The Fourgon Sail - Episode Two

## Synopsis:

It had been three weeks since the Fourgon Sail had seen any wind. At first, it seemed a blessing: The ship sat becalmed in the hot, sticky summer air while the crew made repairs on the ship of spectres they sailed out upon. A few took poorly to the revelation, spouting fears and worries as they stared into the bloodsoaked decks. But with repairs complete, the crew languished on deck waiting for the barest hint of breeze, the rum supply slowly diminished. They moved on to the wine, if only to placate the crew.

Finally on the third day of the fourth week, the sails rippled with the touch of the smallest of zephyrs. Soon the sails billowed and filled, air rushing over them. The crew, cheered from their lull, clambered up into the main, fore and mizzen mast rigging to trim the sails. Within hours the sea was thrown in great white foamy crescents as the ship plowed its way through.

Longing to make up lost time, and to arrive at the Westernlands before the supplies ran out, the decision was made to run on through the night. Long into the hours after true night the ship sailed on. Maybe it was the giddy excitement, maybe it was the strain of work after long days at rest. Either way no one saw the island. It shouldn't even have been there—there were no islands in that part of the sea.

Regardless of why, the sound the ship's bow made as it ran aground was forever etched in all of the sailors' minds. It was the worst sound a sailor could hear, especially that far out to sea. Lucky for them, it seemed they landed on a paradise. Fresh streams, verdant trees; it was nearly a jungle. It promised to be quite a relaxing few days while they harvested the lumber to repair the broken and splintered bow.

This is the second episode of the Fourgon Sail Saga.

## Mercenaries:

* Asher "Whiffle-Tongue" - Lizardfolk Wizard (Sponsor: Relenam Heavyfeet)

* Edrann - Shadar-kai Cleric (Sponsor: Carnelian Trusk)

* Grorg - Bugbear Ranger (Sponsor: Faithful Boar)

* Jayzal - Tabaxi Rogue (Sponsor: Xilon Harkus Starrati)

* Zylqirel Dalanthan - Dark Elf Fighter / Cleric

## Adventure Summary:

### Collision

When the ship ran aground, the mercenaries had been busy with their own duties and private affairs. Asher, a Lizardfolk man who had joined the crew as a chance to redeem himself from the unfortunate incident on the Coral Breaker, was playing the bagpipes to restore morale when the impact threw him into his audience, only serving to reduce morale further.

Jayzal had been double checking the logs and maps in the captain's quarters to make sure they were on track. He didn't expect the abrupt halt, as the charts showed no indication that an island was nearby. Were they that far off track? Could they have sailed into the Padiso Islands? He had no answers.

Edrann, a Shadar-kai with pale blue skin, stark white hair, and eyes black as obsidian, had been exploring the ship to confirm that all the ghosts had left. She had joined the crew due to a premonition from the Gods, who told her that she was needed in the Westernlands. Already she put her skills to use, discovering that all the ghostly spectres had been expunged.

Zylqirel, a Dark Elf mariner with gray skin and white hair, had been investigating the store rooms that appeared after the ghostly illusions left. The area was marred with blood and divots in the wood. With his keen eyes, he found a cache of three potions, and with a keen inspection, he discerned that they were a Potion of Healing, a Potion of Water Breathing, and a Potion of Lightning Resistance. Before he left, he saw the remains of a person, now just a skeleton bludgeoned in half while reaching for the potions. At that moment, the ship ran aground and captured Zylqirel's attention.

Grorg, a grumpy Bugbear armed to the teeth, cursed when it happened. He wasn't on the wheel at the time, but he wished he were, in the hopes that he could have prevented the mistake. The crew was too tired, too drained, to be in their most alert state. Or was it the ocean itself that planned to destroy them? He mentioned this theory to Edrann, who stated that there were plenty of "there shouldn't have been an island there" stories. That was the nature of the unexplored; it didn't mean the ocean was actively seeking their demise.

