The Sea Unicorn
Scene One: Sailors Take Warning
Once away from the blockade, the
heroes find that their sea journey has
gotten off to a rocky start.
Overview
An uneventful voyage suddenly heats
up as accidents befall the heroes and
they discover a pawn of Malys among
the crew of the Narwhal.
Getting Started
If combat should arise toward the end
of this scene, the Narrator might find
the expanded options for combat in
Heroes of Steel to be useful.
First Impressions
Two mornings after the battle at Ak-
Khurman, the Narwhal enters the
southern Courrain Ocean. Low, dark
clouds hang over a choppy gray sea.
After escaping the blockade, the Narwhal turned south into the Bay of Balifor. Once through that sweltering
stretch of sea, the sails caught the prevailing winds that blow off the coast of
Silvanesti. The last sight of land
occurred shortly after daybreak today.
The landlubbers among you have
found the journey particularly unappealing so far, and seasickness has leeched
the last bit of strength from their limbs.
The Story Continues
Despite the gloomy weather, the Narwhal is making fairly good time. Captain Claes believes that, weather
permitting, they should reach their destination in under two weeks. Nevertheless, the crew of the Narwhal are not
familiar with these waters, so the sailors
seem somewhat less optimistic.
A few days after the vessel left land
behind, one of the crew - a small, wiry
man named "Slig" - approaches a hero
(most likely one of the human men),
looks around furtively, and asks, "What
is it then, this business you and the
captain have cooked up, eh?" Assuming
the hero makes up a story or acts evasive, Slig nods noncommittally, but
gives the heroes a look that tells them
they're not fooling him.
The hero might answer truthfully,
telling Slig that they need to find an
artifact of the sea elves before the Great
Dragon Skie can find it and use it to
threaten the world. Slig answers, "An
artifact, eh? Well, beggin' your pardon,
sir, but don't you think that the dragon
that lives there in Dimernesti'll have a
thing or two to say about you stealing
what he considers his own?" Before the
hero can respond. Captain Claes wanders by, and Slig immediately seems
more interested in his work.
If the heroes later try to catch up
with Slig to ask him what he knows
about the dragon of Dimernesti, they
find him rather difficult to corner.
Those who seek him out among the
crew quarters get sullen stares from the
crew and little cooperation. The very
air seems about to snap under the tension. Should the heroes ask the captain,
he tells them that many sailors have
described an avaricious sea dragon that
reportedly lairs near the islands above
Dimernesti. However, Claes knows of
only one ship that has gone missing
among those islands, and that was
more likely from the treacherous currents and rocks than any dragon.
A few days later, things seem to have
calmed somewhat. It is then that a
bucket of tar falls near a hero out on
deck, forcing him to dodge; it was "accidentally" dropped by a crewman in the
upper rigging repairing a sail. A day
later, another hero is standing nearby
when a rope securing a crate of cargo
suddenly snaps, again endangering the hero. Other similar accidents occur,
always out of sight of the captain.
If the heroes report these bizarre
occurrences. Captain Claes dismisses
them at first. But even he can see that
something is not quite right with the
crew. He confronts Slig, and the situation explodes into violence.
The Battle
Most of the crew members immediately join in the fight against Captain
Claes and the heroes. The battle progresses as would a normal melee, but if
Slig is knocked unconscious or killed, it
suddenly seems as if all the fight has
gone out of the crew. Some of them
actually stumble around, as if in a daze,
wondering what is going on.
Atmosphere
There is little about this voyage to recommend it: It's cold, wet, and miserable.
The crewmen go out only during watch,
remaining below at other times. They do
not seem to know what to make of their
new passengers. At first, they don't act
hostile, but as time goes by, the heroes
notice sailors glowering at them and
exchanging sidelong glances. A day or
so after that comes the first "accident."
Tension gives way to a sense of foreboding as the Narwhal makes her way
through the gray, sunless southern seas.
Actions
A hero who succeeds at an average Perception action while Slig is speaking
with him early in the voyage notices
several crew members nearby surreptitiously listening to the conversation.
Should a fight break out in the wake
of the "accidents," the Narrator should
feel free to impose modifiers to the
combat action scores of those heroes not
yet used to fighting on a ship rolling at
sea (no more than a -3 action penalty).
Characters
Slig is an unwitting pawn of the Red
Dragon, placed on board the Narwhal
by agents working for Malys. While
these allies know he is effective at inciting violence, they have no idea that he
has a strange, latent mystic ability.
"Slig": Human male adult, pessimistic
demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 7D, Dx 4D,
En 5D, St 5C, Re 7D, Pe 7B, Sp 8X, Pr 4X,
Dmg +4 (cutlass), Def -5 (leather/kite
shield), also acute hearing, mysticism (a
mentalism wild talent that manifests as
an unconscious ability to stoke the fears
and apprehensions of others until either
he leaves or the nervousness explodes
into violence.)
