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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Olgar Shiverstone" data-source="post: 3990177" data-attributes="member: 5868">Two days later they assembled at the harbor for final loading of the Sea Wyvern and their departure.  Thalas had arranged for two ballistae, not just one, to be mounted on the ship for defense, and the crew they had hired had fully provisioned the ship.  All that was left was to load their passengers and cargo, meet the new captain, and set sail.As they arrived at the wharf, there was quite a stir around the gangplank where someone was trying to lead a horse up on to the deck.  Some noble fool --judging from his clothing and extravagantly styled hair -- was raising a to-do as a frustrated looking woman looked on with her arms crossed."I'm Avner Mervanci," the ass insisted, "And I demand that Thunderstrike be given the same lodging and rations that I am!  Only the best!" The woman just rolled her eyes."He wants to sleep in the hold and eat hay?" Thalas asked Athal.   "What an idiot.""You're not taking that horse on our ship," Moderas interjected."No, the horse comes, but he says on the dock," Arjan contradicted."Your ship?" the woman and Avner both replied together."Well, yes, we own the Sea Wyvern, and we've hired her out to Lavinia Vanderboren for this voyage," Thalas said.  "So we get a say in what goes on.""Well, I'm Captain Amella Venkalie," the woman introduced herself," and I'll be captaining the Sea Wyvern for this voyage.  And unless you'd like to swim to the Isle of Dread, you'll take my orders and like them.""uh ... " Thalas began, preparing to protest.Athal stepped in to smooth things over.  "We'd be happy to follow your orders aboard ship, Captain," he said smoothly, "as long as you keep in mind that it's our ship so we have some interest in what happens to her."  Amella nodded assent."Well, what about me?" Avner butted in.  "I'm Avner Mervanci, and I'm the most important person on this vessel.  And I insist, Captain, that you see that Thunderstrike has the finest of accomodations.""No horse!" Morderas insisted, looking as if he were preparing to draw a weapon."Horse only, no man!" Arjan countered."You'll get on board and accept your quarters, or you'll be sleeping in the bilges," Amella responded. "The horse will be treated appropriateyl ... for a horse.""Should I off this guy right now?" Morderas asked Thalas.Thalas shook his head.  "Unfotunately, he belongs to the richest family in Sasserine.  Offend them, and we'll never sell a cargo in this town."  Mordeas looked disappointed.  "That doesn't mean that a blanket party later might not be appropriate."  Moderas brightened considerably.Avner stalked sulkily up the gangplank, and Thalas took to watching the other passengers and cargo come on board.  Many of the men and women loading various foodstuffs and supplies were unremarkable, but a few stood out from the others.  Father Conrad was an aged priest of Heironeous, who looked a bit out of place among the others.  So did "Skald", a dirty, shifty-eyed elf with a woodsy air about him.  Urol Furol was an old dwarf who'd apparently lived outside all of his life, who turned out to be an expert in jungle botany.  He and Arjan struck up an instant friendship -- probably having to do with their similar body odors, Thalas mused." ... and Lavinia promised we could stop and pick up specimens at the ruins of Tamoachan!" urol was explaining to Arjan, as Arjan led the old dwarf on board.The last passenger was the one who looked to cause the most trouble.  She was a very attractive young blonde woman, with a number of piercings but without apparently a thought in her head.  Lyrith Veldaran had a very clear notion of what her looks could do to men, as she immediately began twisting Avner around her little finger."I'm going to make hot half-elven babies with that one," Morderas declared."Best of luck with that," responded Thalas.Eventually, everything was loaded and they set sail to the east.  The plan was to sail east past the blood bay, then round the point and head south, stopping at Fort Blackwell in a week to pick up supplies, then follow the coastline south until at some point they would turn south across open ocean to head for the Isle of Dread and the Farshore Colony.The first night out, Lavinia invited evryone over to the Blue Nixie for a celebratory dinner.  The seas were calm, so they lowered sail and rigged a chair on two thick lines to transfer passengers one at a time between the two ships.  All of Thalas' party were invited as well as a few of the passengers from the Sea Wyvern; Lavinia had the Jade Ravens on her ship as her bodyguard.They milled about drinking cocktails as the meal was prepared. Morderas was hitting on Lyrith shamelessly, but she eventually shrugged him off and left to fawn over Avner.  Kithkanan pressed Skald for information, learning little except that the elf was a tracker of some sort.  Rhiannon talked up Father Conrad, discovering that the man was headed south to stop in at Fort Blackwell for some unknown mission.  Avner continued to lord it over everyone, his demonstration of what a boor he was only reinforced by Lyrith's cooing.Thalas had a sudden stroke of genius just as the announcement was being made for dinner, and stepped out on deck to cast a quick spell before stepping back inside.  He grinned when he saw who was seated opposite: Avner.  PerfectLavinia stood up and began making some sort of speech as the various courses were being served, but Thalas wasn't paying attention -- he was focused on Avner.  