Before disembarking on the newfound island, Zylqirel relayed the discovery of potions to his fellow mercenaries. Grorg suggested a healer hold onto the Potion of Healing as an extra measure of aid. Edrann took the potion.

### Exploration

The ship landed on the eastern side of the island. It appeared fairly round, about 450 feet in diameter. A dense jungle rose to structures ruined by water damage. The structures could act as lumber to repair the ship, and perhaps the jungle plants could as well.

Edrann, with her eye on safety, bestowed a Vigilant Blessing on Jayzal so that he could stay aware of any threats. She then took the time to cast a ritual that let her Detect Poison and Disease. Thankfully, there did not appear to be any poisonous plants or creatures in their vicinity.

Jayzal looked to Spurt, a Kobold and fellow mercenary who planned to remain on the ship; and then to Grorg. In an instant, a mental connection linked them so that they could remain in contact anywhere on the island.

Grorg ordered the party to stay together as they headed along the coast, looking for a way up into the structures.

Zylqirel looked for tracks and noted that the beach was almost like sand, but was more like polished sandstone rock. It contained no tracks upon it, though birds might have been there.

Grorg pulled out the Mundane Mirror, which could make some expressions of magic invisible in its reflection, and pointed it towards the island. Jayzal peered over Grorg's shoulder, intent on the findings. It appeared as if the island itself did not exist, though the trees did.

As an Il, Asher knew about the legends of the Giant Tortoise and immediately posited that the island may, in fact, be the creature sacred to him. Edrann was skeptical of this assertion, but suggested Jayzal relay to the crew that they shouldn't feel bad about running into the island; creature or not, it at least was magical, which could have plenty to do with it not being on their maps.

On the south side of the island, the party found a sloping path leading upwards. They scaled the island, passing lumber tossed about. Asher, his mind already biased towards an explanation, thought that the damage was consistent with water pressure coming up from below, as when a turtle submerges. Edrann stated that a blowhole could have a similar effect, so perhaps it was a whale, or perhaps the island simply sank occasionally.

Fifty feet up the mountainous terrain and amongst the structures, it became clear that parts of ships had been repurposed into shelters. Lumber, sails, and awnings were all incredibly waterlogged, molded over, and torn to pieces. It became clear that the Fourgon was not the first ship to crash on that island.

Zylqirel realized that while there were no direct tracks, the smoothness of the rock could be due to immense water pressure scouring it. He also saw a skeleton pressed against the rock as if pinned to it. Barnacles covered the skeleton, and it was clean as if the flesh had been consumed by small birds or fish.

The Mundane Mirror continued to show that the island itself was magical, but the structures and plants were not. The skeleton, too, was not magical.

Setting to scavenging, the party found nine yellowed jars of pickled vegetables. They may have been past their expiration date, but Edrann assured everyone that she could purify the food. They added the jars to the ship's rations.

Grorg studied the trees, and while they weren't anything he was familiar with, he could deduce that they were some form of mangrove.

Edrann searched the annals of her memory to sense if the island had any religious significance. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Asher gently touch the rock beneath him. If it were the Giant Tortoise, it would be religiously significant to him.

Grorg attempted to cast Mold Earth and move the rock. It did not move. Loose soil around the mangroves did lift, however, revealing that the plants' roots had spidered along the rock. Whatever nutrition they gathered, it was not from the soil.

Jayzal kept his senses attuned for other creatures, but did not perceive any.

The party moved to the largest structure, which had a collapsed roof, but was supported by the spine of a ship. The inner structure was more intact. It took twenty minutes of excavation, but within the structure, the party found a ship's log. So waterlogged was it that the ink flowed around the pages, completely illegible. With it, however, was a dagger affected by neither rust nor barnacles. Edrann cast a spell to Detect Magic and relayed that the dagger had some form of Transmutation magic affecting it.

