Leaving the Archmage's tower, we set course for the Gray Isles, following the channel separating the halves of Torath-Ka. While doing so, we were very much on the lookout for the wrecked ship the Archmage mentioned, and indeed, after but a short search, we spotted a halfway submerged hulk. Anchoring, we set out to salvage the vessel, with the magical protection of Master Krastus shielding us from the elements.
Alas, it turned out that it did not shield us from the wildlife, and soon we were noticed by several sharks, large and small, who first resorted to circling our group, but then assaulting us simultaneously from all sides. We were scarcely prepared for a fight, and defending against the predators underwater turned out to be a difficult feat for some. Not so for Master Krastus, though, who appeared rather unimpressed and whose magical attacks took a heavy toll on the beasts. After a short while, they found us to be too dangerous prey, and those that were still in swimming shape retreated swiftly, permitting us to quickly salvage the wrecked ship's rigging and sails, which indeed appeared infused by magic.
After this diversion, we continued our course, and in our free time, made plans how to trespass in Kieran waters without incident. Acting as if the ship was still a Kieran privateer commanded by Serene was a risky option, since news of her defection might have reached the Empire through its former crew, who we had left unscathed. We could always just rely on our luck, but looking back at what we had been through so far, it seemed our account with Lady Fortune was well overdrawn.
Archcarpenter Krastus came up with an alternative plan, however. The main idea was to alter the appearance of our ship in order to simulate another ship type. This involved modifying our rigging, adding another mock deck to our superstructure and several smaller alterations. I am not an expert on ship design, but I was assured that this should at least make our ship very much unrecognisable to all but the most trained eye. Making our proud and extroverted Captain unrecognisable was a different task, but I was confident his disguise would hold for the few seconds we'd have before Carlton would accidentally give us away with his first spoken word.
To implement this plan, we needed more wood, though, and after a few days of travel along the channel, we picked a suitable site for landfall, with a rather welcoming beach and one of those dense forests nearby. There, we anchored in shallow water and prepared for work. Most of the crew were given first work orders by Master Krastus. Early the next morning, the Captain assembled a party to scout the inland for suitable wood, and possibly food and water, and I was assigned to this party, as were most of the officers.
The trip through the jungle was uneventful at first, if arduous, until later in the morning, when we heard the suspicious noises of a large animal. In the clearing with the unremarkable ziggurat we spotted the nest of a large reptilian beast, and the very same beast spotted us in turn. It turned to attack us, and was soon towering over us, with its smallish arms and humongous toothy maw. Its confidence, however, was cut short when the Captain deftly assaulted the beast from behind, scaling its body halfway and piercing the back of its skull with ease.
After this event nothing further happened that was out of the ordinary, and we successfully returned to the ship an hour before nightfall. During the journey, I recall having stubbed my toe at some point, but I had no lasting discomfort from this, of course. At the ship, I used my remaining power to remove a mildly painful sunburn. That way I would have an easier time treating Sira's grave injuries the next morning.
Before I could do that though, our Proprietor required an update on our current financial situation. I had shamefully neglected this duty, obviously, and so I scrambled to prepare a thorough and accurate report, which pleased him somewhat, at least. Still, wasting too much time with our ship careened was deemed unadvisable, and so I hastened to put Sira and the others into working shape again. We continued our tasks for another five days, collecting timber from the nearby trees and making the necessary adjustments to the ship. During this time it became clear that Mongrel had at some point left us for good, and I had the sad task of removing him from the roster.
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