As each dish came out, Thalas used his spell to modify it just slightly as it was set in front of Avner.  The hot dishes he cooled; the cold ones he heated.  In between dishes, he slowly expanded a damp spot on the front of Avner's trousers.  Avner frowned at the food initially, then became increasingly frustrated -- especially as he looked at the other guests who were digging in to their grilled mahi or chilled monkey brains with gusto.  Finally he stood, throwing his fork and knife down in disgust."This is the worst meal I've ever had!" He announced to the group, and stormed out, followed by the laughter of the assembled party as they saw the great wet spot on the crotch of his hose.  Lyrith blushed and followed.With his amusement gone, Thalas spent the rest of the evening pumping Amella for information on captaining ships, and the risk of encountering Crimson Fleet pirates -- which seemed quite great once they were south of Fort Blackwell.The meal finally wrapped up, and the guests, stuffed and sated, stepped out on to deck to prepare to transfer back to the Sea Wyvern.  Quinn was the first to got, but as he got halfway across, the rope snapped and the chair plummeted into the ocean with Quinn still sitting in it.At the same time, a strange green winged creature rose from the sea, flying above them, and breathed a line of foul-smelling vomit onto Arjan.  Arjan screamed in pain as the acid struck him.  Thalas whipped off an attack spell, striking the creature with two darts of arcane force, and then Arjan struck the creature with a spear, dropping it back into the ocean."I recognize that thing," Thalas told the others. "It's a water mephit -- a creature of the elements.  But usually they aren't so onery, and this one was ... pickled ... somehow.""Avner had something to to with this, I'm sure!" Morderas declared.  They quickly got another rope to the Sea Wyvern rigged, and quickly transferred the rest of the party over, recovering Quinn from where he was swimming at the side of the Blue Nixie.Moderas and Quinn immediately stormed down to Avner's cabin, kicking in the door and throwing back the blankets to find Avner and Lyrith partially dressed and pawing each other."You know, now I've seen one woman naked from the waist up, and another from the waist down, so it's like I've seen a whole naked woman!" Arjan observed to Thalas, who shushed him.  Morderas had drawn his blade and was holding it to Avner's throat, threatening him."You sabotaged the rope," he accused. "And sicced a water mephit on us!"Avner looked at Morderas as if the half-drow had snakes crawling out of his ears.  "We've been down here fooling around since we left dinner," Lyrith protested.  "Put up your blade," A voice commanded.  Amella had come down to the cabin.  "These two probably had nothing to do with your incident."Moderas hesitated, then stepped back and sheathed his sword.  Quinn looked around.  "Someone did, though.  That rope didn't cut itself." He began looking behind barrels on the deck, and soon the entire party was searching the ship.  Thalas began to look about for magical auras, moving from deck to deck as he did so.  in addition to the magical equipment his companions carried, Amella and Father Conrad had magical weapons and armor, Urol and Skald had a few things, and evern Lyrith had some magical earrings.Down in the bilges, Thalas picked up an aura of evocation magic in the back corner of the hold."We can see you, come out," he demanded, readying his sword.  Quinn and Athal backed him up.A middle aged fat man stepped out of hiding, dropping a rapier at his feet.  "Please don't hurt me," he announced," I'm Rupert Arnas, a merchant from Sasserine.  I didn't have the money to buy in to this expedition, but I needed to get away from my family, so I stowed away,  Please don't hurt me!""Step clear of your weapon," Quinn commanded, but instead of complying, the man dove for his rapier on the deck.  Thalas immediately struck with his sword, and as he did so the man's form shifted, blurring, then solidifying as a familar raven-haired woman -- Rowan Kellani, the leader of the Lotus Dragons!"This ends here," she hissed, readying her weapon.Thalas shrugged.  "If you insist."  He channeled, a new spell that would allow his strikes to pierce right through his opponent's armor.  His sword thrust right into her heart, and she dropped, dead.  "Bit anti-climactic, that."They stripped her of her equipment, and Athal and Quinn took the body up to the deck to toss overboard.  Rowan hadn't been doing well, and was noticeable thinner and more drawn than the last time they'd seen her.  Just before they tossed the body overboard, Morderas insisted on cutting her head off, then dashed for the stairs down.  Thalas follwoed out of curiosity.Morderas kicked in Avner's door again, once again interrupting Avner's fun with Lyrith.  Morderas tossed the head onto the bunk, casuing Lyrith to scream in terror."I just wanted to say I'm sorry," Morderas sneered.  "We found who was responsible.  See?"  He retrieved the head just as Amella arrived.  "Assemble the passengers and crew," Morderas commanded, "we have an important announcement."Amella began to protest, but thought better after seeing Rowan's head dripping blood on the deck.  The rest of the Seaa Wyvern's contingent was soon assembled on the deck.Moderas stalked in front of them.  "Just so we're clear ... we found a stowaway on board, and here's what we did with her," he announced, tossing the decapitated head to the deck.  "Just in case anyone else has any ideas about betraying this expedition."Thalas could only shake his head in disgust.   Smooth.</blockquote>

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