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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 3964628" data-attributes="member: 9546">INTO THE ABYSS“What’s that you’ve got there?”  Urol asked as he watched Mandi, levitating beneath the Sea Wyvern’s figurehead, place a teardrop-shaped, purple gemstone against the wood.“It’s called a wakeportal,” Mandi replied distractedly as the pointed end of the stone embedded itself in the planks, leaving only the smooth, convex surface showing.“Oh?” the gnome said.  “What’s it do?”“You’ll see,” Mandi answered, rising back to the deck of the ship.  “In fact, I’d like you to assemble the crew for me.  I have an announcement.”Several minutes later, the entire complement of the Sea Wyvern stood gathered on the main deck as Mandi, flanked by her fellow Legionnaires, addressed them from the foc’s’le.  “As you all know,” she began without preamble, “we have recently achieved a great victory against the Kraken Society.”A rowdy cheer greeted this.“However,” she continued after the cacophony had died, “we failed in our mission.  Lavinia Vanderboren is still missing, as is her demonic brother.  It is my intention to continue our quest to rescue Lavinia, using information that we recovered from the Krakens.  I ask you, is this still your desire?”Another chorus of ‘Ayes’ were shouted back to her.“Excellent!”  Mandi nodded.  “Then I have no qualms in telling you that we shall be sailing into troubled waters.  Our path shall not be an easy one, but each one of you knew that when you volunteered for this voyage.  Fear not!  We do not ask more of you than we are willing to undertake ourselves.  Though our path be treacherous, we will walk it together…wherever it may take us!”After the crew was dismissed, Mandi made her way to the helm where she could focus her mind on activating the wakeportal.“I notice you didn’t tell them exactly where we’re going,” Sepoto said, mounting the aft deck behind her.“They’ll find out in due course,” the sorceress replied.“And what do you think they’ll do then?” asked the goliath.“By then it will be too late for them to do anything,” Mandi answered, quirking one eyebrow.  “Now, I suggest you prepare yourself, and tell the others to do the same and keep a sharp eye out.  The transposition shouldn’t take more than ten minutes or so, but we’ll be vulnerable during that time.  Also, in case any of the crew should prove unable to…handle…our journey, I want you, Cleaver and Octurus ready to restrain them.”Sepoto shrugged and nodded.  He wasn’t sure he agreed with her tactics, but the truth of the matter was that they needed the crew, and technically, all of the seamen had volunteered for what they knew would be hazardous duty.  He made his way around the main deck to pass the word to his companions.Mandi kept the Sea Wyvern under full sail as she concentrated on the wakeportal.  Within minutes, the ship’s wake began to sparkle and flash with mauve light.  A heavy tang of salt and blood filled the air and the sky began to darken.  Several crewmen gasped and pointed at the water.  Things bubbled up from the depths there…bits of flesh and oily streaks oozing across the surface.  The stench began to thicken.  Soon the waters around the Sea Wyvern turned foul, as if some great beast had disgorged all the filth and rubbish ever thrown into the sea in one great heave.  As the sky took on a ghastly hue of red, clouds swirled and spun with dreadful violence, and mauve lightning lanced across the heavens.  Many of the crew threw themselves to the deck, covering their heads in panic.  Suddenly, bolts of lightning arced up from the ship’s wake and struck its sails, mast and rigging.  An instant later, an enormous hole ripped open in the fabric of reality directly before the Sea Wyvern.  It reached out like a black, gaping maw to engulf the ship, and then just as abruptly snapped shut, leaving calm seas once more in its wake…</blockquote>

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