Chapter Six: The Muster of Caltlikrath

The cowering deckhand -- you recall his name is Flat Snake -- takes a few tentative steps toward Domarc.

"No more bloodshed or burning," the half-orc says. "Let us help each other rescue our people who went overboard. Give us food and drink as you can spare, for some of ours are hungry. Do this and we will leave this water as friends, and remain so if we meet on other water." She hesitates, glancing around the deck. "We will want to recover as many of our arrows as we can, as well."

"None needed to die!" the half-orc snaps. "You set our ship ablaze! More of our brothers and sisters die even as we speak!"

It's true; you can hear the screams of those burning alive in the flame-engulfed longboat off the starboard side. The half-orc raises her arm and the archers on the other longboat draw their bows again and hold them at the ready.

"Give us what we need to survive, and let us part as equals."

Edit: Sorry, you have no idea who the Mournful Mother is.

Flat Snake does not answer, for as soon as you pose the question to him be begins sobbing uncontrollably.

Domarc sighs, and claps Flat Snake on the shoulder. He turns back to the Half-Orc woman.

"What does your friendship mean? Is it just safe passage, or a promise to render aid when needed, is what I am asking. And on which waters might we expect to find you/"

The half-orc casts a look back at the most distant longboat and sighs. "We go where we go. If we meet again we will leave you to your water, and keep to ours."

Given that you're suddenly down a few crew members, you could spare some provisions and still make it back to Utwar without stopping to resupply.

"Mournful Mother," she corrects Domarc as she shakes his hand.

The third longship keeps its distance while the men overboard are rescued and the provisions are loaded. The fireballed longship is a total loss, sinking soon after its mast collapses.

When all is done, you recover four crewmen from the ocean and find two hiding below deck. Felor is able to save the wounded man on the railing with a cure wounds spell, and he is able to identify the crewman who died throwing off the boarding ramp as the first mate. That leaves just one crewman unaccounted for, presumably drowned, and eight survivors aboard the ship.

The remaining crew is quite shaken by the loss of their captain, in whom they placed great trust and loyalty, and there seems to be some open anger and resentment towards the boatswain and deckhand who hid when the pirates approached. While the longships of the Mournful Mother make a swift retreat southward, the Swiftness of Camazotz remains still in the open sea. The crew seem undecided as to who should take the helm now, and have been debating their next course of action in their native language, leaving the party somewhat excluded.