Sea Hags: The Story So Far Part 1

_{Posted 2024-05-20 09:42.}

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We've been playing the Sea Hags campaign set in the world of Bastion Falls' Thera for three years now apparently, and it seems that I've forgotten more about what had happened than I've ever been able to transcribe in this site (since I only started this about a year ago). So in an effort to remember everything that's happened since, I've been trying to collate all of the disparate notes and pieces of information that I could collect. But I've been really sloppy with mzy notes, and it's become such a pain.

Starting with this post, I will be attempting to reconstruct the events that have happened so far, using EV's Google Docs notes as a base, then integrating some of my notes to get an accurate picture of what is going on. EV's notes might be somewhat more complete than mine, but it's mostly a collection of one-liners that needs some interpretation now that we've lost a LOT of context.

Also, some of the information in older portions of the campaign might no longer square with current story-telling due to forgetfulness, narrative shifts, changes due to derailment--you know, stuff that happens to campaigns when players start mucking around in it. So there will be attempts to square the reconstructed narrative with the most up-to-date versions of what's going on.

Another issue is a reconstruction of the dates. EV's notes DON'T have any of that, so maybe I can get away with making this stuff up along the way, but I'll have to at least square it up with the current games, where I started actually tracking those myself. I should have actually made better notes myself, and I do hope to actually get this right when I start running these games again.

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Background

During the last few centuries of the Silent Ages, the House of the Dragonheart reigned over the Kingdom of Sanery, which held a huge part of Northern Apgarian Territories. They served as a client kingdom to the Seneran House of Maidenfeld, their cousins across the Princely Channel.

However, in the 900s, two successive kings of Senera, in their failed bid to expand their territories southward and to the east, have lost favor with various factions within Senera. The noble class who have bankrolled the many failed skirmishes against the kingdoms of Anasai and Estrega, have become disillusioned after many of the promises of land and wealth have not materialized after decades. The country's food supplies have been appropriated by the king to "feed the war effort", which meant that the peasantry were left with little to eat. Young men of fighting age were conscripted into their liege lord's banners to wage war beyond the country's borders, and because of the mismanagement of the war effort most of them died, never to return to their families again. The discontent across the entire spectrum of Sanerian society left the country especially susceptible to the agitation of the revolutionaries that began the First Apgarian Revolution that spread from the Central Apgarian kingdoms of Baraon, Carmar and Mayonne.

The House of the Dragonheart was forced to flee Sanery, into Senera in hopes of garnering support with the Maidenfelds to retake their land back from the revolutionaries. In the midst of the clashes between the pro-royalists and the revolutionaries, the House de la Tierre seized control of Sanery with the aid of forces from the Kingdom of Anasai, ending both the northern front of the First Apgarian Revolution and the Sanerian Dragonheart Dynasty.

Eventually, the Dragonhearts were able to supplant the Maidenfelds as the ruling dynasty in Senera and would rule the country until the present day. They never forgot their Sanerian homeland however. So when the Poasan Empire invoked mutual defense treaties for a Divine Alliance during the Poasan-Apgarian Conflict, they did not hesitate to immediately declare war against the fledgling Apgarian Confederacy.

Senera was able to take Sanery two years into the war. Their superior naval forces were eventually able to suppress Apgar's small handful of frigates and a mishmash of repurposed privately-held ships. By the end of the war however, most of the Sanerian territories were won back by the Apgarians, with the exception of Port Sanery and Castle Dragonheart. Ultimately, the Divine Alliance were able to force the Apgarian forces into a conditional surrender, but only after massive losses on all sides. In the end, the resulting Treaty of Turain saw these remaining Sanerian holdings ceded these territories back to the Apgarians, under the condition that trade along the Sarmatian Sea was patrolled and taxed by the Seneran Navy.

In order to undermine the Seneran Navy's hold on sea trade, a selection of pirates and smugglers willing to work with the Apgarian government were issued commissions. This led to the formation of La Camaraderie de la Mer which hid behind its official constitution as a Sailor's Guild. It was, instead, an organization formed to streamline the government's efforts to fund privateers to raid goods from official Seneran trade vessels and their naval escorts.