Captain Lothar Claes: Human male
young adult, sensible demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 7C, Dx 6C. En 6D, St 8B, Re 9D,
Pe 5C, Sp 7D, Pr 6B, Dmg +7 (long
sword), Def -5 (leather/target shield),
also missile weapons (crossbow/+5).
Twelve sailors: Humans and half-elves
of varied age and demeanor, Novices.
Co 6, Ph 5, In 5, Es 4, Dmg +4 (cutlasses), Def (leather), also half use
missile weapons (crossbow/+5).
Outcome
Once Slig is brought low, the voyage
continues with no further trouble. The
sailors are more than a little embarrassed about the ease with which that
weasel riled them, so an uncomfortable
silence replaces the onboard tension.
The Narrator then turns to Scene Two.
If Slig and the crew overcome the
heroes and captain, they sail the Narwhal to Flotsam to the north, where
Slig's Dark Knight associates take the
heroes captive and interrogate them to
discover what they know of Khellendros's plans. In the event of this outcome, the Narrator should do all he can
to emphasize the heroes' need to escape;
if they do not, the adventure continues
with Wings Over Ansalon, the final
chapter of the Dragons of a New Age
series, in the Wings of Fury supplement.
Scene Two: Land Ho!
This scene begins as the Narwhal
arrives at the small chain of isles that
marks the location of Dimernesti.
Overview
The heroes unexpectedly encounter the
great sea dragon Brynseldimer.
Getting Started
Narrators can review the sea dragon
section in Chapter Six of the Book of
the Fifth Age and Brine's background in
Chapter Two of Dusk or Dawn.
First Impressions
The sea voyage has been harrowing, but
finally the lookout yells the words everyone has been waiting for: "Land ho!"
Within an hour, everyone on deck
can see the peaks of volcanic islands in
the distance. A little bit of sun peeks
through the clouds, but the weather has
not improved much. A stiff wind blows,
and the sea is still choppy, making the
approach to the islands risky. Captain
Claes, who visited these islands before,
suggests that, once the Narwhal maneuvers to an appropriate spot, the heroes
take one of its two longships over.
An hour later, the crew is making
those preparations when the lockout
calls, "Whale off the starboard stern!"
and a moment later, "Hey! It's headed
our way!" Then, virtually everyone on
deck hears a sudden strangled cry, and
the lockout screams, "Dragon!"
The Story Continues
This region of the world has been
claimed by the sea dragon Brynseldimer, known by men as Brine. He is
extremely territorial, punishing intruders ferociously. Today, he is in more of
a malicious, playful mood. Instead of
simply destroying with a mighty blast
of steam the puny human ship trespassing in his realm, he instead intends
to smash it to pieces and watch its crew
and passengers drown. Then he might
feed their remains to his minions.
Brine surfaces about two miles
away, then dives beneath the waves. He
approaches the Narwhal at a terrifying
speed. Captain Claes is having a terrible
time getting his crew to hear and obey
his orders, for many of them stand
transfixed with dread. It is as if they
already know they're dead.
The Battle
The Narwhal has two ballistas in the
bow and two catapults in the stern. (If
the aft section was damaged in the
battle in Ak-Khurman, only one catapult still works.) Assuming the heroes
get the crew to ready these weapons,
they might be able to hurt Brine.
The catapult is too slow to help
much in the fight, but the captain orders
three sailors to man it anyway. If a hero
wants to help (at least to keep them
focused on a task), they gladly accept his
aid. The catapult normally fires burning
pitch, but in this case, the captain orders
them to try the rocks. The Narwhal has
but four huge stones on board, so the
crew must make them count.
The captain principally works to
keep the bow pointed at the dragon so
he can bring the Narwhal's two ballistas
into action. Mariner heroes can aid
him at this task, for many of his crew
are busy manning the weapons.
In this battle, Brine plays with the
ship, building the crew's fear. One
sailor has leaped overboard in an
attempt to swim to one of the islands,
and Brine goes after him first, swallowing the fellow whole in full view of the
entire crew. If the dragon should
become injured, however, play time is
over. He makes straight for the heroes'
vessel, ready to use his terrible steam
breath to kill everyone on board.
As he races toward the Narwhal,
however, he is slammed from beneath
the waves by a titanic force, which wounds him enough to make him give
up the fight. Moments later, a ray of
sunlight pierces the clouds, and a sea elf
girl surfaces off the starboard side of
the ship. With her are several sea otters.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere turns
rapidly from relief at
reaching the islands
above Dimernesti to
sheer terror at the
sight of Brine.
Although sea dragons
do not radiate true
dragonawe, most of the
sailors are paralyzed
with fear nonetheless.
