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Salissa's blast is all it takes to silence poor Averill Quint once and for all. Now freed, Dennis triple shots the poltergeist. Lootie and Slipp zap it simultaneously and it disintegrates completely into the ocean in front of you, fueled by the pulses of electricity surging through it.
Orange undead -59 damage <destroyed>
Purple undead -93 damage <destroyed>
Salissa <6 temp hp>
Dorgath -32 damage
Dennis -53 damage
Lootie -26 damage
Slipp -30 damage
Ra'uf -18 damage
In addition to the chest you came for, searching the former Pathfinders you can find an archaic wayfinder with a slotted sprouting aeon stone that Averill tucked away for safekeeping.
Racing to beat the demise of the Pearl's protections, you swim back up to the surface and reboard your ship. The Venture-Captains surround you to seize the chest and examine its contents, allowing you all to take a long breath of fresh air.
With the treasure of the Whippoorwill secured in the hold, Captain Benarry calls the crew and assembled Pathfinders to attention. The setting sun throws her shadow across the deck. She kicks open the sealed chest. Within it, the glint of potion bottles and a curled map surrounds a lightning rod.
"We’ve got ourselves an adventure," she says. "This chest’s lock was tight enough it kept the ocean out, but I managed to ease my way in and found a map. Likewise, there were some potions that bottled the Whippoorwill’s final moments. Now we’ve found an inkling as to what she was doing all those years ago.
[b]"Based on all this, I figure the old crew picked up this artifact at one of the Ghol-Gani islands that pockmark the Eye. Navigation says we have a half day’s sail ahead of us. We’re setting the course now and will arrive quick as the winds take us. Be prepared to wrestle with whatever secrets the island holds."
Eando Kline furrows his brow before adding, "Do take this time to sleep. The isle’s been off-limits ever since the Whippoorwill sank, so we don’t know what nest of monsters we’re about to step on."
He herds the collected Pathfinders to rest up while the crew sails on. Among the hammocks and overstuffed quarters, the hurricane roars around the ship. The belly of the Snapdragon sways from the pressure of the storm throughout the night.
Just shy of dawn, Calisro’s voice booms through the hold as she orders, "Wake up, Pathfinders. We’ve got a tail—and it’s a big ‘un. Get into position!"
The scramble of Pathfinders reaches the top deck just as the creature comes into view—the great orca Abendego’s Squall. She stares at the Snapdragon with intelligent malice. The length of her body nearly overtakes the length of the ship, far larger than any whale has the right to be. This mix of hatred and power swims toward the ship.
She jumps out of the water as she closes the distance. Jutting out of her back near the dorsal fin is a harpoon. A chain trails off its handle. Each time the links clatter against each other, they glow an unsettling amber. This does not slow her in her desire for destruction. She arcs toward the Snapdragon; her mouth opens as she collides with the mast.
Eando springs from his position next to Calisro and commands, "Pathfinders, get into position!"
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The big ‘un's movement roils the sea around the Snapdragon and leaves a trail of frothing water in its wake. As it rises from the surf, it displays black-and-white markings over its fins and tails. Clearly, an orca has found the Snapdragon to be its target. A harpoon juts from behind the orca's dorsal fin.
As she slams into the mast and cracks it, her flippers reach down to the top deck and pummel the sailors onboard. The rain pounds against the deck and the sky darkens as she pushes the Snapdragon deeper into the storm.
Critical Success You gain 2 Orca Points.
Success You gain 1 Orca Point.
Failure No effect.
Critical Failure You lose 1 Orca Point.
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After a full night of rest Lootie is ready to get back work inspiring the crew with his badass tunes. He stand between the masts and puts everything into his performance before the whale arrives.
An ancient orca filled with rage,
Tried to sweep the Snapdragon off her stage,
But the Pathfinders stood,
With valor and good,
And triumphed like stars of the age!
Lootie casts bless and plays a rallying anthem to inspire defense.
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Ra'uf remembers a story from his father about Abendego’s Squall. "This beast is older than the Eye, or so say the sailors I've met."
He grabs some ropes to help the crew positon the sails, then keeps an eye on the Orca to better anticipate what she will do when she reaches the ship.
◆◆ Fortify the Ship
◆ Seek
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Dennis agrees with the champion. "Mister Ra'uf is right. Aben...Abendag..." It's too big a word for him, and he doesn't know what an 'orca' is, but the lad soldiers on, "...the killer whale is really really old. Way older than me. It's been around forever." He's proud of himself that he was helpful.
When Dorgath suggests the animal is injured, Dennis says, "Awww...we should help it." He leaves his halberd strapped to his side and helps batten down the hatches.
Then he retrieves a potion of Water Breathing. Just in case.
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Salissa helps the sailors raise the sails. She smiles at Dennis's inablity to pronounce the orca's name as she calls up her elemental power.
