The night passes, for those who are paying attention, in a flurry of death. Even safe on your ship you are occassionally awakened by the beast's ferocious bellow as it lays its claim to its territory, or by the screams of its prey.

What it must be like for the ork children growing up behind wooden walls with the beast outside is anyone's guess. Yet the group had seemed happy enough.

By morning the noise changes to the sound of the creatures of the daytime and you are ready to bid farewell to the ruins and set sail.

The Vulture sets course, heading towards the Death's Sea, making for Travar.

By mid afternoon you are over the molten lake firing charges into its depths and scooping up the elemental fire released in the ship's nets. Staring down into the shifting patterns of the fire is mesmerising, and it is strange to find that there are massive creatures that swim through it. The surface is speckled with islands of floating rock and on many of them you see large beasts ekeing out an existence.

The ship lays up in the evening over a small Island that forms the boundary between the Death's Sea and the Scarlet Sea. You'll make Travar tomorrow evening, you are assured.

During this day Grabthar works upon Atrii's staff, carefully carving a niche within the hand-grip that will house the gemstone, then adding additional metal bindings around the grip to hold the gem firmly in place. He forges two strong iron shoes to fit over the ends of the staff, one larger and heavier weighted to go on the top, for striking, and a smaller one for the bottom end, with a retractable spike operated by a button within the hand-grip.

I believe there is time this day to give the staff a one-place enhancement, if Grabthar's craftsmanship is of good enough quality.

Grabthar spends the day working on Atrii's staff. He finds working on wood presents a novel challege, but manages to make some small improvements to it.

Then he returns to yesterday's unfinished work on Banas Nimoram weaving elegant runes into the blade to sharpen it.

Z'phir continues to help the Ship in any way that he can, especially if it allows him to fly. When he gets a break, he Meditates on His Karma Ritual Talent to raise it. Then, he performs the Karma Ritual.

First thing in the morning the next day the following day, he performs his Karma Ritual again.

If nothing happens during the night, in the morning when we move on again Grabthar will find Z'phir and ask for his sword. Grabthar will work on forging Z'phir's blade to enhance it during the day we travel to Travar.

Z'phir lets him forge the sword.

(Back on the sail away from the Ruins)

Carisa Blood-Fang calls Atrii to her cabin to seek advice, she lays the stone egg on the table.

"This is the mind and soul of the ork who founded Cara Fahd, leading Barsaive's orks there." She says, "but during the Scourge the Horrors must have found the Temple and tortured the heroes stored in the stones, driving them mad."

She holds the stone out to him,
"I want you to find a way to take away her pain and restore her to sanity."

"A tall order," Atrii says, looking over the stone.

"She did not respond to your address in the ruin. Are you certain the thing in the stone is alive, and not merely..." he pauses to think. "That is... are you certain it isn't as a bug trapped in amber? Some kind of record, but lacking sentience?"

"I wish she were just a recording," Carisa says, "you can't torture a recording, a recording'd be the same today as the day it was made..."

"I'm not expecting results today," she assures him, "I know this is quite the puzzle I've landed you with, but this is the lady who took dumb beasts and made them namegivers worthy of respect, she deserves better."

Atrii nods solemnly and takes the stone, returning to his bunk to analyze.

(Gotta lay down for a bit.)