The jellyfish sees many creatures near it, and typically misunderstands. It starts lashing out with all its tentacles.
3 tentacles slap onto Claude, with the fourth bouncing off a green shield. Claude does not manage to fight off all the numbing poison injected onto him.
Claude swells to immensity then begins biting and clawing at the jellyfish, ripping it to shreds, as he tips into the water.
Daimen and some other crew members on seeing Claude's monstrous transformation, turn pale and faint at the sight of it. The rest of the crew are visibly shaken.
"Howard, are we next on the menu?"
With the jellyfish dead, the crew struggle to keep the boat from capsizing, and with the jellyfish not struggling it isn't very hard.
One of the crew members pipes up, "You know, jellyfish is good eating, if we could haul it on board, Darja could make jellyfish salad out of it."
The rest of the day passes uneventfully. At the end of the day, everyone turns in, except for Howard, Leonard and Monty. Monty tells Leonard that Buopoths, though big, are essentially timid, and he misses the iridescent fish in the Oukranos river.
One of the dishes served up to the party is a jellyfish salad
After treating Seamus, Vincent and Leonard take out the books Atop the Valley’s Soul, The Falling Silk and In Admiration of keeping pacts, and start doing the research.
Lowls sought the heartstone of a specific act – an ambassador and soul-trader named Quaveandra. The party learns that she carries a heartstone —a special gemstone worth at least 1,800 gp that is worn as a periapt. A heartstone’s magic is fueled by the hag’s spirit and proximity—once separated from its owner (or upon the hag’s death), but heartstone retains its magic for only 24 hours before becoming a nonmagical gem again. The heartstone instantly cures any disease contracted by the holder. In addition, a heartstone provides a +2 resistance bonus on all saving throws (this bonus is included in the statistics block above). A night hag that loses this charm can no longer use etherealness or soul bind until it finds a replacement gemstone. However Quaveandra’s heartstone is different that it retains its magic for a month out of her possession, rather than 1 day.
"So wha' th' Davy Jones' locker be that thin'?!" One of the crew sputter.
"Remind me ne'er t' piss off ye finger wavin' dudes. If ye can wave yer fingers 'n cause evolution like that..." The crew member looks dubiously at Howard."Its effective no doubt, but wha' if it had turned on th' ship?"
Leonard listens to the woman intnetly, no, you're not late. Really, it's no trouble at all, I just, he glances around, I've come for a bone. A leg bone from a pig, perhaps, or the spine of a fish would work. Leonard takes a step towards the large pot, remembering the last time he saw such a big stew. When I was a child I wasn't allowed in the kitchens, he begins timidly, they always caught me.
Tell me more.
Even the stars are different. You must really want to go home, huh? Leonard looks sideways at Monty. Sorry we got you killed, he adds quickly, before the Voonith can respond. I died in the dreamlands too, it's, not fun? I'm sure you wish you'd never followed us. Leonard goes quiet, waiting with baited breath for a response.
Leonard walks slightly too close to the crew, leaning awkwardly against the railing. He looks like he has something to say, and doesn't quite know the proper way to put it. You are not going to be eaten, he says simply.
Straightening back up, Leonard nods at the man. Not going to be eaten, he repeats tactlessly.
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Howard pauses.
"You know, I *have* been feeling out of sorts; things are foggy - not in a having-difficulty-remembering kind of way; more having difficulty concentrating on the memory, and it has been affecting my ability to concentrate on other things, as well. We do have a Scroll of Restoration that you could use on me, when you get a chance."
Howard sighs.
That sort of reaction is precisely why I don't like doing such things in front of the uninformed, but that thing was going to capsize the ship!
"Claude would not have turned upon the ship; I was on it. If you had attacked him, will, it would have been tantamount to suicide, but barring that, he would not have taken any action against any of you. After all, I need both you and the ship, and therefore, by extension, he does, as well."
"No one's going to kick you out of kitchen, Leonard." Darja looks appraisingly at Leonard. "In fagt you look like you need some feeding.You'we too thin." Leonard is then passed a bowl of steaming hot fish chowder. To Leonard queries about a bone, she answers, "Awe you twying to cook stew in yoa' woom? Yoa' cabin doesn't ave cooking fagilities the last time I looked."