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Day 1

Setting: La Carnalis
Cast of Characters:

• Hedwig Rosa Rosenkrantz aka Helda Stark
  • Only daughter of Duke Bain Rosenkrantz of Salicy and Karen Rosenkrantz neé Guildenstern
• Jean-Paul de la Fouet
  • Captain of La Carnalis
• Craçoix
  • First Mate
• Somme Privatea
  • Quartermaster
• Cotto
  • Mysterious hooded passenger
• Sister Sierre Leveroux
  • Nun of the Order of the Angels of Delight
• Dominguez Tailleur
  • Deckhand
• Timon
  • Deckhand

On the last leg of La Carnalis' month-long journey from the Mirian Islands to Port Rainoso, a pair of Seneran Frigates forced the La Carnalis to a full stop and prepare for inspection as per the terms of the Treaty of Turain. Hedwig Rosa Rosenkrantz, under the assumed name of Helda Stark, was working as a deckhand for close to a month was unprepared for what was about to transpire. What she thought was a regular transport vessel, was actually a pirate ship.

The first mate, a sadistic man by the name of Craçoix, ordered a full stop. The crew seemed tense, standing in anticipation of something that Hedwig knew would be trouble. Then as soon as one of the Seneran Frigates prepared to board the La Carnalis, one of the other deckhands, a tall and gangly fellow named Timon, shot a ballista bolt across the Frigate's port-side bow, hitting the navy vessel's foremast. Immediately, the Seneran captain of the frigate ordered his men to board the La Carnalis, swords between their teeth.

The pirate crew was ready to face the interlopers, weapons drawn. As the forces clashed upon the deck, it was obvious that the crew of the La Carnalis were no mere sailors. They fought in a well-coordinated, professional manner that could have been an even match for Salicy's regular army men. In short order, the thirty-odd Seneran navy-men were driven off the deck, most of them falling into the treacherous Sarmatian waters.

The second Seneran Frigate launched a large metal ball at the beleaguered ship, damaging its aft mast and portions of its hull. Hedwig was ordered to evacuate the passengers below deck to keep them from harms way--not a moment too soon, as a metal ball collapsed the quarters that Hedwig and Sister Sierre Leveroux shared, ruining a prized dress given by Hedwig's parents.

After taking the sister, and a mysterious hooded person named Cotto, into the hold, Hedwig immediately Ran to the deck to see if she could help. In a moment of desperation, Hedwig suddenly heard voices in her head: "Come here...", it beckoned. In that instant, power welled up from within her. She instinctively gestured her right hand at the attacker. A mote of fire erupted from the tip of her fingers onto the frigate. The arcane projectile hit its target and burned its mainsail. The resulting flame caused the Seneran crew to panic, effectively disabling the opposing ship. The momentary distraction allowed La Carnalis to escape between the labyrinthine islets of L'Illes Apgarie.

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Due to the extensive damage La Carnalis had received from the Seneran catapults, not to mention some of the injuries members of the crew had sustained, the captain directed the ship to L'Illes Descargar, a remote islet within L'Illes Apgarie, to receive necessary repairs.

While underway, Hedwig overheard Somme, ship's quartermaster, and Captain Jean-Paul discuss the "stash" that the Frigates were probably after. Apparently, on their voyage to the Mirian Islands, La Carnalis raided a Seneran trade vessel. They were tasked to retrieve some cargo that it was handling. It did not take long for them to notice Hedwig listening by the door, so they called her in.

Captain Jean-Paul noted that what Hedwig had done on the deck was a rare ability that the ancients called the Ritma. Somme revealed that they were looking for someone like her, and the fact that she had the tell-tale signs of a spellcaster--her yellow-eyes--was the reason why they accepted her application. She revealed why she had joined the crew of La Carnalis in the first place: that something or someone was guiding her to an island in the Sarmatian Sea. An agent she trusted who used the alias Blue Fluffy Unicorn, arranged for her to become a member of the crew.

Hedwig, in confidence, revealed that her name was not Helda Stark. Her real name was Hedwig Rosa Rosenkrantz, only daughter of Nuran Duke Bain Rosenkrantz of Salicy and Karen Guildenstern. She told the pair that she suspected that the voice she kept hearing, as well as her magic, might be related to the strange circumstances of her birth. When she was young she'd hear whispers from the gossip-mongers in high-society that her father was impotent, and her birth might have been illegitimate. As she grew older, she had become increasingly curious whether or not allegations that her mother had taken the seed of another man, since Hedwig herself did not inherit any physical features from her father. Eventually, her mother admitted in confidence that they had difficulties in conceiving her. They had traveled to a far away land to meet a coven of witches that would be able to grant them a child.

