Session Date: 7/30/2023
Iskra is up on the ship and is playing with his wolf, which is not something we see very often. He’s half smiling as they play. Later, he goes to speak with Captain Kearney. Arythas gets up early and asks the Captain for a job and is put to physical labor. Dia finds a place where she can at least partially see everyone when they get up - she’s basically making sure fights don’t break out between Rohan and Arythas and starts sewing. Rohan tries very hard to get out of doing any work on the ship - mainly trying to flirt with shanty types and look busy rather than actually be busy. Inky is hiding somewhere in the hold of the ship, trying to cast spells and is unable to do it for some reason — something with Inky has changed but he isn’t sure what.
Something that Lohiss has done to Inky has shifted his access to magic. It’s not gone but it’s different, which Inky doesn’t like. Dia searches for Inky and eventually finds him hiding between barrels in the hold. Inky explains that he can’t cast spells and things aren’t working anymore. She explains sometimes we hit roadblocks in our abilities and it’s frustrating but it’s okay. He tries to cast suggestion on her to make her leave and she explains that she wants to make sure he’s okay and he ultimately explains that he doesn’t know what to do. Dia asks how he learned his magic and Inky says he learned through reading, and she recommends starting with that and being kind to himself and not try to fireball a ship because he’s frustrated. Dia asks about the library and says that there might be some books there that he can look into things.
She asks what happened while he was with Lohiss, and Inky says he’s still trying to figure out what all happened but he was tortured. He explains that he was tortured then he pretended to cast a fake spell, then he let Lohiss into the library and it quit being his problem now. Inky explains that the library has a caretaker and the caretaker knew that Lohiss shouldn’t be there, so she was taken care of. Dia asks if she was killed, and Inky says he doesn’t think so, but her body is gone? He’s not sure exactly what happened and he’s not really bothered by the torture, but he is deeply bothered that he can’t cast magic anymore because he’s supposed to be good at that.
Inky says he knows he should go get help, but he wanted to do it on his own for once. When Dia points out the things he’s done he writes them off as anyone else. They talk in circles like this for a few more minutes with Inky eventually just hissing at Dia. Dia procures food and a chocolate bar and water and sets it down for him and heads back up to the deck.
Dia sits with Lufir and asks how he is. He’d transcribed his tablets into books and is reading and taking notes. He rubs his eye a lot and Dia takes a look at his eye. In his eye is a grain of divinity. She tells him this and he isn’t really put off by it. He mentions his father used to call him good for nothing and Dia explains that fathers aren’t always the best people and that he’s stronger than he gives himself credit for. His hands are still stained from the soiree but he wears long sleeves to try to keep it hidden and not scare other people. Dia explains that once we make landfall there will be plenty to do and he says he will likely take her up on talking later.
Iskra mainly helps in the kitchen after he finishes talking to Captain. He keeps the fires heated and the temperature steady for cooking. He eventually approaches Arythas with some food and drink and Arythas lets Iskra pull him away from the group of pirates that decided they’re going to make Arythas a proper pirate after all. Iskra pulls him aside and asks about what’s going on with not talking to Rohan. Arythas tells him he’ll talk to the man when he can do it without yelling at him, then Iskra asks why and Arythas gets up and leaves.
Dia ends up with a drunk Rohan refusing to go to bed. Arythas picks Rohan up and carries him back to the room and Rohan exclaims about how Arythas doesn’t hate him and apologizes, reaching out and grabbing Arythas’s hand. Arythas looks at him, then looks at Dia and says he’ll go get some water and leaves to do so - a big step in at least attempting to get over the issues he has with Rohan.
Iskra asks where Inky is and Dia explains.
Shortly after, Dia speaks to Arythas. She thanks him for helping with Rohan
Inky, meanwhile, starts with the sisters’ occultism books to try to find a solution to his issue. When he can’t seem to find anything because it’s a combination of being written in Elvish and in code, he gives up and goes to the library.
The Library Between feels different: he realizes now that the previous version was affected with his affinity with magic. Now that he’s out of balance he cuts himself on the door to the library as he enters and the books are weird - not all of them are actual, physical tomes, but there are now bottles and crystals that convey memories and information. This is a different part of the library, though definitely the same library overall.
There is something outside of the library that is primal and old and coming closer and closer and then Mattai comes out of one of the bookshelves. She is surprised to see Inky here and he explains that he’s having trouble and he can’t connect with magic like he used to. She looks him over and says he’s different but there is no less potential. She taps her staff and the shelves shift and books move to bring something newer up to him, saying they must start with the basics.
She begins to teach him how his magical potential has shifted. He manages to cast detect magic. He turns it inward on himself and he sees that he still has magic ability and he figures out that he has the potential to become a psychic or psion type magic user.
Over the course of travel, Captain Kearney courts Dia. Essentially, she’s testing Dia’s limits and seeing how much she can get away with before getting a no. She ultimately sits Dia down to talk to her and asks Dia to tell her about herself and she does. Dia asks what it’s like to be free and Cap’t says it’s the most powerful feeling you can get, especially if you can share it with someone and you earned it. Cap’t explains she has no family except for her crew and she’s been very lonely. Dia explains that there are many things she must take care of once we make landfall and her choice is to take care of everything there; Cap’t explains the land is where obligation lies and right now they are on the sea. She explains she needs to stop her husband and she would like to stop her father and those cannot be done from the safety of the sea. Cap’t tries very hard to lean into this and explain that these are not things that need to be taken care of right now but Dia declines. There’s a melancholy to her as she admits to being alone.
