Farewell Sailor #1. We Hardly Knew Ye

The day finally arrived. Time to set sail for the open sea. The companions gathered their belongings and met Horus and the other dwarves down at the docks.   With a snarling welcome, Captain Afar Bluefish ushered the group onto the Fleet Condor and the ship was soon underway.   Walker, slipping unseen to the lower decks to scout the ship, stumbled onto a whispered argument between Horus and the captain. Afar rebuffed the dwarf's complaints, impatiently explaining that despite what had been agreed upon, the coast was too rough to sail safely. Their course must take them to open sea. Sensing trouble brewing, Walker snuck away to gather his friends and report what he heard.   Meanwhile, Kiltan strolled on the upper deck. As he admired the work of the sailors, the druid caught several of the men giving him more than the once over, focusing on his weapon and armor. Unnerved by the attention, Kiltan rejoined his companions below deck in time to hear Walker's tale.   Agreeing that something was amiss, the party met the dwarves in their compartment and learned they too were worried over the course change. Moose chided Horus that perhaps he had not been careful enough in disguising their plans. The dwarves spoke of a mysterious foe named the Stormbound that would also be very interested in uncovering the ancient dwarven city.   Leaving the dwarves to argue among themselves, the party decided on a plan to force Afar back to land. Kiltan would call up a sea storm to cover Walker and Connacht as they sabotaged the ship's supplies. The spoilage would leave the Condor no choice but to head for land to resupply.   Back above deck, the druid cast his spell into the clouds, roiling up the sea while below, Walker and Connacht cut the lines securing the barrels of water and ale in the ship's hold.   As the crew rushed to bring the ship under control against the rough sea, Humperdink joined Kiltan at the railing. The minstrel spied a silhouette of a ship on the horizon, skirting the edge of Kiltan's storm and heading arrow straight for the Condor.   Afar burst onto the deck, bellowing orders to his men. Before Kiltan or Humperdink could react, one of the sailers pulled a hidden blade from his tunic and disemboweled the captain. Several of the other sailors revealed their own secreted weapons and the fight began.   Connacht ran onto the deck and squared off against one of the mutinous dogs while Kiltan parried with another. Humperdink, seeing Walker caught flatfooted againt the mutiny's leader, fired a sling stone into the back of the man's head, leaving poor Walker awash in brains and blood.   As Kiltan prepared to strike, Sailor #1, aghast after witnessing the explosion of his boss's head, decided the better part of valor was escape. With a leap, the man jumped over the railing and dove into the angry sea.   Bear emerged from the stairwell and climbed the rigging to the crow's nest to gain a better view of the approaching ship. "That be the Stormbound," the dwarf shouted over the howl of the wind. "Turn this bloody boat to land."