Deacon met them all at the door to the Quarter deck. As soon as he opened the door, he could hear the two pirates bickering. Tibits and the other pirate were standing in front of the door to the captain’s quarters both pointing flintlock pistols at each other.
“Ok what now?” Deacon asked.
“You see, you mutinous barnacle, he did return.” Tibits said.
“Where are they?” Ralph asked.
“Sorry, gimme a sec.” Deacon said as he pushed his aura out to fill the space. The two pirates were revealed, and the three others gasped. The spirits were more solid than anything they’ve seen before only colored with deep whites and greens.
“So why are they any stronger?” Ralph asked confused.
“I think it has something to do with this place.” Deacon replied.
“We are cursed spirits. The captain’s will keeps us here. We just need this to end.” Answered Tibits.
“What makes you think they can change his mind? Its been hundreds of years.” Asked the second spirit lowering his pistol.
“We haven’t been able to bring him to his senses. Why not let them try?” Replied Tibits rubbing his forehead.
“Ok stop. Tell us about your captain before we go in there.” Deacon said.
“Well Captain Pete was the scourge of the seas. At least that’s what he wanted people to believe. He was always looking for his treasure and just wanted to keep his special powder recipe out of the hands of bickering lords and ladies. The sea called his name until the day he found this map and brought us all here. We started losing crew to the horrors of these islands. Once we realized the dead wouldn’t stay dead, he helped us build up that fortification. He needed to stall for his plan to work. He was buried in a bunch of beakers and smoke in there while we held off the drum beating natives and the zombies. If it weren’t for his powder, we wouldn’t have stood a chance. Then when he came out holding that pot of mushrooms, that’s when things got bad. The dissatisfied crew fractured and left this island. Spreading the mushrooms all over the deck kept the dead and shark natives away. We started burning our dead after that. He locked himself in his cabin then. Me thinks the drums drove the ones that left mad. We protected the food and rum we had but died after that ran out. All the while he stayed in his cabin.” Tibits explained while his form flickered in color from pale green to white back to pale green.
“Why didn’t you try to leave?” Asked Tantus.
“Loyalty, boy. Have you heard of it?” Tibits responded without looking at him.
“Well we put most of that together ourselves. It’s been several centuries since your ship went missing. Your crew has faded to legend. Let me see what can be done about your captain.” Deacon said striding forward to the door.
“I wouldn’t do that.” Said the nameless pirate. It didn’t stop Deacon as he grasped the doorknob which gave off fridged temperatures. With a quick twist and pull the door crumbled to ice chips at his feet revealing a small corpse flopped over a desk. The room itself had a thin sheet of nether ice all over it. On one side of the desk was barrel with no top and the other was cannon pointed at the door. Hovering over the cannon was an elongated white spirit whose legs at the waist melded into a tail that led back to a pin the body. Unfortunately, that spirit was trying to light the fuse. Deacon used Spectral Dash to close the distance between him and the spirit. As Black Powder Pete lunged for Deacon, he pulled the fuse out of the cannon. Together they slammed into the wall on the canon side of the cabin.
“Who dares interrupt Captain Pete unannounced in his cabin!” Screamed Pete with an elongated mouth long enough for Deacon to put his entire forearm in.
“Get the broach!” Deacon yelled while wrestling the spirt to the ground. Simultaneously Tantus erected a water shield between Deacon and the cannon. He hoped that would keep the two separated from the rest of the cabin. The shield flickered and died four seconds after he finished casting. Tantus just stood there with a dumb look on his face as Amanda pushed him aside visibly slowing down as she stepped into the room on her way to the desk. In the back of Deacon’s mind he knew it was because of all the nether energy in this room. Knowing he'd be the only one able to move normally in here he decided focusing on captain was his priority. If he could pull all the attention that might give them enough time to get the pin. At the same time the tortured soul of Captain Pete was digging his stretched-out fingers into Deacon’s flesh doing a considerable amount of damage. Deacon smashed an elbow into the captain’s face, and it rocked back having not felt pain since it could remember. It started howling enraged. That’s when the supports on the cannon snapped and the cannon ball rolled out from the now down turned device. Back in the doorway the two spirits dove for cover shortly followed by Tantus. Ralph just shook his head.
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“How’s it going Deacon? Need a hand?” Ralph asked from the door.
“No I’m fine. Just stand there and watch this out-of-control ghost tear into me. Figure out what needs to be done with pin!” Deacon answered back. Amanda pocketed the pin and hoisted the gnome body off of the desk.
“No! I must protect my crew!” Screeched the Pete as it tried to go towards Amanda but was caught in a choke hold by Deacon who brought it to the ground.
“If it’s a possessed object then you just need to bury the body.” Said Tantus from the hall getting nods from the two spirits. Tantus realized he was staring at two nimrods and pulled himself away from them.
