Lady Red (log)

This is an excerpt from the logbook of Lady Red.

• Followed by Pirates
• Late Night Tentacles
• Saboteur Revealed
• Encounter with a Hydra
• Latest entry

Day 1

Early morning.

After all our preparations and having spent the last weeks studying spells, scribing scrolls and making magic items, it is with a feeling of relief we're finally setting sail.

It is a beautiful morning and a soft wind slowly bring our two ships out to sea, almost majestically. The stress to get every thing done in time and to take care of all things to be left in Sasserine is slowly replaced by anticipation of the long journey ahead. The fabled Isle of Dread, our destination, full of dangers, treasure and unknown knowledge waiting to be explored, here we come.

Noon.

It took several hours of uneventful sailing before I begun missing the library of the Witchwardens. Thankfully I have my alchemical laboratory. A few hours of moving stuff around, without really accomplishing anything, made me feel better. I put up a simple map of our voyage on the wall by my bed and marked our progress so far. It's not much more than a dot as of yet. I also made sure the nest for Rara Avis is set safely next to the window. Night time my dear peregrine falcon sleeps indoors with me.

The course is still north, and we're making good way. It's still a funny feeling to be traveling north when our destination is so far to the south.

Evening.

When the first day at sea was nearing it's end, the shocker lizard of Liamae, the Jade Ravens sorceress, brought a message from Lavinia Vanderboren in which she invites us to dinner this evening.

After midnight.

We took in most of the sails and lay alongside the Blue Nixie. Some ropes was tied between the ships and a seat was attached to them using a pulley. This was used to ferry the guests to the dinner and let the crews visit each others ships. I, of course, flew to the other ship. Jennike was planning to swing over but somehow she managed to dive head first into the sea. I was mostly surprised she didn't just swim across in the first place. She's almost aquatic anyways.

The guests included, apart from our little clique, Avner Meravanchi, Skald, Urol Forol and Father Feres from the Sea Wyvern, and Lavinia, Captain Sarim Pepper, and the Jade Ravens from the Blue Nixie. Kirith??? was disappointed that she wasn't invited. I sensed that she has a better upbringing than she admits. It seems she's trying to hide her family background. I should know. Amella Venkalie stayed on the Sea Wyvern to keep an eye on things when we were off.

During dinner I sat between Avner and Father Feres. It's awful that my brother don't know our relation. That womanizer couldn't keep his hands to himself. In the end I had to leave the table to get away from him. The father wasn't the most interesting conversationalist either. But everyone wasn't as unfortunate. Aiken flirted with Lavinia (or was it the other way around), Jennike went for a swim with Kaskus Kiel, the druid of the Jade Ravens, and Blood seemed to get along all to well with Liamae. After dinner a few of the crew gathered with some instruments and there were dancing. Captain Pepper asked me, and I accepted immediately, to some extent to avoid Avner. After dancing we conversed and I found him quite interesting. The old Captain has a lot of stories to tell.

When the evening was coming to an end and we were returning to our ship Aiken, the show off, were to walk on the rope between the ships. When he was midway the rope snapped and he fell, not that far though, since he grabbed on to the other rope and avoided a big splash. At the same time something fell from the crow's nest. I flew over and it turned out to be a steam mephit. A quick web held it in place. It had the very bad taste to use an acid spray on me! I gave it a couple of magic missiles and then it cast stinking cloud. Since I couldn't see it, I couldn't harm it anyway so I flew out of the cloud and started dispelling it. When the stinking cloud was gone the steam mephit had died from bullets and bolts.

When we discovered that the rope had been cut through an investigation was started. Someone was behind these sabotages and we was set to find who. My good bird of pray, Rara Avis, had seen a glass jar with a creature cramped inside in the crow's nest, but had no idea of when it appeared or how. My main theory is that someone with a way of using invisibility did it. Going through the ship with detect magic didn't give any results, but it's not that hard to hide magic items from detections. Kirith??? and Skald were among the suspects. We will have to keep an eye on anything suspicious. It could damage moral among the superstitious sailors. Their world is full of bad omen.

Day 10

Afternoon.

We sighted a merchant ship. They told us about a ship full of goblin pirates that had demanded toll but let them go when it was payed.

Day 13

Noon.

We will soon arrive at Fort Blackwell. I'm definitely looking forward to some fresh supplies to improve on the cuisine.

Evening.

As we entered Fort Blackwell, I really looked forward to visit a new town. It turned out that it wasn't really a town but rather a village surviving on the passing trade. Father Feres asked if anybody would encompany him to the Heironeous monastery. I and some others, but not Blood, did. It was a rather small missionary station, much smaller than I expected. The others stayed ashore, drinking and whatever it is sailors do during a short shore leave, probably for the rest of the night. I returned to the Sea Wyvern and my bed.

