As his friends take their nap Berrick takes a look at the bodies of the dead cultists. He finds a few spell component pouches, a scroll he can't read alongside the masks made of iron. Berrick gives the scroll to Flynn when the rest of the group wake up and he is able to read "inform the Bellevieve(?) family of the pending transition" the group remember this as the crime family that run Blackbarrow. It's Berrick's turn for a catnap and he takes ten minutes to rest up.
Flynn prestidigitates the group clean and they try to talk to the crew again in a less intimidating way. After persuading a representative to come out from below deck they meet "Bob" who explains the ship, the Eclipse Serpent, was captured by the cultists near Darkwater Bay and they were forced to work running shipments to & from a cove in the frigid sea; they were returning from delivering some stones when the group encountered them. The Ashen Company do their best to give Bob a self esteem boost and cheer him on to be Captain Bob. They give him 100gp and promise 200 more for safe return to land after the cove. Bob isn't keen to go back to the cove, he saw Trolley & Calitrax there previously and there is just a small dock in an otherwise baron landscape.
As Bob sets sail the Ashen Company steal the robes and masks from the cultists and notice they all have the same ritual scarification over their bodies:
- My life for the Legion
- My soul for the worm/wyrm(?)
- My sword for the ascension
- My heart for the harvesting
As they grapple with the weirdness and extent of these pledges Derrick teleports on the the ship, he's severely wounded and immediately passes out.
Flynn updates Latharial on the Ashen Company's progress and shames Null for not using the sending stone to contact her fiancé and Null reminds Flynn that the Lady specifically asked Null not to use the stones as they may be compromised.
After some fussing Derrick wakes up and explains that he & Vi found Ezra but things didn't go well. When they found Ezra it looked like he had been fighting for days, weeks, months - a long time. They got him out but they were facing a dragon larger than any we'd seen, larger than Nassandrial (ancient). Ezra and Vi were doing their best to keep the dragon occupied using guerrilla tactics in it's hunting ground to give Derrick the chance to escape the lands of desolation and reach the Ashen Company for reinforcement.
The Ashen Company momentarily hesitate at their course of action and wonder if they should abandon Calitrax to go to Ezra's aid immediately but they are too close to Calitrax and Trolley now to turn back.
Berrick is hit with another vision; he sees a dim room with brilliant glowing blue lights surrounding arcane runes. He see's five prisoners crucified but alive on five necrostones. There are Vikings, undead, cultist and in the middle of a platform of concentric stone circles he sees Calitrax talking to Trolley who is holding Null's mum; bound and chained. They are deep in conversation and Berrick hears Calitrax ask "What do you mean I'm not coming?" Trolley replies that "You have disappointed our master". Calitrax protests that it wasn't her fault but Trolley shuts her down saying "You lost the city, not even to an army, if you wish to regain your position kill the Ashen Company and capture the Vessel alive. I'll take the breeder, we'll start over if we have to". With that Trolley pushes Calitrax back a step and disappears with Nulls mum either teleporting or plane shifting away.
Unable to hide the pain from his visions this time the group finally convince Berrick to share his recent physic visions and accompanying pain. Horrified their friend had been suffering the group question Berrick whilst heals are provided and potions drank. They speculate if Berrick is being targeted with a physic attack and the visions are unintended from his attacker or if Berrick might be receiving divine intervention and the pain is the price he is paying for the help.
Berrick casts Divination to try and ascertain if chasing Calitrax will mean certain doom from Ezra's dragon but the fates have not written that chapter yet and Berrick gets nothing but silence.
Still feeling the pangs of Flynn's guilt trip Null uses the sending stone to message Latharial, she's careful with her choice of words but lets her know Null loves her. It was probably worth being told off for using the stone for Null to hear Latharial's voice tell her she is loved in return.
As they get the the cove Cpt Bob, the crew & Derrick retreat below deck and the Ashen Company don the cultist masks and robes and head ashore. They think they've convinced the guards at the dock they have an appointment with Calitrax and as they head up the planks they see Vikings, necromancers and a zombie frost giant guarding the area.
Null gets a feeling this is a trap and calls "Applejacks" the Ashen Co spring to the fight and realise most of the figures here are illusions but are quickly set upon by more cultists with lethal strength draining swords who are taking pop shots at the heroes and retreating. They will soon find out the Ashen Company will not stand for those kind of tactics....