And the cook too

Aramil- Eric (not present)
Clarity- Mija
Hesperose- Scott
Kita- Shawn
Shiffit- Clint-Currently running the game.
Zyva- Ron
Billet- Steve
Iris- Mark G.
Yaher- NPC

(Clairty saw it all coming, and her plan worked; the end.) The blog as written by Mija.

As typical, the gaming session starts out with the reading of last weeks blog and a reef of criticism reguarding my abuses of the English language. Steve also points out I left out the best part of last sessions game, where Bilet blasted the baddies at their own murder holes with divine noise.

The party picks it way past the pit trap, and continues winding their way down the passages. After some time the party comes to a large cavern. Zyva bravely scouts ahead, still flying invisibly. She spots a few scouts, hiding behind stalagmites, and largish groups of baddies set to encircle the party once they get into the cavern. Zyva flies back and reports. The party starts to try to hash out a plan. Zyva then enlarges herself to medium size, and with her permission picks up Iris and they fly into the cavern. Iris being visible quickly becomes a target and they retreat to the rest of the party in the passage. The party retires 45 minutes back up the passage to rest up for the night and heal.

The next day the party comes back to find the passage leading to the large cavern blocked with a pile of stones. The party, with some opposition, clears a hole. Zyva tries to fly through the hole and is nailed with a spear and falls back. But her second attempt is successful. Zyva then has a go at the baddies on her own with arrows and her greater invisibility. The baddies, having been attacked by an invisible Zyva before, are now ready and proceed to toss around bags of dust where the arrows are coming from, with minimal results. Having taken a few hits, and seeing that there are more baddies that she has arrows Zyva heads back to meet with the rest of the party, who have been discussing what there plan should be. After a good amount of debate about; what are the motivations and goals of the party, both small and bigger picture, the party decides to try another route altogether. The party having decided to head back, were discussing what kind of note to leave for Zyva, when she makes a dramatic entrance. The oracle is then given lead to pick the rout, and leads the the party to the surface. Once on the surface of the mountain island, the party faces little (none) opposition and hikes over to where some of the caves open up and smoke is coming out. The party finds the baddies smoke house where one of the baddies is supervising the smoking fires. The party captures the cook and a cow's head as evidence for the Ogre. They carry the cook and evidence back to the Ogre (which they name Sherman) Once back, Sherman listens to their tale and promptly; squishes the baddie cook with a finger and heads off. The party points out the cave opening where the baddies have been getting Sherman's cows from, Sherman blocks that passage with a 20' diameter bolder. Once down the mountain Sherman savages the cave openings, collapsing the openings, and impressing the party with his destructive power. On their way back up the mountain, Sherman agrees to leave the villagers herds alone as they were not the ones stealing his cattle. As a reward for finding the rustlers of his cattle, Sherman gives the party a tree to use to fix the broken knees in there boat.

With some minor incidents, stemming from the villagers trying to kill Iris on sight, the party makes it down to the village, and their boat, the Celeste.

Little did the party know that the DM had bag after ever increasingly horrible bag of evil tricks to play on them as long as the were blithely walking into this underground community.

First meetings

Aramil- Eric (not present)
Clarity- Mija
Hesperose- Scott
Kita- Shawn (not present)
Shiffit- clint-Currently running the game.
Zyva- Ron
Billet- Steve
Iris- Mark G.
Yaher- NPC
a random sheep with bell-would be victim/sacrifice

This evening's game starts out with the reading of the last session's blog. Mija starts out reading but is to overcome with emotion to continue on, Mark picks up the fallen banner of blog reading and dramatically carries on.

The party assess their wounds from the conflict with the spiders of unusual size, (which mostly entails trying to remember what happened). The party then continues down the winding passages, they come to a few branches, but continue to follow the cow sign/ tracks. After a full day and a half of marching the party attempts to find a defensible location to camp, sparking debate about multiple exits vs. avenues of attack. The oracle (Clarity) is quickly pulled into the debate and is asked to use her connection to the gods to help resolve the debate. Which starts a more heated and amusing debate about the validity of the oracle.