Cap’t tries to kiss DIa and freezes for a moment, then leans into the kiss. It doesn’t last long before they pull back, Dia bows, and leaves. She goes and finds a place to hide for the evening, initially stumbling into a group of guys playing dice. They ask if she will join and she says no, then Inky finds Dia and grabs her hand and pulls her along to where he has been hiding. He puts her there and then leaves. He then brings her a chocolate bar and water.
Inky pulls a self-help book about romantic feelings and hands it to Dia - it’s a stack of them with books covering from how to love a pirate, it’s okay to be gay, and a book about managing multiple relationships. She’s reading through them and taking notes.
Arythas forgives Rohan enough to stop ignoring him.
Rohan comes up to Inky and asks if he’s doing okay and Inky says yes. Rohan wonders if Inky can help him with something: he still doesn’t really understand magic and he doesn’t know how to control the magic within him and he’s afraid of it. He’s heard there are ways to contain magic in a way and he was wondering if Inky could help him do that so that his magic isn’t as potent.
Inky fills out the paperwork to take Rohan to the library on a guest pass. Taraaq can’t actually talk to Rohan while here. Mattai looks him over and gives him more binding tattoos through magic but like by beating the shit out of him. Once Rohan leaves, Taraaq asks where he was and he explains he was in a library with a lady to help control his magic. Rohan demonstrates and Taraaq explains what happened was powerful magic. Taraaq explains that he will look into Mattai because she’d have to be a very powerful being to actually cut him off of Rohan like that. Rohan asks Inky Mattai’s name and Inky asks why he would give Rohan her name? Rohan tries to say that it is just polite. Inky squints at him, but then tells Rohan that her name is Mattai. Taraaq chooses to research Mattai.
The next day, Dia is composed but distracted. Rohan approaches her and says he knows she doesn’t like her family but says that he feels we need to know some things about her family. Dia’s composure fails. Rohan confirms Prudence was the older woman, the younger woman was her mother Lorena. Dia basically says there is a reason there’s a huge age gap between her mother and her father and Rohan immediately starts to back off to say he actually has learned enough thank you, and he admits to have flirted with Dia’s mom. Dia reassures that he’s not the first and it’s fine.
Rohan says that it might be worth discussing if she feels that anything might be worth knowing about her family and she admits that there sure is a lot there but she doesn’t know what would be helpful, if anything at all.
Rohan realizes he made it weird and gets up and leaves.
Dia made us all things:
- Wire-wrapped shark tooth necklace for Inky
- Twine necklace with macrame feather for Rohan
- Seaglass and thread for Iskra
- For Arythas: took what was left of the jacket after making it a dress and braided the strips into thin ropes then tied those together and made a deep blue and gold sailor’s knot bracelet
Cap’t speaks of freedom to Iskra and explains that part of her freedom is freedom from Tristan, as he doesn’t take to the sea very well. Cap’t says he should be at least somewhat concerned with his safety. Iskra explains that he doesn’t really want to be here, vaguely clarifying that he doesn’t particularly care to be alive. Iskra doesn’t understand why he’s been cured or forgiven and he isn’t sure why he was cured. Cap’t says he was forgiven because his sins were not his own: Tristan killed those people through Iskra, rather than Iskra choosing to kill those people. Iskra feels if he was smarter or faster or stronger it wouldn’t have happened, but Cap’t says we can’t change the past and it may have been him anyway.
Iskra wants to change the past and will if he gets the chance, and feels he won’t be sorry. Cap’t says maybe it will be possible or it will be possible to wish something to change in the past. Iskra is afraid “they” (the party) won’t let him do it and Cap’t chuckles and says she won’t tell Iskra what to do. Iskra isn’t looking for advice, he’s just not sure to having people care about him, so he’s conflicted. He thinks that if the party knows what he’s planning to do they won’t let him. Cap’t recommends not to tell the party but Iskra says that feels wrong.
Cap’t shares the good weed with Iskra. She says that whatever Iskra does: don’t do it alone. Maybe they will try to stop him, maybe they won’t, but Iskra is carrying a heavy burden and he scan share it. He feels that it won’t help with what he did, and she reiterates that that’s not Iskra’s fault and it’s Tristan’s fault. She explains he didn’t assume the shape out of malice, he didn’t take the form out of a desire to take lives. Iskra admits he just wished it didn’t exist so that it never would have happened, and Cap’t says that his presence in the world would be missed.
Cap’t explains she’s taken many lives and asks if she should stop existing. Iskra says he’s not one to judge, and she interrupts and says that he judges himself far too harshly for things that aren’t even his fault. She explains that this judgement clouds him and it won’t — him being guilty won’t bring those people back or help anything. Iskra says he’s looking for the person that helped him and to find Tristan, and Cap’t explains she will cheer if he kills Tristan after all.
Iskra just doesn’t know if it’s his place to kill Tristan - Cap’t says somebody should - and Iskra feels it won’t bring back the people. He just wants to find a solution and he can only find a solution for himself. All he can think of is erasing himself from existence.
Iskra admits that he’s trying to be positive but it’s hard. He doesn’t know why the party trusts him, accepts him, he doesn’t get it at all. Iskra doesn’t get why Arythas was so furious about Rohan but not Iskra. Iskra admits to feeling like a burden and that something horrible happens to us because of him. Cap’t explains that the only person that wants Iskra to suffer is Tristan and says not to let him have that.
Cap’t has no interest in getting rid of the lycanthropy. She sees herself as a pirate more than anything, and the lycanthropy has been something that she’s learned to live with and utilize.
They talk about it a little, then awkwardly leaves.