Sailing, Bailing and Wailing

Flight from Invidia

While staking out Zoanad, Assistant Guildmaster of the Restless Hand, and informant of Sir Segar, Khal and Alejandro are approached by Ocymas, Khal's mentor in the Restless Hand. Still on the lam from the raid of Sir Segar's house and the killing of one of his spies, Bulacan, Alejandro and Khal are told that it would be best for their health if they stopped the stake-out and left Invidia. While waiting for the opportune moment to leave, they heard rumors that there was an assassination attempt against the King during the Darkening at the Festival of Blooming. It was believed by most that Baron Imoldo was behind it, though he tried to blame the Queen Mother.

They headed north with Saolind, the female sailor whom they had befriended on their first trip to Invidia during a smuggling mission. They had decided to go to the port city of Arindel.

When they passed under the Baron's Castle at the entrance to Silong Canyon, they noted that there were no guards to stop them as usual. Khal guessed that perhaps the Baron was lying low because of the assassination attempt.

Journey from Arindel to Zombie Island

When they arrived in Arindel, they saw Captain Esterkan and his men preparing to disembark. Esterkan explained that the pirate Bluebottle had tried but failed to commandeer their ship, the Greenwood. Captain Esterkan showed Khal and Alejandro a treasure map to Zombie Island found on Bluebottle. He invited them to come along for a share in the booty.

On the way, the ship was accosted by a water elemental. Alejandro, in a brave but foolish move, jumped in the water, in an attempt to sacrifice himself to let the ship get away. His friends, however, refused to abandon Alejandro. After much fighting with fire and arrows, and a daring swing from a rope by Khal to distract the elemental from the wounded Alejandro, they managed to kill the elemental and rescue Alejandro.

Running Aground

After sailing around the island, whose coast was mostly cliffs, they found a small harbor on a beach. Alejandro and Khal considered taking a small boat to and climbing the cliff near where the 'X' on the map was marked, but decided that it was too unsafe. So they steered for the beach. But the ship scraped some unseen coral. Alejandro rushed down to the bilges and reported that the ship was taking on water and needed to be beached for repairs. Esterkan managed to beach the ship while most of the crew bailed water.

On the beach was a two-story building next to a broken pier. Further inland was a small village at the top of an embankment.

The Harbor Master

Alejandro and Khal found the building locked. Khal easily picked the lock and opened the door. A broken sign fell at their feet, labeled "Harbor Mas.." While exploring the inside, two zombies started climbing down the ladder from the second floor. A battle ensued in which Alejandro was wounded. Both zombies were killed.

They explored a desk covered in papers in dust. They discovered a log book of ships that had docked at the island. The most recent docking was twenty years ago. They also found a seal labeled "Village of Telegil Harbor Master" and a lockbox with 35 gold coins, though they were not Umerian Crowns.

Disagreement

Having not agreed on the share of the booty, they would get, Khal and Alejandro got into an argument with Esterkan and his crew. It was decided that Khal and Alejandro would get half whatever treasure was found, and that Esterkan and his men would get the other half. Esterkan sent his Isabeq cleric, Elrik, to accompany them, but as per agreement, would not go himself.

Zia

The crew slept on the ground floor that night, while Alejandro and Khal took the upstairs.

That night, Khal woke to a sound beneath his bed. While simultaneously turning up the bedside lantern, and tumbling off his bed into the far corner of the room, Khal quick drew his rapier and cried, "Ale, to arms!"

Alejandro looked under Khal's bed and saw nothing, though felt a draft of air blowing past him. "Hmmm, just a draft. Go back to bed." he said to Khal.

But then an apparition with the voice of a sad young girl of about 15 years old told the tale of how the village was cursed two decades ago.

"Twenty years ago, our village was peaceful. But there was a powerful evil witch-doctor who lives on a hill over there", pointing out window to the south. "There was this young man named Kiaj that I was madly in love with. But he loved another girl named Lara. The day they announced their engagement was like a knife through my heart."

"I was angry, jealous, and I wanted revenge. So one day I walked up to the witch-doctor's house and pleaded with him to help me take revenge. He said he would help me on one condition: that I provide one possession from each and every person in the village."

"To this I agreed. The next week, I was stealing cups, napkins, socks, blankets, whatever I could find. I loaded the items into my father's wagon and brought them up to the house on the hill one night. He gave me a sinister smile and said, 'by morning your enemies will be cursed'. So I went back to the village."

"The next morning I woke to hear banging of doors, breaking of windows, etc. When I looked out my window, I saw a huge creature with two heads smashing up the whole village. The heads were those of a monster but they looked vaguely familiar. One head looked like Kiaj, and one like Lara. I snickered inside, but was concerned for the rest of the villagers."

"I went to wake my parents, but they just sat stiffly in their chairs. They had been turned into zombies. I tried to avoid the monster and alert other villagers, but they too had been turned into zombies. Every last one of them."

"Eventually the monster calmed down and I approached it. It sat there silently as I confessed all that I had done. I wasn't sure if it understood me or not, but it looked stunned."

"That night I took my father's wagon back up the hill. I pleaded with the witch doctor to reverse the spell he had placed on Kiaj and Lara and the other villagers. He just laughed and said 'Love's envy begot the curse. Ettin's forgiveness will it reverse.' Then he laughed again and slammed the door in my face."

Zia then offered to lead Khal and Alejandro to hidden treasure if they help her reverse the curse and save the village. To this, the two agreed. Zia thanked them and then departed.

Kiaj and Lara

The next day, Alejandro, Khal, and Elrik snuck into the village and waited for the ettin in his home, which consisted of a decorated ring of trees in the middle of the village. Alejandro's plan was to convince the ettin to forgive Zia, thus reversing the curse and saving the village. When the ettin arrived, he dropped his goat quarry, brandished his club, and charged at the party. But Alejandro fascinated the creature with his song and poetry.

And this is what Alejandro said to the ettin, "Let me tell you a story, dear creature, which may bring tears to your eyes....all four of them. It is about a young maiden, who lives, trapped in a dark place, between regret and longing. She loved once, and lost her love. And did a terrible thing, and lost forever, all she held dear. She lives in a prison of guilt and pain, and cannot be freed from it by any power, save one. Do you know what that is, dear creature?"

"No, what?" said the ettin.

"The only power that can free her", Alejandro continued, "is the forgiveness of those who she wronged the most. She can then rest in peace. But should that creature die, without granting forgiveness, she shall be trapped in her prison of pain until the end of time."

Just then, Alejandro's magic wore off, and the creature came out of the trance. But it continued to listen.

"For the creature is mortal," Alejandro said, "and its pain shall one day end, and it shall enjoy in the next world the happiness denied to it in this life. But for the girl, her torment goes on forever, if she is not granted mercy which only the creature can grant..."

"I have been sent by the powers of good as an emissary to you," continued Alejandro, "to persuade you to have mercy on she who inflicted pain upon you, and by doing so, the sweet dew drops of mercy shall fall like rain upon the earth. For mercy begets mercy, but pain begets only pain."

Tears welled up in the creatures four eyes. The ettins two heads then spoke in unison, "We forgive!"

Relieved, Alejandro replied, "Very well, the gods are pleased!"

Doors throughout the village began then to open, and free people, not zombies, came forth from them shouting, "We are free!" Though the ettin remained as it was, it was happy, and the villagers placed garlands of flowers upon its heads, and there was great celebration.