She hired Blue Fluffy Unicorn, who she'd contracted in the past to search for various occult artifacts and books, to find out more about what her mother told her. He found that Hedwig might be what was called a hexblood--a person borne from an exchange with a group of magical women called Hags. He arranged travel for her to head to the Mirian Islands, in order tp find passage to Port Rainoso, a prominent trading town in Raibon Island in the western seas of Apgar.

Somme and Jean-Paul then explained to her that they and every member of the crew of La Carnalis were members of La Camaraderie de la Mer, a group borne out of the Poasan-Apgarian Conflict. Two years prior, the pair served as officers of an entirely different ship called the Principium, with Jean-Paul as first mate, and Somme as its quartermaster. During a transport operation, they had run afoul of three Seneran frigates, intent in capturing what they were hauling. Neither of them knew what they were hauling, nor did their captain at the time, but they would attempt to escape from these Frigates, to no avail. Members of the crew were captured, but a few, including Somme, Jean-Paul, and Captain Jethro, were expelled from the ship as a result of an explosion. They recently heard some members of the Principium survived, and were due for trial and execution. Knowing that the Apgarian government would not risk a diplomatic incident to liberate their former crew mates, they were planning a rescue operation. Since the war twenty years ago, the Seneran Navy flaunted the fact that they had spellcasters within their ranks. Tt would be near-impossible for the non-magical crew of La Carnalis to infiltrate the navy prison complex at Port Surrey-on-the-Brahms. Somme admitted that he had an idea that she was a spellcaster due to her eye-color, and had allowed her to work in La Carnalis despite her obvious lack of experience.

Somme had offered to help Hedwig find the truth about her origins, in exchange of membership in La Camaraderie and her assistance in liberating the incarcerated crew of the Principium. Hedwig accepted, under the condition that they replace the dress that was ruined by the earlier sortie, and that she be given an officer's quarters, instead of being forced to stay in the crew quarters below decks. Somme balked at the latter point, since there were no more spare rooms--they can only repair the hull in Descargar because of time constraints. This meant that they don't even have enough room for the passengers, much less for Hedwig's demands for a new room. In response, Hedwig proposed the following:

• Captain Jean-Paul move his quarters into the Captain's Chambers
• Sister Sierre, whose room was destroyed in the encounter, be quartered in the captain's former arrangements
• Hedwig's expensive dress, which was ruined, would be replaced upon arrival at Port Rainoso
• She be given Somme's quarters instead

Somme was inflexible. He did not want to have to give up his quarters for this. Hedwig could just probably share with Sister Sierre instead, and they would refund part of her fare. As a compromise, Hedwig proposed that she share chambers with Somme, splitting the room in two. Somme reluctantly accepted after some pressure from Jean-Paul. Hedwig then signed a Letter of Intent to join La Camaraderie, which sealed their deal.

Once the document was signed, Jean-Paul told Hedwig that there was a brothel on Descargar called the Shriek Shack that housed a coven of hags called the Hags of Estrega. While they were known as "hags" due to their occupation as prostitutes, they also practiced the old traditions that allowed hags to perform feats of magic as a group. He thought that the leader of the group, Atroya, might know something about those voices.

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After deftly maneuvering between the many narrow channels and isthmuses of the Isles of Apgaria, they arrived at an islet set upon the bones of dead corals and sediment. L'Ille Descargar was a platform built upon this atoll, and was known only to a handful of smugglers and pirates who dodged Seneran Navy patrols. Upon the platform were small thatch cottages that house the shipwrights, sailors, merchants and whores that make a living from these fugitives. The platform extends into a natural harbor where ships as large as galleys might take port for repairs and relaxation.

As an apology for the ordeal, the captain offered to compensate their few passengers, including Sister Sierre Leveroux, the mysterious Cotto, and a few others, by paying for any expenses they would incur while on the isle. Sister Sierre's quarters in particular, had been ruined due to the skirmish, so her meager belongings may have to be replaced. In addition, upon Hedwig's insistence, the captain would relinquish his own quarters to the nun for the rest of the journey, as her previous room may stay in a state of disrepair.

