship and its crew. Before Karnus could even gaze upon the ball however, a vision flashed before his eyes. A vision of all the crew of the Spirit lying slain... The crystal ball then confirmed his fears. All colour drained visibly from the blue-robed wizard's face as he encouraged Lana to view the ship with her own eyes. The ship’s crew was almost entirely composed of the undead. Skeletons, zombies, ghouls and wights maintained perfect rhythm as their oars dipped in and out of the sea in utmost unity. At the prow of the boat stood a tall and imposing figure, unmistakably a Northman by his long braided beard however his face was one huge mass of scar tissue. In one hand he clenched an enormous axe.
Karnus and Lana urgently reported their findings to Teldon and Captain Arcan and discussed their plan of action. While Lana was keen to annihilate the threat (albeit from as far away as possible) Karnus was in favour of putting as much distance between them and the longship as possible. Both realised that if the ship was pursuing them, it would catch up with them at some point. Fast though the Spirit was, the undead needed no rest and could pursue them relentlessly. Captain Arcan boosted the flow of wind into the ship’s sails and the longship soon disappeared from view.
Confrontation
The next day weather conditions seemed to have worsened, as a huge patch of fog loomed on the horizon. Its sudden appearance caused worry among the crew who suspected it of being ‘Shipsbane’ – Teldon informed his two companions that such fog was often conjured by cruel and dangerous beings from the elemental Plane of Air. As the Spirit made its way into the fog, both Lana and Karnus summoned magical defences, expecting an attack at any moment. The attack certainly came, though not in the way expected. Upon reaching a clear point in the fog, though where the sky overhead was swirling an ominous grey, not one but three longships emerged noiselessly into view. Three ships, each filled with the legions of the damned. As the skeletons and zombies heaved at the oars of each ship, dozens of ghouls and wights strained to get close to the Spirit’s crew, sensing the presence of their warm blood and pulsing lifeforce...
Karnus lost no time in loosing a fireball at the closest ship, while Lana hastened the movements of the nearest crewmembers then sent a water elemental to attack the same vessel that Karnus had targeted. It soon transpired however that the elemental was too slow for effective combat therefore it was dismissed. At the prow of the nearest longship stood a tall gaunt figure, grey-bearded with his arms folded in grim determination. He raised one hand and a black ray shot forth to hit the Spirit’s resident healer, a burly individual named Judd Effervatch, squarely in the chest. Judd dropped dead by Lana’s side, without a mark on his body. To Lana’s horror the enemy cleric then pointed his finger toward Teldon, standing further back on the ship’s aft castle. As Lana hastily barked the words to a spell of her own she prayed the same fate as had befallen Judd was not in store for Teldon. Thankfully at that moment a trio of sapphire missiles sizzled through the air to interrupt the cleric’s spell and thwart the attack. A barrage of crackling amber shards followed whereupon the cleric appeared to weaken, however as both Karnus and Lana prepared to send a further assault against the cleric he vanished, fleeing magically from the fight. Feeling cheated, the two wizards had no option but to try and even the odds elsewhere within the melee.
Karnus had invoked a polymorph effect and sailed through the air as a blue dragon, his talons raking through one of the longship’s sails and toppling its mast. He then grabbed hold of the aft of the boat and attempted to drag it toward one of the others, disrupting the actions of the creatures on board. Lana meantime was blasting the remaining boat with icy cold, while Faymir beside her let loose fiery blasts from the wand of fire Lana had loaned to her. Even so, the longships could not be fully repelled and began the task of boarding. Within little time, the ghouls’ grappling hooks caught on the side of the Spirit and undead spilled onboard. The ship's crew and marines closed to do battle however both sides were evenly matched and the fight was tough. The liege of one of the boats, a fearsome spectre with glowing red eyes, closed the distance between itself and Teldon only to find itself caught in a lightning bolt which instantly tore its insubstantial form asunder.
