5e: When the boat's a rockin!

From: Sir Fulhoff of Clan Balderk, Knight of Hawk’s Nest, War Mage
To: Helja and Adrik of Clan Balderk

Mother and Father:

The storm continues to blow around the stern of the ship, while Bran and I watch from the crow’s nest.

Hilda and Joda both continue to cut down the cultists, while Rin chops up another merrow. Bran shoots the half orc mate, while Captain Dangledork the archmage flies up and out of the storm I had blowing. The I called the lightning from the storm to hit him, and then hit him with a lightning bolt of my own. He was staggered, but still standing (flying), and now he knew where the wizard was. My second lightning bolt however continued past the archmage, hitting one of the chains, breaking it, and then through the hull of the ship… cracking it. Two of the cultists fired the mounted ballistas at Aramil. He just dodged the first, and almost was skewered by the second, saved only by Rin’s ancestors.

Continuing to slay cultists, Hilda and Joda dance around each other. Rin hurts, but doesn’t quite slay the next merrow. Bran, having a clear shot at the archmage, takes it, and the black bolt seems to catch him unexpectedly. He blinks in confusion, and falls from the sky, hitting the deck with a bone crunching splat. Bran’s second shot slays the next merrow harassing Rin.



Seeing the archmage drop to the deck breaks the half orc’s nerve, and he rushes into one of the cabins.

Using the storms lightning, I again strike at the chains enchanting the king, and then fly down from the crows next to the cabin the mate entered. He was already ransacking the room. I told him to leave the spellbook, surrender and order the crew to stand down, and I’d let him live. He wanted the spellbook for himself, but his sense of self preservation won out.

Having cleared enough of the cultists, Hilda breaks the remaining two chains while Jode keeps the rest off of her back. The Storm King sucks in a deep breath, and begins to stir. The half orc mate steps out of the cabin, and orders the crew to stand down. The merrow don’t listen, so Rin kills another. The last one decides it would rather live far away than swim in the waters with his dead friends. Bran slides down a rope from the crow’s nest, shooting at the merrow swimming away. Aramil and Joda both lay some healing magic on the Storm King.

Sitting up, his first act is to try to swat the mate. We convince him to let him live, so the King tosses him overboard. The King is suspicious, somewhat confused, but we tell him we were sent by his daughter Seresa to save him. He doesn’t entirely believe us, but showing off the conch shell he’s at least willing to hold off on just wiping us all out. I have the opportunity to search the wizards quarters, and do find the spellbook, as well as some notes, sea charts, and carved into the woodwork the words “Iymrith” “Sisters” Treachery”

Blowing the conch shell, we’re teleported back to the Storm King’s Palace in the Maelstrom. His daughters are delighted and amazed, and he calls a family meeting in the throne room… but the throne is gone. Iymrith has stolen it. The Storm King was astounded, astonished, and amazed at all that had happened, and how foolish he’d been. “She didn’t even change her name!”

After some debate about what to do next, and catching the Storm King up on all that had happened, it was decided that Iymrith needed to be taken care of first. He sent out a call for giants to come to him, and we scryed to discover what we could. Iymrith was upon the throne in a ruined palace in the desert. The ship the king had been imprisoned on was destroyed, and the kraken was in inky black water.

I spent my time again studying magic, while the rest of the party continued to explore the palace. In a few days we were ready to make the assault on Iymrith.