Zyva scouts down one of the side passages, and if she were not flying would have been climbing down a step chimney; and sees a small reptilian green orange dog like creature climbing up. Zyva flying invisible and quietly manages to slip passed the creature unnoticed. Once on the other side of the small creature (close to Zyva's size) they enter into a discussion, where each tries to convince the other of just how powerful and afraid the other should be of them. After much posturing, Iris continues her climb up the passage and meets the rest of the party, prompting Iris to comment that this must just be the scouting party of Zyva's afore mention army of 600. Iris then spots Clarity and runs to embrace her, exclaiming that she has followed the oracles advice and that her pronouncements have lead her to these caves, and much struggle. Clarity states that this was all the will of the gods, and that Iris was supposed to meet back up with Clarity as to be her guardian. Iris states that she will do her mighty best to do her duty. Which of course sparks another round of debate. After much discussion and more marching the party eventually settles down for some much need rest.

The next day's marching finds the amount of forks along the path start to really increase, but the main path continues to be quite obvious. The party has their first encounter with the, small, black, pointy eared, red eyed, fanged creatures that may be raiding the Ogre's live stock. The creatures drop rocks on the party from hidden holes in the roof of a passage, some 25 feet up. Those few that have shields raise them as cover for all, and the party attempts to walk through the ambush. Clarity is donked on the noggin and stunned, falling to the ground. The rest of the party simply walks across with out difficulty, leaving Clarity sprawled out and subject to more falling rocks, sparking cries of protest from the fallen oracle. Billet gallantly uses her shield to go back and cover the oracle's crossing. After a brief examination of the murder holes in the ceiling BILLET SENDS A MIGHTY THUNDERCLAP AT THE BEINGS AND THEN the party continues on. The party had been looking out for traps and ambushes before and these efforts are increased.

The next ambush is more obvious and is easily spotted by Zyva, who has been flying ahead of the party using her invisibility. The passage's left wall falls away into a chasm. The wall on the other side of the chasm has a long low window cut into it. Zyva, trying to fly very quietly, explores the window and sees the 60 would be attackers, armed with mostly slings and two large pintle mounted and crewed crossbows. The party is duly warned and a plan hatched. Zyva attacks invisibly with her bow, quickly moving after her attack. The slingers let go with a volley of fire trying to hit there invisible attacker, with some results. The party then attempts to cross kill zone. A heavy bolt/harpoon is fired at the party and misses, sticking into the stone wall on the right. A rope is attached the the bolt/harpoon which is meant to pull the impaled victim in the chasm. Zyva lets go with her breath weapon of fire on the crew of one of the cross bows. With some harrowing moments the party makes in past the killing zone and hurries on. Just one bend past the attack the hurrying party comes to a abrupt stop as Iris fall in to a pit trap, and is impaled on 5 of the stakes at the bottom. Still barely conscious (0 hp) Iris moans in agony as her body starts to slide down the stakes she is impaled on. A cry goes out for a medic/ some healing. The party members all look at each other in a bit of a loss. After a pregnant pause Billet steps forward and says that if the party is relying on her for healing they are all screwed. Billet is able to use her divine healing and UN-impale Iris without causing her death. Zyva, who had been continuing to harass the attackers at the window, rejoins the party and points out that the party has lost the element of surprise and now has enemies at their front and rear.

The Ogre

Aramil-Eric
Clarity-Mija
Hesperose- Scott
Kita-Shawn
Shiffit-clint-Currently running the game.
Zyva-Ron
Steve -Billet

