Another leapfrog across the pond on their trip to New Unswich, the party spends some time replenishing their supplies on what they thought to be an uninhabited island.
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Ella, wishing to block the happy thoughts of her "sister", decided to put up a mental block between the two. She didn't want to go through the previous experience again. Rispah, however, detected the break almost immediately and went into complete meltdown. Most of the trip to the next resource gathering locale consisted of high-pitched wailing and squees of "My sister doesn't love me!"
Bristol, tired of the depression everyone had slipped into, and with good intentions, decided it would be an epic cheering-up if he could track down a bear and kill it for Rispah. The rat would be very happy for the gift!
After some time, he was able to find a bear that was rooting through some berry bushes. A rather LARGE bear. But, be as it may, Bristol attacked the beast anyway.
That.Was.Not.The.Best.Idea.
Bristol called for help and the party answered, however, when everyone showed up, the bear (who goes by the name of Babe) called for his friend's help. Paul, the ogre, was not very happy to see his best friend under attack.
Now, you see, ogres may be uncivilized at times, but they're not all that bad. At least when they're not forced to fight for their freedom in an arena.
Paul had to fight for his freedom...from an arena. And Babe was a long-standing rival and friend from those days. And there were people attacking his friend.
Rispah, knowing the name of the bear and understanding the bear's language, immediately healed him after she'd healed Bristol. Squiggy, who also understood the bear's cry for help, set his wolf companion upon Bristol in order to keep the eladrin from attacking the bear any further.
After a tense situation, Rispah was able to give her self-help speech, and the party was able to appease Paul (and Babe). The task: Gather three times the amount of berries that a bear would normally eat. The gatherer: Bristol.
Paul (who had a bunyan on his foot--consequently healed by Squiggy) was impressed with Bristol's integrity at completing the task. He offered directions to a nearby stream that had a good supply of salmon.
The two retired gladiators went back to their "house" (if you could call a cave with a portcullis a house) and left the party to their own designs.
After gathering more food, the group sailed the remainder of the way to New Unswich where they may have started the first airship shuttle in the area. Ella carted Bristol back to the airship with a fierce ear-lock, getting him to promise not to speak again until the party reached new Unswich.
Will Talek allow his ship to be used for merchant business? Will Ella find her mother or get in touch with her fiance? Will Katcy return to her sparok husband? Or will Bobo finally find some leads to the black market?
Only time will tell.