The marines’ weapons proved useless against the wights and Captain Arcan found himself holding off a number of the creatures with his enchanted scimitar. His efforts were limited however and he found himself exposed to the creatures’ chill touch on no less than three occasions. Staggering from the sudden loss of lifeforce he remained standing, and managed to continue the attack while Karnus in dragon form finished manoeuvring two of the longships together. Teldon saw his chance and outstretched his hands, invoking powerful magic. Upon his command, the level of water surrounding the two ships dropped drastically, lowering by many hundreds of feet and bearing the longships down into a watery abyss. The remaining wights and ghouls and the scar-faced individual Lana and Karnus had viewed the day before remained onboard the two affected longships. As the last of the undead aboard the Spirit were finished off, Karnus and Lana jumped aboard the flying carpet and descended into the geometric expanse of missing water. Lana summoned a whirling air elemental to pick off the last of the undead, while Karnus attacked the mind of their leader using phantasm magic. The man’s inanimate (though still living) form was returned to the Spirit where upon waking he refused to divulge any information upon interrogation by the ship’s crew. Captain Arcan announced that he would be executed by being dragged behind the ship, and the order was carried out promptly. Lana and Karnus regretted that they had not gleaned any clue as to the identity of their pursuer. Scrying magically upon the cleric who had fled from the fight, he was observed kneeling before an altar bearing the symbol of a skull, though no other markings or colouring could be discerned.
Helskir
Once Karnus had incinerated the bodies of all those who had fallen to the undead, save for Judd whose corpse was lain in the ship’s hold, the ship sailed onward. The fog cleared and only three days later the Spirit moored in the city of Helskir. It had been planned to stay in Helskir only for as long as was necessary to restock supplies. Given the recent undead attack and drop in morale, Captain Arcan announced that the crew would be allowed a night of shore leave. Arcan himself would be staying onboard however, as his encounter with the wights had left him only a shadow of his former flamboyant self. Given his indisposal, it appeared Faymir would assume control of the ship.
After bypassing a band of bored thyatian legionnaires looking to pick a fight, Karnus and Lana lost no time seeking out the local temples. Calling first to the Shrine of Proteus, the Old Man of the Sea, which was located in the docks they enquired with the patriarch of the church, Father Gelgarrion, whether he would be able to raise Judd or restore Arcan’s stolen lifeforce. Gelgarrion indicated that while he could indeed raise the dead (so long as they wished to return to life) he was incapable of performing the restoration of lifeforce. He recommended that the companions seek out the shrine of Drrynden instead. Both Karnus’ and Lana’s foreheads furrowed on hearing the name of this unknown Immortal. They were informed that Drrynden was a legendary local hero who disappeared one foggy night centuries ago and was believed to have risen to Immortality, having appeared to a local philosopher around five years ago and bid him found a church in his memory, dedicated to the independence and welfare of the people of Helskir.
Karnus, Lana and Teldon with Arcan and Faymir in tow mounted the craggy hill which bore the city’s enormous stone lighthouse and a number of other buildings, finding themselves before an impressive looking structure which had been built in relatively recent times. Inside they spoke with the would-be matriarch of the shrine, a young blonde woman by the name of Azula, who indicated that the only person capable of channelling such high-level magic as was requested would be the founder of the Church, Jerval Scrim, who was currently engaged in personal meditation. At this point Lana announced that she would return to the ship to continue her dagger training. Her two fellow mages decided to investigate the nearby Merchants’ Guild (in hopes of obtaining some information regarding potential landing points in Alphatia) while Arcan and Faymir indicated that they would wait at the temple until Jerval had completed his meditations.
Teldon abducted
Karnus and Teldon carried out what research they could within the Guild (from a variety of different sources) before returning to the docks. As they walked along the wooden jetty however a sudden breeze picked up and a figure composed of rolling fog descended to sweep up Teldon’s struggling form in its powerful arms. The servant turned toward the hill and set off at speed bearing Teldon away with it. Karnus gave a cry toward the Spirit before transforming into a roc and giving chase on swift wings. Hearing the nearby commotion, Lana emerged above deck and seeing Karnus’ departing form she grabbed her carpet and gave chase.
As was expected, the aerial servant headed directly to the Shrine of Drrynden. Karnus and Lana burst into the church to the surprise of the assembled clergy and townsfolk within. Many of the adepts present appeared to be in their early teens – the Church was young indeed. As the two mages demanded to know where their companion had been taken to, many of the townsfolk backed out of the hall hastily. Scrying on Teldon indicated that he was slumped in the centre of Jerval’s meditation chamber. Lana put her persuasion skills to use in underlining that she and Karnus meant the Church no harm and simply wished to ensure the safety of their companion. Karnus backed up with a multiple charm and soon the pair were escorted to Jerval’s quarters. Karnus’ polymorph spell was still in effect and he attempted to force the door in ogre form though to no avail. Instead he transformed into a tiny lizard, scuttled beneath the door and turned the key in the lock on the other side to allow his companion to enter.