A few run around in a panic. Captain
Claes feels as scared as the sailors, but
he remembers his responsibilities to his
crew and his ship and shakes it off in a
few moments to ready the crew for a
fight.
Actions
The heroes must try to help the captain
gain some sort of control of the crew,
or they will have no chance at all.
Heroes may attempt challenging Presence (Spirit) actions to get the sailors
working toward the defense of the ship.
Heroes with a "B" code in either
Strength or Dexterity know enough
about weapons to assist or actually
man one of the ship's ballistas. The
crew members will handle the other
one. Unskilled heroes can help reload
either or both these weapons. Each
weapon can fire once every two minutes, even though they work at artillery
range; the ballistas' rate of fire and
Brine's swimming speed combine to
accelerate the normal combat time.
Striking Brine with a bolt from the
ballista is an average Dexterity (Agility)
action. The bolt's damage rating is +18,
not enough to harm the well-armored
tea dragon very much. If, however, the
heroes achieve a daunting success with
this weapon, they have hit Brine in a vulnerable area (a broken scale, an eye,
the throat, etc.). In this case, the damage rating receives a +8 damage bonus.
To hit Brine with a missile from the
catapult is an average Dexterity
(Agility) action also. If a
hit occurs, it penetrates
the dragon's defense to
inflict 3 actual damage
points (taken off his
Physique score). The catapult becomes more of a
revenge weapon in this
scene, though, as Brine
comes into target range
only when he passes to
the stern of the ship fol-
lowing a forward assault.
Characters
Only one new character appears in this
scene: the sea dragon.
Brynseldimer (Brine): Sea dragon male
wyrm, tyrannical demeanor. Co 13,
Ph 58, In 17, Es 17, Dmg +40, Def -30,
also dragon breath, swallow whole.
Captain Lothar Claes: Human male
young adult, sensible demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 7C, Dx 6C. En 6D, St 8B, Re 9D,
Pe 5C, Sp 7D, Pr 6B, Dmg +7 (long
sword), Def -5 (leather/target shield),
also missile weapons (crossbow/+5).
Twelve sailors: Humans and half-elves
of varied age and demeanor, Novices.
Co 6, Ph 5, In 5, Es 4, Dmg +4 (cutlasses), Def -2 (leather), also half use
missile weapons (crossbow/+5).
Outcome
Whatever it was that slammed into
Brine has, for the moment at least, driven him off. There is little doubt, however, that the waters around Dimernesti
will be doubly dangerous now. Though
they survived the fight, the Narwhal's
crew has made a terrible enemy.
- Should the heroes wish to speak
with the Dimernesti elf who has
just appeared near the Narwhal, the
Narrator can turn to Scene Three.
- Instead, they can just get out of the
area by continuing with Scene Four.
Scene Three: The Sea Elves
Following the battle with Brine, the
heroes try to contact the sea elf girl.
Overview
Dimernesti elves lead the heroes to a sea
cave and perhaps even to their underwater capital. However, they refuse to
give up the priceless Crown of Tides.
Getting Started
The section on Dimernesti in Chapter
Three of The Magic Within can help
the Narrator prepare for this scene, as
can the map on the back of this book.
The box flap describes the Crown of
Tides. The scrolls of water protection
the sea elves offer the heroes here were
introduced in The Last Tower.
First Impressions
Few land dwellers have ever seen a sea
elf before. As handsome a people as
their surface cousins, nevertheless they
appear very different - almost alien -
to land dwellers. The elfmaid who has
just appeared near the Narwhal has
bluish skin, silvery white hair, and large
dark eyes that peer up at you curiously.
Her webbed fingers stroke the head of
one other sea otter companions. She
wears tight greenish clothing decorated
with tiny shells, and on her head is a
glistening crown of brilliant blue coral.
The Story Continues
The huge force that drove Brine off was
created by the Crown of Tides, the very
artifact the heroes seek. Veylona, the half-
sea-elf ward of the Speaker of the Sea,
"borrowed" it from its resting place in
the elven capital and now gazes up at the
Narwhal shyly. The girl does not answer
any questions - almost as though, now
that she has helped drive off Brine, she
doesn't know what to do next.
In moments, several armed Dimernesti warriors break the surface near Vey-
lona, speaking to her harshly in a tongue
the heroes do not understand. The warriors seem shocked and angry. Several of
them warily surround the ship, and one
asks the heroes, "Who are you, to bring
war to these already troubled waters?"
If the heroes explain their quest, the
sea elf snorts derisively. "The Crown of
Tides is not for barter," he replies. "But
come, we must hide your vessel before
Brine recovers." The elf issues a peremptory command in his language, and the
elves flanking the girl order her below.
They disappear from view, Veylona giving the Narwhal one last look of longing.