"We don't ave any pig leg bones a'. We've been away fwom land fo' 12 days." Darja admits, then asks Leonard, "We ave quite some shawk bones, though.They make good stock."
"Ydw, yr wyf am fynd adref. Rwy'n colli gallu nofio yn yr afon, ac nid wyf yn cael ei gopïo i fyny yn y caban drwy'r amser. Hoffwn i'r ddau beiriant y gwyddoch chi, ceisiwch siarad â ni rai? Dylwn fod wedi gwrando ar Verdigris yn hytrach na mynnu iddi, yna efallai na fyddwn i'n teimlo fel hyn nawr." Monty says morosely.
Yes, I want to go home. I miss being able to swim in the river, and not being cooped up in the cabin all the time. I wish the two leggers might you know, try to talk with us some? I should have listened to Verdigris instead of scoffing at her, then maybe I wouldn't be feeling like this now.
"Ok, ok, we be nah goin' t' be eaten...deep breaths..."The sailors start doing so.
"But he looks like somethin' from th' nine hells!" They point at Claude, and are visibly relieved when Howard dismisses the spell. Then the start carrying off those who passed out from the shock of seeing Claude's transformation and giving them first aid.
Leonard takes the bowl, ignoring the urging of Angiliath. He drinks from it quite happily without waiting for a spoon, then remembers his manners and sets it down on the counter, wiping his mouth carefully with his hands. No cooking for me, I'm afraid, I've absolutely no idea how. Either I'm somewhere someone else can cook for me, or I've already purchased something I can eat cold. He watches the voluminous cauldron like a cat, tasting more chowder, this time rather daintily with a spoon. I need a bone for magical purposes, more specifically, if it's a shark's bone, it ought to be a skull.
"Yn anffodus, dwi ddim yn meddwl eu bod yn siarad Aklo. Os oeddech am siarad gyda gweddill y criw, fwy na thebyg dylech ddysgu cyffredin."
"Mewn gwirionedd, mae'n debyg mai syniad da ni waeth beth, os ydych chi'n mynd i fod yma ychydig. Fel arall rydych yn mynd i fod i ddod i arfer â lladd pobl." Leonard looks up at the great starry abyss, silent for a moment. I could teach you.
"Yr wyf yn siŵr y byddai unrhyw un ohonom yn hapus yn eich addysgu chi"
Unfortunately, I don't think they speak Aklo. If you wanted to talk with the rest of the crew, you should probably learn common.
In fact, that's probably a good idea no matter what, if you're going to be here a while. Otherwise you're going to have to get used to killing people.
I'm sure any of us would be happy to teach you.
Darja does not really care about Leonard's lack of manners and in fact states approvingly, "The best compliment to a cook is to see a' food appweciated. You need some mo' flesh on yoa' fwame, Leonawd."
"Lots of shawk bones down tha' - elp yoozself to whateva' you weque'. They might stawt getting fishy if you keep the fo' long unless you dwy them out fisst." Darja points to a refrigerated cabinet. Leonard peeks in and finds a whole bunch of shark bones, and manages to get a skull out of the lot.
"Nid oes neb yn poeni ein dysgu ni. Mae hi fel Howard yn brysur yn gwneud ei bethau, a chi a Vincent yn darllen llyfrau diflas drwy'r dydd. Ac mae Seamus yn gwario ei ddydd yn edrych o flaen y drych." Monty complains.
No one's bothered to teach us. It's like Howard is just busy doing his stuff, and you and Vincent are reading boring books all day long. And Seamus just spends his day looking in front of the mirror.
The night after they get back from Sarnath, after Howard casts Keep Watch on Leonard, he stands up and moves to the door of the cabin. Standing in the doorway, he folds his hands rather deliberately. " always wondered, Howard, why you stay up at night? If you don't mind my asking, of course," he hastens to add, already ready to back out the door.
Leonard is absolutely dogged as the two of you pursue research. He reads quickly but loosely and mutters to himself under his breath frequently. After each successful discovery, before the subsequent journey, Leonard has a measured amount of rum in celebration. After the Sarnath research is complete, he eyes you while he gets out his dwindling supply. "Want some?"
