During the night, 🧔♂️Harald dreams of death and ravens. He does notice one beautiful dove among the ravens. The dove radiates a comforting aura, and keeps looking back at something. It appears to be a battle he's been involved in. He notices someone in wolf armour, slaughtering people as he walks.
The next morning, the 🚢Ekl'alian docks at Hauntung. Faefina remembers that one of the last watchtowers was known as the brothel island, and one of the world's greatest sorceresses lives there, practicing magic.
Harald checks on Lite, finds him in Neka's room. His condition seems to be regressing following healing. Beks is watching over them, is sure Neka will be back up soon. Harald offers to place ship requisitions with suppliers in town for him. Also promises to pick up any gossip he can.
Party goes ashore to explore - have docked in the northern town. 🧔♂️Harald looks for the three different shops for orders. In the Sunflower, he gives his list to Peppercorn, the proprietor. He doesn't have much news on the Arcanum, but does mention a wandering Arcanum island that houses their great telescope, that has been seen in the area. Says the Shining Way and the True Way Seem to be making their way through the area.
Faefina orders a big bag of carrots, both large and small.
Harald orders turkey and a full boar for the 🚢Ekl'alian at the butcher
Faefina wants to see if she can improve her mace at the Blacksmith/Butcher. He offers a morningstar upgrade. Gronk is amazed by this, gets a metal quarterstaff he can use, with a sharpened base.
Harald wants some armour, borrows 6GP from Gronk for it.
Gronk hears about Grandmother Helga, who lives in the forest and sells potions, heads off to go find her. Party sees a cat with six claws per paw. Faefina casts Detect Magic, picks up that vicinity of cottage is filled with magic, but cat is normal.
Grandmother Helga says she has many tasty potions for Gronk. Faefina asks for a key to unlock doors - not G. Helga's area but would cost more. As she goes to fetch her potions, Gronk and Faefina notice a necklace on her of a phoenix waning. Faefina realises that she's of the church of ☯Ila, and the darker aspect at that.
Gronk purchases potion of Heroism, Water Breathing, and Flight with the last of his GP. She stuffs some honey into his mouth.
She chats to Faefina, asks if she knows of the Druid Enclaves. Says when Great Wall came down, there were druids on the other side. Now, a truly international 🌳Druid Enclave has been called. Her mistress, who is younger and more powerful than her, has flown to that enclave.
Back at the ship, party sees Leelan looking agitated, striding the deck. It seems Yola is being resistant to questioning. Party offers to help, head down to prisoner quarters belowdecks.
Kineeta has a hand out, maintaining the barrier despite her exhaustion. With her is a guard holding a sword as a backup. Faefina casts Zone of Truth, waking up Yola. Gronk follows up with Suggestion, Yola asks for questions. Says he'd been working with the Grimcutty because it had been trapped in the dragon's lair for so long. Dragon said to be Judaxis. Tells Gronk that Grimcutty needed a friend. Tells Faefina he sees the darkness in her. Starts taunting Harald, gets slapped.
Gronk casts Mind Spike to make him stop.
Yola says he works for church of Uo, that he's not with the bad guys but they like to stir the pot sometimes, and the actual bad guys are coming. Reaches into someone's pocket, pulls out a handful of coins, drops them on the floor. Arranges the coins in a neat pattern.
Says something is happening on earth and in the heavens. Faefina strides out, frustrated. On the way out, she sees the small Kobold girl, who'd clearly been listening in. Says she has an important thing to be at in the New World, and distrusts cleric of Uo, wanted to see if they might try and cause problems. Faefina insists on more details from her, but battles to intimidate her. She is able to persuade her to help, and Kobold tells her there is a gathering of her brothers and sisters, which Faefina concludes is the 🌳Druid Enclave. Says her mistress died, and asked her to take her place. She is now the arch druid of That Which Lives Beneath And Feeds Us. Introduces herself as 🍀Lola.
Faefina offers to help her go to the meeting, offers her tea. Adds extra spices for her.
Still interrogating Yola, Harald finds that he's not the only one sent by Uo, and his partner will make sure chaos is caused. Under intimidation, he says party would never guess who it is.
After insinuating that it might be Bori, Gronk shatters his ankle.
Heading up to top deck, they find Faefina and Lola. Faefina is the first to sense a tingle, a shimmer in reality around the bow of the 🚢Ekl'alian. As the rest of the passengers and crew watch, a man in wolfshead armour and walks out, surrounded by skeletons, and two wraithlike beings. From the portal, a voice booms: 'Druid of That Which Lives Beneath And Feeds Us!'. Faefina feels herself being pushed forward by Lola, being dragged towards the portal.
Harald recognises the wolf armour, as he rushes forward into battle.
Harald surges forward, sweeping and killing one of them.
Gronk casts Shatter on the Wraiths, Wolfman, and nearby skeletons. All skeletons but one killed, and Wraiths and Wolfman hit for 19 thunder dmg.
Faefina casts Bane on the three, succeeding, and casts Spiritual Weapon missing one of the wraiths.
Wraith says: "Do you sense it? The Master will be pleased if we retrieve it". Heads towards the steps leading belowdecks.
Wolfman rushes towards Harald slashing at him, doing slashing and necrotic damage Harald strikes back, dealing 19dmg. Answering Harald's question, he claims to be there to fetch Lola.
Harald uses Action Surge to hit Wolfman, hitting twice and dealing 30 and then 9 damage. Stepping back, Harald is hit by Wolfmans reaction, nearly killing him.
Gronk casts Chaos Bolt on Wraith going belowdecks, but misses.
Faaefina casts Healing Word on Harald, healing him for 13HP. She then uses Spiritual Weapon on the remaining skeleton, killing it.
One wraith tries hitting Faefina with a necrotic bolt but misses.
Other wraith tries persuading Gronk to let them belowdecks, but fails.
Wolfmman charges at Harald, but Harald uses Sentinel to hit him and stop him in his tracks, dealing 13 dmg and preventing his attack.
Harald tries hittin him, but misses. He does use Second Wind to heal up.
Gronk casts Cone of Fire on Wraith. Wild Magic surges through him, and he realises he finds himself teleported according to his will in front of Lola, who is still being dragged towards the portal.
Faefina casts Guiding bolt on Wolfman, hitting for 18 and giving attacks on him advantage.
Wolfman attacks Faefina, but misses both times.
Wraith focuses on Harald, hitting him once for 12 necrotic dmg.
Other wraith heads belowdecks.
Harald hits Wolfman, killing him. His body flies backwards towards the portal, but Gronk catches it, then teleports himself, the body, and Lola back towards the back of the ship. Close enough to the last wraith abovedecks, he casts Burning Hands, and kills it.
The last wraith appears from below decks, heading back to the portal and holding joanne's grimoire.
Harald attacks and hits once, tripping it. It drops the grimoire.
Gronk teleports forward to it, casts Burning Hands on the Wraith for 6Dmg, and grabs the Grimoire.
Faefina runs up tothe Wraith, and casts Inflict Wounds, dealing 12 necrotic damage. She then uses Spiritual Weapon, killing it with 14 damage.
Kineeta and Neka appear from belowdecks, cast a spell on the portal and cause it to shrink. A loud voice booms from the portal: "Mine!", and the Grimoire flies towards the portal. By sheer chance, Gronk manages to recapture it.
Harald recalls that Wolfman was one of Lady Hillaria's top men. There were rumours he had consorted with dark powers, now seemingly confirmed. Harald had heard that he'd died.
Party gets 1475 XP ea.