During the docking procedures, Hedwig had time to converse with Sister Sierre. Her order sent her to represent their interests in Port Rainoso and the larger Raibon Island. They heard rumor that heretics were trying to establish themselves on the island, and was doing so because the influence of the Church of the Divine Masochist was especially weak on the island. It's sole church there had only a small handful of adherents, and only one parish priest serving it.

Cotto, on the other hand, remained quiet, and said only responded with gestures and grunts when Hedwig tried to make conversation as they waited for the ship to dock.

Once docked, the passengers and half of the members of the crew, including Hedwig who was still using the alias Helda Stark, were allowed to disembark on the platform of Descargar. The crew scattered to various parts of the isle for their R&R. Hedwig opted to stay with Sister Sierre, and invited the quiet Cotto to come with them to explore. One of the deckhands, Dominguez Tailleur, whom Hedwig called Dominic every time they interacted, was assigned to take them around the island--specifically to mind Hedwig. Dom not only has been to Descargar before, he also spoke the local language: a dialect of the Estregan tongue.

Dom first brought them to a General Store that basically sold goods dropped by smugglers and pirates who needed to pay for their repairs. There, they purchased clothes and swimwear to replace some of the ones ruined during the Seneran sortie earlier in the day. They also attempted to convince Cotto to wear something other than his cloak. Hedwig bought him a floral designed shirt and shorts to dress him with something colorful instead. As she brought him to the dressing room, however, she was surprised by Cotto's true appearance. He had crimson skin, two solid stumps on his forehead, a pair of goat-like legs, a thin leathery tail, and an exceptionally large scaly penis in the middle of them. Cotto was obviously shy about his appearance, as he shied away, seemingly expecting disgust from Hedwig's face. Hedwig is not one to discriminate in that way though, actually she was fascinated by Cotto's infernal appearance, especially because of her interest in the occult. Concerned about Cotto's distress though, she suggested that they give him shorts that can conceal his goat legs.

After they'd purchased the replacement supplies, Hedwig suggested that they celebrate the fact that they survived the attack. She basically ordered Dom to bring them them to an appropriate spot. He brought them to a popular rest spot in the southern end of the platform--a group of cottages run by a loose collection of locals that sold various edible goods and refreshments to visitors. These locals, both men and women, were scantily clad and accommodating--ready to serve anything they had to appease their customers, for a price. The group ordered a local beverage, coco rum, a rum flavored with shaved coconut meat, served inside a fresh coconut shell. Even Cotto, who said that he wasn't used to drinking alcohol was goaded into taking some, since his drink of choice--milk--wasn't available.

While drinking, the group started getting more acquainted with each other.

Sister Sierre mentioned that she was a member of the Convent of the Society of the Angel of Delight in the Sonima state of Southern Apgar. The reason she did not have many belongings that needed to be replaced, was that on of the Society's tenets was the Light of Poverty. Adherents were to carry what is absolutely necessary, in order for them to more appreciate, share, and experience delight in its various forms. She also dispelled the notion that all nuns had vows of chastity, stating that only nuns from the Order of the Angel of Justice had such prohibitions. It's just because that order of clergy were the most prevalent in Apgar. Outright sexual relations was not banned, but it must be guided by a sense of connecting spiritually with their partner when during the act.

Hedwig then ordered a plate of the local delicacy while speaking in the Estregan language, which surprised everyone, Dom especially. She told them that her mother taught her how to speak the language along with many others since the woman was someone who "enjoys learning about different cultures". She, of course, does not mention that her mother is a Guildenstern, a family renowned for their patronage and performance of the arts.

The group was served an Estregan dish called Maherazi, a pungent fermented fish with a pasty consistency, wrapped in dried seaweed. She noted that the sour and savory flavor strangely had hint of the taste of beef. The powerful scent is usually enough to put off any of the uninitiated, but Hedwig was adventurous enough brave through the stink, while Sierre and Dom actually liked the dish. Cotto on the other hand was already too drunk to even notice the scent.

Dom grew up eating the stuff as he was a native of mainland Estrega, one of the states that made up the Apgarian Confederacy. He told them about his parents and that he came from a line of garment makers, and the reason for why he left. Apparently, his mother's shop was being beaten by Seneran boutiques that dominated the Estregan market in the years after the war. In an attempt to expand her clientele, she took out a loan to get a shop in a better location and better raw materials, but something happened that caused her to default on those loans. Dom left so that he could help pay off that loan. Eventually he'd find himself as part of La Camaraderie.

