The War Without End – Episode 1.7

The Med-Jai receive reports that a messenger entrusted with vital information is some three days overdue. The ship that he was travelling on, “The Faithful Lady”, has failed to arrive at its intended destination. The exact nature of the information is not known but it cannot be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. Heiron quickly assembles a team of the young Med-Jai and sends them to investigate and recover the missing communication.

Shilaze, Ebon, Massingleigh, Korbin and Elsabeth travel via a portal to Flenspur where the ship’s five-day voyage began. They intend to start their investigation by approaching the owners of the vessel and asking them for news of its whereabouts. The group are accompanied by a new arrival, an old friend of Shilaze’s called Graffan.

When they arrive they find that Flenspur is a busy seaport. Around the docks there is constant traffic, ocean travellers and sea vessels of all shapes and sizes are forever coming and going. Only a short distance inland however, away from the seafront, the assorted mariners and buccaneers give way to bustling city folk, wearing distinctive brightly coloured fashions. The locals are part of a thriving community and enjoy a high standard of living thanks to the port’s prominence as a stopping-off point along major regional trade routes. As a whole the people of Flenspur are friendly and cheerful, and the city is peaceful and orderly thanks to the presence of the city guard who are always visible, though there is seldom any trouble.

Despite the large numbers of foreign visitors who are constantly passing through the city, the young Med-Jai have a tendency to stand out in a crowd and their garb and weapons attract unwanted attention from the locals. Massingleigh suggests that they split into smaller groups to search for the ship’s owner’s premises, as it will allow them to cover more ground and will be less conspicuous. So Shilaze, Korbin and Graffan go one way, while Massingleigh, Ebon and Elsabeth go the other. They agree to meet up again in a few hours.

Shilaze, Korbin and Graffan go to talk to the clerics at the local Temple of Heironeous, while Massingleigh takes Ebon and Elsabeth into a tavern called “The Iron Flute.” Massingleigh is obviously in his element at the bar and happily chats away with the patrons and staff, acquiring all sorts of useful information in the process. Ebon and Elsabeth sit back and watch a master at work.

By the time they all meet up again, Massingleigh is not only able to provide a detailed description of how to get to the ship’s owner’s premises but has also made a number of helpful friends. Most notably a waitress called Joanne, and a gnome tailor called Cosmo, from whom Massingleigh has bought a new suit.

Shilaze, Korbin and Graffan have been less successful in finding out anything related to the missing ship but have noted that the group are being followed. They do not know why or by who but it seems the young Med-Jai are being watched.

Proceeding to the offices of the ship’s owners, Shilaze and Massingleigh go in and ask about the “The Faithful Lady”. The owners confirm that the ship is indeed well overdue and is now considered “missing” but that is all they know. They are making their own enquiries but as yet have received no word of what has happened to it.

Shilaze asks when the next ship will be leaving along the same route and whether passage can be booked on it. She is told that “The Swift” will be leaving in two days time. There are still berths available if the captain of the ship will agree to take them.

After they leave the owner’s offices Shilaze proposes to the rest of the group that they go aboard “The Swift” and follow the route “The Faithful Lady” took in the hope of finding some clue as to what happened. With few alternatives available to them the others agree to do so.

It is getting quite late by this time so the group splits up once again to get things done before the end of the day. Shilaze, Korbin and Graffan head for the docks to arrange passage for everyone on “The Swift”, Massingleigh goes to get some rooms at “The Iron Flute” and Ebon and Elsabeth return through the portal to the Fortress of the Second to inform Heiron of their plan to follow the route “The Faithful Lady” took.

Down at the docks, Shilaze, Korbin and Graffan have a less than encouraging meeting with the captain of “The Swift”, finding him to be a drunkard who spends most of his time unconscious. However, the ship’s First Mate turns out to be a helpful fellow and to all intents and purposes it is he who is running the vessel. A fair price is agreed and passage is arranged. “The Swift” leaves early in the morning two days hence.

On their way back from the docks Shilaze and Korbin have a fleeting encounter with another mysterious “watcher” who seems to be following them. They attempt to apprehend him but he gets away.

The rest of the evening is uneventful.

The next day Ebon and Elsabeth return and meet up with Shilaze, Massingleigh, Korbin and Graffan, who stayed overnight at “The Iron Flute”. Since “The Swift” will be leaving early the following morning they decide that it would be best to spend the night on board, for the rest of the day however they have time to kill. One by one they head off to make whatever preparations for the voyage that they can.

At daybreak the next day “The Swift” departs as planned with everyone safely aboard, although Massingleigh manages to time his arrival rather late and only gets there just as the ship is casting off.

The next two days are uneventful and extremely monotonous. The Med-Jai attempt to keep themselves occupied but ultimately nothing much happens at sea and there isn’t a lot for them to do, so they all get pretty bored.

On the third day however, Shilaze convinces the First Mate to make a detour to check out a nearby archipelago, which is the only noteworthy landmark along the route that the “The Faithful Lady” took. If the vessel they seek was in trouble it may have headed there.

“The Swift” approaches the cluster of islands, keeping well away from an obvious reef. As they draw nearer Ebon spots something visible amidst the waves some distance off. They turn toward it but the waters are treacherous and the First Mate cannot take them much closer without undue risk to the ship. Instead they lower a boat, crewed by the Med-Jai and two sailors, and send it out to take a look.

When they get closer they can clearly see the tip of a mast poking up from beneath the waves. Below them on the seabed, listing to one side is the wreck of “The Faithful Lady”.

Leaving the sailors in the boat, the Med-Jai drink potions of Water Breathing and then resolutely dive over the side into the water. Those who are armoured sink swiftly to the bottom while the others make a more controlled descent. None can fail to notice the grizzly scene aboard the wreck. The dismembered and partially eaten corpses of her crew litter the deck.

The six companions converge on the ship.

Suddenly Korbin, who is a proficient swimmer and has nearly reached the deck, starts gesticulating wildly. He has spotted a Scrag (a kind of Sea-Troll) lurking in the water nearby. The Scrag leaves the half-eaten corpse it has been feasting on and begins swimming rapidly towards him.

In the short time it takes the Scrag to cover the distance, few of the companions have managed to work out what Korbin’s wild hand signals mean, but it becomes pretty obvious when the Scrag appears out of nowhere bearing down on him. For a moment things look pretty bad for Korbin but at the last moment he kicks away from the Scrag and gracefully avoids the claws that threaten to eviscerate him. Simultaneously he draws his rapier and skewer’s the creature with a deft riposte that bites deep. The Scrag recoils and then lunges at him again, only to be crippled by Rays of Enfeeblement as Elsa weaves her magic. By the time the armoured members of the group arrive, having clambered up the side of the ship from the seabed, finishing off the Scrag is merely a formality.

Once they are certain the Scrag is dead and that there are no more creatures lurking in the vicinity they turn their attention to the lower decks.

To be continued…

Notes:

This was actually the first episode that Shilaze was cast as Jeri Ryan. Prior to this episode she was originally cast as Miranda Otto.

First appearance of Graffan (Chaim Topol).