Chapter Five: Bapdis Orjo's Gift of Reconciliation

Domarc is happy to take the stage for a while, and performs the rowdiest songs he knows. He returns to the boat in the morning, a little bleary-eyed and unkempt.

Domarc wins over the staff and clientele alike at the Bitten Sail, and brings 19 silver in tips back to the barge.

The party quietly passes another day in Utwar. The next morning, just before dawn, Bagu shows up at the barge again. "All right! We're all set. Let's get going."

You follow him into the city, down to the beach, where he approaches three men standing next to a rowboat. One of them steps forward, a broad-chested, shirtless man with bronze skin and dark hair cut in the shape of an upturned bowl.

"Captain, your passengers," Bagu says to him. The man nods.

"I am Cornflower Ocean-Lover. That is my ship, the Swiftness of Camazotz." He points to a cog anchored in the bay, flying a red-and-black sail. "Come. We will leave at once." Without waiting for a reply, he turns and starts pushing the rowboat back into the water with his men.

Is this the man he met at the bar?

No, definitely not. This is the first time you've seen this guy.

Everybody getting in the rowboat?

He's not exactly the spitting image of a Jermal longboat captain from the old songs, but Felor can't see anything obviously delegitimizing about him.

The party gets into the rowboat. Cornflower's men take up the oars, and start rowing it out into the bay.

Once the boat is well offshore, Cornflower turns to look sternly at you all. "You truly wish to go to Vorch, all of you? This is your will? You are not under duress?"

Cornflower returns an absolutely stone-faced look to Mordred's claims about their trip to Vorch affecting the fate of the Werld. He is silent for a long moment before replying. "Vorch is a dangerous island. It does not want men to dwell upon it. It will set itself against you. That is the information I have. I will take you there, and fulfill the compact I have made with your broker. I will tarry there for seven days and nights. If you do not return within that time, I will believe you are dead and sail away. That is how I will assist you."

Casting a spell never carries zero risk of being noticed, but you can assume you can cast Detect Thoughts reasonably discreetly in most situations.

Cornflower's surface thoughts:

* these people are foolish
* is this weather going to get worse? my gut tells me the rains will strengthen but not enough to trouble us
* we should stop for provisions near Sood before venturing into the open sea
* Flat Snake is lazy, his laziness is becoming a problem for the rest of the crew, I must speak with him