"The great orca'sss name be Abendego’sss Sssquall, Dennisss and 'tisss true. She be truly ancient, e'en older the Eye itssself. 'Twould truly be a shame to sssee harm come to ssuch a majessstic beassst. Friend Dorgath, perhapsss I can withdraw the harpoon when she passssssesss and then thou wouldssst be free to ussse thine medical prowessssss to assssssuage her woundsss."
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The group does their best to prepare for the onslaught. Before long, the behemoth matches speed with the Snapdragon and Abendego’s Squall leaps from the depths and up onto the ship's main tearing its primary mast from the deck in the process. The shrapnel and splinters spray across the entire deck.
.
Dennis
Salissa
Abendego’s Squall
Lootie
Dorgath <water walk>
Ra'uf
Slipp
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Dennis avoids the worst of the shrapnel, as most of the splinters glance harmlessly off his plate mail. He tells the group, "Oooh! I remember that we can calm it down by either frightening it or making whale sounds. ."
He excitedly says, "Good thing I speak whale!" He doesn't. Untrained in nature, he proceeds to make noises like a pregnant yak. When that surpisingly doesn't work, he tries to remove the harpoon.
He then tries to slap a battle dressing on the injured creature.
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Dennis does his best surgeon impression, and manages to seize the harpoon single-handedly but the whale is far too slippery to actually be bandaged. Salissa manages to scoot some detrius off the port side.
Satisfied with your humanity, Abendego’s Squall decides to move on and disappears into the still churning seas as your ship lurches forward from the reduced weight.
Dennis -8 damage
Slipp -16 damage
Salissa
Lootie
Dorgath
Ra'uf
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Ra'uf was paying too much attention to the harpoon in the beast's side to notice the mast come down. The sound of crashing timbers sends the shoony into a panic. Luckily for him, the other pathfinders are able to soothe the Squall, for Ra'uf can do little more than mumble prayers to Milani in his ancestral language after the wood slams into his body.
[Not his first accident on a ship! - Ed.]
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Dennis considers asking permission to borrow the new harpoon for a while. But he decides he likes his halberd better. "Anyone wanna try it?" It looks like he's planning to toss the harpoon to whoever wants it.
Quickly bored with it, he sets it down and runs off to see if the ship needs more fortification.
When Salissa does her healing trick, Dennis smiles, "Gee, thanks! I feel all better now." He stands ready for more excitement on the high seas.
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"Calm down, son. Save something for later." Eando Kline chides Dennis half-heartedly as he watches him still hauling crates from stern to aft. The Vigilant Seal leader pulls a splinter from his arm. He stares exhausted across the sea. “Can’t say that’s my favorite wake-up call,” he mutters. “Hand me the bandages.”
Before he has a moment to accept them, the sound of the Snapdragon scraping against rocks makes him pause. “New task though,” he says with barely a blink. “Figure out what that sound is.”
Terrible sounds come from the starboard side of the ship, like metal scraping the top layer of varnish off wood. The foul odor of decaying seaweed follows from the same side, then a sputtering roar.
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Dorgath is happy that his keen sight had spotted the harpoon and the group was able to quickly deal with the orca in a peaceful manner.
After the quick excitement and helping to treat everyone's wounds, Dorgath lets out a heavy sigh when they are so quickly tasked by Eando.
"Well I'm sure Dennis will have this sorted out in a hop, skip, and a jump. So long as he doesn't end up off the boat.."
The orc makes his way over to the starboard side of the boat to help investigate what the sound may be
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Slipp will also peer over the side. "Salissa, would you also like to be able to walk on the waves?"
Readies action to cast water walking on Salissa if she agrees and stands next to Slipp.
Salissa moves to the rail and looks over the side. She hesitates for a moment before nodding affirmative the sorcerer. "Yesss I believe I do. It might prove difficult to keep paccce with the ship should I choossse to dive underneath to invessstigate."
She waves her hands and calls the elements to her. She peers intently into the waves trying to discern what the issue might be.
“Shove off,” Calisro shouts as she throws a stray shoe at Abendego’s Squall. It squarely hits a flipper while the orca dives underwater.
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As Dennis clambers over the side and others rush to the rail, you all see a large draconic creature clambering up the side of the Snapdragon's hull. A pair of smaller drakes hover in the air to either side just above the still churning sea.
All have vaguely demonic features...
Lootie
Dorgath
Dennis <hanging on rigging>
Slipp
Ra'uf
Yellow drake
Salissa <water walk>
Red drake
Orange drake
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Dennis has a good view of the demon dragon. Too good a view. He thinks how fun it would be to make a heroic leap to the platform. But then he'd be all alone. Hearing Lootie's inspirational music, he calls to his Pathfinder friends, "Wait for me! I'm coming back." The lad scampers up to the main deck.
He draws his halberd, and lunges to strike the large drake.