Early one morning, as the sun rises, you spy Leonard on the brow of the ship dancing with subtle, artful movements. He clearly doesn't see you, until he does, at which point he abruptly stops. "Well well well, Seamus," he begins, out of breath. "You know what they say, 'never give a man to a sword who can't dance,'eh?" His head twitches slightly, and he looks down at the deck.
What I really need is a bigger frame, to be honest. Ah well, at least I'm young. Leonard brushes his slowly greying hair back, then heads over to the refrigerator to pick up some skulls. On his way back, he notices that there's still some chowder. In an infinitely graceful movement, he snatches it off the table and downs it in a gulp, setting the bowl back on the table and smiling with his mouth closed. Well, he begins, suppose I'll be off, then. Wish I could cook like that.
Wish you told me about your childhood.
"Wel, mae'n debyg gallai yn addysgu chi." Leonard continues to gaze at the stars in silence for a long time. "I think you're going to teach me how to swim."
Tell me more.
Sorry, didn't realize you were saying out aloud. I'll get to this one but it'll take a while.
"Ie, hoffwn siarad yn gyffredin. Yna, gallaf bragio i Verdigris fy mod yn gwybod rhywbeth nad yw hi felly, felly ni fydd hi mor anhygoel yn gwybod ei fod i gyd!" Monty replies eagerly.
"O nofio yn hawdd. Eisiau i mi ddangos i chi?" Monty then leaps off the boat into the chilly water of the river and swims a few circles around the ship.
Oh swimming is easy. Want me to show you?
Once he comes up, he gives a happy sigh, "Dyn Nid wyf wedi gwneud hynny ers cyhyd!"
I haven't done that for so long!
"You need mo'. You'we wail thin! Looks like you no one's fed you pwopa'ly." Darja comments.
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Howard gives Leonard a long, careful look, then, clearly coming to some sort of decision, he nods.
"Old habits die hard - after my brother was murdered, I traveled alone a lot, whilst I did my research, and could ill-afford to sleep in the wilderness. That, and," he smiles mirthlessly, "in the course of my investigations, I stirred up many things that those with less sanity would have found... rather unsettling. After all, one can, on occasion, stare at the raw fabric of reality, but one generally does not expect it to look back. Moreover, I fear what might happen if my dreaming mind was left unprotected, and also what might happen to my body; I am sure that, even now, there are... things... watching for a moment to strike, with utterly inhuman patience. Lastly, by not sleeping, it gives me more time to cogitate on matters that are bothering me, and utterly avoids magics such as Nightmare which are dependent upon the victim being asleep." He then arches an eyebrow. "Does that answer your question?"
He then poses a question of his own:
"When you gave your sword (albeit temporarily) to Seamus, you mentioned that it can... speak to its wielder. That, therefore, implies that it has an animating intelligence. Is it one that you bound there yourself, or did you find it thus? Do you know what kind of entity is bound to your blade?"
Vincent listens from a distance with his excellent hearing, always keeping tabs on what is going on around him.
As Howard presents the scroll he nods and takes it, casually unfurling it and reading from it.
"Oughta get your friends out here, they deserve a swim too, don't you think? Hmm...better warn the crew first, though." Leonard looks around to see if anyone is awake. He also observes the sides of the ship to see how easily Monty can climb back up.
Leonard wavers at the door. "I've been fed properly, but I wasn't when I was a child. Malnourished and all that. Then after that I had more important things to do than learn how to cook." He nods again, awkwardly.
"Learn to throw indeed. Though I think if you did have this sword, you'd be less inclined to do so."
If he had this sword, he'd rapidly learn to throw himself out a window.
"Certainly does answer my question. Kindof odd, looking at the fabric of the universe," Leonard says matter of factly, letting his hands fall, "but it seems like you've got nothing to fear. What with being able to stay awake and all. Maybe when you die?"
Leonard unsheathes Angiliath and offers it to Howard. "I might've used to know more, but not anymore. Went crazy I suppose. Speak to him yourself, if you like, though he's rather mean to people who aren't me."
I'm not a "he," mortal.
Mortal?
Damien looks like he’s about to turn in for the night after contemplating the stars, and there are a couple of crew members on deck, doing ship chores like making sure the sails are properly angled and the ship is on course. Monty does not seem to have too much trouble climbing back up the ship’s sides.