Yaher-NPC
a random sheep with bell-a would be victim/sacrifice



    The intrepid party continues up the mountain, at first afraid of their own shadows but quickly relaxing there guard.  As the continue to climb the mountain they are mildly impressed at just how steep the terrain is.  They find foot paths criss-crossing the mountain, and flocks scattered about.  Sheep and some goats at the lower elevations and then more cattle higher up.  They talk to some locals and learn little.  The party spends the entire day climbing up, exhausted they ask for shelter at some of the locals huts and are generally told to go and sod off.  The party eventually hunkers down behind a stone wall, to at least be out of the wind.
    The next day finds the party bickering about who is making breakfast (a running theme in the party) then climbing up the mountain again.  Just before (the traditional) 11:00 in the afternoon, the party comes to the bottom of a 20' cliff.   A quick reconnoiter finds a cut in the cliff and the party scales the cliff hoisting up the extremely reluctant sheep.  They find a very different land scape at the top of the cliff.  The top of the mountain is mostly flat and is a maze of mesas and canyons, which is shrouded in fog.  Zyva states that she will scout ahead letting the rest of the party after the climb.  Zyva, flies ahead invisible, and finds a good bit of 'cow sign'.  She does an impressive scouting job, and is damned lucky, when her ears pick up a strange rumbling music.  Sneaking forward she finds a  truly Colossal humanoid playing his didgeridoo, which is not a tree, but the cave system of the mountain its self.
    Zyva flies back to the party, once again luckily finding her way, and tells them that the Ogre is over 40 feet tall, has eyes where its ears should be and great antenna/funnels on the top of its head.  Billet states that finally she has found a worthy opponent, causing Zyva to question her grip on reality even more.  The party bravely/ foolishly goes fourth to meet the 'Ogre'.  When they meet the Ogre they demonstrate a un-before seen level of wisdom and engage in friendly parley.  They learn that “Long Ago” the one who created the 'Ogre' placed him at the top of this volcano and told him to wait for his return.  And that is what he has done, spending the untold centuries in cloud study and playing his music.  Recently “little ones” have come,  mostly they leave him alone, which is good.  A few come up and bother him.  They party learns that the Ogre tosses the bodies and equipment of those that bother him into his pissoir.  A few of the party members, lead by Hesperose, goes and snoops about the Ogre's cave.  Finding the pissoir they set aside all since of hygiene and deeply assault their senses of smells and rummage through the detritus, finding generally rot and corrosion.  As if by magic, two things are not destroyed by the horrors of the Ogre's micturition.  Apiece of red cloth 24” square and a spear head.  Hesperose asks the Ogre if they can take these items with them.  The Ogre agrees but askes that the party leave some of there weapons in the pissoir, as to have fewer weapons out causing pain in the world.
    The party eventually gets around to asking after why the Ogre has been eating the cows of the Islanders.  The Ogre states that his cows have been going missing and since there is nobody else on the island with cows, that they must be taking them.  The party offers to find out where his cows are going and take their leave with the Ogre's blessing.  They party once again demonstrates shockingly good luck and finds a cave entrance cleverly hidden behind some bushes.  Following the cow tracks they wind their way through the labyrinthine cave system, having a brief scuffle with some spiders of unusually large size.

Sheep for wood

Aramil-Eric- ( not present )
Clarity-Mija
Hesperose- Scott
Kita-Shawn ( not present )
Shiffit-clint-Currently running the game.
Zyva-Ron
Steve -Billet-( not present )
   
