While Zola sleeps, Scram (still riding the high of his Haste spell) spends some time investigating the ship for rats (and trying to spy on the crew). First, he intrudes upon Nella and Zurum in the middle of a late-night tryst, then bursts in on Mascar, who (understandably) crits on him. Scram is sent flying through the hold of the ship by the orc quartermaster’s mighty blow.
Potentially learning his lesson (probably not), Scram meets the sunrise on the deck. After some breakfast, Scram scurries down to the cook Flambae’s quarters to find a cure for his hangover, and discovers the healing power of an eldritch… bloody mary. Meanwhile, Zola begins on their actual work, cleaning and repairing the ship.
After a hard day’s work, the crew settles in for a night of leisure. Scram checks on Captain Styx, who pores over maps in her study, while Zola talks to Mr. McGreeby. She learns that their travel should take between seven and ten days, but she is warned that Captain Styx is prone to, ahem, detours.
Scram and Zola join the Muscatinis, Nella, Quince, and Zurum for drinking games on the forecastle. The halflings introduces them to the popular high fantasy recreational sport: Beer Pong, which our DM uniquely made up and ONLY exists in Feyfall. :) Scram and Zola prove themselves to be underdog contendors, beating the halflings themselves in the final round of their own game.
Scram, feeling exhausted and generally unwell from his Haste spell, retires to the crow’s nest with Lyre, while Zola continues to lose at Beer Pong with Quince. After a few more rounds, Captain Styx jumps into the mix and demands a new game: Battle Bottle, a game with the mechanics of Spin the Bottle… but with fighting instead of kissing. Zola goes up first against Mascar the orc, holding her own for some time in their wrestling match, and even using a new spell, her arcane Shield barrier, to block some of Mascar’s blows. Though Mascar gains the upper hand, the wrestling match ends in a draw when Zola uses her head— literally— to headbutt Mascar on the nose, sending him reeling. The two off the bruises in a warrior’s camaraderie, while the others take turns beating the shit out of each other in a pirate’s idea of a good time.
Zola takes a break from partying to check on the passed-out Scram, then retreats to her quarters with Stilton to get some rest. But as soon as her head hits the pillow, Zola finds herself descending into darkness, falling and landing on a scorched battle-field where Imperial soldiers clash against a weakened orc battalion, lead by a large orc woman carrying the sword Zola now holds.
Before Zola is able to see the outcome of the battle, it all disappears, leaving her in a throne-room made out of bone. An inky blackness hides the throne from her view, but in the darkness, a single eye appears, commanding her to end the Empire’s dominance of central Emaralia. When she tries to learn more, the eye tells her to
F I N D T H E G R A V E D I G G E R
and Zola awakes, terrified, to Stilton jumping on her chest.