The elf leader, who introduces himself as Ebrin, remains behind with two
others and the sea otters to guide the
ship through the treacherous waters into
an immense sea cave on the other side of
the nearest island. Six vessels the size of
the heroes' craft could easily fit inside.
With the Narwhal safely out of sight,
Captain Claes orders his crew to begin
checking below the waterline for damage
from the fight with Brine. If anyone asks
the elves about the cavern, Ebrin says it
used to serve as a marketplace that drew
ships from all over the mainland. But
with Brine's arrival, all trade ceased.
The Journey Below
If the heroes display the shell bracers
they received from Sloss and Guy in Act
One, Ebrin regards them with surprise.
The Dimernesti converse among themselves, then beckon the group deeper
into the cave. The heroes can take a
longboat or swim over to the wide ledge
surrounding the cavern, then proceed
along the ledge as the elves direct. When
the cavern ceiling begins sloping downward toward the water's surface, Ebrin
removes a scroll from a sack on his belt
and hands it to the party leader.
This item is a scroll of water protection, a magical treasure which, when
opened, creates a sphere around the
heroes that no water can penetrate.
Once the heroes have broken the seal and raised their protective bubble,
Ebrin motions them into the water - in
their bubble, they merely bob upon the
surface. Then, he and his comrades tie
ropes of strong kelp weave around the
heroes' waists. The three elves and their
sea otter helpers will tow the group
down to meet with the Speaker of the
Sea, Ebrin explains. It must be a quick
visit, however, as the bubble holds only
enough air for ten people to breathe for
one hour; then it will vanish.
Cautioning the heroes to hold
hands and stay together, Ebrin signals
to his companions. It takes quite a tug
to counteract the bubble's magical
water-resisting surface tension, but the
elves and sea otters seem experienced at
conducting land dwellers beneath the
surface in this fashion. They draw the
heroes underwater and along a wide
tunnel, which eventually spills them
out the side of the peak that rises from
the ocean floor to form the island
which harbors the Narwhal. Far below
them lies a rocky terrain. Colorful fish
dart all about the strange caravan.
Dimernost
After traveling five minutes or so, the
heroes witness an amazing sight: the
undersea capital of Dimernost.
The city shines with an alien beauty, its
coral spires twining up to form structures that defy the limits of landbound
architecture. Luminous plants give the
city a strange glow, accented by slanting shafts of sunlight that filter down
through the shadows of the waves. As
you draw closer, you note that most of
the otherworldly coral spires are damaged and that shells and other rubble
float amid the beautiful pastel buildings. Few elves are in evidence.
A striking tower in the center of
town is surrounded by living coral that
dances in the waves. Your escorts draw
you through one of many shell-trimmed
portals at the base of the tower, then
quickly up into an expansive hall. The
shell mosaics decorating the walls form
dizzying patterns as you speed up
through this hall and into the thin neck
that divides the tower into two sections.
Ebrin leaves the heroes with their
escorts while he swims into the chamber above to announce the visitors. He
returns in a moment and signals for
the visitors to be brought in. The
chamber features the long and graceful
decorative patterns familiar to land
elves, but it has a vastly different feel
than other elf structures - for one
thing, the sea elves don't have to confine themselves to a "floor" when they
can easily swim in any direction they
wish. The building has no stairs, inside
or out. The heroes are led to a pearl-trimmed ledge that runs all the way
around the grand hall; they are told to
hang onto the ledge tightly to keep
themselves from floating up to the ceiling in their bubble.
Commanding the attention of all in
the room is an elegant Dimernesti
woman floating on a mother-of-pearl
throne. She wears the crown the heroes
saw the sea elf girl wearing earlier,
made of brilliant blue coral and inlaid
with pearls. The girl herself floats near
the woman's right hand. More sea elves
drift in the center of the hall, and warriors rest on the ledge. The woman
gazes at the heroes for a long moment,
then says, "I am Nuqala, Speaker of the
Sea for what is left of the Dimernesti
people. Why have you come?"
The Request
If the heroes tell her of the threat posed
by the Great Dragons and of their own
need to collect artifacts to thwart them,
Nuqala responds coolly.
"What is that to us? We too face peril
every day at the hands of the sea dragon
Brine. We too have sought aid from
others and we have received nothing,
not even the courtesy of a response.
Your journey has been in vain, for now
more than ever" - and here she pauses
to glare at the half-elf girl, who does
not meet her gaze - "we depend upon
the power of the crown to protect ourselves. The problems of your world are
your own. We cannot help you."
Nuqala also asks for news of the Silvanesti. Why they have not responded to
her messenger? And where did the heroes
get the shell bracers inscribed with the
harrowing account of her kinsman's
torture at the hands of land-dwelling
slavers? The news that the Silvanesti
have cut themselves off from the world
with a magical shield deflates Nuqala.