Jayzal took the dagger and studied its blade. He did a double-take. Within the metal, he thought he could see a reef. It was dim and hard to see, but it was like peering into the sea floor, as if plunged into a coral reef. Schools of fish swam by. In the distance, one fish got eaten.

Jayzal turned to Asher and asked if he had any magic that could Identify the dagger. Asher dipped his head and stated that while he had the skills, he hadn't the material components for such a spell. He would need a precious pearl, which was far beyond his meager means.

Grorg looked up at the barnacles and saw an oyster amongst them. He pried it out and tossed it to Asher, telling him to try his luck. Asher blinked, shrugged, and whispered a soft prayer to Aja. He broke through the shell with his claws and squeezed along the oyster flesh.

All eyes widened as a pristine pearl popped out. Asher's jaw dropped, but he said his thanks and set to work identifying. The dagger was one of two Knives of Reflection, a pair of blades that acted as mirrors with each other. The other knife was on the bottom of the ocean.

Suddenly, the island lurched as if affected by an earthquake.

### The Island's Identity

Grorg called for all to help gather salvage to repair the ship so that they all might get out of there before the island did something untoward. Both the weathered structures and the mangroves made for poor lumber, but they would have to suffice. Grorg wondered if Asher might be able to talk to the tortoise, assuming it was the tortoise, and Asher readily agreed that he would be willing; however, he felt that his skills, trained in the Stefarni way of the woodaxe and with his Floating Disk to carry the lumber, might be better suited to directly help gather salvage. Jayzal supposed that he might be able to mindlink with the turtle, but all agree to start with collecting the necessary supplies and worry about the mystery of the island later. With that, Asher set to chopping wood while everyone else worked as a bucket brigade to get the lumber back to the Fourgon. With their precision, the task went quickly.

Another quake shook the island. Right after Jayzal straightened from gathering some lumber, he saw the waters to the west part as a monstrous head emerged from the sea. They were standing on a giant sea turtle-like creature. Asher noticed Jayzal's surprised look and turned. When he saw the creature's head, he dropped his axe and began to praise Aja. The emotion of the moment threatened to freeze him as his scales glowed, but to his amazement, he was able to keep his composure and freedom of movement as the crystalline shell hardened his scales.

Grorg lifted his hands to cast Speak with Animals, moving along the coast towards the head. In a guttural animal tongue, he shouted, "Large beast! Do you understand me, creature?"

The creature craned its head back in confusion, but seemed to get the gist of the message. A rumble rose from its throat as it said, "I speak." The mangrove vines shivered in the bass notes.

Jayzal relayed to the crew that the Fourgon had, in fact, plowed into some turtle creature. Grorg set about communicating with Jayzal and the crew how they might tie the ship to the turtle in case it started swimming away before the repairs were completed.

Meanwhile, Edrann nudged Asher and said that since she was wrong about it not being a giant turtle, Asher probably wouldn't listen to her if she told him not to approach it and talk to it. Asher stated that if Edrann were certain that such an approach would be detrimental to their party, he would heed her. As she was not certain, however, he approached.

Moving to where the creature needn't crane its neck so far to see them, Asher began to speak in rapid-fire action: "Are you the Great Tortoise? Would you know yourself as that, or do you have a different name? Do you know the Il regard it a blessing from Aja to behold you? Will you be moving soon? Is the Fourgon and its inhabitants a disturbance to you?" Such a whiffling list of questions Asher had not released since childhood, but in the intensity of the inspiring moment, he was able to release his thoughts without issue.

The creature took it all in with patience. It introduced itself as Aspidochelone, pronouncing the syllables carefully and even spelling it for Asher, but using an alphabet foreign to him. It stated that it had swum the waters for many turns of the moon, and that the people were not a disturbance, though it added, "The ship did pain my rear."

"Apologies." Asher bowed.

Aspidochelone seemed indifferent. "Better than others. The last one tried to mine me. They paid for that when I submerged."

Asher tightened and agreed. He asked if Aspidochelone could possibly not dive until after the Fourgon was repaired. The turtle agreed, but added that a "great blue" had recently been released and was on the hunt.

