Reflections
Looking out over unending stony barrens, the party realized they were nowhere near Nibenay and only had Gwyn’s sense they were north of Nibenay to help. To the north and east, the land appeared to give way into scrub plains while the south and west appeared to be all stony barrens as far as they could see. Although the scrub plains might have been slightly more hospitable, they decided to travel south in the hopes of getting their bearings.

Phyll proved to be a valuable asset as his mere presence invigorated the party and allowed them to travel longer during the days. He also used his primal magic to create some food and water which helped stretch their supplies. Having fled the Shadow Viper quickly, they were low on the essentials needed to survive in the hot deserts of Athas.

As the party traveled for days, their thoughts turned towards the recent events and they reflected on their actions and the consequences…

• Gwyn felt overwhelmed and that she had betrayed her personal beliefs. Their actions regarding the giants and dwarves horrified her.
• Daqiq cared less about the dwarves and gaints and felt they were simply obstacles for a greater good. He was worried about the return of Ul-Athra and the safety of people in the cities.
• Jax shared her husband’s worries about the common people but that the ends justify the means. She was slightly more hopeful about the eventual outcome.
• Way-lynn was rather stoic, but admitted leaving behind the crew of the Sinful Kraken was wrong. They felt unfocused and really wasn’t sure what they were fighting for.
• Banoc felt lost and as questioning his beliefs. He had no real issues with leaving behind the crew as he admitted to himself he was somewhat of a coward.
• Phyll simply wanted to restore Athas and put an end to the defilers, no mater the cost.

During their first night Banoc communed with his elemental and felt better about their decision to travel south. According to his divinations, they had enough supplies to reach civilization and that going further north would not have been helpful for their cause.

Kenku Traders
The following morning, the group awoke to a horrific discovery – Gwyn’s lips and nose had fallen off leaving her face terribly disfigured. Too shocked and disturbed to offer any guidance, Gwyn stood still as Banoc used his magic once again to restore her body. They worried about her deterioration but could think of nothing to do except try and repair the damage once it happened.

During the following day, they happened across a group of Kenku traders. These merchants only communicated using phrases they had heard before, but the general meaning was ascertained without too much trouble. The party purchased a large number of supplies to make their journey easier as well as provide some comforts – wine, food and water were to top priorities. Banoc purchased some diamonds to use with his spells and a toy Wooshwagon was found a purchased by Way-lynn.

They parted ways with the Kenku and continued south until they needed rest. Banoc felt as if the elements had spoke truly to him and that the Kenku were some form of a blessing.

The Walking Dead
The next morning came with more horrifying events. All of the goods obtained by the Kenku had turned to ash overnight. The food was gone, the water was gone, the diamonds were gone, everything. Phyll was on watch and there were no intruders in the camp. They could only guess that they had been deceived by the Kenku. Daqiq was furious and wanted to track them down for revenge. The rest of the party decided that while they were poorer of coin they were richer of knowledge and that is was best to let the Kenku go. Reluctantly Daqiq agreed.

Additionally, Gwyn’s ears had fallen off over night. Once again Banoc’s magic was able to reattach her body parts, but he still could not determine for sure what was causing the decay. The parts that he had previously restored appeared to be just fine, although every so slightly more draconic in appearance. Gwyn suffered no pain or other debilitating effects, so no believed it was the same affliction that Thea suffered from.

This next day and night were without incident or encounter and the following morning Gwyn remained whole.

Around mid-day, the party encountered a group of thirty individuals wandering from the southwest and the two groups approached each other. Never had they seen such a dismal lot of humanity. Mostly humans, they were all limping and walking somewhat erratically. As they got closer still, the traveler’s tattered clothes became apparent and their exposed flesh was seen to be covered in boils and suppurating abscesses of the skin. They were moaning unintelligibly at first, but soon a few words could be made out – “food” “water” “help us”.

The leader introduced himself as Sil Dresh, and Way-lynn knew of him from their time in the Shadow Guard of Nibenay. They learned that this group was made up of refugees from the battle at Urik, which did not go well for most of the troops, even though a shadowy dragon was driven off with the combined power of Hamanu, Lalali-Puy, Nibenay and the Dragon itself. This group had fled and wandered for several days before coming upon the Black Waters Oasis. So great was their thirst that they drank from the cursed waters and now were wasting away.

