The mood aboard the Sea Ghost is tense. On the docks of the Third House, Prempress Cambion has just ordered Prince Zymaan and Grim to be taken into custody and sent to something called the Citadel of Hate. To the crew’s surprise, Prince Zymaan surrenders himself into custody. To their even greater surprise, Grim eventually does too.
To be fair, the situation feels futile. The docks are teeming with elite soldiers who are completely loyal to their House, and right now it feels like Prempress Cambion alone could smite them all with pure rage. Even Janaar is impressed at the well of anger she appears to have tapped.
When Prempress Cambion orders the Sea Ghost to be searched and seized, the mood aboard the Sea Ghost grows even more tense. The crew has gone from voyeurs to the spectacle to part of the spectacle.
Foul Fritoff, the Quartermaster aboard the ship since the days of Captain Sigurd Snake Eyes, curses loudly when he hears the news. He continues to curse a blue streak all the way from the hold where he was, to the foredeck where Captain Janaar Stormwind is.
“Captain,” he declares when he arrives. “Phucking terrible news there, Captain,” he spits. “Gawdawful, shit in your cup news…”
Janaar gives him a look that asks him to please get to the point quickly. Seeing that Captain Stormwind does not understand, he explains.
“Ya can’t let them devil phuckers on the ship, sir,” he starts. “We’re all cornholed like a boy hooker if ya do.” He nods, certain of what he has just said.
Janaar shakes his head in growing frustration and goes to wave him off but Foul Fritoff spits the rest out just in time. “We gots devil weed in the hold, sir. Had it a long time. But it’s a capital offense to have that shit here, sir. Gawdamn trivia question it is, but there ya have it. The one devil-besotted place ya can’t have it.” He drags his thumb across his neck for added effect.
Lord Ash corrals nearby crew members away from the conversation in an effort to maintain crew morale.
Overhearing the conversation, Ryparin leans over to Proxen. “Do you think you could navigate us out of this place? As in, use the mast to plane shift us out of here?”
Proxen considers the question. He might be able to take them back to ThunderRock, or the Azure Sea… or maybe the One Tree which on some level he feels calling him.
“Navigate, sure,” he answers, “but we drained the mast getting here. It will need a complete refuel of mana.”
Ryparin smiles. Ever since Alandra de Winter blessed him and he regained his memories, he has felt significantly richer in mana.
Kildrak also declares that he has two remaining jugs of green mana from the demi-monde he could contribute.
Time is short and soon everyone is looking at Janaar as Captain of the ship to decide what they should do.