” Nah, peidiwch â phoeni. Mae'n hanner nos ac mae angen iddynt orffwys ar ôl ceisio fy helpu i deimlo'n well nawr. Pe gallent orffwys yn ystod y dydd yna gallent fynd nofio yn y nos.” Monty answers Leonard.
Nah, don’t bother. It’s midnight and they need their rest after trying to help me feel better now. If they could rest during the day then they could go swimming at night.
” That’s o'wible. But I can undesstand ow that can appen. If you feel betta' saying it out, I’m a'. Pained shawed is pain alved. I came fwom a similaw ce'cumstances. A brief flash of remembered pain flashes through Darja’s eyes.” Well if you didn’t leawn to cook bagk then, you a' always welcome a' fo' cooking lessons.” She beams at Leonard, showing white teeth.
"Pain halved indeed." Leonard smiles unconvincingly, eyes looking anywhere but the woman. After a second that drags on for too long, he turns, giving a final salute with the skulls, and walks away.
"Cooking lessons? That sounds good."
You just want a friend. It's good and human, you ought to take her up on it.
"How?"
How? You know better than I do, I suppose.
"Or gallai chi gyd fynd i nofio yn ystod y dydd. Ni fydd problem gyda'r criw, byddwn yn gwneud yn siŵr ohono." Leonard grunts slightly, "Not iawn i chi i aros drwy'r dydd ar fwrdd."
"Not right for you to stay on board all day."
” Well, we’we done cooking fo' lunch a', but show up an oa' befo' dinna' – we’we making Cioppino” Darja replies.
” Os ceisiwch aros i gael ei gopïo mewn ystafell fechan pan fyddwch chi'n arfer cael afon gyfan i nofio i mewn a gweld sut rydych chi'n teimlo. A hefyd ddim yn cael Vooniths i siarad â nhw. Rwy'n golygu nad yw'r dynion hynny sy'n dod â bwyd yn ein hystyried ni, ond nid ydynt yn ymddangos fel petawn ni chwaith. Dydw i ddim yn siŵr am y ddau garreg arall.“ Monty answers.
Yeah try staying cooped up in a small room when you’re used to having a whole river to swim in and see how you feel. And also not having Vooniths to talk to. I mean those guys bringing in food don’t mind us, but they don’t seem to like us either. I’m not sure about the other two leggers.
"They yn dod i'ch adnabod, os ydym yn gweithio ar y mater, er yr wyf yn amau byddwch deuant byth agos at gyfaill ichi oni bai y gallwch siarad eu language." Leonard looks around for a suitable spot to sit down, eventually leaning against the railing. "Beth yr ydych yn unig nofio mewn dŵr. Wwaatteerr, he enunciates slowly, in common.
"They might get to know you, if we work at it, though I doubt they'll ever come close to befriending you unless you can speak their language."
"What you just swam in is water. Water.
Leonard puts down his book, folding the decrepit pages with care. "Vincent, I think I'm going to stop now, until dinner. Okay? He stands up, glancing at the door.
”Hoffwn ddysgu siarad eu hiaith, ond ni fyddai neb yn fy nysgu. Nid yw pawb mor brysur, a Shesha, Verdigris, a Syriss yn siarad eu hiaith chwaith. Gwnaeth Kaa, ond nid yw yma.”Monty says sadly.
”O, felly mae'r ddau grefftwyr yn ei alw'n ddŵr!”Monty exclaims.
”Water.” He dutifully repeats after Leonard. ” Sut ydych chi'n dweud llawer o ddŵr?”
I would want to learn to speak their language, but no one would teach me. Everyone’s just so busy, and Shesha, Verdigris, and Siriss don’t speak their language either. Kaa did, but he’s not here.
Oh, so the two leggers call it water!
How do you say lots of water?
Darja sets Leonard to chopping the fish into bite sized pieces, while one of her helpers chop the other ingredients next to him. One of them is large onions. The aroma of onion is so stinging that it brings tears to Leonard’s eyes, but her helper seems unaffected by it.” Yes, some spices can be a pain to cut, but the end wesult is wo'th it.” She remarks as she sees Leonard tearing. After that, she shows Leonard how each individual ingredient is cooked together to give the Cioppino.” Tomo'wow you’we cooking that stew.” She grins at him.