Lana burst into the round chamber to find Teldon’s robed form struggling to get to his feet, clearly shaken by the ordeal he had just endured. Towering over him stood a tall and well-built man, resplendent in gleaming plate armour with a mace hefted in one hand. As he stepped forward into the light the man’s amber-flecked eyes gleamed angrily, his tousled golden locks spilling over his shoulders. Lana’s heart caught in her throat – the cleric was devastatingly handsome. However matters needed to be addressed, as the man clearly resented the wizards’ presence in his church. At least he spoke the thyatian tongue, that was one mercy. It transpired that his Immortal patron, the legendary warrior Drrynden, had appeared to the man in a vision only two nights before and bid him beware the coming of three wizards who threatened the Church’s founding tenet – the independence of Helskir. Drrynden had claimed the three wizards were 'evil' and were transporting a dark gift to Alphatia which would spell disaster for the people of Helskir. Lana and Karnus reasoned with Jerval at length and at last it appeared he was prepared to permit them to depart in peace. He was left in utmost confusion however, not sure how to reconcile the different versions of events within his own mind. On the one hand, his Immortal patron had sent him a clear vision. On the other hand, the wizards' claims of innocence seemed genuine. Lana and Karnus asked him to consider the possibility that his patron was not entirely as he appeared, and that he might have some hidden motive for having sent the vision.
Feeling the need to unwind after their confrontation, Karnus, Lana and Teldon stopped by a local tavern where they made the acquaintance of a party of adventurers comprising an Alphatian warrior and three other individuals from the Pearl Islands – another fighter, a 'rake' (a law-abiding version of a thief, a class commonly found within the Pearl Island) and a cleric of the Immortal Korotiku by the name of Rubacosa.
Returning to the ship Lana and Karnus found their entry barred to Condric Arcan’s quarters, by order of Faymir. The companions initially suspected a coup on the sea-elf’s part however they soon realised events were outside all of their control. Faymir revealed that Condric had needed to be subdued as he had been ordering the crew to set sail back to Minrothad, irrespective of whether the wizards were on board. It appeared the captain was acting with unnatural urgency. When Faymir stepped in to question the captain’s mental state, he went berserk and had needed to be subdued. Having been confined to his quarters, Arcan now lay incapacitated, one half of his body affected by a hideous wasting illness.
Lana deduced that when Arcan met with Jerval the cleric must have placed him under a Quest spell, compelling him to return home or suffer the effects of a curse. Karnus drew forth his crystal ball to scry upon the cleric and reported that the cleric lay slain, in a pool of his own blood inside his meditation room. Going by the ball’s clairaudience effect cries of ‘Murder!’ were already sounding within the church.
Murder most horrid ... the rival faith
It seemed inevitable that the three foreign mages would be framed for the cleric’s murder. Karnus and Lana decided they needed to put together a plan, and quickly. If Jerval could be raised before the townsfolk found out, then potential disaster could be averted. They lost no time in calling once more to the temple of Proteus, hammering on the main doors until a bleary-eyed Patriarch Gelgarrion appeared to greet them. Karnus fixed the cleric with a stern look and put forward his perspective on the events which had transpired that night. The lead cleric of the faith that rivalled Gelgarrion’s own had been slain. The cleric questioned why he should be expected to assist one whose demise, he believed, could only benefit the church of Proteus. Karnus revealed how the cult of Drrynden had been exposed as a sham, and that its followers who were already experienced in the ways of faith might soon be seeking another path to follow. Karnus reasoned that if the Church of Proteus could be seen to assist a fellow faith in its time of need, then that could only bode well for all involved. Had Helskir not always depended on the sea for its sustenance and support? Without even needing to avail of magical charm, Karnus swayed Gelgarrion into lending a hand.