Holding the bracers, she murmurs,
"Now my people are truly alone."
"I am sorry you came so far for nothing," she continues, "but you had best
leave now, before Brine returns."
But before she can wave the heroes
away, the girl blurts out, "Wait, Mother!
Surely we can now strike at Brine, while
he is injured, and..." Her words trail
off as Nuqala turns on her abruptly.
"Have you not done enough for one
day, Veylona? You stole the crown and
used its power without understanding
it. Your rash act could have imperiled
us all." With each word, the girl wilts a
little more. Finally, Veylona whispers,
"I'm sorry. I thought I could help ..."
Nuqala softens a bit at that, sighs,
and says, "I know you meant well, my
dear. You may return the land dwellers
to the surface with Ebrin, if you wish."
Nuqala wishes the heroes well, as
their escorts pick up the kelp tow lines to
guide them back to the surface. Veylona
swims up to join them. The sea elves and
a new group of otters lead the heroes
out of the Tower, up through the waters
above Dimernost, and back through the
tunnel to the Narwhal. Ebrin and Veylona bid them farewell, urging them to
escape before Brine returns. Then they
dive into the water, ready to guide the
vessel past the rocks around the island.
The Narwhal pulls out of the sea cave
and follows the elves into open waters.
The Dimernesti wave once, then disappear beneath the surface.
Note: The heroes might try to steal
the crown or offer to help the elves fight
Brine (thus ending their reliance on it).
In these cases, the Narrator should
adjust the above passages accordingly.
Atmosphere
Throughout this scene, the heroes can
smell the tang of salt water and hear
water swirling around their protective
bubble. They should feel disoriented
moving in a land where the concept of
"floor" has little meaning.
They also should sense nervousness
among the sea elves, skittish after years
of Brine's unpredictable attacks. Most
of them seem cool and distant, as they
normally dislike strangers - they let the
heroes visit only because they brought
the bracers. However, they are never
impolite or hostile. But for their fear of
Brine, they might have agreed to help.
Actions
As it proves nearly impossible to successfully negotiate for the crown, the heroes
might try to take it by force. However,
they are at a severe disadvantage fighting
underwater within the bubble. Their
combat actions become two degrees
more difficult than normal (for example,
from average to daunting). Missile
weapons are useless due to the water's
density, and swung melee weapons have
only half their normal damage ratings.
The Dimernesti, easily outmaneuvering the heroes, launch their counter-attacks from all sides, below, and above,
darting in to attack with spears, then
swimming away. Nuqala orders her
warriors to render the heroes unconscious and return them to the surface.
Two warriors guard her and the crown.
The heroes might get the crown
through magic, as the Dimernesti are
fairly unfamiliar with sorcery and mysticism; they have only their natural
alteration powers (to the form of a sea
otter) and a few "native talents" with an
affinity for a single school or sphere. If
the heroes attack the elves magically,
they cannot respond in kind. However,
any hero who attempts to use mentalism to charm Nuqala into giving up the
crown meets with failure - the crown
renders her immune to this magic.
After such an attack, future negotiation attempts by the heroes or other
surface representatives require at least
daunting Presence (Presence) actions.
The long-lived Dimernesti will not
soon forget the heroes' treachery.
Characters
Additional sea elf warriors will respond
to any sounds of a battle in the Tower.
Captain Lothar Claes: Human male
young adult, sensible demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 7C, Dx 6C. En 6D, St 8B, Re 9D,
Pe 5C, Sp 7D, Pr 6B, Dmg +7 (long
sword), Def -5 (leather/target shield),
also missile weapons (crossbow/+5).
Eleven sailors: Humans and half-elves
of varied age and demeanor, Novices.
Co 6, Ph 5, In 5, Es 4, Dmg +4 (cutlasses), Def -2 (leather), also half use
missile weapons (crossbow/+5).
Veylona: Half-Dimernesti female young
adult, brave demeanor, Novice. Ag 7X,
Dx 7X, En 5D, St 5C, Re 6D, Pe 8C, Sp 9B
(81), Pr 6B, Dmg +5 (trident), Def -2
(sharkskin), also mysticism (healing).
Ebrin: Dimernesti male adult, calm
demeanor, Adventurer. Ag SD, Dx 5X,
En 9C, St 6C, Re 6D, Pe 7B, Sp 6B, Pr 6B,
Dmg +5 (trident), Def -2 (sharkskin),
also acute hearing, mysticism (alteration
to sea otter, animism to speak with sea
creatures in local waters).
Warriors: Dimernesti adults of varying
demeanor, Adventurers. Co 6, Ph 5,
Re 5, Es 5, Dmg +5 (tridents) or +3
(spears), Def -2 (sharkskin), also mysticism (alteration to sea otter).