The party glanced at each other. A "great blue" could mean many things, but the way Aspidochelone spoke of it, they knew that it meant the impossible: A Blue Dragon ruled the skies once more. If it arrived, Aspidochelone would have to dive, or else the mercenaries would have to scare off the creature. Either way, the ship may need to be sacrificed.

Asher pondered this. "If we were to scare off the Dragon," he said, "and our ship were lost… If it were not terribly inconvenient for you, Great Tortoise, would you be willing to carry us to our destination?"

Aspidochelone considered the request for a long moment before nodding. "Yes, that would be amenable. Aid for a service rendered."

The mercenaries agreed that would be the backup plan if the repairs could not be completed in time.

Jayzal asked Aspidochelone which direction the Blue Dragon might be coming from. It answered that it moved from the north.

Grorg asked about what other dangers lay in the ocean. Aspidochelone scoffed at this question, for many dangers abounded, most of which the turtle preferred to avoid. Jayzal inquired if the mythical Serpent of the Sea was one of these dangers. The Tabaxi had heard from his sponsor that the Serpent supposedly attacked Abishot, though the rest of A'lune thought the Serpent to be a tall tale. But Aspidochelone asserted that the Serpent was real and usually kept near the Accursed Isles.

Aspidochelone added that a squid had recently destroyed a vessel two moons ago. Jayzal nudged Grorg and asked him if that squid may have had something to do with the failed scouting mission, leading to the ghost captain. The Bugbear agreed that it could be a possibility.

Still listing the endless dangers, Aspidochelone stated that the men seeking gold were always a nuisance. Grorg agreed that pirates were a scourge.

Jayzal told Aspidochelone that the Fourgon was bound for the continent on the western side of the sea. Jayzal and some of his companions had sailed there before, but discovered that the people there had gone missing. Nothing disturbed, food still on the tables, as if the people just got up and vanished. The Fourgon carried a new group of settlers who planned to colonize and discover what had occurred, but did Aspidochelone happen to have any knowledge about that?

The turtle, however, had not travelled that far west in some time. It had no idea.

Edrann cleared her throat. It was a great conversation, but they had more urgent things to do. She set to work inspecting the ship.

### Rush to Repair

The mercenaries and crew began the challenging task of repairing the ship before the Blue Dragon arrived.

First, Jay went on tool duty, making sure that everyone had what they needed. Asher and Zylqirel brainstormed how they might camouflage Aspidochelone in case the Blue Dragon reached them too soon. Asher tried to stretch his magic to make a Fog Cloud that covered the whole of the turtle. Grorg made sure the boat was lashed properly so that it might get in the water correctly while Edrann used her insight to match crewmembers to jobs in which they were skillful. Zylqirel decided not to help with the fog and considered keeping an eye out for the Dragon, but realized that his muscles would be better applied fixing the ship.

In the panic of the moment, many hands fumbled to grab the tools from Jayzal. The mist spread too thin. Edrann's interference caused more confusion than aid. The efforts were, in all, a failure.

Jayzal used his nimbleness to weave and bob through the rushing sailors, hammering here, tying something down there. Asher abandoned the fog project and, seeing the crew still in a panic, began a prayer walk, chanting prayers to calm the nerves. Grorg grabbed some mangroves and used his Druidcraft to have them grow into the ship, a living lumber. Edrann used her medicinal knowledge to look over the crew, wanting to make sure that those too wounded from the crash were getting treated instead of enduring to the point of being a detriment. Zylqirel set about making the ship less obvious so that the Dragon might miss them.

The crew caught their stride. Jayzal's quick movements finished multiple projects. Asher's deep-throated chant and the clink of his silver belt became a rhythm on which all could focus. Grorg's mangroves thrived, tying the ship together. Edrann spotted people lagging behind and getting in the way, so she pulled them aside to bandage them. Zylqirel dropped the sails and laid out mangroves as cover, making the ship seem more an island than a vessel. It was a resoundingly successful effort.

