Part 3: A reckoning rides from the west

Osrik frowns. "Second fastest way is walking," he says. "Long walk, though. Could take the better part of a week. Six days or so."

Renley clicks his tongue. ”That is  admittedly a bit slower than Ah’d’a hoped…”  The doctor turns back to Kat and Lilli with a sheepish grin, “Don’t s’pose y’all’d change yuh minds, hm? No skin off mah back either way but Ah reckon Monsieur Silvuh here is keen to help his people soonuh than latuh.”

Lilli shifts uncomfortably on her prosthetic leg as she moves her gaze from Renley, to Katrin, then to Akiran. "I would prefer to avoid the water, but... I'd do it for you, if that's what you want." She nods to her friend. 

Katrin considers the tall, thin doctor. Then she catches Lilli's gaze. She presses her lips together, then sighs. "Fine," she says, resignation coloring her voice. "But no side trips to go shark hunting."

Placing a reassuring hand on Lili's shoulder "I 'ppreciate that more than ya can know kid.  Boats quick, an' can let us get my people safe faster."  Akiran flexes his snout into a humanoid smile "Sides Fortune must hate us if Segoa gonna take two bites outta us."

Osrik shrugs. "Well, rest up," he says. "We'll leave tomorrow morning." The morning comes quickly and the Fireblades -- sans Ascian -- find themselves once again on Osrik's boat. The dwarf stands in the cabin, staring out at the early morning mists on the lake. "Well, are we ready?" he asks.

Come morning, Renley arrives to the lake hauling a shoulder-crossed sack of supplies and medical goods. Inhaling the sea breeze with a satisfied smile, the good doctor takes a swig from the blackened flask ever-within his coat pocket and stuffs it back post-haste. With a nod to Osrik he is aboard once more, taking point near the bow. "Aye aye, Cap'n," he chuckles. "A fond farewell and adieu fuh now, Dragonvale..."

Lilli shifts nervously as she checks to make sure she has all her gear packed for their journey. "I think so."

"Then let's away," Osrik says, starting the engine. The boat chugs to life and begins to head out toward open water. The early morning sun glistens through the mist that shrouds the lake, causing it to glow orange. The wheel at the back of the boat splashes as it dips into the water over and over, sending the vessel forward through the sunrise morning. Hours go by, and the calm of the morning remains. A peace rides with the Fireblades like it never has before -- not for the months that they've traveled together. At least, until a trio of silver fins glide through the still water in front of the boat, running almost parallel to each other.

Lilli tenses as she spots the fins and immediately begins to move towards the middle of the boat. "Is that  Segoa?!"

Renley clicks his tongue at the young woman's question. In truth he'd not actually expected to run into such trouble again, even if he had  been keen to go after the mythical monster not a day earlier. Striding along the starboard side to the bow, he braces his hat with one hand while leaning over the rail with the other for a better look, though the choppiness of the water blurs all hope of recognition. "Well it's suhtainly possible they're jus'some odd looking fish but..." he grimaces, pulling back and turning ever briefly to Lilli. "...Ah fear y'all may wanna prepare yuhselves."

Katrin glares at Renley. "You think? Os, I am going to kill you if we ever make it back to shore." Whilst berating her brother, Katrin readies her newly forged warhammer. "I hate the water," she mutters, eyes locked on the trio of fins. 

The ship rocks as the trio of fins passes beneath it. As the ripples from the displaced water cast across the lake, smaller shapes flit through the water toward the Fireblades. The shapes prove to be the drowned, who leap onto the bow of the ship, snarling with fury. Some wield weapons, others large nets.

Renley sighs as the familiar fishy-friends flop flared feet up onto the deck so familiarly. “Truthfully, mon ami , Ah did not think they’d actually show again so soon…”  The good doctor sprints forward, crossing the deck to the weakest-looking of the bunch and striking rapidly against its center-mass with a flurry so swift the thing hardly has time to react ‘fore only wind remained where once he’d stood, Renley taking place behind the duo of armored dwarves. “… c’est la vie ,”  he shrugs politely.

Without thought Akiran races towards the fish creatures that have hijacked the ship, his old shield held high and blade drawn. Adrenaline and a spikey lightning like energy flowing through him, as he rushes forward slicing down hard with his broadsword. The creature evades the first blow, but Akiran pivots angling his foot behind the creature's right before his blade connects on the backswing. Sending the creature hurtling to the ground, right before Akiran's boot smashes into the creature's chest.  "Thought ya lot woulda learned ya lesson da first time."