Phyll tried to help by making more food and water. Although the refugees were able to eat and drink, they were unable to hold down the food and came back up within seconds. Gwyn dared to use the Dark Lens to try and restore the refugee’s to health, but even her wishes were unable to completely restore them. They symptoms decreased in intensity, but the underlying affliction remained. Whatever the cause, it was more powerful than her wishes.

The Ruins of Yaramuke
The refugees elected to remain with the party as they had no better option and felt that the party was their best chance for salvation. They party was glad to have the extra hands as they decided to head toward the Ruins of Yaramuke, which were just north of the Oasis. They now knew their approximate location and that gave them a slight bit of hope.

Jax knew a little of the story of Yaramuke, a tale that she had heard from another bard. Phyll knew a little as well, that the sorcerer-queen Sielba was particularly vengeful in the purging of the druids and preservers, but that it was rumored she kept their knowledge for herself rather than destroy it like the other sorcerer-kings. They hoped that her knowledge might help in their quest to restore Athas.

With the refugees following them, the party made the journey to the ruins of Yaramuke, arriving there in the early afternoon of the following day. The treacherous ruins would not provide a safe place to rest, unless an intact building could be located. They prepared to search the ruins, looking for a secure place to act as a base of operations. The size of the ruins and their treacherous nature would likely require days to explore.

Gwyn falls into a dreamlike state as she is transported across Athas by her Wish spell. Though the Teleportation is instantaneous, it is as though she has hours to contemplate her journey.

Where are we going? I can tell just by the pull of the wind that we aren’t headed to Nibenay. Why should we be? What’s one more thing going wrong? Shit.

Gwyn sees the forms of two noble men, each decorated with the signets of great houses of Athas. They rise up toward her from the desert, before vanishing into dust.

Even as a child among the Sky Singers I knew I had the power to preserve, to respect and maintain balance among the life contained within my arcane gifts. As I mastered this art I came to believe that it might allow me to become a hero…to bring growth and vibrancy to this place. Was that too naive? Perhaps in the unforgiving dryness of Athas no one is able to become a hero. Vinara, Morg, Elleandra, Jarvix, Kelvor, Thea, and the others…they came so close, and now they are dead. And for what? So that I and my current compatriots can let loose Ul-Athra? Allow a sorcerer-king to roam the Silt Sea and do as he pleases with our crew? I fear we have made one too many mistakes.

Gwyn has visions of two hideous floating heads bouncing around in the ether – each growling hungrily. One of them snarls, “We will never taste your blood now.”

I’ve never believed in fate. My mother and my birth father were both evil – I never once allowed myself to think I would go down a similar path, instead believing that I would make my own meaning. Now I question whether there is even such a thing. After leaving Moil, which nearly broke me, I was ready to start anew, taking flight on these scaled wings and moving ever faster toward our triumph – toward a brighter day for Athas. Now I can’t bring myself to imagine that this day will ever come.

Fleeing the Island of Mytilene aboard the Shadow Viper, the party traveled east deeper into the Sea of Silt looking for Ehwahla and the final piece of the Crown of Dust. As they searched they discussed their actions on Mytilene and their next steps. All agreed that Ul-Athra was a dangerous ally, but they felt that the rewards were worth the risk.

Banoc and Phyll use their magic to help guide the boat and eventually the reach a small island where they find Ehwahla. After some negotiations, the Crown of Dust is handed over the Ehwahla and she completes the Crown, allowing Ul-Athra to be reborn. For a moment they party has some hope, but Ul-Athra proclaims that to save Athas it must be torn down and rebuilt from the ruins. To further complicate matters Ul-Athra used the Crown to summon the party’s old nemesis Yarnath back to Athas.

