Dreams Made Real

As Y'lora struggled to get back out of the water, Alexis noted that the beast that had rammed the boat was a shark. As she was about to get into the boat, she slipped and fell back into the water. The shark came back about and bit Y'lora's leg. Arimas was able to apportate Y'lora out of the water and began moving her back to shore. Meanwhile, after another ramming of the boat (which then began to leak, much to the dismay of Alexis and Thain), Thain was able to cut the shark as it passed by the boat. Wounded, it began to run. However, it's attempts to flee were dashed as Bruno crushed its head with good-sized stone missile. As its lifeless body began to sink, its tail began to change shape and a pair of humanoid legs could be seen just before it sank out of sight.

Pulling the boat inside the tower through the gaping hole in the wall of the tower (courtesy Bruno), the party sat down to rest while Alexis healed Y'lora's wounds. Bruno, Arimas, and Siglan went back up to the top floor of the tower to see if the ring that Bruno pulled from the hand of the wraith on the Isle of Souls would activate the transportation gates. After an hour of pulling, pushing, twisting, and prodding the ring, along with adorning it on various extremities, Bruno gave up.

With the party now rested, Arimas apportated the party to the shore, with Y’lora pulling the boat via rope. The party then talked with Yngvi, the Ascomanni villager from whom she had borrowed the boat. After relating the story of killing the shark in the tower, an apprehensive Yngvi let the party off the hook by only charging them 100 copper for the damages to his boat.

Flashing forward in time a bit, the Sea Tiger, with Vyn aboard, made port in Nestbaggann. Vyn stayed on the boat in order to avoid any imperial entanglements. Captain N’Questra sent several of him men ashore in order to find some way to offload the slaves and captured Master’s minions. While the ship was in port, Verinda, Frederick, and Thargus took the opportunity to see some of the city. They made their way to an inn where Verinda and Frederick took a much-awaited bath. Thargus tried to woo one of the bar wenches. Apparently, it worked, as they left the inn together. Thargus has not been seen since.

Back on the ship, several of the city guard boarded the Sea Tiger and spoke with Captain N’Questra at length. After the conversation was over, N’Questra took Vyn aside and explained to him that the guards were looking for a man by the name of Bannin Stredak who is wanted for murder. They were told that he had been seen aboard a ship in the Sea of the Bereaved and might be making port in Nestbaggann. N’Questra assured the guards that he was not harboring any fugitives and made it worth their while to take him at his word. He then told Vyn that he recalled back on the Isle of Souls that Vyn claimed his name was actually Bannin. In the end, N’Questra informed Vyn that he is effectively abetting a fugitive, and then asked Vyn what it would be worth to him for the good captain to keep Vyn’s presence on his ship a secret. They settled for one iron-bound chest full of copper (the one that the party looted from The Master’s tower). The Sea Tiger, now restocked and unburdened of its many passengers, weighed anchor and is now heading out to sea, making for the Bay of Arnur Culri.

Back in the coastal village on Anur Culri, Johan asked if any trading ships visit this village regularly. Yngvi said that they didn’t, given that they do not have a large enough population in the village (not to mention not having a dock big enough for a sea-faring ship) to warrant regular arrivals of large ships. There is, however, a larger town, Kroel, 30 miles to the west that does receive larger ships. The party rested for the evening, with Siglan spending time at the local temple to Gix, learning of the Ascomanni’s deity what he could, and in turn teaching the locals what he could of his Order.

After a night’s rest, Y’lora, Johan, and Arimas got up to travel to the larger town in order to tell the harbor master that if the Sea Tiger were to make port, tell the captain that the party is in a small village to the east. As they were making ready to leave, Yngvi approached Y’lora, handed her a white rose (which pricked her finger), and told her that he overheard her speaking of her search for the final resting place of her parents on the mainland. He gave her his condolences. Just as the three adventurers were about to leave the village, several of the fishermen arrived back from their early morning catch. Arimas was unfortunate enough to be in the way of one of the men as he tripped, spilling a basket of fish on top of him and soiling his armor. At the end of the day’s march, Y’lora, Johan, and Bruno arrived in Kroel and booked rooms at an inn. In the morning, they found themselves back in the fishing village. To make a long story short, the previous day’s events were only remembered by Y’lora and Arimas. To Johan, they had not yet left for Kroel. This appeared to be yet another dream. This time, however, Arimas and Y’lora shared the same dream. And, when they awoke, Y’lora was holding a white rose and her finger was bleeding. Arimas awoke to find fish slime on his armor. After relating to the rest of the party what they remember of the previous day (which did not appear to have actually occurred), Alexis recounted that white roses only grow in a small region in the Ramfandir Holdings, southeast of Espydur, in the hills around the town of Cloie. This is the same town that The Master’s slave ledgers indicated was the home to the merchant who had purchased Y’lora’s parents.

