Session 63 The Siege of Farwest—Part 3
Umberlee’s Wrath
The sending stone in Anchorheart’s pocket chimes, interrupting him. Irritated, he tosses the stone to his first mate to take the call. Guy’s heart skips a beat. As if to prolong his suffering, Anchorheart decides to regale Guy with the tale of how he obtained his legendary weapon, the Tempest Warhammer. Apparently, he discovered the weapon of Umberlee’s champion at the bottom of the sea in Mallian territory. When he was caught by Mallian warriors, Anchorheart was able to strike a deal with Queen Vasilissa. She would allow him to keep the warhammer if he could bring her a gemlock weapon.
Vasilissa knew not of the warhammer’s true power. Anchorheart gloats how he bound an elder tempest using the weapon, granting him dominion over the sea and, more importantly, safety should the Mallians choose to invade the Manyshells. Guy’s grip on the gun tightens—he could not allow it to fall into Mallian claws. Anchorheart’s first mate whispers in his captain’s ear. The Umberlant’s expression sours. With a snap of his fingers, Anchorheart casts a symbol of pain at Rose’s knees. Upon hearing negotiations fail, Bantonio gulps a potion of invisibility and creeps up on deck. Tiptoeing toward Rose, he feels Anchorheart snatch him by the collar.
“Oh! Err… It’s me! The travelling invisibility potion salesman!”
“I like your friends, Guy. They’re funny. Now… the gun.”
Bantonio is captured by Anchorheart.
Inexplicably, the symbol of pain fades away. The crew fall silent. Anchorheart tries to cast the spell again only for it to fizzle out. The powder monkey restraining Rose steps forward and peels the moustache from her upper lip and Agnes Briar-Colton takes a bow. Angered by Agnes’ smug expression, Anchorheart immediately draws his pistol. The flintlock produces nothing but a harmless spark.
“Performance issues, Anchorheart? Oh dear… you really shouldn’t have let me near your gunpowder kegs.”
Agnes reveals herself.
Anchorheart’s eyes widen in realisation before the stern of the Umberlee’s Wrath is blown wide open! The ship quakes, toppling the crew as fire and smoke envelop the deck! In the chaos, Anchorheart releases Bantonio. Raising his warhammer, Anchorheart bellows to the elder tempest in his thrall. A swirling maelstrom of sleet encircles the Wrath, dousing the flames before transforming into a gargantuan serpentine snout! The elder tempest unleashes its frigid breath to seal the holes in the hull with everlasting ice.
With sweaty, trembling hands, Guy aims the gemlock rifle at Anchorheart. Deterred briefly by Uther’s principles, Guy finds his resolve when the Umberlant threatens Agnes. He squeezes the rifle’s second trigger, blasting Anchorheart with all three of its barrels! Anchorheart falls prone, blood seeping from the holes in his barnacled breastplate. The recoil jolts the rifle out of Guy’s grasp and it falls into Lothran’s hands below! Anchorheart wails, angered by the apparent loss, and charges toward Agnes. Having just removed Rose’s manacles, Agnes is unable to evade Anchorheart’s attack.
The Tempest Warhammer slams twice into her ribs. Agnes stumbles backward, severely wounded. Bantonio scrambles to position himself between Anchorheart and Agnes, and hacks at the Umberlant’s arm. Unfortunately, he is unable to disarm Anchorheart before the able crew surround him. Guy beckons Gomruss to retreat and jumps down to the catamaran. Before leaping overboard, Gomruss unleashes a gravity sinkhole beside the mainmast, causing it to crack and topple forward! Two lookouts leap from the crow’s nest, shattering bones as they hit the deck.
Arm in arm, Agnes and Rose hobble toward the catamaran. Gomruss helps them aboard with a mote of graviturgy. Lothran hears a shrill cry and turns to find Subira paddling away from the chaos astern. They help her aboard. Duelling with Anchorheart’s first mate, Bantonio shrieks as a devious bosun sinks a hook into his back, grappling him. Anchorheart drives the hook deeper with two blows of his warhammer. Hearing his friend’s cry, Guy climbs back up far enough to lay his arm flat on the deck. With a crack, his gemlock pistol opens the bosun’s skull.
Finding his second wind, Bantonio slides across the deck and drops down to the catamaran. As they cast off, the rescue party come face to face with the elder tempest. As the elemental opens its toothy maw to exterminate the intruders, Lothran steps forward. With a deep breath, the mysterious half-elf casts banishment. In seconds, the elemental’s gaseous body condenses into a spherical storm cloud and vanishes with a sharp pop!
Gaining distance from the Umberlee’s Wrath, Gomruss spots the ship’s rudder floating amongst the wreckage. The Wrath had been disabled at least until Anchorheart could bind the elemental again. Anchorheart’s five ships begin pursuing the catamaran. At the helm, Guy is able to evade a continuous bombardment while tacking into a favourable wind. Two hits cause the port hull to come loose! Fortunately, Gomruss is able to tether it with graviturgy.
Pedn Vounder
The archers’ third and fourth volleys weaken the remaining triton. Consumed by rage, Arti weathers the poisoned fangs of two yuan-ti before pouncing on the last remaining shorestalker. Removing their glaive from the triton’s corpse, they turn to the yuan-ti and snarl a warning. Simultaneously, the grotto quakes at the sound of a distant explosion. Firien addresses the yuan-ti once more with a less forgiving tone—their attack had failed and their allies were in hot water. To Firien’s relief, the Mallian warriors bid a hasty retreat. Firien falls to their knees in silent prayer.