Day 14

Morning.

We left early in the morning and as we now turn south we are finally traveling in the correct direction.

Day 17

Noon.

Rara Avis spotted a ship on port bow, just beyond the horizon that is on a course that will intercept us.

Evening.

The ship has kept it's distance but is now trailing us. It seems their ship can use the weak wind better than ours.

Day 18

Morning.

The goblins are still following us, but keep their distance.

Day 19

Morning.

Skald noticed that during the night the goblin pirates, who's ship has blackened sails, had crept up to quite close to us. But still didn't attack. They are now back at the same position as yesterday.

Afternoon.

I suggested to the captain that we try to fool the pirates that we loose speed and get behind the Blue Nixie as they probably won't attack as we have two ships against their one. To make sure we still had a way of communicating, Aiken sent his parrot familiar to live with Lavinia on the Blue Nixie. The pirates didn't react during the day.

Day 20

Late morning.

The pirates apparently got closer during the night but still made no move to attack. Perhaps just to make sure that they wouldn't loose us during the night. Father Feres has taken ill. It seems he has a fever and has been put in bed.

Noon.

Father Feres is getting worse. Since Jennike is visiting the Blue Nixie, Blood has been trying to take care of him, so far with limited success.

Afternoon.

It turns out that Father Feres doesn't have the fever but is infected with a embryo of a magical beast, called blue slaad. I've read about those. They impregnate their victim and then their offspring grow within the host until they are bigger than the host body and burst out causing the death of the host in a messy way. Cinnamon flew off to get hold of Jennike and make sure she prepares remove disease at dawn.

Almost midnight.

The pirates closed in on us again during the early hours of the night. The captain tried to use one of the very good tricks I suggested, but failed to carry it through. This time I think they saw through us and now they know we are trying to provoke them to attack.

Day 21

Morning.

Finally the pirates have left us alone. Jennike used her remove disease spell with great effect. It seems we got rid of two problems at once.

Day 22

Afternoon.

We have reached the mouth of a greater river. We went upstreams to get fresh water, when the wind failed us. I levitated up to a high altitude to get a really good look at the river from above. I found out a few inaccuracies of my otherwise very exact maps. I was joined buy Rara Avis. It was a quite entertaining way to spend time with my familiar this way. Kind of in her element so to speak. A very thick fog slowly engulfed the ships below us. Soon it was impossible to see anything but tree tops and mast tops sticking out of and my rope disappearing into the soft, moist, white fog completely hiding the decks below. After contemplating the interesting scene I descended back down to the ship and adjusted the maps.

Late evening.

We anchored for the night on the spot and I had just gone to bed, but not fallen asleep yet when I felt a slight bump to the hull. I ignored it, but could not quite fall asleep. There was a nagging feeling that something was awry. When I heard sounds of fighting I hurriedly got dressed and went up on deck, well at least almost. A floatsom ooze was blocking the only exit to deck. When it was killed it had killed Skald, but I saved Soller Vark from the same fate. It cost us a potion, but that is a small price for a life. We retrieved Skalds body to make sure it would get a proper burial. We also salvaged some other things stuck in the ooze.

Day 23

Morning.

I have identified the items we got from the wreckage that the ooze brought with it. It turned out to be a pair of gauntlets of ogre power and a ring of mind shielding. At least the gauntlets might come in handy. Skald also left a very strong magical bow. Father Feres suggested that he would take care of delivering it to his family. Until that time we decided to put it in the ships locker.

Noon.

We got wind in our sails and got out to sea. Someone thought it funny to pretend to be the ghost of Skald. I'm growing tired of those tricks to lower the morale of the crew. We will make sure we get to the bottom of this. Is that a good phrase when on a ship? Father Feres held a sermon as we held a burial at sea. It was very inspiring and seemed to lighten the harts of the crew.

Afternoon.

Our unknown saboteur tried to poison Cinnamon. I hadn't filled my mind fully with spells during the morning so I added detect poison to my repertoire for the day. It turned out to be arsenic in her fruits. I will use that same spell on every little space on this ship to find where the saboteur has hidden his poison so we can find out who it is.

Evening.

I have worked very hard to try to find out if there is any poison, or more specifically arsenic aboard this ship. Several hours spent detecting. There were some bad looks from some of the crew when I left the forecastle cargo hold after hours of searching and spelling for their good. To make sure that they knew I did what was for their own best I decided to talk to them. They didn't seem to get comforted. Well, they should learn to mind their own business, anyway.

