Tolð 25 – Lanal 9, 653 DR: Wherein the group fight off a Zultàyi ambush before sailing into the open sea. After many days at sea they are found drifting in the ocean by another ship and taken to the trading city Uralū Sazularyū for questioning with regard to the lost island of Ūlaryalok.

Continued from Escape from Ūlaryalok.

Padídor, 25 Tolð 653

The wave formed and crashed against Dammon’s wall of air sending the Zultàyi spearmen tumbling prematurely into the trough, rather than landing on the raft. The fish-men are quick to recover from the fall and immediately swam into circles around the raft. As they neared, Dammon summoned a rain of icy knives upon their attackers sending them deeper under the surface. This gave the group time to prepare. The Dwürden Dorkun cowered at the raft’s center as everyone else readied themselves at the raft’s edges.

Zildara stabbed into the waves with her sword drawing blood when she withdrew the blade. Ērēus crossed the deck to intercept the Zultàyn as it moved to come up the other side. A second Zultàyn closed with the raft, disappearing beneath the deck. Graiç, who had been hanging onto the outside of the craft, moved hand over hand around the raft, toward the nearest fish-man and pounded it with a heavy wooden fist. Dammon then noticed the boat grinding and moaning. Beneath their feet the wood began to shift and pull loose as the Zultàyi shaman warped the wood with his magics. As he watched the raft shift and shudder and third Zultàyn swam beneath the raft to aggravate the growing damage. Zêla held to Balàdâsha as she sang. Seeing that the Zultàyn were intent on ripping the boat apart, Jak took a deep breath and jumped into the water with his spear. Below, he saw the fish-men tearing and jabbing at both the raft’s bottom and at Graiç who was unable to strike hard against the Zultàya underwater. Jak swam toward them, giving the wood golem the chance to retreat toward the rear of the raft. Soon, Paldor too dove into the water with a large dagger, ready to take at least one Zultàyn down with him. Above, Dammon peppered the underwater shaman with a barrage of arcane missiles keeping him from weaving further havoc on the raft. The Zultàyr soon turned their attentions on Jak, thrusting their spears into him and clouding the water with his blood. Graiç, having escaped combat for the moment, extended his awareness through the boards and vines and limbs that composed the raft. Using his unique magics, he worked on mending the damage that the shaman had inflicted.

Meanwhile, a second wave rose near the raft, but instead of crashing against it the saltwater spray crystallized into a thousand tiny knives that sliced savagely through everyone remaining on top. As the rafters recovered from this new assault, a third Zultàyn dove under the raft to join in the mêlée underneath. Unable to tell the state of things beneath the raft, except for the growing cloud of blood, Zêla leaped into the water to try and blind a Zultàyn. A fourth fish-men swam in after her as Jak dispatched the blinded fish-man. A fifth swam up from deeper waters and then retreated toward the distant shaman. Paldor stabbed at one of the remaining Zultàyr, releasing a thick red cloud into the water from his wounding. Two more spears found Jak, muddying the water further. Zêla and Jak, blinded and killed a second Zultàyn. Above, Dammon sends more arcane missiles at the Zultàya shaman who becomes limp in the deep water. Zildara healed Daemeda and Balàdâsha from their crystal shard wounds and inspected the ship’s damage. Jak and another Zultàyn exchanged blows until he was finally able to gut the fish-man and its corpse floated up against the bottom of the raft. Dammon aimed a final barrage at the last fleeing Zultayan spearman but through the waves it was hard to tell whether it was stopped.

The battle over, the crew regathered on to the deck of the raft to lick their wounds. A few pulled the Zultàyi corpses aside the raft to grab what they could from their bodies. Others dove back in to grab what spears had not sank to the ocean floor. At least one of the spears was of surpassing quality. When Graiç had finished mending what he could, they hoisted their small sail and turned the raft to the south, toward where Paldor thought they might hit Ildûn.

The raft continued shakily across the great sea swells for the rest of the day. That night, Paldor studied the night sky as best he could without maps or instruments and adjusted their direction based more on instinct than skill. The seemingly tireless Graiç paddled from behind making whatever corrections Paldor needed. Dammon wove a Vorbid spell over the raft and those that could slept for the night.