Teleportation and Going for a Swim

Mid-morning, Anarire 19, 370 F.S.

En route to the Sidhe tower on the Isle of Souls, Thargus asks others in the party who "the other ship" was, referring to Dyderic's ship who had shown up on the Isle of Souls when the Master's minions decided to launch an attack upon the Sea Tiger. The party lets him know it was a merchant named Dyderic. Thargus then tells the party that Dyderic is more than a mere merchant, dealing in extortion and black market trade (Thargus had done work for Dyderic in the past). He found it interesting that Dyderic would take interest in the party.

The party continues to investigate the archways atop the ancient Sidhe tower on the northern end of the Isle of Souls. Deliberation ensued as to the operation of the gates. In the end, Siglan's adventurous streak won out and he (with the aid of Alexis) walked under the arch with the numeral "7" inscribed on its lintel in Sidhe. He disappeared. More deliberation ensued. After a bit, curiosity won out and, one by one, everyone in the party except for Vyn and Thargus (who has been following Alexis around like a puppy) walked under the arch. Before Y'lora entered, she told Vyn that if the party did not make it back, that he was to travel back to the Sea Tiger and tell Captain N'Questra what has happened.

They did not come back.

After an hour, Vyn begins the one-day trek back to the Sea Tiger and informs Capt. N'Questra of the events, and that most likely, the rest of the party is in the Bay of Arnur Culri (according to the text found in The Master's library, this is where they believe the tower would be taking them). Vyn requests that N'Questra voyage up to Arnur Culri to pick up the party. N'Questra, realizing that the "cargo" for which he was charged with safely delivering to, and returning from, the Isle of Souls is now 1800 miles to the north, agrees to travel to Arnur Culri with the condition that he must first make a two-day delay by stopping in Nestbaggann to drop off the rescued slaves and captured minions with "somebody", as well as restock the ship's supplies. Vyn acquiesces, and travels aboard the Sea Tiger.

*flashback one day*

Arimas, Siglan, Alexis, Thain, Y'lora, Johan, and Bruno, having stepped through the teleportation arch, find themselves on the top floor of yet another similar yet very different tower. The Sidhe sigil "7" is inscribed in the middle of the floor. About the pentagon-shaped room are five more archways, each with a Sidhe numeral inscribed in their lintels (6, 9, 12, 5, and 3). Arimas notices that arches 6, 9, and 12 possess an aura whereas 5 and 3 do not. After closer interrogation of the diagram found in the tome concerning the 12 Towers, Alexis hypothesizes that all gateways may not be presently working, and some may only work one-way. In any event, after stepping into the various arches and realizing that nothing happened, the party came to the conclusion that they are stuck here.

Looking out from the windows of the tower, it could be seen that this tower was located in a large body of water, with the shore about 50 yards to the north. Siglan and Y'lora heard a splashing sound from within the tower, some floors below them. Investigating, they find that the first floor of the tower is completely submerged. Y'lora finds some relatively fresh humanoid tracks on the second floor near the stairway that leads down into the water. The tower contains nothing of noteworthiness; just some sparse and very old and decayed furniture. While investigating the second floor, Siglan hears something in the water. Looking into the stairway leading down, Y'lora sees the water boil (as in movement below the surface... not steam and such).

Returning to the top floor, the party debates on how to escape to land. Arimas apportates Y'lora out of the tower and onto shore. Soon afterwards, several of the villagers living on the coast approach Y'lora. She begins a discussions with one of them, a fisherman. She explains that her party is in the tower and needs to reach land. The fisherman wants nothing to do with "that blasted tower", explaining that they have lost some men in the past when attempting to investigate the tower in the bay. He tells of a mysterious great shark that can pull men from dry ground into the water that haunts the tower. Y'lora convinces him to let her borrow his boat (for a nice deposit of copper, of course) and she makes her way back out to the tower. Alexis and Thain are the first two to climb into the boat. Just as Thain makes his way into it, the boat shudders as something very large runs into it from below the water. Y'lora loses her balance and falls into the water.