Thrandimir sways left and right with the rise and fall of the waves like a drunken sailor staggering out of his cabin. Piercing grey eyes fix upon the drowned boarding Osrik's ship and purple mist begins to gather around the head of the wizard's staff. It drifts out over the Fireblades' foes, congealing into tentacles that rise from the water and sway hypnotically in tact with the man's own pendulating gait.

Katrin closes her eyes briefly. While not the worst day of her life, it was certainly up there, after being shot by her uncle, arrested by the Crown, and the subsequent conflict created by Thrandimir and Ascian's decision-making. She focuses instead on the warhammer gripped in her hands. Forged from dwarven steel with the help of her father. She traces the runes and images she had so carefully carved into the metal of the head and the hardwood of the handle, a monument to the story of her family and the hardships they had endured, and the resilience that had allowed them to start over. The amulet around her neck glows with a soft, white light. The runes on the haft glow with the same light and a wave of divine energy pulses outward. Akiran, Thrandimir, Osrik, Lilli, and Renley all glow briefly with that same soft light before it fades. But their souls were now marked, for a time at least, with the blessing of Tempus. Strengthening them with his might and will.  "Let's send these fishes back to the depths," she says loudly, willing her voice to stay strong in the face of one of her greatest fears: deep water.

As the others rush to incapacitate most of the boarders, Lilli looks around in a slight panic as she begins to feel the gravity distorting around her form in response to her concern before a pair of black, spectral wings sprout from her back with motes of starlight twinkling within their depths. She immediately takes to the air and shoots 60' directly into the sky above the boat. From her vantage point, she can see something  to the northeast moving in a westwardly manner as if circling them. "It's out there!"  She points off towards the movement. "I think it's circling around the boat!"

The undrowned priestess and her ilk struggle against Thrandimir's enchantment to no avail. One, who seemed to not have fallen under the wizard's spell at all, steps forward and launches a deluge of two-handed spear thrusts at Akiran. His fighting prowess and armor is able to absorb much of the onslaught, but a few glancing blows slip through. In his mind, Thrandimir suddenly hears a call -- not unlike a siren's song of fable. But voice is not so much alluring as it is commanding. It demands the wizard's presence in the water. For a moment, he almost loses himself to it. Two words escape his lips before he steels his resolve and pushes the voice from his mind. "Segoa calls..." No sooner than had Thrandimir resisted the call then the boat began to rock. The sound of splintering wood and crashing water reverberate through the deck as something massive batters the ship. Katrin's brother throws the wheel hard to port as the ship rocks. "Shattered stone, that sounded bad," he shouts.

The boat shudders and its crew along with it, Renley standing up straight at the sound of sheared wood splintering the air over the chop of the waves. But one noise sounds even worse to his ears. "Don't go saying eerie things like that, monsieur ," he tsks as Thrandimir seemingly comes to the edge of losing himself. "Some of yuh actually need to sleep tonight ." Sardonics only faintly hid the slight lilt in tone that betrayed an ever-slight pallor of foreboding in the good doctor's voice, his eyes flitting to the vessel's edge in a vain hope to spot that which lay in wait below. Instead, he turned to that which he could deal with: the one unhypnotized deep one that was raging against Akiran ahead. Springing forth once more, Renley rapidly closes the distance, appearing besides the thing with a pleasant smile and wave, and a swift spin and kick to the shin that sent it flopping to the deck. Clawed hands dove after it, tearing into its scaly hide with pinpoint strikes before the man eases off enough to nod in acknowledgement to the silver dragonborn. "Apologies, after you..."

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With a snarl of anger, Thrandimir throws off the psychic influence clouding his mind, wielding it like a lash against the deep one unaffected by his previous enchantment.

Katrin staggers as the ship rocks with the impact. "Os, please tell me this boat is going to hold up. This armor isn't going to do me any favors if we end up swimming!"  The runes along the haft of her hammer glow brightly once again, the downward-pointing sword of her amulet flaring with the same light. Her hair is whipped around slightly as she releases divine energy to consume the sahuagin enemy in white, holy fire. As it dissipates, the smell of singed, burned flesh fills the air, and it's clear that the enemy is very near to death.  Forcing herself to ignore the very real mythical creature stalking them in the waters below, she takes a few steps forward, keeping her eyes on the enemies she knows she can hit with a hammer. 