Speaker Nuqala: Dimernesti female
adult, realistic demeanor, Champion.
Ag 8X, Dx 6X, En 6B, St 5C. Re 8D, Pe 9C,
Sp 7B (49), Pr 7A, Dmg +9 (spear of
fame), Def -7 (scale armor of renown,
made of shark's hide and shells), also
Crown of Tides, mysticism (healing,
alteration to sea otter).
Outcome
No matter what happens beneath the
waves, the heroes eventually must
return to the surface and Scene Four.
As they leave Dimernost, they see
handfuls of elves departing the city -
swimming for the safety of a newly
discovered hidden grotto, Ebrin says.
Scene Four: A Watery Grave
The heroes can arrive at this scene via a
number of possible paths: Either they
did not attempt to speak with Veylona
when she surfaced in Scene Two, they
were refused the crown, or they offered
to fight Brine in return for the artifact.
Overview
Brine seeks revenge in this fierce sea
battle scene - but so do the heroes!
Getting Started
Background information on sea
dragons appears in Chapter Six of the
Book of the Fifth Age. Brine is described
in Chapter Two of Dusk or Dawn.
First Impressions
It may seem to the heroes a very long
time since they set out to find the artifacts of great magic that Skie coveted for
a fearful spell. They may be in low spirits,
having failed to acquire the crown. On
the other hand, if they begin this scene
seeking to fight Brine, they are infused
with a sense of renewed determination.
The Narwhal has just cleared the headland of the last island in the chain when
the lockout cries out the warning everyone expects but dreads: "It's back!" He
points off the port bow. "The dragon is
back!" Off in the distance, a great wave
of water rushes toward the small craft,
accelerating fast.
The Story Continues
The powerful Crown of Tides confused
and scared Brine. He has never known
fear, and he did not like it... not one bit.
But the fear turned quickly to anger, and
the anger to a full-boil rage. He will punish the sea elves in due time, but news of
his brief defeat must not reach the mainland: He will deal with the Narwhal first.
The Battle
If the heroes do not act, the Narwhal
and all aboard it are likely to perish.
Brine intends to close rapidly with the
vessel, smashing the craft amidships
with his mighty tail on the first pass.
He then will close again, this time to
sweep the decks with his dragon
breath, boiling crew members alive
with a blast of superheated steam. He
will finish the ship at his leisure, using
numerous attacks with his tail to
reduce it to splinters.
If the heroes are smart, however, they
can turn the tables on him. They might
recall that the captain sought to point
the bow of the Narwhal at Brine in the
previous attack, both to offer the smallest possible target and to keep the bowmounted ballistas pointed at him.
However, if they can ram Brine with the
craft's long, sharp bowsprit they can
impale him. Of course, the captain (or
a hero at the helm) must keep the bow
pointed squarely at Brine, despite the
dragon's plan to approach from the
side. Or, considering Brine's fury at his
injury, the heroes - especially kender -
might even be able to taunt him into
attacking the bow (see "Actions").
If the Narwhal manages to ram Brine,
it deals him enough damage to slay him.
(The actions required for this maneuver
are difficult enough to make actual damage points irrelevant.) He does not go
down easily, however. Once pierced by
the bowsprit, Brine shrieks out a deafening roar that stuns many hands on deck.
His head arched back, the dying wyrm
lets out an involuntary blast of steam.
Black blood pours from his wound as the
bowsprit breaks off and lodges in him.
The thrashing dragon hammers the hull,
staving in the sides. The Narwhal immediately begins taking on water, forcing
the crew below to attempt temporary
repairs. After what seems an eternity, the
vessel perilously close to Brine's death
throes, he slowly sinks below the surface
of the sea. As the sun triumphantly
breaks through the clouds, all the
heroes hear is the silence of the grave.
Atmosphere
As the lookout sounds the alert, many
sailors again stand transfixed with a
mixture of fear and awe. Some of them
mutter prayers to the gods, some murmur to themselves, and a few fall to the
deck and weep. This terror is not due to
dragonawe, but the result of watching a
beast nearly two hundred feet long
close at a rate at least three times faster
than the fastest known ship, and recognizing that it can smash through the
Narwhal without any risk to itself.
Brine's approach seems to last a lifetime but, after a few moments, the captain's barked orders start to sink in. The
heroes can overhear one of the sailors
nearby saying, "Don't worry, lads, the
captain'11 get us through this." The
group aboard the Narwhal faces the
battle knowing it to be an epic fight -
perhaps the fight of their lives.
Actions
A hero who succeeds at a challenging
Reason action during Brine's approach
thinks to ram the dragon with the Narwhal's long bowsprit. Keeping the prow
pointed at Brine, however, requires an
average Reason (Agility) action from
the hero at the helm. If the captain is at
the helm, either a white or red aura
result in a random draw allows success,
but only drawing a white aura card
offers success with a sailor at the wheel.
