Pirate's Cove

Today's journey started with a trip to the shrine of Spirituality. After meditating for three cycles, I was granted a vision. I am also now a three-quarter avatar. Since I was on the east side of Britannia, I replenished my stores of nightshade and mandrake root. My next goal was to buy two magic bows at 2000gp apiece. I took one of the ships docked near Britain and sailed to Buccaneer's Den. I sold two old non-magical bows and an axe to the arms shop during my visit too. Next stop, the shrine of honesty for a three-cycle meditation. I misjudged the location of the island and sailed too far east forcing me to double back, eventually arriving at the shrine. Upon completing my meditations, I was told that the second thing to do at the entrance to the Great Stygian Abyss was to read the Book of Truth.

Since I was already in the East, it made sense to sail for the isle of the abyss, not to enter, but to destroy the skull of Mondain. This would also remind me what the journey to the abyss would be like, and to smoothen the way for my next visit when I would actually enter the abyss. This requires me to clear the ships at Pirate's Cove. Perhaps it was a sign that pirates abounded in the seas as I captured another frigate off Verity Isle. I parked one ship at Moonglow and sailed the other ship south. Eventually I saw mountains to the east indicating I had arrived at the island. It was time to use the wheel of the H.M.S. cape to strengthen the hull of my ship. I can't help but think about the similarity between mountainous Mordor (from the Lord of the Rings) in the southeast of Middle Earth and the mountainous southeastern isle of the abyss in Britannia.

The entrance to the cove is on the west side of the isle. I waited for a favorable wind before sailing in as quickly as I could in an easterly direction. The pirate ships started to swarm around and surround me! There were only eight of them. For some reason, I thought there would be more.

After an exciting battle, six ships were under my control. I noticed that the pirate ships tended to be stern-heavy. I would quickly defeat the pirates at the front of the boat whereby Shamino would begin to board the pirate ship before the rogues were finally killed. It was now time to journey to the abyss.

While I remembered the lava from way back, I had forgotten about the poison. The entire party got poisoned but we doggedly made our way to the entrance of the abyss, through marsh and flame. At the entrance, I cast the evil Skull into the abyss. This was accompanied by peals of thunder!

We trudged our way back out to Pirate's Cove where Jaana, Iolo and myself cast cure spells on everyone. (Geoffrey had to be cured earlier because I was not sure he would make it out without dying. He managed to pass the marshes without getting re-poisoned.) After camp and rest by the ship, we were ready to exit the cove and sail back to see what Hawkwind thought of our recent acts. I had also given more gold to beggars in Moonglow and visited the healers to donate blood.

Hawkwind was pleased with our progress! He directed me to meditate for three cycles at the shrines of Compassion and Sacrifice. I should be able to achieve avatarhood in my next post. Then all that remains is the three-part key.

39785 moves. Cumulative playing time = 21.5 hours.