From her higher vantage point, Lilli watches Segoa circling the boat and faces a moment of decision overload as she tries to figure out what to do... should she send out a ball of fire towards the creature? She was hesitant to call upon those powers again after her folley in the barn... Perhaps she could try to take the creature's eyesight away? No, it was too far away for that particular type of magic. She watches the boat drifting further away with each second she hesitates and finally decides to push herself and keep pace with the boat, blasting the lone sahuagin that had been unaffected by Thrandimir's magic with a ray of frost that freezes nearly completely. She watches as it collapses to the deck with a solid thunk of frozen meat. "What should I do?!" She calls out to the others. 

The cadre of drowned stand there, stupefied by Thrandimir's spell. Water drips from their rot-withered skin onto the deck of the ship. Thrandimir can feel the entire group of them under his control -- and then suddenly, he can feel a challenger. A probing presence reaching through the controlled minds to touch his own. It approaches his mental defenses and pushes, at first lightly, and then with a ferocity that almost surprises the wizard. But Thrandimir's mental control holds up easily to the presence -- likely Segoa's -- pressure. The drowned continue to stand at the prow of the ship, hypnotized. Osrik continues steering the ship, the paddles at the rear of the ship driving the ship ever eastward.

Renley whistles in amazement at the slack-jawed lot of louts that the wizard had served up on a platter to them. "Thing uh beauty, that there," he laughs. "Guess we'll start with.... you , mon ami requin ." With a quick sweep of the legs and a clawed fist to the face, the doctor administers a rude wake up call to the fellow he'd previously socked, followed up with another two doses of numbing pain to the local area around its jaws. Again, he backs off enough to allow his dragonborn companion to finish the job while already turning his attention to the next hapless victim, though not before stopping to address the one up high. "If Ah had to offuh advice, Ah'd suggest taking these friendlies out 'fore the big'un wises up to more direct attacks."

Akiran steps in a moment after Renley sweeps the leg of the drowned. Sweeping down with brutal slashes that cut into the being's hide, staining the deck with sprays of red. Akiran finishes the man by smashing his armored boot into the drowned being's throat. Akiran then spins and smashes his shield into another of the frozen drowned men, the shield cracking almost like thunder into the man. A faint glows blossoms & outlines the shield before fading as it strikes the drowned man. Shouting to Lilli "Keep an eye on da monsta, if that bestie gets into it we'll be swimming home!"

Thrandimir pours his focus into the illusion holding the drowned at bay, twirling his staff to send a barrage of magic missiles hurtling towards the man that Akiran has just bashed with his shield.

Katrin stands her ground, the runes on her hammer continuing to glow with a soft, radiant light. Then, she thrusts it forward, and from the hammer streaks a similarly radiant light, engulfing the creature before her. Though it appears to do little, she gives a small smile at the faint smell of burning flesh. 

Thrandimir suffers another mental probe, this time with a command. A single word, directed at his spell that held the drowned entranced -- STOP! But the wizard merely shrugs off the command, the spell still focused in the center of his mind.

Lilli nods to Akiran before slinging a bolt of chaotic energy towards the armored creature, but it fails to penetrate! 

The drowned creatures stay inhibited by Thrandimir's spell. Only one warrior wakes, and only after his commander shakes him from his stupor. The clammy-skinned figure shakes his head, and then lashes out at Akiran. The armored dragonborn barely feels a few grazes as the spear stabs three times. Meanwhile, Katrin feels a voice enter her head. It calls to her from the choppy water, urging her to jump in and feel the lake's cold embrace. Renley charges a drowned one and unleashes a flurry of kicks and punches that sends the lake creature reeling.

Akiran growls as the creature's spear pierces his armor and launches himself into a frenzied onslaught. Opening with a ferocious overhead strike with his longsword that sends the creature tumbling to the ground. Where he stabs into it again before pummeling it with his feet in a bid to end the drowned being's life.

With the majority of his willpower occupied keeping the remaining drowned under control, Thrandimir continues to peck away at those who have awoken from their trance.

From somewhere in her mind, Katrin watches with horror as she draws nearer to the railing of the boat. She had no control. An overwhelming urge to jump fills her, the water looking, to her utter horror, perfectly delightful. And with barely a glance back, Katrin jumps into the lake. The moment that cold water envelops her, clarity washes over her mind. Panic sets in as the metal armor she wears begins to drag her down into the dark, watery depths.  