As the day turned into night, they enjoyed more conversation and drink. They began ordering various beers and wines, so they began talking about the Hags of Estrega and the Shriek Shack. Dom doesn't know about the hags' magical abilities, but he does mention that they offer pretty good massages.

Cotto, who was usually silent, was also inebriated enough to have been goaded into talking about himself. He was a creature called a Cornups by the scholars of Eastern Betera. It was said that one in five hundred thousand births resulted in the birth of one. Their close resemblance to the Masochist conception of the Devil, however, usually causes fear and derision in the general populace. Cotto's experience was no different. His parents kicked him out of the house as soon as they could no longer hide his devilish traits.

Sierre and Hedwig were both intrigued by the massage, so they heckled Dom to bring them there. As they arrived at the Shriek Shack, they discovered that Dom was apparently banned from the premises - the hags had forbidden him entry due to his tendency to snoop and eavesdrop on private conversations. While he wasn't allowed inside, they did permit him to wait outside and communicate with clients.

The establishment itself was a modest structure, but one could occasionally hear delighted shrieks emanating from within - hence its namesake. For a silver piece each, the hags offered massage services. Unlike many of the other establishments on the platform, the women here didn't wear thick makeup or revealing clothes.

Inside, they met Atroya, one of the senior members of the Hags of Estrega. The massage room was filled with calming aromas, and as Hedwig prepared for her treatment, she found herself drifting into a peaceful state. When she awoke later, she realized quite some time had passed - the sky outside had grown dark.

More significantly, during her massage session, Atroya had recognized something special about Hedwig. Speaking in a formal dialect of Estregan, she revealed that she could sense Hedwig's hexblood nature - that she was born through a pact with hags some 20 years ago. While Atroya herself was from the Hags of Estrega coven, she knew of the Hags of Hama that Hedwig sought.

According to Atroya, the Hags of Hama were said to have access to what she called the "deep lore" - a universal repository of knowledge that only certain individuals could tap into. Most people only had the smallest connection to this knowledge, but the Hags of Hama could not only access it but travel through it. However, finding them would be no easy task - there wasn't even a guarantee they still existed or remained active.

Atroya offered to help guide Hedwig in understanding her abilities, particularly in the use of Ritma - the magical symbols that served as guides to accessing deeper powers. She suggested meeting at specific times - the hags preferred times in multiples of three, such as 6 AM and 6 PM - to begin Hedwig's instruction.

The conversation was interrupted by Cotto, who had followed them to the Shriek Shack despite his earlier reluctance. His presence seemed to intrigue Atroya, who noted that he too appeared to be seeking the Hags of Hama, though for different reasons. As a paranormal investigator interested in the occult, Cotto hoped the Hags might help him understand his own nature as a Cornups.

After their session at the Shriek Shack, Dom led them to what he claimed was a local secret - a hidden alcove known only to a select few residents of Descargar. The small cove was sheltered from view by a natural formation of coral and rock, making it an ideal spot for private conversations. Dom, despite his earlier ban from the Shriek Shack, seemed eager to prove his worth as a guide by sharing this hidden gem.

The group settled in a cozy and cool pool at the center of the cove, and Dom arranged for refreshments to be brought - he insisted on paying, though Hedwig noticed the locals offering him surprisingly generous discounts. It seemed the deckhand had built up quite a network of connections during his previous visits to the isle.

As they relaxed in the cove pool, Hedwig shared a portion of what she had learned from Atroya, leaving out mentions of her being a hexblood. Sister Sierre particularly, showed great interest in the concept of "deep lore" - though she was careful to frame her curiosity in terms acceptable to Masochist doctrine. The nun suggested that perhaps such ancient knowledge could help explain why the Church's influence had waned so significantly on Raibon Island. acceptable to Masochist doctrine. But the alcoholic drinks and the cool wind and water drowned serious thoughts.

As the evening wore on, Hedwig's thoughts turned to more practical matters. She needed to identify who among the crew was reporting her activities to the captain. Her suspicions fell heavily on Dom - perhaps too earnest in his friendliness. Even that promise of "owing her a bottle of rose wine" felt like a ploy to get closer to her. She decided to test him.

