As evening descended and the Blue Oyster ship sailed further from the Ogre Mountains, Xian cast another locator spell. It was the penultimate spell, and they only had one piece of magic material left.
"They're headed north, near Savaran Island," reported the Quanas elf.
Suddenly, Dylan recalled something. "I heard the mercenaries talking to the priest about the golden desert," he said.
"Pharrah," Paliborn interjected.
Xian objected, "No, that can't be. They wouldn't be foolish enough to cross the Swamp Sea with a big ship like Blackened. They must have changed ships or have a different target."
Paliborn noticed that Captain Barb didn't comment about Xian's conclusion. The halfling took a step forward. "I must sound mad, but I've been having a recurring dream lately." he confessed.
Curious, everyone turned to Paliborn.
"I'm chasing a robed elf with a crossbow in a desert where a river of red blood flows. Allendra is there too, ahead of us, facing a red monolith. She enters a lake and drowns. Then I wake up to the sound of a crossbow."
Xian nodded, "It must mean something."
Captain Barb scoffed, "Nonsense!"
Paliborn continued, "I saw something unique in Allendra, something that sets her apart from the rest. Sandman thinks she's a psionic."
Captain Barb was irate, "Now it's clear why you care so much about this girl."
Paliborn retorted, "No, it's not like that. I have no pecuniary benefit in finding Allendra. I just want her to be free. You all have to understand, she's my friend. She is like a sister to me."
"It matters not whether we believe you, for my interest lies elsewhere," Captain Barb declared. "We cannot traverse the Swamp Sea, fraught as it is with narrow shallows and poisonous vapors, not to mention the colossal, bloodthirsty crocodiles that would rend our ship asunder with a single bite. Blast it all! Perhaps Barth could brave such a journey, but we cannot. It would be easier to chart a course for the Sea of Death."
Paliborn, certainly, was not convinced. "But both ships are alike, are they not? If he can navigate the treacherous waters, then surely you can too. What is it that troubles you so, Barb?"
"Nothing at all." replied the captain.
"Come on, Barb. You are hiding something." Paliborn insisted.
The captain reached for his canteen and took a swig of its aged contents. His throat burned, and he nearly choked on the liquid. His face flushed, and he held his arms close to his chest in a gesture of shame.
"The Blackened is no ordinary vessel," he muttered, his voice low and hesitant. The others exchanged bewildered glances, urging him to elaborate.
"Pray, share your tale with us, Barb," Paliborn urged.
And with that, the captain recounted the legend of the Blackened, a ship rumored to be cursed by dark magic and manned by a crew of undead marauders. The others listened in rapt attention, their minds filled with visions of ghostly apparitions and otherworldly horrors.
"'Tis no mere tale, but the truth," Captain Barb insisted. "I witnessed it all with my own two eyes, thirty years ago when Barth and I were Illinthia Knights. Both of us held the rank of vice-captain in our squadron. 'Twas during a perilous pursuit, as we sailed through the treacherous Sea of Mists, that tragedy befell us. We had two ships, you see. Barth served on the other, while I took the captain's post on ours after his untimely demise. That fateful night, Barth joined me for a drink, and we caroused like drunken fools. In our inebriated state, we neglected to keep watch, and our scouts slumbered as well. The next morn, the other ship was swallowed by a vortex of fog, and we could do naught but watch as our comrades perished before our very eyes. Barth blamed me in his heart, I know it, though we faced the aftermath together. We both renounced our knighthood and became sellswords, eking out a living in the perilous land of mercenaries."
The captain paused, his eyes clouded with memories. "Years later, a tempestuous storm wrecked our ship in the Sea of Death. Barth and I were the sole survivors, stranded on desolate cliffs with nary a morsel of sustenance. Days passed in agony, and death loomed closer with each passing moment. And then, as if by some twisted fate, a ship emerged from the impenetrable fog. It was the Blackened, a vessel shrouded in dark magic and brimming with a demonic aura. Despite my protests, Barth climbed aboard that cursed ship, never to be seen again. I heard unspeakable rumors of his grisly fate."
Paliborn listened intently, enraptured by the tale. "By the gods, that's a harrowing story," he remarked.
Captain Barb nodded solemnly. "Aye, all too real."
"How did you survive?" asked Xian.
"And as for how I survived, I was rescued by a mad wizard who appeared through a teleportation spell mere hours later. His name was Sandman, and I owe him a life, halfling. Without him, I would have surely perished."
"Most of us owe Sandman a life," interrupted the crystalline-voiced Galanadel elf, surprising everyone. Arvedas had just descended onto the deck for the first time that day, his determined gaze scanning the crew.
Paliborn couldn't help but think that the Galanadel elf must have grown tired of lurking in the bow mark. But Arvedas wasted no time in speaking up. "We shall repay our debt by aiding the halfling," he declared.
"Knight Dylan Branagh and I shall protect this ship from the swamp monsters," the Galanadel elf added with unwavering confidence, "while you, Captain, ensure our safe passage across the Swamp Sea."
With those words, the matter was settled. Everyone nodded respectfully and went back to their tasks. And when they reached the Swamp Sea a week later, their fears did not come to pass. Through a magical comprehension of a primitive tribe's language, Xian learned that a black ship had arrived days earlier and defeated a giant crocodile with its fearsome cargo of orcs and ogres.
The halfling could feel that they were getting closer to their target, as his nightmares grew more intense. He trusted the link he shared with Allendra, sensing her growing apprehension. And so, under his leadership, they pressed on.
The Blue Oyster made one final stop at Therru to restock. On that day, Xian cast her final locating spell, confirming that the ship was headed for Pharrahville Bridges. That night, Paliborn's dreams took on a new aspect. He saw boats lying abandoned on a beach of crimson sand, the jagged coastline resembling a gaping maw of razor-sharp teeth. It should have been a warning.
The next morning, Paliborn announced to the crew that they would be heading to the south coast of Pharrah Continent, despite the captain's objections. With no ports in sight, Pal described the secluded, deserted beach in vivid detail, promising that they would recognize it when they saw it. And after several days of combing through the southern shoreline, they finally came across the elusive cove. Captain Barb and his men would follow the ship, while Paliborn, Xian, Dylan, and Arvedas rowed to Serpent Mouth Bay.