Brew Me Below Deck

Year, Season, Month, Days: 5990 F.Y. Frinle, Novulu 18-20

The party took time to catch up with Ruth and Han, witnessing Ruth as she trained Han on using a blowgun, including loading darts into his blowgun setup with his tongue—a skill he mastered quite well. Though the adventure proved unremarkable, they did arrive at Corkis Lake. Ruth dutifully performed her mayoral duties and acquainted the rescued Samsarans with Corkis. Despite this, there was still no evidence of her husband, a fact that seemed to leave her mostly unbothered.

Molly rushed upstairs to construct a small awning for Han’s sun protection. Sweaty and panting, she bolted back downstairs, deflecting concern from Tektun and rationalizing her murder victims to Han and Ruth. Molly and Felicity bombarded LaMer with questions about Tektun’s coffee, this also included Felicity’s attempt to edit the contract secretly in plain sight.

Deciding that the ship needed a barista, Molly went topside to fish. There, she encountered a large, burly crewmember with a distinctive voice. Molly was immediately dismissive until she learned his name—Bubba—from Irving. Irving, seemingly oblivious to Bubba’s voice, did talk about a large scar on Bubba’s chest and mentioned that Bubba was an accomplished singer.

Choosing to be direct, Molly inquired about the scar on Bubba’s chest, a result of an accidental wound from an unsheathed sword during a lift with the Royal Ballet. Further conversation revealed Bubba’s interest in a relationship with the cook. To facilitate this relationship, Molly suggested that Bubba become the ship’s barista and workshopped the name, settling on “Brew Me Below Deck.” After stating there was a machine to help, and immediately being asked when there was nothing at all that would fill the description, Molly set to work designing a pour-over coffee system and bean grinder, with future plans to create a pressure-based coffee system beyond her current capacity.

Meanwhile, Felicity decided to take the helm and improve her map, conflating several continents and drawing a non-existent land bridge. She neglected to remember that they crossed an ocean, as per her flipped map of Talia to Homun. Ruth commented only on missing elements, not acknowledging the unique perspective Felicity held via her map.

Molly spent her time setting up a coffee bar and introduced the cook, Heddy, to Bubba. Heddy agreed to name her mess hall “Breakfast and Heddy” to keep with the theme. Molly talked up Bubba and interrupted him to hide his high-pitched voice. Heddy called her out for being rude, and Molly left after vaguely threatening the destruction of the ship due to their unpredictable nature.

Enjoying her regained captain position, Felicity took note of Ruth and Han’s friendship, including his slow success at learning Samsaran. Tektun brewed the party’s potions on the journey, using the party’s gold to replenish supplies at the next port.

Felicity noticed the Forest of Bounty portside, with many fruiting trees and herbs. The coastline was surrounded by a rocky shoal, but the quartet set off via dinghy to retrieve what they could. Molly, reluctantly, attempted to row the boat, damaging an oar in the process before pressuring Felicity to row as the athletic member of the group.

While rowing the boat, Felicity noticed a Vanara, a monkey-like humanoid with cream-colored fur, on the shore attempting to get their attention. Looking behind them, Felicity saw a shadow moving beneath the boat and a finned tail disappearing beneath the waves. The party engaged the sea drake, Felicity sailing the dinghy to shore, avoiding rocks while Molly flew above the ship and bombed them, including a well-aimed throat shot to prevent it from calling for help.

The Vanara, Brielle, ran off into the forest, advising the party that the family of the sea drake might notice the blood or come searching. However, she did state that the drake’s scales could have great value. Molly found a Periapt of Health somewhere on the creature, which she gave to Felicity. The party convinced Han he had a jawline with the necklace of ears. After collecting a packful of nodule berries, the party considered the value of the sea drake and the time that would be spent skinning. The duo decided to take it back to the ship via a casting of Water Walk by Tektun.

Halfway through hauling the carcass, the party encountered another sea drake. Felicity intimidated the creature and prevented another fight. The ship’s crew butchered the drake and skinned the creature over the next couple of days.