Bærídor, 26 Tolð 653

On their first morning at sea aboard the raft, they ate fruit paste and other foods they were able to forage on the island now far behind them. Paldor, his eyes on the clouds above, explained that the chance for storms were high this month in the North Mar Dèkali and that they were fortunate that the weather was holding. After breakfast, Dammon shapeshifted into a bird to get a higher vantage but sees no land in the distance.

Talídor, 27 Tolð 653

At sea.

Palídor, 28 Tolð 653

On the third day, Dammon returned a second time with no sighting of land. As this day progressed, Tressta and Zêla felt better, but as evening came the first hint of storm clouds could be seen on the horizon. By nightfall it was raining. The group tried to capture as much rain as they could for drinking water as Dorkun crawled into the ship’s hull from which the raft had been built around. The rain continued well into the night as the winds lashed at the raft.

Alídor, 1 Lanal 653

In the pre-dawn hours, Zêla shook Jak awake and pointed at the dark waves around them. Jak awoke and saw instantly what she had spied, a Zultàyi ship waiting in the waves ahead. Soon, the entire crew was awakened as Zultàyi guards emerged from the water surrounding the raft. After some waiting, a single Zultàyn approached the ship and climbed onboard. The group waited with drawn weapons. The fish-man opens a scroll and tries to speak, but no one seems to understand. Dammon steps forward and shows the Zultàyn a parchment of his own and together the two begin to converse about why they’re floating in the middle of the ocean on a raft. Dammon explains to the group that he has struck a bargain with these Zultàyr, that in exchange for delivering the crew to safety they will tell about their experiences on Ūlaryalok. As he explained this, the Zultàyi ship circled closer until they could be helped onto the platform resting astride two whales. Soon the ship was underway and their raft was left to spin in the wind and waves.

Kændor, 2 Lanal 653

At sea.

Malídor, 3 Lanal 653

At sea.

Amdor, 4 Lanal 653

At sea.

Wōdìndor, 5 Lanal 653

At sea.

Iyldor, 6 Lanal 653

At sea.

Irídor, 7 Lanal 653

At sea.

Roydor, 8 Lanal 653

At sea.

Sūdìdor, 9 Lanal 653

During their travels on the Zultàyi whale-ship, the group found their hosts to be accommodating. The ship traveled unlike any they had seen before, as the whales swam straight through the wave swells and troughs on their way to Zultàyi city of Uralū Sazularyū. After several days journey through the high ocean they finally arrived at the “City Above and Below the Sea”. Rising from the thundering waves rose gleaming sea walls, their feet encrusted with millennia of barnacles and splintered ships. Surrounding the circular wall, hundreds of sailed ships waited for the beacon fires to signal their entrance through the great gate, one at a time. Cutting through the waves, the Zultàyin ship sliced past the waiting merchant vessels, and passed unhindered into the wide circular harbor beyond. Here, on the inside of the ancient volcano, a city had been constructed rising from the water’s edge to the cauldron wall. As the ship neared the dock, they could also see down through the clear water to buildings and avenues below the water’s surface as well. Their host explained that during their stay in the city, they would be guests of Lorōyō and that all accommodations should be made in his name. Upon docking however, the commander learned that the ward was now ruled by Urzam, with whom he was not familiar. After making further inquiries he related that the same accommodations applied, and that Urzam would call for them when she was ready.

Continued in Refugees.

Characters

• Dammon Shroudson = 0 CPs
• Jak of Cænden = 0 CPs
• Tressta Drynsval= 0 CPs
• Zildara of Zalan = 0 CPs
• Balàdâsha = 0 CPs
• Daemeda = 0 CPs
• Dorkun = 0 CPs
• Ērēus of Amra = 0 CPs
• Familiar = Unkn.
• Graiç of Mazzam = 0 CPs
• Paldòr Batrūlan = 0 CPs
• Zêla ma Ler = 0 CPs

Played: 03 Dec 2004