Stopping briefly at the home of Eruul Zaar, the founder and ruler of Helskir, the two wizards with Gelgarrion in tow presented their case and begged Zaar to accompany them to the Temple of Drrynden, hoping that his presence would lend credibility to their claims of innocence. At hearing the prospect of adventure, Zaar leapt into action grabbing an immense broadsword from above his home’s fireplace and ordering aides to fetch his gleaming plate armour.
The four individuals made their way to the Temple of Drrynden where the tone was one of shock, as news of Jerval’s demise began to grow widespread. One of the acolytes whom Karnus had not been able to charm earlier that day stepped forward, loudly accusing the travellers of having murdered their leader. Zaar bellowed a demand for silence, which none present dared disobey. Once again Lana and Karnus peaceably protested their innocence, highlighting how they had spoken with Jerval only hours ago and had departed from the church on good terms. After earnestly professing the truth to the adepts present, including the second-in-command Azula, Lana and Karnus were permitted to return to Jerval’s meditation chamber where they found the cleric’s body bearing a long slit across his throat. A window in the chamber had been left wide open letting in the night breeze.
Jerval’s body was brought outside to the entrance of the church where in the presence of many townsfolk Father Gelgarrion summoned the soul of the slain cleric back into his body. Jerval lurched upright, gasping and hacking for breath as blood poured out of his mouth. Lana stepped forward to bandage the open cut on the man’s neck though no further healing of any kind was possible. The man would require weeks of complete rest before his strength returned.
The assassin confronted
With their primary task accomplished, Lana turned to Teldon and asked whether he would be able to summon an invisible stalker to track the cleric’s assassin. Teldon did so, and the summoned creature led the three wizards along with Eruul Zaar to a camp several miles to the south. By the light of the full moon seven black-swathed figures could be seen cleaning blades, several of which glistened ominously with some noxious substance. Headsmen. Within no time (largely due to a hasted Eruul Zaar) the assassins were all either apprehended or slain, and the leader’s corpse brought back to the city. Upon examining the man’s body, Lana uncovered a tattoo in the emblem of a skull, half-black and half-white.
The next morning Lana and Karnus returned to the Temple of Drrynden where Azula advised that she had been meditating through the night and was preparing to speak with the departed soul of the head assassin. Annoyingly, she was still not entirely convinced of the wizards’ innocence. Black soul rose from the assassin’s open mouth, hissing with malevolence as Azula fought to derive what information she could. Three questions she was able to ask – revealing that her faith was not directly linked to Drrynden but to a dark Queen of some sort. With its final breath the spirit hissed the following ominous words:-
"Your Queen before mine,
Queen of us all, since the beginning of time.
The Ruler of the Dark Throne"Not prepared to speak beyond riddles, the black smoke dissipated into nothingness. All the flesh on one side of the man’s body dissolved into black ash drawing cries of horror from the onlooking townfolk. Lana and Karnus too exchanged alarmed glances – the effect was disturbingly similar to the curse which had afflicted Condric Arcan’s body.
Believing that they were beginning to piece together the identity of the female Immortal whose minions were so hell-bent on pursuing them across the sea, Karnus and Lana returned to the Sapphire Spirit with renewed vigour. They departed that same day, borne once again on favourable winds though this time not enhanced by Condric Arcan’s magic. The good captain remained incapacitated, the unwilling victim of a clerical Quest which could not be obeyed. The ship’s new passengers included the party from the Pearl Islands, one of whom the cleric Rubacosa attempted to lift Jerval’s Quest but was unable to. Eager to ease the captain’s suffering, Lana polymorphed him into a tomcat in hopes that stronger clerical magic would be available upon reaching the Alphatian city of Goltar.
Return to sea
A few nights into the sea journey cries went up as the ship came under attack by a ten-headed sea hydra. Lana roused from sleep at once and emerged onto deck to see a number of the ship’s marines being torn apart by the monster’s snapping jaws. Lana aimed a lightning bolt into the midst of the ten heads, blackening several, before summoning an ice storm to freeze the beast’s movements. In the same instant a jet of flame shot past her, detonating against the surface of the water to the side of the hydra’s flank and creating a cloud of super-heated steam which seared through the beast with killing force. Karnus gave a yawn and returned to his quarters.
The ship sailed on...
Read the next instalment - The Alphatian Mainland