Session Six: The Miller's Tale

The Battle

The company does desperate battle with the undead sailors, trading blows and dodging ancient, rotting arrows. Sabina at last recovers herself and, with a wild battle cry, raises shield and ax and rushes to join the fray. Pierre scurries all over the deck of the newly made ship, providing such physicking where he can. The others give an excellent accounting of themselves, though particular note should be paid to Sir Jean-Marc, whose fury and battle lust crushes at least two of the skeletal attackers to bone meal.

Meanwhile, Magnus stays below, in the ship’s hold, and tries to keep the lion’s share of the folk of Annecy from panicking. He finds that there is nothing that can be done to prevent their seasickness, however.

In the midst of the battle, Maurice makes a daring—and foolhardy—leap onto the deck of the deadship. Once there, he begins prying up any of the remaining blue and sickly green cabochons he can lay his hands upon.

Cutting Ties

As the last of the undead attackers falls, the deadship groans and lists precipitously to its port side. The company realizes that this is likely due to Maurice, who is removing the obviously enchanted gemstones that keeps the ruined ship seaworthy. This would not be a problem, except that the deadship and the company’s vessel are locked together, and if one goes down, it is likely the other will follow.

Sir Jean-Marc, who has learned that his doom is to die in a bed not his own, grows concerned at the lexical curiosity that the sea does, in fact, have a bed. He and most of the others of the company shout at Maurice to stop prying the load-bearing gemstones out of the deadship.

By this point, the deadship has listed so far to port that it is at least half-submerged, and the waters of the sea are almost to the point that they can wash into its open hold, filling it completely. Realizing this, the company leans over the side of their ship and begin hacking away at the broken hull of the deadship. At the same time, Maurice fills his bag with pilfered gems and jumps back aboard his original vessel.

With concerted effort, and quite a lot of cursing, the company manages to cut themselves free of the deadship. Their own ship rocks dangerously back and forth before righting itself as the ruined vessel—hopefully for the final time—sinks swiftly beneath the storm-tossed waves.

The Two Ships Locked in Battle (Cannons Not Included With Playset)

The Grace of the Lady

Though the undead have been defeated, the storm shows no signs of abating. The people of Annecy huddle together, and wonder why the cliffs have not howled to quell the storm, as they once did centuries ago. Several worry that they have, perhaps, angered the Lady. Others believe that Absalome, who bravely remained behind, is at the shrine even now, entreating the Lady for aid. Hearing this, most of the folk of Annecy kneel on the soaking deck and begin to pray fervently. Several of the company—though not necessarily devout—think that this is the right idea and join them.

At that moment, a single bolt of blue-white lightning arcs from the sky and strikes the spire that houses the Shrine of the Miracle of the Howling Cliffs. Squire Henri, thinking that the color might be of some significance, demands that Maurice hand over one of the blue gems he has liberated from the deadship. Maurice refuses to hand over any of the gems for free but, after a brief and heated exchange, agrees to give Squire Henri a blue gemstone in exchange for a bottle of Annecian holy water.

The trade complete, Squire Henri baffles onlookers by immediately tossing the valuable gemstone into the sea.

Whether it is this act, the fervent prayers of all present, or some other power, the awful storm begins to abate. As the clouds roll back, the company is relieved to see that only Mannslieb is in the sky. There is no further sign of the dread Chaos Moon, or any of its other fell enchantments.

Landfall

With the coastal waters now calm, the company, Jean le Bois, and other villagers are able to guide their ship back into shore. They arrive close to where they departed, by the spire of the shrine. Those villagers that investigate report that Albrecht’s work site has been scoured from the spire, leaving no trace behind. They also report not finding any sign of either Albrecht’s body or of Absalome.

Sir Jean-Marc is most relieved to find that his horse, Ambrose, along with all of the animals and livestock of the village, have survived the storm and are no worse for wear.

The company returns, exhausted, to Annecy, where the innkeeper of the Whelm promises them free room and board for their heroic efforts. He also presents a small collection of coins to the company as a token of Annecy’s gratitude, and says that they will always be welcome in the village. Garnier, under his breath, says that he would rather die than return to this horrible place ever again. Several members of the company agree.

In addition to these rewards, the company has managed to salvage several sets of sea-ravaged, but still serviceable, armor from their undead opponents. Maurice, who was unprotected at this point, dons a pickled leather jack and what remains of a barnacle-encrusted tunic of lamellar.

Lastly, Jurgen takes Sabina aside and, using his scant knowledge of Bretonnia, brings her over to his wagon. He tells her, with a few words and many gestures, that he isn’t terribly broken up about Albrecht’s death. He also says that, as Albrecht took responsibility of all the crates upon delivery, it is solely his fault that they have been destroyed.

Bemused by these statements, Sabina watches as Jurgen lifts the seat of his wagon, revealing a compartment that contains a blunderbuss and quite a store of shot and powder. Jurgen says that he needs to keep some of it for bandits, but offers Sabina five loads of shot for her pistol, which she accepts.

In the meantime, word spreads around the village that Absalome died a heroic death saving the village and is already being regarded by some as a saint. Garnier scoffs at this, but becomes more interested when he hears that villagers are going through Absalome’s hut looking for “relics.” He joins the search, expecting to find another wish on yellow parchment, but leaves immediately when he turns up nothing.

Annecy's Newest Saint--To The Disquiet of Several

The Next Morning

The company avails itself of the free rooms in the inn and gets some much-deserved rest. They all dream troubling dreams. In each, they see the Lady, clad in grey wool, with her back to them. They are not sure what this means.

It seems, though, that their actions have defeated not only the storm and the deadship, but have also set the flow of time in Annecy back upon its proper course. The fields are plowed and nearly ready for planting. The pear tree has no fruit—and the pears in Squire Henri’s bag have turned to seeds. The pregnant goat is unpregnant, or not yet pregnant, and no worse for wear. Most importantly, the company learns that they have spent only two days in Annecy, and not the many months that they had feared.

The villagers direct them to the next nearest settlement of Berjols—a town of significantly larger size—which is famed as the home of Saint Gwen the Kind, the patron saint of small animals (but especially cats). The company is informed that the pilgrims have undoubtedly gone there, and that they may stay for a time to see the holy shrine and take in the sights. The company is also warned that things are quite expensive in Berjols, but that they will find cheaper lodgings and food in the nearby village of Montressor.

With some encouragement by Magnus that they get a move on, the company sets off eastward, toward Berjols.