Vincent looks up from the books, nods at Leonard, then goes back to his research.
"In tafod y comin, mae llawer o ffyrdd i ddweud popeth, Leonard replies. Gallech ddweud nad oes "lots of water". Ond gallech hefyd ddweud bod swm "prodigious quantity of liquid", neu "mighty sea." Rwyf wedi dysgu iaith gyda geirfa o'r fath capacious byth."
"Beth bynnag, nid yw hynny'n dybiwch y bydd mater llawer, nid hyd nes y byddwch wedi dysgu lawer mwy."
"A nodyn arall, gelwir y ddwy leggers y bodau humans. Wel, heblaw am y rhai sydd ddim yn ddynol."
Anyway, I don't suppose that shall matter much, not until you've learned a good deal more."
"And another note, the two leggers are called humans. Well, except for the ones who aren't human."
Leonard touches his eyes. I thought it might be a little emotional, but...why am I crying? He looks up as the woman addresses him, hiding his face until she points out that he's crying. "I don't think it would be difficult to cut them, I just...is there something about them that makes one cry?" Leonard cuts with delight, the simple nature of the task somehow extremely appealing. He chats lightly with the woman, asking a lot of questions and remembering everything.
Monty thinks for a moment on what Leonard has said. ” Iawn, pam na wnewn hyn. Dechreuwch ddechrau'r syml hwn. Rwyf am ddweud, Fy enw i yw Monty, ac nid oes gennyf ddiddordeb mewn bwyta chi. Hoffwn i ni fod yn ffrindiau.“
He cocks his head, then continues,” Yna, y cam ar gyfer, A allaf fynd i'r llawer o ddŵr i nofio?
”Beth yw'r gwahaniaeth rhwng Dynol ac nid pobl os oes gan bob un ohonom ddau goes?”Monty asks Leonard.
Ok, why don’t we do this. Lets start this simple. I want to say, My name is Monty, and I have no interest in eating you. I’d like us to be friends.
Then the phase for Can I go to lots of water to swim?
What is the difference between humans and not humans if they all have two legs?
” Onions pwoduce a vapoa' that stimulates yoa' teaw glands so you stawt cwying.” Darja answers sagely. ” And if you cut chillis yoa' ands will ave a ba'ning sensation.”
” When you’we fwying onions, make sa' you fwy them till they’we cawamelized. Gawlic should be slightly bwowned as well. Else the flavoa' won’t come out.” Darja instructs Leonard. ” Cwozh the Bay leaf befo' putting it in, it weleases the flavoa' betta'.”
”And the key to cooking is patience. Rush through the whole thing, and it won’t taste good.”
"The key is patience? So I should take as long as possible so that the maximum amount of flavour gets imparted? Don't lots of foods burn? Leonard fries the vegetables as instructed, shaking the pan delecately and sending the sizzling onions arcing through the air. The garlic turns brown, filling the air with a warm, savory aroma and making Leonard's mouth water. How long before it's done? He asks.
”I asked you to get it bwown, not to get it ba'nt.” Darja taps Leonard lightly with a soup ladle. ” Now ste' in thyme, o'gano, wed-peppa' flakes, and bay leaf.” With Darja’s instructions, Leonard manages to turn out a decently tasty Ciopinno.
The next day is rainy, and Vincent and Howard hear the crew talking nervously of glimpsing a yellow sailed vessel somewhere in the storm.
Vincent and Leonard continue with the research, with Leonard taking breaks before meals to continue his cooking lessons.
A register of extraplanar diplomats lists Quaveandra as an ambassador to the city of Dylath-Leen, a grim city of bastalt and one of Dreamlands’ most notorious havens for vice.
According to a diary brimming with spiteful rumors, Quaveandra has an unnecessarily large retinue of retainers and an insufferably imperious manner.
Vincent and Leonard continue with the research, with Leonard taking breaks before meals to continue his cooking lessons.
Leonard and Vincent learn the proper phase that allows them to use the Dreamlands excursion occult ritual to reach the ambassador in Dyath-Leen.