Those who succeed at another challenging Reason action realize that, in his
fury. Brine might be taunted into intentionally attacking the bow. A kender can
bring into play the remarkable ability of
members of that race to taunt their foes
into making a critical mistake. With an
average Presence (Presence) action, a true
kender can attempt to taunt an opponent (challenging for nonkender). Success makes Brine forego the use of his
steam breath, attempt a bite attack
against the offending hero, or charge the
Narwhal's forward section. On a second
taunt. Brine offers only half his normal
opposition (rounding up). An afflicted
kender cannot attempt to taunt without
first overcoming his acquired caution
(an average Spirit action).
After a successful attack, heroes
must make a challenging Endurance
action or be stunned for a full minute
from the sea dragon's great dying roar.
In addition, anyone on deck must
attempt an average Agility action to
avoid Brine's scalding breath; those
who fail suffer 10 damage points.
Finally, heroes can assist the crew
members belowdecks with challenging
Strength and Endurance actions.
Characters
The number of sailors may vary
depending on the outcome of the Narwhal's previous battle with Brine.
Brynseldimer (Brine): Sea dragon male
wyrm, tyrannical demeanor. Co 13,
Ph 58, In 17, Es 17, Dmg +40, Def -30,
also dragon breath, swallow whole.
Captain Lothar Claes: Human male
young adult, sensible demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 7C, Dx 6C. En 6D, St 8B, Re 9D,
Pe 5C, Sp 7D, Pr 6B, Dmg +7 (long
sword), Def -5 (leather/target shield),
also missile weapons (crossbow/+5).
Eleven sailors: Humans and half-elves
of varied age and demeanor, Novices.
Co 6, Ph 5, In 5, Es 4, Dmg +4 (cutlasses), Def -2 (leather), also half use
missile weapons (crossbow/+5).
Outcome
Captain Claes's first concern is to prevent the Narwhal from joining Brine in
his watery grave. He directs the crew to
turn the vessel around and make landfall on one of the nearby islands. But as
the craft comes about, some Dimernesti appear ahead. They wave the Narwhal off its approach and, drawing up
to her, place skins of some sort on the
hull below the waterline. This measure
slows the water flow enough that the
crew can keep her afloat using a bilge
pump. The elves then lead the Narwhal
back to the sea cave where they hid her
earlier, and the story concludes with
Scene Five.
Scene Five: The Crowning Glory
When the Narwhal returns the sea cave,
the crew set to work making repairs,
with the aid of a half-dozen sea elves.
Ebrin sends them to fetch more of the
sharkskin they used to patch the hole
in the Narwhal's side, as well as some
stored timbers from a boat that was
wrecked upon some rocks nearby.
While that work progresses, Ebrin
and his companions escort the heroes
back to the Tower of the Sea, as
recounted in Scene Three. If any heroes
or crew members were injured in the
battle, the Dimernesti come aboard and
carry them gently off the vessel, to be
tended by sea elf healers.
Overview
After vanquishing Brine, the Heroes of
the Heart are rewarded for their valor.
Getting Started
Sections on Dimernesti in Chapter
Three of The Magic Within and Chapter
Two of Dusk or Dawn offer background
for this scene, as does the map on the
back of this book and the box flap.
First Impressions
Inside the grand hall of the Tower of the
Sea wait Nuqala and a beaming Veylona.
Taking positions along the curving wall
on either side of her throne are more
than a dozen older Dimernesti men
and women. Several of them stare at
you with expressions tinged with awe.
A throng of sea elves fills the space of
the grand hall, resting on the ledge and
watching the proceedings from above
and below. "I have summoned the elders
to council," the Speaker announces.
"Your bravery must be rewarded."
She clears her voice, then begins to
speak in the language of her people.
Ebrin translates for you. "These people
of the surface world have journeyed far
from their homes to seek our aid in
their opposition to the rule of great
Evil dragons which plague their lands,
much as Brynseldimer has plagued
ours. They came seeking the Crown of
Tides, a gift we could not give them as
long as Brine held us in thrall.
"Today, however, we are free of our
bonds, and it is because of these land
dwellers who sought our aid. Those of
you who have seen the battle between
their craft and the sea dragon know
that I speak the truth. I put before the
council and the people, then, this question: Shall we aid them in their battle as
they have aided us in ours?"
The Story Continues
The elders move together into a cluster,
confer among themselves for several
moments. Then an older male elf swims
forward and asks the heroes if they
intend ever to return the ancient ancestral crown of their people. Should the
heroes answer that they seek only to
borrow it on behalf of the peoples of
the surface world, the Dimernesti elders
confer a moment longer, and then the
man moves forward again and nods
once to the Speaker of the Sea. (If the
heroes answer differently, the sea elves
say that swearing an oath to return the
crown is a requirement of the loan.)
