It wasn't long before night fell completely and the captain said you'd better get inside or he'd put you on watch the whole night, or just throw you over board. He wasn't very eloquent about it. The days passed much the same, and Darren was, surprisingly for a wizard, actually very talkative and upbeat. It was good at first, until you realised that the man could talk incessantly for hours without stopping. At all. Even if you asked. He even snores, as Brokk can attest to, despite sleeping in the next room. Somehow, his apprentice always seems fine, despite sleeping only a thin partition away, like those annoying people who just wake up and automatically look pretty. She tends to blush when she's around Fortune, and you suspect that she's never actually seen a real knight before. She usually remains with Darren, giving encouraging smiles to those unlucky enough to be trapped in his dialogue. It wasn't until about a week into the journey that things started to get interesting. The wind howled and rain hissed onto the deck, striking like pebbles. Waves at least 50 meters high rose and crashed down onto the ship, as if trying to batter it into the ocean with sheer force, and not a few sailors were swept screaming into the dark waters. The ship was tossed and thrown by the awesome might of the ocean, and even some of the sailors were losing their feet, and they were quickly eliminated by the cold cruelty of the sea. Your door bursts open suddenly, the Captain stands, dripping wet, in the doorway. "I don't care whether you paid one gold or a hundred for this trip, if you don't get up on that deck [i]now[/i] were all doomed!" He yells, before running to smash through the next doorway. As soon as you're on deck, you're pushed around by a frantic crew, desperately trying to keep this wooden tub afloat. It isn't long before the captain reappears on deck, and resumes his yelling and shouting. "Captain!" Yells the man who has, somehow, managed to cling onto the crows nest, "Long ship!" The Captain pulled out a thin metal tube telescope, pointing it in the direction the lookout had pointed. He then had a few more choice words. "How did they get stuck in a storm! I always said they weren't the sailors they were cracked up to be. They'll get swamped out there, try to take our ship to stay afloat." Darren chose this moment to emerge out onto the deck, his apprentice trailing demurely behind him, stumbling on the shifting floor. "Don't worry Captain, I'll deal with them." A fire ball appeared in his hand, and the Captain quickly jumped to stop him, "Are you mad? Fire? On board a ship?" "I assure you Captain, the fire is completely under my control. And besides, it doesn't look like much on this ship is capable of catching fire." "You think I care, wizard!" He spat the last word like a curse, "This is my ship, and you'll bloody well do as I say!" The tirade was in fact twice as long, with far more cursing, swearing and the like, but that was the gist. Darren looked hurt, but reluctantly put out the fire. His apprentice was standing close to the edge, staring out into the storm, her hair whipping around her head like a dark halo. "Alison, come away from there!" Cried Darren, just as the ship ground with a horrible, tearing sound of snapping wood and grinding stone, bucking and tipping with the impact. Alison fell screaming over the edge. "Alison!" For the first time, Darren seemed genuinely at a loss. He immediately tried to jump in after her, but the Captain violently interposed himself, "There's no way in hell I'm letting you kill yourself going after a dead girl, Helmsman, what was that!" (Again, paraphrasing) "We've hit rocks, Captain! There's no way we're outrunning that long ship!" Just as the Helmsman spoke, his words almost completely stolen by the roaring wind, lightning burst from the clouds, sizzling and crackling before striking the main mast with a loud boom. After recovering from the blinding flash, you stare with amazement at the mast. Lightning still crackles along the wooden beams, lighting the ship with an ethereal glow. "St Elmo's fire." Whispers the Captain. If you didn't hear it, don't worry, because the same cry goes up all over the ship. Some sailors throw themselves over board. Slowly, the Longship begins to turn towards the [i]Wellenbrecher[/i]. The Captain begins yelling orders, "You lot! Yes you! Go see what you can do about that hole in the boat! You! Gather some men, prepare to repel boarders! You! Ye-, why am I asking twice! Get down there and start bailing out! You, adventures!" He says, staring intently at you're group, "Make yourself useful!" Over the side, almost inaudible over the storm, you can hear the pitiful cries of the apprentice, Alison. She could still be saved.