Atlantean Bronze - 6
Holgar's Journey
We stopped at the southern tip of the Italian peninsula for water and some hunting and gathering. We had gathered at the beach and were loading our supplies onto the ship just on nightfall as the tide came in. In the darkening East, something approached from the horizon, glowing. Not clear and clean like the moon, but softly in colours, like fungi on a rotting corpse.
We set sail, but it was clear this ship - for shiplike was its shape - would not fail to intercept us. So we hove around to come along side. As we did so, we could make out robed shapes on the prow, and rotting corpses manning the oars. At the rear stood the shriven form of the captain of the Phoenician ship we had killed less than a moon before, shrieking vengeful curses.
As we approached, Alexos cast a warding on me, and I leapt at the approaching ghost-ship, the enchantment on my sword carrying me the final distance to face the robed wraiths. Their long fingers could barely strike me through the ward, and what scratches did land I shrugged off in my battle fury, and took them to pieces.
The druid Kerinos focussed a beam of pure moonlight on the corpses, burning their cursed flesh and sending their spirits back to Hades. He then turned into a wolf and charged at the revenant of the Phoenician Captain. But the Captain struck him such a blow that his wolf form died, leaving him human again.
Osina was high on the mast, shooting into the fray, taking down dead things, weakening my wraiths and the revenant. Gianos and Alexos cast bolts of sound and light which shattered and burned the foe. Maya raced over to heal Kerinos, then became a lynx. I landed a blow on the Captain's throat, and the lynx leapt up and ripped his head right off.
Perhaps we should learn of this Captain's name, since he has decided to dedicate his afterlife to our doom.
Days later we sailed into a small island colony off the west of the land of Italy. Gianos remembered it as being a rather charming place full of hope and energy. But as we debarked, it was clear this had changed. Men in metal armour and helms walked in groups, watching farmers, dock workers and merchants who shrank away at their approach.
A visit to a drinking house was made, where we soon got our answers. The rich nobles had called for some soldiers to try and avert the commoners pushing for more say in how things were done; but the chief of those soldiers, after 'restoring order', had decided to stay and milk the colony of its riches instead of giving the power back to the nobles.
While the others talked to the people in the back of the inn, arranging a meeting with the local dissidents, I talked to the soldiers, and asked if I could join them. Having a man inside should be useful if we want to remove this despot.