From her vantage point above, Lilli spots Katrin walk over to the edge of the boat and watches in confusion as the dwarven lass jumps overboard. "Katrin!" She doesn't think, she just plummets from the air as fast as she can while keeping an eye on Katrin's struggling form. At the last second she pulls up out of the dive, skimming just above the waves, and snatches Katrin's outstretched hand just as she goes beneath the surface. What Lilli lacked in physical strength she had spades of in determination and literally drags Katrin through the water back towards the boat. "Help me! Get a rope!" She hollers to the others!

The boat plows onward, its engine churning through the water. Small waves break over the front railing, splashing the priestess, who remains locked in place by Thrandimir's spell.  By Akiran and Renley, one of the drowned attempts to stand and is summarily executed for his troubles. The other scores a heavy blow on Akiran, spear piercing between splint plates and biting into the dragonborn's torso. In the water, something attacks Katrin and Lilliana. A massive creature, looking like a multi-headed shark, snaps down on the water next to Katrin, its tail thrashing near Lilliana. Neither are injured, but the presence of the lurking creature just beneath the waves -- undoubtedly Segoa -- is enough to frighten even the bravest soul.

Renley watches in shock as Katrin seems to willfully jump from the ship, and the sight of a massive fin breaking the surface would've made his heart skip a beat had it the ability to right now. Massive jaws snap down over water besides the dwarf warrior, and the wave of adrenaline that feels like it pumps its way through him is hard to place. "It really does exist..." He mutters to himself in disbelief, considering it fortunate Katrin is preoccupied enough to not see the giddy smile creeping its way across his face. Nonetheless, the good doctor returns to the task at hand, ending the one on the ground as the other nearly spears Akiran through. A flurry of learned-blows, fully-aware now of just what made these creatures tick, levels this last deep one to the deck and pummels into its scales til they're already bruising.

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Chanelling still more power into his continual flurry of magic missiles, Thrandimir focusses his magic on the one warrior left fighting, in an attempt to bring him down.

Katrin, no longer sinking thanks to Lilli's intervention, desperately splashes back to the boat, heaving herself onto the deck. As she leaves the water, she feels a sharp pain in her leg as Segoa bites her. She rolls to her feet, water streaming from her armor and throws a bolt of radiant light at the creature. But it doesn't even leave a mark on the thick hide. 

Lilli soars a little bit further up into the sky away from the gnashing teeth of Segoa after seeing Katrin's continued dilemma. Once she is further enough away she uses her powers of gravity to try and warp the light away from Segoa's eyes, but just as she thinks that she is successful there is a strange sensation that washes over Segoa and Lilli as the spell fizzles. Lilli grits her teeth in annoyance as she calls upon the magic of her blood once again and her green eyes shimmer a dark silver color as her fingers move more quickly than they could normally. She draws out the entropic energy of the cosmos into an undulating bolt of energy that she flings at Segoa! A black liquid splashes across Segoa's hide and immediately seeps into the skin of the monster as another bolt of chaotic energy flies off towards the boat by splashes harmlessly against the hull.

With a crash of cold water, the boat lurches as Segoa throws itself up onto the deck of the boat. Three heads snap rows of sharp, bloody teeth at Akiran and Renley. The good doctor is able to dodge out of the way, but the dragonborn is not so fortunate. Were it not for his keen combat skills and heavy armor, Akiran might have become food for the monster. Instead, two sets of the shark's jaws bite down -- one meeting plates of armor, the other being braced open by the warrior's broadsword.  Osrik yells from the ship's cabin. "Get that damned thing off my boat!" The remaining drowned soldier slides out from underneath Segoa as the shark lurches onto the deck with a nimble grace belying his prone form -- and is met with the business end of Katrin's hammer for his trouble. His grey matter splatters across the ship's deck and begins to be carried away by the water Segoa carried up.