Then Jayzal realized that the animals on the ship were feeling anxious as well and tried to calm them. Asher and Grorg moved to hold the bow steady during its repair while Edrann tried to inspire the crew to quicker action. Zylqirel applied his knowledge of plants to figure out how to make the most natural camouflage.

Calming the animals went fine; though they moved about nervously, they stayed out of the crew's way. Asher activated his shell to keep himself a pillar of support, and though his concentration nearly broke, he remained steady. Grorg's feet slipped backwards and he almost dropped his section, but with a burst of strength, he pushed it back into place. Edrann used Bless, and though her words at first cracked her voice, her second attempt brought a round of cheers and nods. Zylqirel couldn't find a way to make the mangroves any better positioned, but they seemed rather naturally placed already. There were issues, but overall, it was a successful effort.

Jayzal then studied the ship's camouflage in detail. Asher cast a series of Ray of Frosts against the hull of the ship to help it slip off of Aspidochelone. Grorg searched for those who were hauling with ropes in order to wrap bandages around their hands. Edrann scanned the skies to catch the Dragon as soon as it appeared. Zylqirel considered using Destroy Water to wring out the ship's hull, but decided that he would be better spending time actively assisting with the final repairs.

Jayzal's attention to detail showed that the bow had not been covered yet, so he copied the mud-and-mangrove pattern onto it with Zylqirel's aid. Asher's ice magic lingered against the hull, making it slippery. Grorg reached all the rope attendants and forced them to get their hands wrapped, preventing burns. Edrann did see the shadow of the Dragon in the distance and alerted the crew that it was now or never. The final efforts were a complete success.

With the ship ready and secured, Asher signalled to the turtle that it could dive. Aspidochelone lowered its head and began to submerge. From the shell, Zylqirel pushed the ship with all his might. As it slid off and water rushed up, he jumped and grabbed a rope, narrowly avoiding the undertow.

A massive shadow eclipsed the boat. High in the sky, above the clouds, the silhouette of wings beat. The Blue Dragon completely ignored the insignificant ship, and seeing that Aspidochelone had submerged, flew off in search of other prey. The crew cheered.

Some minutes later, bubbles rippled the waters as Aspidochelone surfaced near the Fourgon. Telepathically, it thanked Jayzal, who had been for the entirety of the repairs exerting his psychic powers to aid the efforts. Aspidochelone reached out and pressed its forehead to Jayzal's, a Blessed Touch. The Tabaxi felt as if he gained a profound understanding from that touch. The next moment, however, the knowledge was gone, though he was sure that someday, he would remember it.

As Aspidochelone sank below the surface, a hand grabbed Jayzal and spun him around. It was Asher, excited that Jayzal had been touched by the Great Tortoise.

Jayzal, feeling awkward, stated that they'd all been standing on the shell, so—

Asher gasped. They all touched the Great Tortoise. He left in a state of awe and contentment, and Jayzal chuckled at the silliness of his ally.

### Anticipated Attack

The next week followed a calm path southwestward, skirting the Dead Winds. This made sailing erratic, with the Fourgon encountering fierce choppiness at one moment and then the lightest gusts the next. Edrann took the time to Purify Food and Drink, assuring the crew that the pickled vegetables would be safe to consume. Asher agreed, crunching through the kimchi-like cuisine.

Jayzal remembered that Aspidochelone mentioned the Serpent roamed near the Accursed Isles, so he and Grorg plotted a new course that gave that area a wide berth. Their charting was successful, angling the ship more south than west. Realizing all the danger, Grorg grumbled that he didn't know why anyone would want to go to the Westernlands. Jayzal replied that he wanted to stay far away from A'lune, at least until the White Bear forgot about him. The current captain—the third in command who stepped up after the dissipation of the captain and first mate—added that the mercenaries' pay was great, especially with the three-week delay in the Dead Winds. That was a marked incentive.