Realizing the error, the party launched themselves at their enemies attempting to catch them by surprise. Daqiq fired a series of arrows at Yarnath and dusted him, the Blood Jewel in the Crown flashing brightly. Ul-Athra and Ehwahla were not so easily defeated and proved too much for the group. Phyll, Gwyn and Banoc were flung back when they were hit by a wall of dust and sand. Jax, Daqiq and Way-lynn managed to keep their footing, but retreated to stand with their friends. Gwyn used her magic to teleport the party to the Elven Market in Nibenay, but something went wrong…

New Hope
With their plan for stealing the Oracle set, they started to execute it. Sacha and Wyan reminded them it would be easier to just slaughter the giants and take the Oracle, but the party was not swayed by the heads. Daqiq took the helm of the Shadow Viper and moved it to a closer location to the giant’s cave, in case things went wrong and they needed a quick escape. Although he only had some experience controlling vessels such as this, he more more than up to the task.

As they left the vessel and prepared to let Jax’s magic turn them into sand, a strange being entered their sight. As tall as an elf, but not quite as large as a half-giant, the creature appeared to be made of wood and stone. Banoc felt the power of nature from the creature, who introduced itself as Phyll. They quickly learned that it was drawn to the magic of Banoc and appeared to be interested in rejuvenating the world. Wary, but in need of allies, the allowed Phyll to join their quest to steal the Oracle.

Complications
Assuming the form of sand and dust, they moved past the guards in the giant’s cave and settled near the Oracle. Jax materialized first and as she did so, she assumed the form of Jo’orsh. She got the attention of the nearby giants and when she had an audience, Jax told a tale of the Saram conspiring with evil beings in an attempt to steal the the Oracle. Her words were inflammatory and the giants appeared to believe every word of it, as they gathered themselves into a mod and moved out to bring the fight to their neighbors.

After they were sure the giants were gone, Gwyn materialized and flames erupted from her. She touched the Oracle and attempted to bond with it. As she did Jo’orsh and Sa’ram materialized and attacked. The group had been so concerned with the sorcerer-king and the giants that they forgot about the dwarven banshees. Even as the two told Gwyn to stop they moved to attack her.

The rest of the party was helpless as Jax battled the two banshees while they attacked Gwyn who was focused on bonding with the Oracle. Jax alternated using her magic to attack and heal, and found that the undead were very resilient to her magic and still capable warriors. Gwyn made progress with the Oracle bu the wounds started to accumulate faster than Jax could restore. Gwyn unleashed a powerful wave of healing to restored her and Jax to full health.

Jo’orsh finally fell to Jax’s magic and was banished for a time. Just as the others finally reformed into their bodies Gwyn finished her bonding to the Oracle and gained access to its tremendous powers. They all joined the fight with Way-lynn and Phyll moving up close to attack the undead. Banoc bolstered his friend with his healing magic while Daqiq rained arrows down on the creatures, turning Jo’orsh into dust.

Not wanting to leave loose ends, they ambushed Sa’ram when he returned from his banishment. Out numbered and already wounded, the banshee was finally defeated as Gwyn launched volley after volley of rays of fire.

With the threats eliminated, Gwyn caused the Dark Lens to shrink in side and placed it in the magic bag she took from Krampus. They all assumed the form of dust again and returned to the Shadow Viper, amazed that they were successful in the heist.

Hard Choices
In the biting sand and intense wind, a debate among the party raged on whether to go back to their ship to try and save the crew or follow the head’s advice and leave them to die. The party was split and arguments were made that swayed everyone back and forth. Way-Lynn in particular was conflicted while Daqiq was steadfast in his belief that there was nothing they could actually do for the crew.

Eventually everyone’s minds were made up and the party spit. Iulius and Lena could not leave the crew to the whims of Andropinis and headed west towards the landing point. The rest of the party followed Sacha and Wyan towards their vessel.

Although none said it, they all feared it would be the last time they saw each other….

The Shadow Viper
After a half-day march through the terrible weather, the party found themselves in a somewhat sheltered part of the island. There, partially covered by the sand and silt, was the vessel that the head spoke of. Gathering inside the hull, the party found two corpses that had been badly bludgeoned, by the giants according to Sacha. Gwyn recognized them as Tithian, the king of Tyr and Agis, a noble of House Asticles, both of whom were responsible for the death of Kalak.

