Finally Some Sleep!

 Before we continued on, I crafted the ritual to identify the cloak the captain found. It turns out to give healing when in combat! I thought it would be particularly useful in preserving my magical energies for helping the rest of the crew, so I put it on. 

We continued exploring, and it didn't take long for the captain to find something in a pool. Unfortunately, it was guarded by something seemingly made of the water itself! Her lightning attacks seemed to damage it greatly, but also anything (or anyone!) in the water with it. It bashed Cole to unconsciousness and dropped him in the water in short order and the captain was forced to dive in and drag him out, while Ingrid hit him with a healing bullet. We soon defeated the odd creature and found a room in which to recuperate.

A couple hours after we lay down, an odd beast wandered nearby. Luckily, Ingrid and Sonica, not feeling the fatigue as much as the rest of us, were standing guard and were able to kill it. Though kill may not be the best word to use, for it turns out it wasn't a beast at all, but some sort of advanced automaton in a faux-beast skin.

After getting a full rest in, we continued exploring these ruins. Cole found some sort of lightning cage encasing a spear. He did some experimentation with his cane and the fake skin from the automaton, but it melted onto his hand. Not knowing what else to do, I tried bashing one of the pillars the lightning walls were arcing between. The "stop thinking and hit it" tactic turned out to be fruitful, and removing a pillar changed the arc pattern. Removing another left just one wall, and made retrieving the spear trivial (though I was careful to ensure I didn't trigger any sort of backlash). One identification ritual later and we are in possession of the Mirrorlight Piercer! Since she should be able to make the best use of it, I handed the spear to Ingrid.

All in all, a fairly eventful time, even while we rested! She is surely preparing us for some great deeds!

A Hard Lesson

 The thing ahead was indeed big and wormy. We dispatched it fairly quickly (with some lightning magic from the captain and Cole summoning a tiny cannon!). It was followed shortly by an even bigger version of itself. But we were able to deal with that as well.

As we wandered about, exploring this underground ruin, with the metal construction I expected, I found myself a bit smug, not having suffered even a scratch in today's battles. My distracted pride proved to be my undoing, as a spider dropped down and felled me where I stood. Thankfully, Cole and the captain were able to send it to its final rest and revive me besides. I will try to take this lesson to heart.

SHE Leads Me Forward!

 She spoke to me again!

Wait, I should begin earlier. In the wake of the battle and gaining a new companion for our quest, we went into Penreael proper on our own errands. Averyn, I understand went to the market. Cole and I found a library in which to conduct research. Though information on Gailatia (a name for pre-cataclysmic Zephria) is scarce, there are nuggets to find. Finding the right nuggets, and piecing them together properly will be the key. I'm sure of it. One such nugget I've yet to find a place for is metal. Metal, obviously, is not uncommon. I wear and carry probably sixty pounds or more myself. But one of the things I'm realizing in my studies is that it must have been far more plentiful in the time of wholeness. I find references to ships made of metal. Entire ships!

Anyway, one of the footnotes in the book I was reading made me think briefly of the earlier battle and the near certainty that more battles await us. I was suddenly struck with the thought that Cole and I were sequestered in a quiet library away from the rest of the crew and wouldn't even know if they were being accosted. With that in mind, I stopped on my way back to the ship to pick up some magical talismans that will allow us to communicate, as long as we are not too far from each other.

I awoke at dawn and began my morning prayers, as usual. Then my ears and mind were once again filled with Her beautiful, overwhelming Voice. I am not ashamed to say it brought tears to my eyes. "Seek answers at Gailatia's Ruin," she commanded. It took me some time to compose myself, but I believe I was presentable at breakfast when I relayed Her guidance.

Gailatia's Ruin, of course, is a park filled with ancient structures and exhibits to teach about the long-forgotten cultures of our world. But as we toured, it slowly dawned on me that one thing all these stone structures did not have was metal. Metal, which should have been far more abundant. If it was used to make ships, of all things, it had to have been used in the architecture! Perhaps these ruins are fakes -- mere replicas for unsuspecting tourists.Once I noticed that, I paid more attention to the gaps, the areas outside of the standard exhibit areas. Soon, Cole and I found a small metal cylinder jutting from a hillside. After fiddling with it for a few moments, we managed to push it in and it opened a hidden door! We gathered our compatriots, and leaving a watchful Sonica outside in a tree to watch our backs, headed into the dark. Luckily, some of my companions see far better in the dark than I, so the captain was able to call out a warning of a "big wormy thing" ahead. May She protect us.