Matt's "Fallen Magic" campaign
2024-11-14 (level 4)
black dragon debts & Halvar's fish
A patch of strange, small, uncharted islands and atolls interrupted our Midland Sea voyage to Santa Cora. Having run aground once, we proceeded slowly, leading Scrotes Boat from the tender. Just then, pirates appeared on the horizon and closed with us. We returned to Scrotes Boat, as the pirates sent their own tender to parlay with us. But Atticus the pirate captain? first mate? first dope? seemed to think parlay meant "make cryptic threats and outrageous demands until fighting is unavoidable."
Raxus ballista-ed Atticus and his tender crew. Then Atticus summoned a black dragon from the sea with a blow on his quite ordinary conch shell, and Raxus got variously shredded, while Mou5e and Endra bickered over who was the better healer. (They both healed Raxus twice, so...as yet unresolved.) The tide turned when Bobbie magically imitated Atticus's triple conch blow and the dragon turned to shred pirates instead of Raxus. Then Endra stole the conch from Atticus. Then Endra's cursed bone baby stole the conch from Endra. Then a pirate stole it from the bone baby. Finally, Raxus smote Atticus and, with a prayer to the liberating Gods of Light, broke the mind-control curse (Priestess benefit). The dragon ravaged the still-attacking pirate ship with acid and furious claw.
The black dragon Erebos returned. He offered to lead Scrotes Boat clear of the salty sea maze and, begrudgingly, promised Raxus a favor while threatening all kinds of mayhem if Raxus would "ever do that Priestess mind voodoo" on him again. (Well, Bobo, don't get yourself mind-conched again and I won't have to.)
We came upon a multitudinous school of fish and hauled in a catch to delight the gods. Actually, later we did delight some gods with these fish. Specifically, whichever gods watch over the poor of Santa Cora, Thrassios of the Deep Dwelling and the shallow worshipper pool (including Pisca and Tunis Meltis who offered to host us), and Halvar the grumpy god of vengeance, whom Urza (apparently having drawn the short god straw) was serving that day.
Who knew fish were the key to open all doors of the Priestess's Cathedral?