Session 28: Hook, Line, and Sinker

When last we left our heroes... While the Company had been up on the rock the previous day, Setela the Deep Man had rigged up the ship for their treasure-diving expedition. The next morning the Company went out onto the water, near the edge of (but not actually into) the Poisoned Tide. While Vanera worked some more on his map, Tengelbur and Tanurendal agreed to man the ropes while Setela and Reiana dove for treasure. The ivory would be tied to weighted lines attached to pulleys on the deck of the ship, and Tengelbur and Tanurendal would then haul the treasure up.

Swimming down into the murky depths of the water, Setela and Reiana approached the shipwreck. Reiana looked around for danger, but--as it happened--was not aware of her real peril until it was almost too late. Prying open the hatch to the hold of the sunken vessel, the two of them brought out what treasure they could--Setela retrieving a great ivory tusk, while Reiana, grabbing in the dark, found a strange bow of Kothorian craftsmanship.

Swimming back out with their loot, Reiana was suddenly aware of the Many Eyed Thing (the Nelkenganar they had encountered before) rushing towards them through the water. There was a moment of confusion in the murky depths, followed by panic, as Reiana tried to swim toward the surface, only to find that Setela had tied the rope around her waist (which had been around his own waist as well) to the wreckage of the ship, leaving her as bait for the creature. She managed to cut herself free while fending the monster off, outswimming it as she raced for the surface.

In the meantime, Tanurendal had noticed the lights in the depths of the water and, rightly recognizing the tell-tale signs of the creature that had attacked them at the mouth of the Cheyth, began (with the help of Vanera) trying to get off his armor in order to dive in and help Reiana. Tengelbur, meanwhile, climbed to the top of the mast with two harpoons in hand, hoping to get a vantage on the creature should it surface. Just as Tanurendal got his armor off and dived into the water, Setela pulled himself up onto the deck of the ship, striking Vanera from behind and knocking him into the water as well. As a stunned Vanera thrashed in the water (successfully redirection the attention of the monster from Reiana), Tengelbur leaped from the mast, thudding unceremoniously into the deck and missing the Deep Man.

"Please understand, this isn't personal. Your lives are the price for my freedom," the Deep Man said, snatching up a harpoon and lunging at Tengelbur.

[The implication seems to have been that Setela intended to sacrifice the Company to the Many Eyed Thing as a way of placating it and possibly lifting the curse upon himself. How he attracted its attention originally and whether or not his curse could have been lifted in this way, the Company may never know...]

"Please understand this is intensely personal," Tengelbur said, parrying the blow and driving his own blade six inches into the Deep Man's gut. A couple of more blows were exchanged before Tengelbur disemboweled the Deep Man and sent his body pitching over the side. The Nelkenganar left off of trying to eat Vanera (who was barely conscious at this point) and the last the Company saw of it was its two mouths fighting over Setela's body, as it tore the Deep Man apart. The glowing form of the Many Eyed Thing receded into the depths, presumably taking up residence in the wreckage of the ivory ship once again.

The Company lost no time in returning to shore. Once there, there was a brief debate about whether or not they should attempt to recover the ivory again. Although they may return to do so in the future, for the moment they seem to have decided that this is probably beyond their current capability. The Company spent the next sixteen days on the island, waiting for the next holy day (the Feast of Malfaloth) when the holy water flowing down out of the shrine would swell and roll back the Poisoned Tide enough for them to return to Cheykor. During this time, the Company took their Spring fellowship phase:

• Tanurendal explored the island, finding more of the purple shellfish the hermitess had been weaving. Brought back to civilization, the shells he was able to collect should be worth 2 Treasure.
• Tengelbur tried (to no avail) to clear his shadow via whittling. He appears to have consoled himself by taking possession of Setela's ship, which he has renamed The Venture Capitalism.
• Vanera spent his time making detailed drawings and writing detailed descriptions of the ancient shrine at the top of the island. With the reliefs and inscriptions he was able to detail in this painstaking work, the resulting book--if properly compiled and bound when next Vanera has access to a library--could be sold to one of the great scriptoriums for the hefty sum of 6 Treasure.
• Reiana spent her time crafting a new sheath and grip for her dagger, the addition of which will grant it the keen trait.

On the morning of the Feast of Malfaloth, the waters swelled as Artana, the Hermitess, had promised, and the Company was able to leave the island (now called, for the sake of record, Artana's Isle, unless the Company has something else they would like to name it) and sailed back to Cheykor. Arriving on the eve of early Summer, the company found the village bustling with activity as that year's trade and amber season was now in full swing. Among those swelling the population of the village, they met up with Anaris, who has been off having adventures of her own...