As the ship passed where the scouting mission turned back, the crew became cautious. Jayzal used the crow's nest's spyglass to see if he could spy the archway discovered in his last expedition, but after consulting the charts, he knew he was far too north to see it. He did, however, see the sea bubbling in a violent way. He warned the crew of approaching danger, and to no one's surprise, a giant squid's head and four tentacles surrounded the ship.

Jayzal immediately threw a psychic blade at the squid's head, but missed. He crouched down, using the crow's nest's upper rail to hide. In retaliation for the botched attack, the squid slammed a tentacle against the ship, though it glanced off the hull.

Zylqirel raced to the nearest ballista and fired a shot at the squid's head, plunging the bolt into its squishy flesh. With a flick of a finger and a word to Luniar, a Shield of Faith enveloped him in magical protection. Unfortunately, the squid swung a tentacle at him before he could dodge. It slammed him prone against the deck. Though battered, Zylqirel called out to Luniar once more, this time pointing at the tentacle. Lightning arced to strike the appendage, and though it quivered under the electric assault, it reeled back before too much damage could be done.

The squid's maw gaped open. It gnawed on the boat, ripping out a chunk. Then its vision became obscured by a thick mist as Asher cast a Fog Cloud around its head, blinding it.

Grorg ordered those crewmates who weren't actively fighting to get below and fix the leaks. He spread a Faerie Fire on the nearest tentacle and laughed as the green glow enveloped the whole creature, causing a verdant shine to emit even from the fog.

Edrann held up her shield, focused on the holy seal emblazoned upon it, and then called upon the Gods for protection. A Twilight Sanctuary spread over most of the ship, bolstering the fortitude of all her allies within it.

Jayzal grinned, free from the need to hide since the squid could no longer see him. He shot a dagger at the northeastern tentacle, doing significant damage. The tentacle swung at his general direction, but got nowhere close.

Zylqirel picked himself up and reloaded the ballista, then felt a Second Wind restore his strength. Unfortunately, the electrocuted tentacle hadn't forgotten the attack and once more crushed the Dark Elf, pressing him to the floor. Again lightning crackled from Zylqirel, and this time, an agonized wail pierced the ears of the mercenaries. The tentacle shivered and went limp, sinking into the ocean. The next moment, however, another tentacle rose to take its place.

Asher moved to the center of the ship, as far from all the tentacles as possible. He aimed a Ray of Frost at Jayzal's target and froze a chunk of flesh. When he felt the rush of energy from Edrann's sanctuary, he caught her eye and gave her a nod of gratitude.

Distracted as such, the Lizardfolk didn't notice the tentacle bearing down on him. He turned just in time to see it loom above, but before he could even flinch, the flailing limb rammed itself against the mast, missing him completely. The blow shook the whole ship, but it ripped the tentacle, which slumped against the deck and lay still.

Grorg moved to the other ballista and shot at the southwestern tentacle. The bolt plunged deep. He then ran to the middle of the ship, dodging a retaliatory strike.

Edrann eyed the green glow in the fog and sent a Guiding Bolt to the head. It struck, causing the glow to increase. A tentacle struck the hull, but it was a glancing blow.

Jayzal turned his attention to the southeastern tentacle and sent another psychic dagger. A moment later, a resounding snap turned his head. Zylqirel had once more regained his feet, but in his rush to fire the ballista, it jammed, flipping over on itself and unstringing its mechanisms. It could be repaired, but that would have to wait until after the battle.

The squid lurched forward, again attempting to gnaw the ship, but Grorg stabbed through the fog and prodded it aside.

Asher conjured an Ice Knife and launched it at the southwestern tentacle. Though the tentacle seemed less affected by the cold than by the piercing shards, it nevertheless slipped down into the sea.

