Tarsakh 4

Tarsakh 4, 1370 (full moon):
    High = 65, Low = 45
    Light precipitation (up to 1/2" rain) starting @ 6:30pm
    Calm.
    Cloudy.

    Party talks to Lin about Maanamere's vampire employee.
    
    New longboats are collected from builder.
    Strength spells:
      Brogan +3 for 6 hrs
      Maanamere +8 for 8 hrs
      Henkles +4 for 5 hrs
      Denyae +5 for 5 hrs
      Brogan +8 for 5 hrs

    The party heads out to the Star Chaser and Maanamere calls all
    hands on deck and talks to the crew about the upcoming ceremony.
    His explanation that they will all need to leave the ship during
    the ceremony doesn't fully convince them, but there isn't a
    mutiny.  He then explains to the 2nd mate/bosun that he's being
    promoted to first mate and that he and some of the party are going
    to go "discuss" the organizational change with Ratac GreenRiver,
    the current first mate.  Again, this is met with considerable
    skepticism and nervousness, but no mutiny.  Some party members
    head down to the 1st mate's quarters with multiple spells prepared
    and attack him, reducing him to gas in one round.  Up above, the
    new first mate is informed that his promotion is official.

    The party keeps the crew on deck and searches the ship for any
    additional coffins left by Ratac.  Dexter, who stayed on the
    rowboat, assists with a Detect Undead but can't find him.
    The party realizes that he must be hiding among the balast, which
    would be enough to block the detection.  Everyone who can heads
    down to the balast area (hold?) and starts moving rocks looking
    for a coffin.  8 Eyedrops of the Enchantress are used as a
    precaution.  Eventually the coffin is found.

    When people started clearing rocks over the coffin, Ratac the
    vampire materialized beside Henkles and the fight resumed.  After
    many Magic Missiles and damage (mostly from Henkles) the
    vampire was slain.
      8500xp to Ag, Brogan, Darius, Denyae, Dexter, Henkles, Maanamere,
        Steve (played by Andre) and Tristan for a vampire

    Much holy water was applied to both coffins and they were exposed
    to the sun.  Ratac's room, coffin and person were looted:
        17sp, 42ep, 1gp, 7toals, 2 harbor moons, 2 100gp pearls
        Dagger, +1
        Sling, +1

    Maanamere searched his quarters, finding an attractive suit of
    captain's clothing.  A Detect Magic was also done, and
    it was discovered that the Captain's bed was magical.

    At sunset, the priests arrived from the House of the Moon and
    various party members manned the rowboats to take them to
    equidistant points arround the Star Chaser.  Maanamere ordered all
    hands to abandon ship and row well beyond the circle of priests.
    Henkles, Tristan, and Brogan stay on board to search the ship, but
    find nothing worth reporting.

    The ceremony went reasonably well, the only creature that came
    close was a swan, which someone chased off.  About halfway
    through, the zombies seemed to figure out that the ceremony would
    lift the curse and tried to row back to interfere, but the party
    was able to delay them until after it was all over.  Then
    Maanamere made assurances that they were still employed.

    The party headed back to Fair Winds and cautiously sent an
    Invisible gargoyle from the ring ahead to scout for
    Arcturagana.  Through the Gargoyle, Henkles could see a woman
    waiting on the front steps of Fair Winds.  They sent the gargoyle
    around the house to try to get the front, but he just attacked the
    gargoyle.  Henkles sent a second gargoyle, but there was only a
    swan on the lawn.  He tried to chase it off, but it didn't go far.
    When the gargoyle started to fly away, someone shot it in the back
    and Henkles dismissed it as well.  He sent a third gargoyle with a
    note for the vampire watching the house, who went around front and
    attacked the swan, who flew off.

    The swan tried to circle around and come up behind the party as
    they were heading through the tunnel to their street, but Dexter?
    was able to damage it enough to cause it to fly off.  Someone
    followed it and it disappeared into an alley.