the trepid party having found a modicum of safety on the beach “harbor” of Miocena, breaths a sigh of relief.  After sailing the vessel solid for days, Hesperose heads straight for his bunk.  Only to be awoken minutes later by Yaher banging on his door.  The local ruler has shown up, and Yaher explains that it will not due for the 'Capitan' to not personally greet the politicos.   Hesperose with venom on his lips, greets the local rulers, who appear to be a group of well armed and armored men.  The Crew of the Celeste is invited to a feast in their honor.  The rulers take their leave as workmen set about unloading the shipment of weapons.
  The island that Miocena is on, turns out to be very rocky and appears to be a single mountain.  The party learns that the Miocenaens are descendent's of castaways, shipwrecked centuries ago.  The party reconnoiters the town suspicious of the villagers, (are we guests or food).  The party finds the town on the up and up, and discover a lack of topsoil and trees on the island.  The Miocenaeans have taken advantage of any likely spot to build terraces, but they are no more that scattered gardens.  The Miocenaeans rely heavily on their herds that eat the tufts of grasses growing between rocks and the prolific shrubs.  The party asks the locals with some help with the damage to the Celeste.   The locals are happy to take a look and finds some broken knees on the Celeste.
    The feast is set up in the local temple, which is pan-theistic and groups deities by the elements.(fire water earth and air)  Clarity chats up the local priests about their predictions of the future.  They tell her that their leader, Krustus, can not lead the expedition to punish the Ogre, for if he does the whole of Miocena will be DOOMED.  Krustus explains that the Ogre lives at the top of the mountain, and that he has been raiding the herds at 'Elevation'.  This puzzles the islanders as usually the Ogre causes them no problems.  The party promptly starts to interrogate anyone they can about information on the Ogre.  They soon discover that nobody actually as seen the Ogre.  They also ask after the beginnings of a wall around the village.  Krustus explains that about a year ago the priests foretold of a coming great conflict; so the already very militant society took it up a notch, starting a wall and procuring more weapons.  Krustus asks if the crew of the Celeste would go and “deal” with the Ogre,  saying that if they won the “Elven Games”; what is an Ogre to them.(Yaher had been bragging up the crew of the Celeste)   It is also pointed out that the party could find the wood they need to fix their boat, at 'Elevation'.  The party agrees, but only if they can have access to the extensive library.  A compromise is reached where the party does not have access to the stacks, but can request books on particular subjects.  With the agreement made, a great show of the military might of the Miocenaeans begins.  Turns out every able bodied male is in the “army”.  The crowning display is a weapons demonstration by Krustus, who knocks down 4 opponents in a single flurried attack with his flail.  The party is more circumspect in asking why the large military focus in this society.  The party now learns that the Miocenaeans are not the only ones on the island, that they are frequently raided by the “creatures of Darkness”.  The party is taken aback by this news.  The islanders describe the creatures of darkness as; about the size of an average 10 year old(human), round heads, pointed ears on the tops of their heads, red eyes and fangs.  The locals call them “creatures of Darkness” as they only attack at night.  Several times the Miocenaeans have tried to irradacate the “vermin” but they hide in holes on the other side of island.
    The night passes uneventfully, the winds die down some, the rains continue and the waves pound on the beach.  The morning has the party reading selected histories, focusing on the Ogre.  Several stories of armies and Heroes from lands all over coming to defeat the Ogre, they go up the mountain, and are never heard from again.   Reconnaissance is done and it is found the the mountain is in a cloud(fog) which greatly limits visibility.  A plan is hatched, a sheep procured, and a bell attached.  Zyva leads the sheep, with the bell around its neck, while flying invisibly ahead of it.  Hesperose explains that when the Ogre attacks the sheep the party can then launch a suprize attack on the Ogre.

   

OOOga

Aramil-Eric

Clarity-Mija

Hesperose- Scott

Kita-Shawn (not present so Kita spent a lot of time pondering the mysteries of the sea)

Shiffit-clint-Currently running the game.

Zyva-Ron

Steve-Billet

After all the damage the Celeste had received in the last session, the crew started out with a day of mending and fixing. This proved problematic as repair supplies where in short supply and the lack of applicable skills amongst the crew, but progress was made. Things went better the next day, with a few 'mend' spells from Aramil. It was discovered that the Celeste started taking on a good bit of water, as her timbers had been savagely worked, with the tormenting of the spirits. Shiffit was tasked as being the primary bucket schlep/ bilge pump. Aramil was kind enough to lend his 'bag of holding', which proved far more effective that the bucket Shiffit was using. Hesperose had his mind blown with the utter lack of physics involved. The days went by quickly and some of the party members, who were in the know, started to really really get worried about the approaching storm season. Hesperose, the defacto Capitan, asked Yaher if they were going to make their destination in time. Yaher said, only with extremely favorable winds, and added that there were no other safe places to land in time.

An island was then spotted along there course. Yaher says, “Excellent, I know just were we are now. Captain go ahead and sail well around the Island.” Of course that is exactly what does not happen. After a brief discussion the party chooses to not alter course in the least, as to save time. Yaher comes unglued, yelling and stopping, in a most uncharacteristic sort of way. Calling Hesperose an ass-hat and that he is going to get them all killed and eaten. Clarity and Yaher enter into a discussion about how delicious Yaher must be. Zyva flies ahead to the island and sees a largish war party setting out in canoes, on an intercept course for the Celeste. Zyva (who is flying around inviable) casts an illusion of a sea monster coming up out of the see. The canoes quickly turn around and beat it back to shore. Zyva flies close enough to over hear the islanders. She does not understand their language but is able to get the gist of what they are saying, 'row the flip faster, you flipping nugget'. Realizing that they will very doubtedly make safe harbor before the storms come, the crew sends Zyva to reconnoiter the island. Zyva finds out that the islanders are the sort who,(in the best star-fleet tradition) throw spears and ask questions later. The party chooses to sail on and brave the storms, rather that play 'try not to get killed and eaten' on the island.