Very late evening.

When I at last got in bed for my well deserved sleep after a particularly hard day of tedious spell casting, Cinnamon suddenly appeared with a wand and asked to get it identified. She had been following Father Feres all day and found out some suspicious facts. He didn't pray much. His prayer book was worn on the binder, but the pages were practically unused. After yet another hour of hard work I identified the wand as a wand of healing. I will finally go to bed now.

Day 24

Noon

The crew is finished making the new manhole to get a seconed exit, we did find to be needed during the fight with the ooze. We have tried to find ways to find that saboteur...

Day 28

Evening.

Jennike has finished talking to fish and is now down below talking to the ships cats. I don't know if I should be envious that she can talk to the cats or if she's just gone nuts.

Day 29

Evening.

Today Jennike and Cinnamon spent the afternoon swimming after getting really messed up from searching the dirtiest place they could find on the entire ship, the bilge.

Day 30

Morning.

Finally it's come to search the whole cargo hold. It's going to take the entire day. It'll be me with Aiken for heavy lifting, Cinnamon with Jennike for the lifting and Amella with the cargo manifest.

Noon.

This is taking a very long time. Luckily enough Aiken move the heavy crates for me. I just levitate and point.

Afternoon.

About the same time as we found a crate that should have been very heavy but moved quite easily, I noticed that the sun that sipped through the trapdoors had shifted and the ship was taking the waves in a different way than it should had we stayed on the right course. It turned out that it was Rowyn Kellani who, disguised as Peter Blood, had ordered the new course straight for land. She kept the crew from realizing what was happening by using a bardic trick to keep them listening to her. We foiled her plans and after a quite hard fight we succeeded in subduing her. She's in an awful state. Her hair is a mess, her skin looks kind of sick and she's hurt from the fight, not to mention her mental state. She's all "you'd better kill me". She really needs to change her ways and straighten up. Somebody should make sure she gets a new look on life. And I mean someone other than Avner. Not that it wouldn't be a good project for him, but I'm not entirely sure of his intentions. I brought Rowyns books with me as I thought I would have a lot of time on my hands, but I haven't been bored enough to make me reread those works of questionable literary quality. Now I can at least return them to their, former if not rightful, owner

Day 31

Morning.

It's been decided that I should make some alchemical lead that Cinnamon then will add to some of the shackles on board. Those will then be used to keep Rowyn from getting her spells back.

Evening.

I've finished making the alchemist lead. It's good to be done with it, but now I have to decide how to handle this whole Rowyn affair. I feel responsible for getting her into this trouble she is in. It would be easier just to keep away, but Jennike and my conscience keeps nagging. I might visit her anyway. Her books wasn't worth discussing, but she might have some interesting stories to tell. Maybe she even knows some spells I don't. She might even teach me, but that would make it look like I'm only after her spells. Maybe I should keep away, anyway...

Day 32

Morning.

I have made up my mind. She's in trouble and I have to help her. She might be evil, but who knows what lies ahead. She might get through this with a new look on life.

Day 36

Morning.

As Lavinia had promised Forol to explore the ruins of Tamoachan, an old olman city we prepared to assist him in his adveturing. All of our clique will join him, or rather let him accompany us but stay behind until we will say it is safe for him to follow. We will not loose the only one on this expedition who has ever been at our destination.

Noon.

We followed Forols map and it turned out to be essentially correct. We did meet a basilisk as Urol Forol had been talking about. We were well prepared and it fell quickly. We entered the complex and found three more beings, a mumbling monster, a firebrething bat and an evil faerie, which we slew. Now I must record our findings. I will write more of this expedition when we're back on the ship.

Evening.

There was three different parts of the complex. The first we explored had a statue and a well. That statue was of the (comparatively) good god ??? of the olmans. There were some items in the well, that survived the flaming sphere that burnt exceptionally hot this time.

There was a firewall trap in a very interesting map room. The map was actually a model of a city that this structure once were part of. Sadly enough it had seen better days, as had the city, nowadays hardly more than ruins, but it was interesting to study anyway.

The last part also had a map room but far better preserved, but of an unknown city. I and Forol recorded it as well as possible. There were a sarcophagus in the middle that Cinnamon disarmed some trap on before it was opened. I also found an almanac in the form of a large circular stone table. There were also several interesting wall painting. Forol and I copied all of this between us. There's a lot of material to study, notes to compare and mysteries to solve.