Although they had been dead for months, some of their gear was still in excellent condition and the party recovered two magic rings, a sword and a pair of bracers. Within the ship itself were a pair of goggles fitted with purple crystal lenses. The party had no problem helping themselves to the items, as the former owners were clearly not needing them. Banoc briefly contemplated using his magic to try and return one to life, but that wouldn’t be feasible until the present situation was resolved.

Dictator Andropinis
Lena and Iulius marched through the wind-blown sand, attempting not to choke on the silt. As they neared the shores, the weather abruptly calmed. They had spent enough time around Banoc to recognize when the weather was being controlled.

As they arrived at the shore, they saw a magnificent vessel out on the Silt Sea and the wreckage of the Sinful Kraken on the shore. A small army of half-giants and soldiers from Balic were on the beach, with the crew of the Sinful Kraken bound and on their knees before them. Andropinis stood in the middle of them.

Lena attempted a diplomatic approach and tried to bargain with information on Dregoth’s plans as well as invoking the name Rajaat. Andropinis appeared to be mostly confused by Lena’s “knowledge” and apparently knew much of it already. Lena’s guesses about Rajaat appeared to amuse the sorcerer-king more than intrigue him. However, hard Lena tried, she could not get the Dictator of Balic to release the crew and eventually grew frustrated and called him out.

The sorcerer-king obliged and engaged with Lena while his troops looked on. Lena’s lance was able to make contact with the monarch, but was unable to pierce his preternatural flesh. Drawing a flaming sword and conjuring a black shield of arcane and psionic energy, Andropinis continued to deflect Lena’s attacks are rained blow after blow onto her. As tough as she was, there was no contest and she was battered down in seconds.

The last thing she saw was Iulius being taken captive by the soldiers of Balic.

A New Plan
While huddling in the boat, which they learned was called the Shadow Viper, another debate began on how long to wait for Lena and what the next actions should be. Wyan told them that unless they obtained the Oracle, they would have no chance of defeating Borys and the sorcerer-kings. He proposed a simple solution of slaughtering all of the giants, but the party was not keen on that plan.

The eventually decided on moving the Shadow Viper closer to the crystal caves and having Jax assume the form of one of the dwarven banshees to try and draw out the giants. She could also use her magic to let the party infiltrate the caves and there, Gwyn would attempt to take control of the Oracle and they could then all escape. It was a bold plan, but the best they could come up with.

Tense Negotiations
Although the dwarven banshees were guarded Lena and Jax were able to coax some information out of them. Jo’orsh and Sa’ram told of their oath to protect Kemalok and avenge the dwarven people against Borys. However, they admitted to abandoning this focus and cursing themselves to eternal unlife when they found that to destroy Borys would unleash far greater evils.

If the Dragon dies, Rajaat will be freed. He’ll resume his wars on the Green Races and won’t stop until all of them have perished. We cannot condemn all the races of Athas to death to avenge the dwarves on Borys, or even to spare ourselves an eternity of suffering.

All the while the giants looked on with fear and awe unsure what to make of the situation. Way-lynn, Lena and Iulius stayed at the ready, prepared to strike should any hostilities start up again.

Wreathed in flames, Gwyn tried to be subtle and worked to make a connection to the Oracle, drawn to its power and curious about what she could learn from it. As the conversation turned and Banoc felt they had reached an agreement that would let them leave, Gwyn slipped up and Sa’ram charged at her. Lena’s quick strike stopped him before he could reach her.

Jax was able to persuade Sa’ram to let them go, as no harm was done. The banshee agreed, but warned the group to never mention the Lens or there would be the most dire consequences. To the rest of the groups amazement, they were able to exit the caves without any trouble from the giants or the dwarven banshees.

Two Heads are Better…
The weather outside the caves had turned worse with Banoc’s weather control magic failing. The temperature had risen to unbearable conditions and the winds were raging. As best they could, the party debated the next course of action. Daqiq wanted to find the beast-headed giants and return to attack the human-headed giants.

Jax used her magic to send a message to the crew of the Slutty Kraken and the only reply was “Help, come quick”. Fearful the giants had betrayed them, Lena mounted her crodlu and prepared to march off with Iulius behind her. As she did two figures appeared out of the blowing sand – the two disembodied heads Sacha and Wyan.