The conversation drifted to local superstitions, with Dom sharing tales of spirits beyond the grave that were said to haunt the waters around Descargar. Hedwig took the opportunity to flirt with Dom, watching carefully for any reaction that might betray his true purpose. When his responses seemed too measured, too careful, she turned her attention to Cotto instead.

Cotto, as usual, wore nothing beneath his cloak despite the evening chill. Hedwig, emboldened by the drinks and playing up her act for Dom's benefit, complained about the cold and ducked under Cotto's cloak with him. The Cornups' naturally warm body felt wonderful against her skin. In the playful mood that followed, Hedwig shared her "knowledge" that kissing could make one pregnant - to which Sister Sierre teasingly replied that it would "only if it's a deep kiss." Hedwig then invited the sister to join her under Cotto's warm cloak, noting Dom's barely concealed discomfort at the display.

When Sister Sierre mentioned that her room was still being repaired, Hedwig suggested they could all go swimming with the hags tomorrow - a suggestion that made Dom even more visibly uncomfortable, though he didn't refuse outright.

As night fully settled in, exhaustion from the day's events began to take its toll. The group made their way back to La Carnalis, with Hedwig noting how the alcohol had affected even the usually composed Cotto's gait. Back aboard ship, Hedwig retired to her new shared quarters, her mind full of questions about hexbloods, hags, and the deeper mysteries that seemed to be unfolding around her.

When the food was ready, Hedwig helped serve what the sailors jokingly called "slop" - though she noted that their fish stew, fresh and well-seasoned, was far better fare than what most ships offered their crews.

After the meal service, Sister Sierre waved Hedwig over in the mess hall. The nun wanted to make a trip to the platform to purchase supplies, and Hedwig mentioned she needed to look for new dresses herself, given that her previous one had been ruined during the Seneran attack.

On their way out, they encountered First Mate Craçoix, who made some rude remarks as they passed. At the platform's clothing shop, Sister Sierre commented that stores rarely stocked nun's habits - yet surprisingly, this one had exactly the style worn by the Order of the Angel of Delight. Hedwig suspected the coincidence might have more to do with smugglers' recent cargo than divine providence.

As they were finishing their shopping, Dom and Cotto joined them. Cotto looked distinctly uncomfortable, wearing some clothes that Dom had gotten him underneath his usual cloak.

As they were finishing their shopping, Dom and Cotto joined them. Cotto looked distinctly uncomfortable, wearing some clothes that Dom had gotten him underneath his usual cloak. Dom suggested they could all visit the public baths together.

During their walk to the baths, Cotto sampled some fermented fish from one of the platform vendors - his first taste of the local delicacy.

When they arrived at the public baths, they found it was a mixed facility, not separated by gender as was common in some places. To pass the time, Dom produced a silver piece and suggested a game of "Sink the Coin." The rules were simple - drop the coin into the deeper end of the bath, and whoever could retrieve it first would win the round.

"Let's make it interesting," Hedwig suggested with a predatory grin. Her proposed wagers made Dom shift uncomfortably: he would have to flash himself to Somme, Sister Sierre would serve him some mysterious concoction of her choosing, and Cotto would need to spend a night with Hedwig. The stakes were bold, even for their usual games, but pride prevented anyone from backing down.

As the game progressed, Hedwig's competitive nature emerged. Her quick movements and keen eye helped her spot the coin's glint through the water, and she soon found herself winning more rounds than losing. Even Sister Sierre's surprising agility couldn't match Hedwig's determination. When the final round ended, Hedwig emerged triumphant, her victory made sweeter by the thought of collecting on her various wagers - particularly the one involving Cotto.

The group lingered in the warm waters a while longer, their conversation drifting between light banter and comfortable silence. Eventually, they made their way back to La Carnalis.

Upon their return, Captain de la Fouet called Hedwig aside. Her work in the ship's kitchen had not gone unnoticed - the quality of meals had improved markedly since she'd started helping, and the crew's morale with it. The captain made it official, promoting her from deckhand to a permanent position in the Mess. It was a significant step up from scrubbing the decks, and Hedwig couldn't help but feel a small surge of pride, though she suspected the reassignment might have more to do with Somme being Quartermaster - this new position would give them more legitimate reasons to interact. The captain then announced to all present that they would soon be setting sail for Rainoso.