Now I have something to do during this long journey, as if I hadn't before; talking to Rowyn and making sure she's doing well, checking the navigational charts and correcting them if need be (It also makes sure Forol won't get us too far off course.), refining magical items in the laboratory. I just hope I get it all done before we get to Farshore. I will start on Aiken's gloves soon enough.

Day 39

Evening.

Aiken's gloves are finished. They turned out okay. I'm getting used to crafting magical items. I will have to improve on my eardrops.

Lavinia called for a meeting to discuss the tactics for tomorrow. The rounding of the peninsula marking the borders to the seas claimed by the scarlet brotherhood, known pirates, was the event that caused her worries. She suggested we split the ships up and try to sneak by one at a time. The Blue Nixie would go first. I thought that there would be safety in numbers but didn't want to make a fuss about it.

Day 40

Noon.

Early in the morning, as we were nearing the outer peninsula, the wind died down. Jennike luckily had a wind spell prepared. She stood at the very stern, filling the sails with a formidable storm originating from her own body. Cinnamon flew around heedless of any dangers of injury. Myself I stayed sheltered from the wind forward of the quarterdeck. With this wind we made good way no matter of doldrums.

My trusty falcon was once more the first to notice another ship on the horizon. It was further out to sea and had probably been patrolling the islands to the east. It turned out to be a galley trying to reach us before we could round the peninsula and turn south and south-west again. With their oars they hoped to catch sailing ships helpless in the calm seas. But they had no such luck with us.

I quickly calculated that we would never be close, but we would have rounded the peninsula and far be away, well before the pirates would get there. Content I looked at Jennike when I noticed a sailor walking up to her with a drink of water. My shout of warning was completely lost in the wind. It took quite a while of fencing, bashing and spelling before the sailor, who actually was Rowyn in disguise, was dealt with. She was once again knocked unconscious and locked back into Avners cabin, where she had been put when the pirates first was spotted.

We didn't lose any significant speed from the fight.

Evening.

It's a good thing that Blood has joined Lavinia on the Blue Nixie, otherwise there would have been no way of stopping him from hanging Rowyn. He have earlier painted himself into a corner by telling the crew that if she tried anything she would be executed. Not that he wouldn't like to do it anyway. I on the other hand can't let her be killed as it's partly our fault she's in this mess. We should help her get out of it.

As most of Rowyns anger is directed at Jennike she suggested that she'd fight a duel with Rowyn to satisfy her. Rowyn overheard this suggestion and said she'd gladly agree as long as it was to the death. Jennike didn't seem to grasp how bad an idea that would be. Either she would be defeated and Rowyn wouldn't hesitate to kill her or if Jennike won and didn't kill Rowyn, she'd probably be in an even worse mood.

We finally decided to maroon her, but not until she had healed some.

Day 41

We put her crate and some supplies on a beach.

Day 49

Fort Greenrock burnt to ruins by lizzardmen!

Day 53

Noon.

It was time to fill our fresh water supplies again. There was a very tall waterfall falling of the cliff side into the ocean. As we approached I left the the boat and flew out to take in the magnifiant view. It's a wounderous feeling levitating slowly up a waterfall, watching the water fall infront of you. Jenninke started waving and the small boat put in the sea to get the water was brought back onboard. I returned to see what was going on. It turned out Jennike had been talking to some animals living there. There were some kind of monster living where the waterfall hit the sea. I deducted that it was a hydra that was living there preying on unsuspecting sailors. We setup an ambush and killed the monster. It never hit any of us but it took a long time to kill it, especially since it regenerates damage. Finally it was killed by a fire ball and a cannon ball from the shipscannon. Finally it had been tested in combat and it worked well.

Day 59

We reached Renkrue today. I ordered some scrolls to learn some new spells. Balame Theron

Day 60

Noon.

Early morning we set out up the river. We had a slow pace sailing upstreams. It was very hot and the slow steady wind also hot gave no releaf. After noon we met a strange man who wanted to barter, or rather try to fool us into buying something from him at ridiculous prices. Aparently someone of the others got something useful out of him.

Evening.

During the afternoon we got attacked by archers on the river bank. They were hard to make out in the woods, but I got them pointed out and Rara Avis helped too. I got some of them in my fire balls and they retreated. There were several arrows on the deck and when I checked them out I noticed that they were poisoned.

Late night.

Just before dusk we choose a place to anchor for the night. It was a flooded swamp which had turned into a shallow lake. Jennike dived in polymorphed inte some animal and swam around. After a while it turned out she had encountered some kind of monster resembling a lobster that very nearly killed both Jennike and Cinnamon who were the first to notice Jennikes predicament and rushing to her help.