I wouldn’t head in that direction, unless you’d like an untimely death."

The heads greeted Gwyn and told the group that the sorcerer-king of Balic was waiting for them. The head suggested that the party head with them to another boat on the island, one they claimed was used by Tithian and Agis, who had both been killed by the giants.

They party did not know what to do – they didn’t want to abandon the crew and didn’t trust the heads (who kept asking to drink their blood). In the midst of a raging sandstorm, they pondered their next move…

Last Stand
With both the giants and the adventurers expecting the worst from each other, neither side was surprised that combat erupted…

Lena’s spear thrust was easily dodged by the chieftain but Way-Lynn took advantage of the opportunity and decapitated the giant with one swing of the Headsman’s Axe…

Although taken aback by the loss of their leader, the chieftess and the giants continued their attacks. The surrounding giants started moving into melee with those who were at range pelting the party with spears and rocks….

Banoc was hit several times with the thrown rocks, losing his control over the weather, however this allowed him to more fully focus on the fight at hand…

A distant horn blast brought a moment of hope that the beastheaded giants might have arrived, but after a few moments, there was no sign of them, and the hope dwindled…

Gwyn summoned a ring of flame attempting to hold off a group of the younger giants and, although they were burned by the flames, they pushed through…

Daqiq brought down the chieftess with a volley of perfectly aimed arrows…

More giants from the surrounding rooms moved in and the party could hear the sounds of bears as well…

Jax and Banoc used their magic to keep the party fighting as long as they could, but as they tired and the giants kept coming, a change in tactics was needed…

At the urging of Iulius and Lena, the party fell back towards the Oracle, hoping to use it as cover or possibly threaten to destroy it as a last resort to gain their freedom…

Banoc attempted to conjure a wall of blades to cover their retreat but mis-judged things and a well-timed blow from a giant’s club broke his concentration causing the wall to disappear…

Flames raced across Gwyn’s body as her wing’s came out, shedding bright light and empowering her fire magic…

Lena threatened to destroy the Oracle and the giants paused for a moment…

Jo’orsh and Sa’ram
On the platform holding the orb, Jax could sense two powerful spirits and attempted to contact them…

The spirits of Jo’orsh and Sa’ram appeared and gained physical form standing near the Oracle…

When questioned, they revealed that they had been using the giants to guard the Lens (as they called the Oracle) and cared not who was in control as long as they were strong and could defend it…

When the party tried to sway their opinions by mentioning that the death of Borys was one of their goals, the undead dwarves responded that despite their hatred of the Butcher of Dwarves, Borys must not be destroyed…

Liars and Giants and Bears
The party decides that entering the cave cautiously was the best plan, as they did not know how the Joorsh giants would be positioned to defend their lair. Jax and Daqiq went ahead of the group to sneak in and scout out the caverns. Jax demonstrated that she more than equal to Daqiq in her ability to remain hidden. They found several guards but were able to sneak past them without any trouble. The majority of the accessible passageways they found were dead ends, but they did encounter some bears which appeared to be somewhat domesticated by the giants. They were able to keep the bears calm by providing them some food and the bears were curious but content to let them be.

After giving Jax and Daqiq some time, Lena and the others approached the guards who were surprised but not immediately hostile. Lena, acting as the spokesperson for the group was able to convince the giants that they should be given an audience with the chief. Although somewhat suspicious, because of recent encounters with other humans, they agreed. However, only Banoc and Lena were allowed to meet with the chief.

Lena and Banoc were escorted to the chief past many other guards and even what appeared to be a classroom. At the far south end of the cavern, they saw what they assumed was the Oracle, a massive polished piece of obsidian, which radiated intense heat. When they met the chief they proposed that Banoc could control the weather for them in return for access to the Oracle. The subtle details of the deal changed several times with Lena attempting to get more, and planning on deceiving at least one of the giant groups.

Eventually the bargain was struck and they all went to the entrance to witness Banoc controlling the weather. At the mouth of the caverns, Banoc concentrated and showed that he could manipulate the winds and temperatures. The giant chief was impressed and pleased withe the results.

