Business at the Drinking Dwarves is bustling. Our heroes are taking a load off, their feet up (figuratively speaking), their moods high. They survived the battle with Anvar and Titus, and Horbin has gained enough experience that he's been able to raise Anvar from the dead. The elementalist is shaken by his experience, though; he needs time to recover and rethink things. Death was not a casual experience for him.
The rest of the group is gathered around one of the tables downstairs, drinking heavily (for the most part). Krunkshank is thinking of Harbormistress Bentricle; he loves how she keeps talking dirty to him every time they meet. Horbin is happy at the depth of his devotion to Dexter, as proven by the great miracle of bringing the dead back that he just performed. Droidi is thinking about his bugbear allies and their new home in the caves the party purchased from Longburns. All around them the noise and smell of the crowd are heavy in the air. Other people are crowding the place today, mostly humans but a few dwarves and at least one halfling.
The group is talking about going back into the caves when Horbin says, "Say, whatever happened to Clambake, anyway?"
"That's a good question," Droidi replies. He's wearing the ring that makes him look like an orc; his true, two-headed half-dragon halfling form is cloaked by illusion.
"I went down to the harbor this afternoon," Krunkshank says. "Saw a ship off the harbor... it looked tattered and stuff. It looked..." He pauses significantly. "Familiar."
There's a moment of silence while the others absorb that the dwarven elementalist has said. Then Horbin asks, "Like the ship where he got that hat." He looks grim. "You know, I don't think Clambake has been eating lately. I think... I think the hat's cursed or something. I think it's turning him undead or something like that- he's been looking terrible." He frowns. "At least, up until he vanished."
"Maybe we should go look for him," Droidi suggests.
"On the ship?" Horbin asks. The druid nods.
The group exchanges glances, and then they rise and settle up. A quick check to ensure that none of their buckles or straps are loose and they move out towards the harbor. Horbin casts water walk on all of them and they start moving towards the ship with the tattered sails...
Next Time: The party and Captain Clambake meet again! Who will Clambake hire as crew? What provisions will he take on? Will the pcs help or hinder him? And who was that halfling in the bar, anyway? Stay tuned!
