Interlude - A Connecting Narrative

**User Contribution:** The following represents the contribution of a user and is not to be taken as canon.After slaying the ettin and dark naga, the party finds several chest of treasure. Fixer opens the chest and finds them each filled with various loot. Each of the party members hauls a chest and they make an arduous journey back through the mazes of stalactites, across the river via the raft, back up the tunnel, down the rock face slope and back onto the beach. It takes forever, and finally reaching the beach never felt (and smelled) better. Fixer drops the tiny boat onto the water and it grows in size.

Loading the chests onto the row boat, Boris, So (and Wat) and Fixer make their way back out into the waters toward The Revenge - Velasco's ship. As they are rowing back, Wat notices a strange sight. He seems something, or someone, lying on one of the rocks jutting out of the sea. It looks like Baba! Not sure whether she is alive or dead, the party rows over to her and takes her aboard the boat. She seems unconscious, cut up, and battered and bruised, but she seems alive.

They continue rowing until they reach the Revenge where Velasco, Urdo and the crew help them, the chests of treasure and Baba aboard the ship. Velasco sets out back to the place he agreed to meet the Sahuagin leader after the evil was banished fromt he isle. The party takes the chests and Baba below deck, placing Baba on a cot of some sort. Gunther brings in some hot food for the party (an extra helping for So) and the party eats and rests. For the next several days, the journey is uneventful. The party tends to Baba's wounds and counts the treasure they have found - as well as dividing it up amongst themselves.

Finally, Baba awakens one night with a scream. Fixer is awake talking with Navigator, hears it and comes rushing in. He calms her and for the next twenty minutes or so she recounts what happened.

She was taken underwater by the Chuul - paralyzed and nearly drowned, she remembers seeing strange figures moving through the water. They looked like elves, but had flippers for feet. They fought off the Chuul and brought Baba to the surface, placing her on a rock out in the sea. Baba barely alive and in a daze thought she had a strange vision. Polkan, her centaur friend from the Eldeen Reaches, was standing over her gliding his hand over her hair and telling her everything is working out as he planned but she must live on...

Then, she was awake on the ship.

The Revenge sailed on - Baba recouping, Fixer talking with Navigator and working with Emeric d'Cannith when he was awake. So plays games with people changing into others, and Boris scolds him and practices in his martial arts, trying to perfect new moves.

Whispers of a spy aboard the ship die out as Gunther continues to write secret love notes to So, Emeric is never seen by Fixer to show any signs of using his speaking stone except to contact family, and the strange bird is not seen again.

Finally, a crew member calls out - "LAND HO!" - and everyone gathers on deck to look at the sight before them. It's the City of Stormreach.

The first thing that comes to your mind is - it's a ruin. Stormreach seems to have been destroyed ages ago by some terrible disaster. It's surrounded by crumbing walls and shattered towers. As you get closer, you realize the ruins are just the facade - "remnants from an ancient giant civilization" as Navigator puts it. Smaller structures are built atop the old ruins in a vast array of different styles mirroring all those on the continent of Khorvaire, from the Five Nations to the swams of the Shadow Marches and the goblinoid nation of Darguun. It's a ramshackle city. Stormreach lies in a river valley you see as you enter the harbor. Barges, sailing vessels and passenger skiffs speed across the waters or float along casually. Beyond Stormreach, you can see a vast, lush jungle canopy that broods and encroaches on the city's walls.

The Revenge approaches one of the many docks and the crew runs about furiously preparing to set anchor. Udro shouts orders - "Boris! We're not done working yet!" - and Velasco stands proud, smiling at the helm while steering the ship in to rest.

You've made it to Stormreach.

Velasco tells his crew they are allowed two nights leave in the port town and to be back aboard the ship at dawn of the third day. Navigator stays aboard with two other crew members who get put on watch duty. Urdo and Velasco approach you and ask you to accompany them to The Chapterhouse - tavern, hostel and performance space run by House Phiarlan and House Ghallanda. You agree.

As you step out onto the dock, belongings in tow, you see a shocking, yet familiar face.