Bored of waiting, Gwyn distracted the remaining guard while Iulius and Way-Lynn uncovered a chamber with more bears and a sizeable amount of treasure. Joined by Dax and Daqiq they managed to grab the more valuable pieces in time to join the Lena as they returned from the cave. They all traveled back into the caves and found themselves before the Oracle.

Oh My!
With the permission of the chief, Gwyn and Jax attempted to use the Oracle to learn about the Green Age and the location of Ehwahla. Banoc used his magic to try and determine the nature of the Oracle and was amazed at the intensity of the magic it possessed. The Oracle appeared to be strong in all types of magic that Banoc was familiar with, including dragon magic, as well as other types he could not identify. The rest watched and waited.

Gwyn experienced a vision of a white tower in the middle of a forested land. The tower was surrounded by a group of humanoids performing some ritual. As the ritual was completed, the sun changed from blue to yellow and the humanoids left the tower. As they did so, they transformed into various familiar races and some that Gwyn had only heard about or seen in ancient carvings. Although it was difficult to tell for sure, Gwyn felt that she knew the approximate location of the white tower.

The vision seen by Jax took her from Mytilene to the east for several hundred miles to a region of the Sea of Silt that churned and undulated. From beneath the silt arose a great worm-like creature, more massive than the large sink worm they encountered. A single piece of gold could be seen near the being’s head. After the vision faded, Jax retained a sense of direction to the location of Ehwahla.

As Lena attempted to work out the fine details with the chief, hoping that these giants would help them in the near future before they demanded that Banoc be turned over to them. The giant chief stated that he felt the bargain was unfair and decided that Banoc should remain with the giants and the others could leave, without any future help. Lena sounded shocked and asked how the giant could go back on his word after promising the help the party.

The giant chief simply leaned forward and responded “I lied”. Lena’s response was simple – she tried to drive a spear into the giants face…

Sailing to the Island
Having decided to head towards the giant’s island, the party turns the Sinful Kraken northward and follows the edge of the Silt Sea and their giant guides. Although they might have been able to move faster with the giant’s carrying them, the party did not want to abandon the ship and its crew for fear of being stranded on a strange island. The giants complained a bit about the slower pace, but the promise of the power to control weather was enough to placate them.

The weather took a turn for the worse as the temperatures and winds increased significantly, threatening the party and the giants with the gray death. Banoc was able to continue to use his magic during the day to suppress the winds and bring the temperatures down. During the cooler nights, he rested for the next day.

The pirates and the legionaires found something to agree on – their distrust of the giants and began to question the wisdom of the party’s plan. Lena and Jax were able to convince them that the plan was sound and ultimately in their best interests. Their travel was mercifully free from encounters, no doubt to the presence of the giants and other than the weather, they encountered no hardships.

After four day’s of travel, they arrived in at the island of Mytilene, the home of the giants. Daqiq had learned that the two clans of giants, the Jorsh and the Saram had traded possession of the Oracle and gained wisdom from it for as long as they could remember. From time to time, when one clan became more powerful than the other, they refused to let go of the Oracle. This was one of those times. The Saram were clear that they didn’t want the Jorsh slaughtered, but just driven from the caves.

The Dwarven Ruins
Just east of the shore the party discovered some curious ruins. They deduced that the ruins were ancient dwarven buildings, which had withstood the ravages of time. There were other ruins of lesser quality and built for larger beings that had not held up as well.

In one of the more intact ruins, Way-Lynn discovered a stone chest containing an ancient book. Gwyn had seen a book nearly identical to this one in the village of Kled – a copy of the Book of Kemalok Kings. Jax used her magic to help translate the ancient writing and they made a profound discovery. This tome contained more information about the fate of the last dwarven knights of Kemalok – Jo’orsh and Sa’ram. They deduced that the two dwarves had ended up on this island and were somehow the progenitors of the two giant clans whose names were very similar.

The Plan
As the party made the long journey to the crystal caves they discussed many options on how to deal with the giants. The crew of the Sinful Kraken remained with the boat to guard it, but Iulius was convinced to join with the rest of the adventurers. They had learned from the giants that the cave system had but one entrance and that they would like have to face several dozen giants.