Preparations for departure began in earnest. The shipwrights had completed their repairs, and now the crew busied themselves loading the supplies they'd procured - fresh water, preserved foods, and other necessities that Hedwig, in her new role, helped inventory. She took extra care securing items in the galley, having heard whispers of an approaching storm.

The hags of Estrega arrived as promised, led by Atroya. They began their ritual preparations to cast their glamour over La Carnalis - magic that would help them evade the Seneran patrols they were certain to encounter. As the hags worked their magic, Hedwig couldn't help but marvel at how such powerful magic could be woven so subtly, leaving barely a trace of its presence.

Before giving the order to cast off, Captain de la Fouet gathered the crew. "The journey to Rainoso typically takes five days," he announced, gesturing to the western horizon where dark clouds were beginning to form. "We may need to consider a detour along the Apgarian coast - it will lengthen our journey significantly, but those clouds don't suggest the heavy rains we'd normally expect. Something about this weather pattern troubles me."

His concerns proved prescient. The scout in the crow's nest soon reported Seneran frigates patrolling ahead - they had correctly guessed that ships bound for Port Rainoso would seek shelter along the safer coastal waters of mainland Apgar to avoid the storm. The captain ordered them to seek a suitable cove to wait out both the weather and the patrol, though he noted they would need to be cautious - cannibal tribes were known to inhabit some of the western regions. Hedwig took the opportunity to ask Somme to deliver her signet ring to the captain, hoping it might prove useful for communication during their search for shelter.

As they searched the nearby islands for refuge, Cotto revealed an unexpected talent - he could communicate with birds. Summoning a dove to aid their search, he spoke with it briefly before it took wing. The bird soon returned, guiding them to a cove deep enough to accommodate La Carnalis's considerable draft without risking damage to her keel.

Upon exploring the shore, they discovered the remains of an old campsite, long abandoned to the elements. Among the weathered remnants, Hedwig found a book titled "Descent into Pleasure." Despite its age - the date inside read 965, making it 310 years old - it was remarkably well-preserved, as if protected by some unseen force.

Hedwig noticed Cotto seemed unusually tense. When she asked him about it, he mentioned hearing a voice speaking to him during last night's storm - the same storm that had forced them to seek shelter in the first place. The captain's earlier concerns about the unusual weather had proven correct; the storm had hit them with unexpected force, driving them toward the coast.

"I'll dive down and make sure the cove is truly deep enough for La Carnalis," Hedwig offered to the captain, eyeing the calm waters thoughtfully. During her dive, she discovered a chest which she managed to bring ashore. Inside, they found several women's dresses, including a somewhat sheer pure white one, and a gold-plated jewelry box. The box wasn't locked, and contained two smaller boxes lined with blue velvet, each holding an engagement ring bearing a family crest. The rings were set with real rubies, and Hedwig could sense a faint magical energy emanating from the gemstones. When she slipped one on, she felt that magic trickle through her body, and her attention was immediately drawn to the pure white dress among the pile. Curious about the magical energy Hedwig had sensed, Cotto tried on the other ring.

The change was immediate and unsettling. Hedwig's features shifted subtly, her bearing and mannerisms transforming as confusion clouded her eyes. Beside her, Cotto's form seemed to straighten, his usual hesitant demeanor replaced by one of noble bearing. They stared at their surroundings, then at each other, with growing bewilderment.

"Masra?" Cotto spoke, but his voice carried an unfamiliar aristocratic lilt. He was no longer Cotto, but Crown Prince Hubar of Estrega. And Hedwig... she was now Masra, a tavern dancer from the old capital, her Ahurian heritage evident in her transformed features.

"My prince," Masra responded, her voice carrying traces of an accent not her own. "What... where are we? This isn't our ship." She looked around, confused. "We were sailing away from Anasai, from your arranged marriage to Princess Karni. But this place..." Her voice trailed off as she tried to make sense of their surroundings.

Prince Hubar moved closer to her, his royal bearing at odds with Cotto's usual timid demeanor. "No, this isn't our ship. The one we took to escape." He paused, a gentle smile crossing his face. "I couldn't go through with it - marrying Karni when my heart belonged to you. A commoner. An Ahurian. The court would never understand, but I don't care." His voice softened as he reached for her hand.

Masra's eyes fell upon the white dress again, recognition dawning in her expression. "The dress you gave me. For our wedding. We were sailing to Raibon to start a new life, away from..."