A cheer from the assembly that can
be felt as much as heard rumbles
through the waters of the grand hall as
Speaker Nuqala removes the coral
crown and holds it out to the heroes.
The din dies down as she begins to
speak again. "Take with our gratitude
and blessing the ancient crown of our
people. May it bring to your people the
peace that you have brought to ours."
With that, Nuqala hands the crown to
the party leader, and another great
cheer goes up among the sea elves.
Atmosphere
The Dimernesti are little short of awed
at the heroes' courageous deed, for they
had expected Brine to be their nemesis
for many more years. When Nuqala
asks her people formally for their permission to loan the Crown of Tides to
the heroes, she does so with great
solemnity. Their single question of the
heroes, as well as their formal answer to
Nuqala, is spoken in kind. Once the
decision is made, however, the sea elves
reveal their more festive natures.
Actions
If the heroes thank Veylona for her role
in driving off Brine in his first attack,
they will have made a friend for life.
Characters
The number of sailors in this scene may
vary, based on whether any of them fell
in Brine's attack in Scene Four.
Captain Lothar Claes: Human male
young adult, sensible demeanor, Adventurer. Ag 7C, Dx 6C. En 6D, St 8B, Re 9D,
Pe 5C, Sp 7D, Pr 6B, Dmg +7 (long
sword), Def -5 (leather/target shield),
also missile weapons (crossbow/+5).
Eleven sailors: Humans and half-elves
of varied age and demeanor, Novices.
Co 6, Ph 5, In 5, Es 4, Dmg +4 (cutlasses), Def -2 (leather), also half use
missile weapons (crossbow/+5).
Veylona: Half-Dimernesti female young
adult, brave demeanor, Novice. Ag 7X,
Dx 7X, En 5D, St 5C, Re 6D, Pe 8C, Sp 9B
(81), Pr 6B, Dmg +5 (trident), Def -2
(sharkskin), also mysticism (healing).
Ebrin: Dimernesti male adult, calm
demeanor, Adventurer. Ag SD, Dx 5X,
En 9C, St 6C, Re 6D, Pe 7B, Sp 6B, Pr 6B,
Dmg +5 (trident), Def -2 (sharkskin),
also acute hearing, mysticism (alteration
to sea otter, animism to speak with sea
creatures in local waters).
Warriors: Dimernesti adults of varying
demeanor, Adventurers. Co 6, Ph 5,
Re 5, Es 5, Dmg +5 (tridents) or +3
(spears), Def -2 (sharkskin), also mysticism (alteration to sea otter).
Speaker Nuqala: Dimernesti female
adult, realistic demeanor, Champion.
Ag 8X, Dx 6X, En 6B, St 5C. Re 8D, Pe 9C,
Sp 7B (49), Pr 7A, Dmg +9 (spear of
fame), Def -7 (scale armor of renown,
made of shark's hide and shells), also
Crown of Tides, mysticism (healing,
alteration to sea otter).
Outcome
Once Nuqala has granted the heroes
use of the crown, the sea elves crowd
around them. Some simply smile,
others speak a few words of gratitude.
One ancient, blind elf woman comes
over, clinging to her granddaughter's
arm. She approaches each hero and
reaches out her hand to touch him
briefly, nodding and smiling as she does
so. The other sea elves watch in silence.
After the two women move on, Ebrin
tells the heroes that the priestess of
Branchala has given them her blessing
for their journey, a great honor indeed.
Nuqala sees to it that the heroes are
treated as honored guests at a great
seafood feast. The crew of the Narwhal
is invited down to Dimernost, and the
entire group may remain, recovering
from the battle, for as long as they like
(a lengthy stay might require the Narrator to let the priestess cast alteration on
the heroes to let them to breathe water).
Unfortunately, the sea elves are not
shipwrights, and they can do little for
the Narwhal beyond providing patching materials and following the captain's instructions. After several days,
the Narwhal is seaworthy again, but
she still takes on water and lacks some
of her rigging. When the time comes,
the elves joyfully escort the vessel out
of the cave, into a sea free of danger.
The last voyage of the Narwhal is
not an easy one. Although the sailors
do all they can to keep the wounded
craft together, when she clears the
headland leading into the cove of Port
Balifor, she begins to sink. The captain
quietly orders the longboats out and
tells the crew to abandon her. He is the
last to leave her, stopping only to
remove a single plank from the deck.
As the longboats approach the
shore, the Narwhal's prow, where once
the great horn had been, disappears
beneath the waves. The captain and
crew watch in silence. Only the heroes
notice the silent, shadowy form of a
dragon blotting out the night sky, tracing an elegy among the stars.