As Grorg reloaded the remaining ballista, Edrann shot another Guiding Bolt at the head. This one seemed to do critical damage, and the squid reacted by screaming and slamming all its tentacles against the water at once. Huge waves crashed against the ship. Edrann, Zylqirel, and Grorg kept their feet, but Asher slipped and fell flat on his back. From that angle, he saw Jayzal stumbling. Just as the Tabaxi fell out of the crow's nest and began the plunge to the deck, Asher stiffened, his eyes glowing white. Suddenly, Jayzal was not falling—He was knocked to the floor of the crow's nest, but he was still safely within it. In that moment, Jayzal felt himself both fall and not fall, a sickening but amazing experience. He refused to be distracted, however, and threw another knife at the southeast tentacle. The knife cut deep, and the tentacle sank out of sight.

The squid wailed. Suddenly, from the cloud of fog, a cone of black ink shot out in Jayzal's direction. Jayzal turned away just in time, but the edge of the cone sprayed into Asher's eyes, blinding him.

Zylqirel reached the ship's railing and sent out a Thunderwave that shook a tentacle and made the glow from the fog diminish as the head got pushed back. As the Dark Elf moved to Edrann's side, a tentacle rose out of the water behind them.

After Asher's fall, the odd occurrence of watching Jayzal both fall and not fall, and then getting blinded moments later, the Lizardfolk normally would be prone to freezing up, his shell activating against his will. After meeting Aspidochelone, however, a new confidence had permeated him. He merely sat up and, though blinded, shot a Ray of Frost towards where he recalled the northwestern tentacle to be. He wiped the ink from his eyes to see that the shot had hit its mark.

Grorg turned the ballista towards the same tentacle and fired, sinking the appendage. Expending the dregs of her power, Edrann sent out one final Guiding Bolt towards the head, hitting it through the fog. In retaliation, the squid hurled ink at her, with Zylqirel and Asher as collateral. Though Zylqirel dodged, Asher once more took the blast to the face, as did Edrann. The Shadar-kai cast Guidance on herself in order to mitigate the detriments of being blurry-eyed.

Jayzal once more threw a psychic dagger, his aim as true as ever. A tentacle attempted to grab him, but Jayzal swung around the crow's nest's pole like a singer in the rain, dodging the swipe. Zylqirel sent out a doleful Toll of the Dead, though the squid didn't seem affected. It continued to bite at the ship. The fog kept its blows from gaining purchase.

Asher sighed and once more wiped the ink from his eyes. Overconfident, he cast a Ray of Frost over his shoulder towards where he thought another tentacle had appeared, but felt a shiver roll down his spine as Grorg yelped. He turned to see the Bugbear shivering and shooting him a dirty look as the green glow dissipated from the tentacles. Grorg tried to reestablish the Faerie Fire, but to no avail. He yelled that Asher would pay for that, to which Asher cringed, apologized, and said it would have to wait until after stopping the squid.

A tentacle rammed into Edrann, though she kept her feet. Jayzal took steady aim at a tentacle and pierced it with a dagger, sending it back into the ocean. In retaliation, the squid spurted ink at Jay and Asher once more. This time, Asher was ready and spun his back to the ink just in time. Jayzal unfortunately didn't move quickly enough and got the ink in his eyes.

The squid bit at the ship, and this time, it ripped out a significant section, causing the ship to nearly list. Asher spied the creature's beak peeking through the fog. He launched a flurry of Magic Missiles directly into its maw.

The creature screamed, but in a more desperate way than before. Its tentacles all sunk as one as it swam to escape, though the one limp against the deck remained behind, severed from the body. It would serve as good calamari to supplement the Fourgon's rations.

The ship and its crew survived the encounter.

## Outcome:

The mercenaries let out a collective breath of relief. Then they and the crew set to work on the next task: repairing the damage. A short shipwright tied themself to the outside and began to patch the hull as the Fourgon began the northward leg of the journey, battered, but undeterred.

## Adventure Rewards:

* Four silver per day of travel for all mercenaries on the Fourgon.