The sight of the massive three-headed abomination of a mythological shark crushing the wood of the deck and nearly swallowing both his knightly ally and himself whole gives Renley, perhaps understandably to some, a much-needed moment of quiet reflection. A moment to step back, look around, take stock, and say, ”Good heavens this may just be the single biggest mistake Ah’ve ever had the pleasure of making, and Ah couldn’t be more excituhd.” With only a devilish grin poking out from beneath the wide brim of his hat, the good doctor hurriedly bandies about, jabbing pointedly at the nose of the rightmost head first, then into the eye of the leftmost one, muttering to himself as he goes.  Now where is it… hee-yuh? Hmm not quite how about… hmm promising… puhhaps… Fingers rigidly outstretched, he jabs the throat of the middle head. At once, the body of the beast seizes up, its jaws held open in a stuttering face of agony as its eyes roll back. ” There we ahh!” He smiles proudly to himself as he stops, arms akimbo to look back at Akiran. As if expecting a question he shrugs, “Simple bit a’ applied physiology, mon ami . Now, how you say, have at it?”  With a final jab he draws blood, and again a flash of blackened veins run up his neck for a moment and through the monster’s flesh before he takes a step or five back and gestures to the dragonborn.

Fear seizes Akiran, as the creature crashes to the deck. The frantic drum like beat of his heart bringing him back all those years ago to the forest where his life ended. The urge to give in, to run and to recreate the scene that's etched into his nightmares each and every night nearly overwhelms. Akiran turns and nearly flees but the weight of his reclaimed shield, for just a moment holds him in place. His first creation, abandoned with his honor, home and family when he fled for his life.  With a roar reminiscent of his people's namesake Akiran turns to face the creature. Catching sight of the last of Renly's precise strikes, paralyzing the creature in place. The Dragonborn's blade crackles with lightning, as Akiran' launches himself at Segoa. Akiran leaps into the air his longsword held high, swinging the blade down with thunderous speed. The crack of one of the beast's heads echoes as Akiran falls back to the deck, darting forward Akiran towards the last head his blade slashing and cutting at the last of Segoa. The beast's body tries to regenerate but cannot withstand the combined onslaught of Akiran & Tempus' might. Segoa's last head is sent flying into the sea with a final smash of Akiran's shield.  For a moment Akiran stares at the creature with a mix of awe & surprise as he looks at the lifeless form of Segoa. Speechless for the first time in his life as he looks back to his companions. 

The rhythmic slap of waves against the hull is the only sound left in the stillness that follows. Blood slicks the deck, mixing with seawater, the stink of salt and iron heavy in the air. The broken bodies of the sahuagin lie strewn across the timbers and,  yet, amidst the wreckage, one figure remains eerily serene.  The sahuagin priestess stands utterly still, her reptilian eyes wide and unfocused, arms slack at her sides. A shimmering  swirl of shifting colour and impossible geometry hovers around her like a spectral net.  She sways slightly, as though caught in a dream that she cannot escape. Robes soaked at the hem, Thrandimir  steps lightly across the blood-slicked boards, his expression a mix of fatigue and clinical focus. The wizard's voice is low and cool as he speaks, mostly for Katrin’s benefit. "She won’t resist, not while the spell holds, but it won’t last forever." Katrin plants her boots with a wet thunk, one hand on her warhammer, the other still glowing faintly from her last spell. She's dripping wet from falling overboard, but her eyes burn with righteous fury. "Good. Let’s make sure that we don’t give her the chance." The dwarf walks up besides the priestess, staring into her unseeing, entranced eyes. Katrin pauses for just a breath and then throws a quick glance back towards Thrandimir. "You don’t need her conscious, do you?" The wizard simply shakes his head, his eyes still fixed on his spellwork. Katrin nods once, steps back half a pace and hefts her warhammer with both hands. "May your dark tide falter here." Then, with a grunt, she swings.  The hammer comes down with a brutal finality, caving in the side of the sahuagin’s skull. The priestess crumples like a puppet with its strings cut, collapsing silently onto the boards. The light of the illusion vanishes in the same instant, its purpose complete and its audience no more. The deck falls silent again. This time, truly. A gull calls in the distance.

With Segoa vanquished, the boat continues on toward its destination. On the distant shore, a dark castle rises high on the cliffs. It looms above the waters, a single, flickering light in its highest tower. Can this place be the home for Akiran's people? It will be, if the dragonborn has anything to say about it. Far to the west, beyond dense forests and snow-touched mists, a dark force simmers -- waiting for its moment to strike. As Vecna's darkness rises, the light of heroes does to. These heroes, despite their internal struggles, have laid the groundwork for Vecna's eventual defeat. Even if it is not them who strikes the final blow against the would-be god of death, they have laid the groundwork for other heroes to out swords and fight against the evil forgotten by all. Thrandimir. Katrin. Callahan. Kou. Kaed. Ascian. Thezra. Akiran. Lilliana. Renley. Estros will remember the names of these Fireblades .