The Communists presented the results of their research. The party did not have any immediate follow-up questions. The party then decided it was time to return to their keep, pick up a healer, and start hunting the goddess in earnest.

Edane, Oervind, Penluthien, Vis, and Aranethon teleported to Shalay to interview the locals. The locals recalled the arrival (“walking on the water” or “riding like a cloud over the water”) of a six-armed purple giantess and her human servants. She demanded veneration, threatened wrath to any who crossed her, cast a few high-level spells, and magically re-shaped the town-square boulder to resemble her symbol. She took a few scheming locals as servants, and marched back out to sea. A scattering of locals have left offerings at her stone every night since.

Aranethon called up a planar being and paid it to reshape the stone gradually over the course of the next week, eroding its link to the goddess. Hopefully, this will not attract her attention.

The party then set sail for the nearest island, using every trick at their disposal (sailing skill, magic, summoned elementals) to accelerate their transit.

At the first island, called Hanging Isle, they found timid and fearful residents (humans, humanoids, and Nguak duck-folk) who all seemed to be slaves escaped from nearby Hemp Isle. They were in rough shape, without farms or tools, living off the land in constant fear of press gangs from Hemp Isle. The party took pity on them, and spent a day curing disease, making shelter, conjuring food, crafting tools, and building a shrine to Amala. Aranethon asked to stay behind to coordinate the relief effort while the rest of the party continued on to Hemp Isle. Indigo Promise came in as a replacement.

The Hanging Isle residents gave the party what information they could about their former owners on Hemp Isle, but had little to add about the goddess. She seemed to consider them beneath her contempt, saying only that she would return and invite those with aspirations to join her crusade. She did not elaborate.

The party gathered in the pre-dawn to sail to Hemp Isle, anticipating a chilly (or openly hostile) reception from the lord of the plantation.