The next day a piece of debris is noted, and a slight course correction is made to investigate. A human female is found on the bit of floatsome. Zyva flies out to take a look. Turning visible she introduces herself to the human bobbing along in the water. Belitte(a human female with a high chraisma, very little of it coming from her personality) looks up and sees a flying, be-scaled fey creature, and the most unlikely crew aboard a coastal boat. Seeing that these folks could not possibly be the crew of a boat, Belitte assumes that the lack of food and being in the sun for so many days has finally put the zap on her noggin. She then has a good bit of fun chatting away and letting herself be rescued by the figments of her imagination, often wondering what part of her mind thought up these bizarre creatures/personalities, and why are they asking her so many questions? If they come from her mind shouldn't they already know the answers to their questions?

The next day Belitte starts to believe that this is in fact reality, and is even more perplexed. Yaher continues to inform Hesperose that they are truly deeply screwed, seeing as how the ship is already leaking, and the storms are coming and safe landing is still several days away. Hesperose continues to tell the rest of the party, “every thing is Fine, no problem, don't worry.' That evening the Seas change to flat black, and the crew notes that you don't have to be a oracle to know that is a bad omen. The next morning the the seas are blue again, but towards evening the storms start up. Several days of harrowing sailing ensue. Hesperose makes several sailing rolls which determines how difficult the saving throw is for the Celeste. The fates are truly on the side of the Celeste and her crew for she makes every saving throw, some times just matching the difficulty.

So with some additional damage, the Celeste reaches her destination. Where they find not a true harbor but rollers set out on the beach. Yaher guides the Celeste through the reef and up to the rollers. People on the beach throw up heavy ropes to the crew of the Celeste who look at them in askance. Yaher tells them to secure the cables to the Celeste. The party continues to look at Yaher with blank expressions and no action. Yaher then directs the crew of the Celeste, with many comments on their short comings. If Hesperose had not been completely exhausted, by his days and nights of storm sailing, he would have then realized why Yaher hired his boat. A full size blue water ship would not have been able to use the rollers to be pulled out of the sea and been safe from the stromy weather coming.

Deus Ex Machina

Aramil-Eric

Clarity-Mija

Hesperose- Scott

Kita-Shawn (not present)

Shiffit-clint

Zyva-Ron

   -- Clint currently running the game, and trying to get the party members to think out side of the box about what options lay open to their characters.

The party started the day out wisely, with a good hearty breakfast. They then put there plan to experiment with the spears in to action. Unfortunately Zyva and Aramil chose to try to lower the launch with 4 spears in it to the sea. In the finest D&D tradition, they fumbled. 3 of the cursed spears fell into the sea, and 1 stuck in the launch. When the 3 spears hit the water, a mighty geyser shot fourth, blasting Aramil, Zyva and the launch into the air. Zyva caught flight at the apex of her trajectory. Aramil, lacking wings, made a poor landing in the water and took a fair bit a damage. The launch landed on the Celeste's cabin's roof, and the entire aft section was staved in. Worse than losing the launch a great many spirits were released and started screaming of their; loss, pain, frustration, agony, and indignation. The spirits went streaming through the rigging and creating much havoc on the ship. Whenever a spirit passed though a person, they would have the breath frozen out of them and they would fall down stunned. The party tried to communicate with the spirits, and found that all semblance of intellect had long since left the spirits, leaving only emotion. Much blame was passed back and fourth between Clarity and Yaher. With a little help from Zyva Aramil gets back a board the ship, which is starting to take damage from the Ghosts. The Party appears to be at a loss as to what to do about the spirits. They decide to search the rest of the crates and see if any more cursed spears can be found. They find 6 master work spears that match the 4 they assume (correctly) are cursed. Kita examines the elven markings on the spears and with a healthy Bardic knowledge check learns their history.