Although they prepared themselves as best they could for a battle with all the giants, they felt it was much more likely they would have to face the giants in small groups and hopefully be able to break their morale and force them to flee. They decided that, while they would not attempt to kill more than they were forced to, they would be prepared to do what was needed to obtain access to the Oracle.

Along the way the were attacked by a flock of wyverns, but the beasts proved to be little more than a minor distraction to the battle-hardened adventurers.

Small Distractions
As the Sinful Kraken headed away from the site of the roc attack, there was more rumblings among the crew that that ship was being targeted by some unknown force. Even the party had to admit that the string of attacks they had suffered felt like more than coincidence. Banoc communed with the elemental spirits trying to determine if the ship or those aboard were being attacked for a purpose and the elements responded that the attacks were simply chance.

The crew and adventurers passed the remainder of the day socializing and gambling. Gwyn and Way-lynn joined some of the crew in a lizard racing game. Each chose one small lizard that raced through a maze. Despite Gwyn’s good intuition and Way-lynn’s coaxing of the lizard, one of the crew, Salty Kester, had luck on his side and won the race. Lena and Daqiq played a dice game called “portholes” and soundly beat the crew, although an older pirate, Blue, gave them a good challenge. Jax and one of the legionary captains, Aurelius, played a game of Balican Chess and although she rarely played the game, Jax was able to best the more experienced player.

Later that night, Lena was on watch and noticed that there was a disturbance ahead. After being alerted to the danger, the deck psion, Gloomy Rashad, identified it as a bloom of floaters. Barking orders, Lena helped secure the ship quickly to minimize the chance of a floater contacting the crew or ship and exploding. Lena’s fast action proved more than adequate and the ship passed through without any trouble.

Unseen Dangers
Shortly after midnight, Way-lynn noticed that the Sinful Kraken was slowing down and veering off course. When they confronted the deck psion on duty, Gloomy Rashad appeared calm, perhaps a little too much. However, Way-lynn soon felt it was the right choice as well. The rest of the adventurers awoke to the ship coming to a stop and moved out to see Way-lynn and Rashad heading out to a small mudflat.

Banoc guessed they might be under some type of external influence and attempted to dispel the effect on Way-lynn, but there was no change in his behavior. Before they could be reached by the party, they were found by a brown silt horror, that had apparently been calling them to their doom. Rashad was badly injured in the attacks, but the horror was easily defeated.

In the predawn hours, Gwyn was on watch and noticed a strange depression in the silt, moving towards the vessel. When alerted, the crew became panicked as it was the clear sign of a sink worm, a gargantuan creature which could easily destroy ships. They prepared as best they could, but were unable to attack the creature until it emerged from beneath the silt close to the ship.

The party unleashed a series of spells and attacks on the worm, injuring it horribly, but it continued its attack. Jax suffered some injuries but managed to avoid being swallowed by the monstrosity. Daqiq shot deadly arrow after deadly arrow into it and eventually the beast was driven off or killed. Once again, the crew looked at the adventurers with a sense of awe.

Giant Problems
Continuing on towards the Sea of Silt, the day brought temperatures rising to an unbearable level of heat. Banoc was able to use his control of the elements to make the temperature more tolerable around the ship, although doing so taxed him greatly. Mid-morning brought a new threat to the ship and crew – a group of beastheaded giants moving to intercept the Sinful Kraken. The giants did not appear hostile, but the crew manned the vessel’s weapons, just in case. They warned the adventurers that the giants were unpredictable and easily angered.

The giants stopped at a respectful distance and asked why the weather was so nice around the ship. As they talked, the party learned that the giants were hunting roc and came within range of Banoc’s weather control and investigated. The giants, who called themselves the Saram, wanted to learn how to control the weather and became somewhat agitated when Banoc didn’t think they were capable.

The groups negotiated for a bit and eventually decided that the vessel would accompany the giants back to their island and help them regain their Oracle, who had been taken by a rival group of giants, the Jorsh, and not given back. The beastheads thought that the Oracle could help them locate Ehwahla and perhaps be useful in controlling the weather.