“Get the body to me Amanda, I’ll take it from there. You two, do you have a barrel of salt?” Ralph asked. As soon as Amanda made it five feet from the door, all the objects in the room started swirling around in a whirlwind of junk. She was being battered from all directions before falling to the ground, dropping the body to protect herself. They all then heard some groaning from the ship itself. All the activity must have destabilized its position. The body slid right out the door as the ship listed to one side.
“Got it, oh god it stinks.” Ralph said picking up the diminutive corpse.
“Amanda, see if you can grab a pinch of that powder!” Deacon yelled really struggling to hold this ghost in place. He was amazed that it was even possible, but he guessed Nether Monks gonna Nether Monk. She nodded at him and crawled back to the barrel that was now knocked over spilling its contents on the rug.
“Don’t you dare!” screeched the ghost in Deacons arms. Upon reaching the powder she covered the pin in it and put it in her pocket so as not to drop it. Then she slid very slowly out the door under all the spinning broken junk. Deacon checked his party interface to see she was little under half health and suffering a slow condition.
“Ok fugly, time for a real fight.” Deacon said as he released one arm to repeatedly smash the ghost lower back. While it was clear his victim was feeling the strikes it showed no signs of slowing. He extended the claws on that hand and began raking its back. That seemed to make the form smaller, but its attention was still at the door. Then he heard a pop and sizzling sound from out in the hall. The spirit seemed to shrink in his arms turning from white to a pale green.
“Please release me. I’m of sound mind now.” Came the voice of a much calmer Captain Pete. Deacon couldn’t believe what he was hearing and seeing. The spirit took on a more normal ghostly appearance. Completely solid like the two ghost pirates he first met on the ship. He even had a little captains hat on. Deacon let him go.
“Sorry about all that, your Quartermaster asked us to help you.” Deacon responded as the ice in the room receded back to the Nether Plane. He also heard labored breaths coming from outside.
“Tibits was always a good and loyal crewman. I’m sorry to have failed him this badly. Them really.” Responded a sullen Captain Pete. Deacon didn’t know what to make of the new status quo. He still needed that map and some answers. Amanda called back to him from the other side of the doorway.
“Did that work?” She asked.
“Yes, he seems to have calmed down.” Deacon replied as he got up off the ground and made his way to the door. Outside he could see Amanda kneeling over some burnt up slag that was melting its way through the decking. Tantus and Ralph were struggling with a barrel that seemed to be very full. The body of the captain lay still in the corner. Deacon went down the deck to help them bracing himself against the wall since it was all tilted forward a bit. Once there, he knelt down and helped lift it with one hand.
“You two steady it, I’ll manage the weight.” Deacon said getting sneers from his compatriots. He thought he heard Ralph mumble something about showing off with no audience.
“Wait, if you bury me in salt I’ll move on to the next life. We should talk first.” Captain Pete said standing near his crew.
“That’s fine. Tell us about the totems and the map you found.” Deacon replied.
“There are three totems. One will stop Sumna from using her infernal dance. This one,” said the captain as an idol floated out from his cabin in the shape of a small drum with a pink rabbit attached to it, “will keep the music from harming you. Finally there is a third said to break her control over her minions. You will need all three to render her mortal. Only then will fighting her be an option. We didn’t find the other two before walls of discipline came crashing down. I hope you all fare better. The map was destroyed hundreds of years ago. That is how I know what I know. There will be three podiums the idols need to be placed on. Only once all are in place will her link to the deposed gods be severed.”
“Thank you. We now have two idols and I’m willing to bet the third is on that first island we landed on. If we hadn’t checked out the other islands, we definitely have run into a battle we couldn’t win.” Deacon said.
“That must be why we haven’t heard the drums since getting on the ship. It must cancel out the magic.” Tantus uttered in amazement while he inspected the drum.
“A request, if its not too much trouble?” Asked the captain.
“Sure, ask away.” Deacon said annoyed he was still here after learning what he needed to do.
“Bury me on the deck so I can watch the sun rise and fall. I was in that room forever and I’ve kept my sailors waiting long enough.” Said Captain Pete. Deacon looked at everyone else who seemed sympathetic to their plight. He leaned into the door jamb for stability with his back to the captains cabin. Deacon nodded an assent to all those gathered. Ralph and Tantus picked up the barrel and started moving as Amanda hauled the gnomish body up on her shoulder. The ghosts floated through the roof as Deacon righted himself, no one was left to notice the flap of his bag flop shut.
On the top deck of the Roaring Tempest they lay down the captains body. Deacon swiftly covered it with salt using his prodigious strength in concert with Polterheist to keep the salt from running through the boards. The team said their goodbyes as the captain and his two remaining sailors transitioned to the next world. As their spirits dissolved between dimensions a compass dropped at Deacons feet.
Quest Complete- Captain Man Cave Man- Bring Captain “Black Powder” Pete back to his senses. Grant him and his crew their long-awaited eternal rest. Rewards; Summoning compass of The Roaring Tempest. When activated the ghost ship of the Roaring Tempest will arrive to rain cannon fire upon your enemies. Can be activated once per day.