Several centuries ago an elven tribe turned against their kin, in an attempt to rule over them. The tribe that tried to subject their kin was known as the Drow tribe. At the start of this war a neighboring elven tribe had its army destroyed. With the civilians unprotected, the Drow marched on the village and at spear point drove the inhabitants over the sea wall to the waves below, and to their DOOM!!! The Drow were eventually defeated, and driven below ground, but the spirits of the murdered elves bound themselves to the devices that drove them to their DOOM!!! And the party discovered that Yaher bought some of these cursed spears, and brought them aboard. When the spears were plunged into the sea, the spirits took unkindly to this repeat of their ill fortune, and are taking vent of their feelings on the only things around, the Celeste and its unsuspecting crew.

With more of the spears found, Hesperose, who people are now calling Captain, uses one of the four ballistas to launch the spear into the ocean. Another geyser springs fourth and more spirits join the chorus of screaming souls around the vessel. The party continues to try to problem solve with the ship slowly starting to come apart around them. Hesperose, in frustration, starts to cock a ballista to chuck another spear into the sea, and Zyva suggests that will only make matters worse.

About 30 black flying shapes are then spotted flying toward the ship, and some of the crew prepares for action. When they get closer Yaher tells the party that they are harbingers, and are not to be trusted. Zyva fires a warning arrow through a wing of one of the harbingers, who turn out to have the body of large vultures and humanoid heads. The harbingers proceed to taut and jeer the crew of the Celeste, which is a unpleasant melody to the screams of the tormented souls. The harbingers then ask that the party give the cursed spears to them. The crew then does a quick, 'you give them the spears, No you you do it, I don't want to you do it, Oh no you had the spears last you do it...' The party, en masse, (correctly) assumes that the harbingers are up to no good and that they should not give them the spears, but give them one anyway. (which deeply puzzles the DM). One of the harbingers then takes the spear and quickly flies away. The murder of harbingers continues to badger the party for the rest of the spears. The newly dubbed Captain, Hesperose, then takes the rest of the spears and dumps them overboard. Another geyser bursts fourth, the number of spirits tearing through the ship increase, and the harbingers take wing laughing hysterically, knowing that the crew of the Celeste is now deeply screwed, having lost the focal point/ foci, for dealing with the spirits.

The Celeste, a coastal sea vessel with no business out in these waters, starts to list and buck. With her ships timbers groaning, Clarity calls out to one of the goddesses of the sea. Clarity, curiously calls out to Umberly, who is NOT, really NOT known for mercy; more known for vengeance. Strangely though the ship starts to calm. Seeing their first positive response to their actions since breakfast, Aramil and Clarity call out to Corleone Lothlorien, the god of the elves[Family takes care of Family] for mercy. An Avatar of Corleone Lothlorien descends on the ship, calming the spirits. The Avatar more fully explains the situation they are in, stating that the spirits must be calmed, and balance restored. They party then agrees to pledge to help right the wrong that these spirits have suffered. The Avatar snaps its fingers and a very disgruntled creature appears. Half quatzequatel and half elven, and all sorts of pissed off. He gives vent to his anger about not being at the beck and call of the Avatar, which he clearly is. The half quatzequatel and half elven creature hears the pledge of the party and says, “it will be good to hold you souls by this string”, and -bamph- disappears. The Avatar warns the party to not break a pledge give in front of 'The Verdant One' and fades away. The party members, and Yaher notice that they have green check marks on their cheeks. The party laments their “lamest gang sign ever”, and Yaher yells at the now departed Avatar, that he is not with this these other idiots.

                --The Pledge--

“We pledge to protect those who are good, and who can not protect themselves from harm until we have saved from harm as many as there are spirits haunting this boat.”

sit right back and you will hear a tail

Aramil- Eric(not present so Aramil spent a lot of time in his bunk...strange for an elf)

Clarity-Mija

Hesperose- Scott

Kita-Shawn

Shiffit-clint

Zyva-Ron

   -- Clint currently running the game.  –

The games started out with a dramatic reading of the blog, to refresh memories as to what happened 2 weeks ago. When Scott gets to the part about 'the tid bit not get passed along', Mija looks up and says, 'wait, what did I miss'.

With Hesperose at the wheel the sailing was going smoothly. Yaher was beside Hesperose, pointing the way to their port of call. With lots of idle time, Hesperose attempted to pump Yaher for information about' what was in the hold, where exactly were they going, what kind of island were they going to, what were the dangers in these waters, what happened to his last ship, what other ports were around, what happened to his past ship and crew.... Yaher appears fourth coming about most items except is steadfastly obtuse about locations. Zyva casts detect thoughts, and Clarity senses motive. Zyva gets that Yaher misses his ship (lost at sea) and is feeling loss at his crew being left behind (some left on the island, where others were bobbing along not so nicely on the sea). Clarity is unable to get any real sense of what this little man is all about, not being able to get past his smiling cheeriness.

Hesperose decides that he wants to look in the crates, he ties off the wheel and Hesperose, Zyva, Clarity, and Yaher head down to the hold. Apparently the fates are involved, as the crate they choose to open is the one that Clarity is hearing the muffled screaming of children from. With the lid off, the screams are no longer muffled. Clarity has been hiding in the back, shying away from the presumed horror. With the lid off and Hesperose and Yaher examining the long spear, handing them back and fourth; Clarity's curiosity over comes her fear and she reaches for the spear. Upon touching it, she is thrown backwards, landing on her backside stunned. Zyva and Hesperose are quite alarmed, Yaher looks at Clarity in puzzlement. Zyva casts detect evil, and sees a miasma of evil hanging in the room. She quickly helps Clarity up and they head above deck. Hesperose demands an explanation of what just happened of Yaher. Yaher fobs it off on the dramatics of flim-flam artists like oracles and palm-readers. Hesperose throughly examines the spears and finds out, yep they're spears.

Up on deck Zyva and Clarity confab with Kita and a plan is hatched. When Hesperose and Yaher come up from the hold Zyva easily distracts Yaher, and Kita and Clarity go below to examine the goods with their owner not around. When back on deck Hesperose notices that the winds effecting the ship seem to be slightly less powerful than their surroundings (a really good roll). After distracting Yaher, Zyva is flying about the ship, looking for anything out of place. She also notices that the winds about the ship lessen about 50-80' out (another really good roll). Zyva then turns inviable and flies below decks to see what Kita and Clarity are up to. She sees Kita handling the spears, but when Clarity handles a spear she is blown on to her six. Clarity asks Kita to remind her not to do that again, and promptly handles another spear, this time with no apparent effect. But the third spear she touches, sends her tukus over tea kettle. Kita notices that the two spears that effected Clarity are both master work quality, and pulls out a dagger to scratch the butts of the spears, to mark them for future reference. With the first scratch Clarity goes down, like a marionette with the strings cut. Zyva undetected by the others (still inviable and moving silently), states that something really needs to be done about this.

Further secret confabbing goes on and new schemes are thought up. With the sun going down the winds die away completely. After a big supper Zyva lures Yaher into the launch. Once a bit away from the ship, Yaher asks Zyva if she is going to, fish or keep cutting bait. Zyva laughs a flies back to the boat. Yaher laughs back at Zyva and starts to make his way back to the ship. With Yaher in a disadvantaged position, Hesperose demands information about the spears and what does he know about this curse that is slowing their progress. Yaher continues to maintain that everything his is doing is above board and that any so called curse is just the non-sense of the fortune telling flim-flam artist. But he does agree to let the party do some simple tests, like put the 'so called' cursed spears in the launch away from the ship to see if that changes the wind. He also staunchly defends his rights to his cargo, and suggests that Hesperose's reputation is at stake in these dealings. Zyva flying inviable behind Yaher, not so subtly suggests that Yaher also disclose the information about locations; their destination and other ports about. Yaher spits back that he knows that with out him guiding the ship, the crew of the Celeste would be in dire straights, and that he knows it is very much in his best interest to keep it that way; as a unscrupulous crew might decide to steal his cargo, his jewels and send him to sleep with the fishes. Hesperose makes sure that Yaher is agreeable to the experiments on his cargo and lets him back on board.

Yaher pretends to not notice the veiled threats and turns in for the night, as does most of the crew. During the third watch, everyone is awaken by a jolting of the ship. Everyone scampers topside, and are unable to find any apparent cause. Clarity express that they must lift the curse that now resides on the Celeste, Yaher suggests, with a yawn, that there is a whale with a new lump on his head.