The Resurrection of Oscomb Inchgood

They had been traveling for about a week since they met Mabel in Gravesmere. The clock never stops, but they were finally here a mile out from the Cheerless Coast on a boat owned by Tolvig's family. Harlow, Kosk, Mabel, Tolvig, and Vilnithari all stood on the deck surrounding the body of Oscomb Inchgood.

"This is a pretty crazy plan, Tolvig," Mabel confessed

"I really think we should've gone back to the Sanctum," Harlow stated.

"No!" Tolvig declared. "I accidentally killed this little guy, and I'll get him back."

Vilnathari was swaddling Lizardfolk eggs. "Let's just get it over with. I have spores to eat."

"Everybody to the back," Tolvig says preparing some sort of ritual over Oscomb's body. "It's about to get bumpy."

Harlow and Mabel look nervous as the sky gets stormier. "Praise Valkur!" Tolvig shouts as he finishes the ritual. The dark sky generates a quick bolt of lightning that strikes Oscomb's body. A thunderclap reverberates across the ship. The ship begins to toss in the wake of the waves. The body remains dormant.

"Praise Valkur!" Tolvig repeats. Water floods the ship as another bolt of lightning slams into the Gnome's corpse. Vilnathari and Kosk, trying to keep the eggs dry, load onto a lifeboat. Mabel tosses Vilnathari her book. "Keep that dry too!" Mabel screams over the waves. Vilnathari catches the book and puts it into an inner pocket on his cloak. The Gnome remains dead.

Harlow and Mabel step towards Tolvig, as Vilnathari and Kosk paddle away. "You're going to destroy your ship if you do it again," Harlow explained. "Let's just hurry him to the Sanctum."

"I said no, Harlow," Tolvig repeated.

"You're going to burn the body before we ever figure out how to fix the Time Machine," Mabel explains. Waves crash all around them, the sun blotted out by the clouds.

"No, I'm going to save him," Tolvig said, as salty sea water splashed his face.

"You're forcing my hand, Tolvig. I hope you're ready for Lycan Subskrybe!" Mabel screamed as her body was horribly contorted by her Lycan transformation.

Tolvig stared into the Lycan's beastial eye. "Praise Valkur!" Tolvig shouted as he stomped on the boat. Lightning struck the boat, which splintered into two large pieces. Harlow jumped across the gap, scooping up Oscomb's body and jumping into another lifeboat.

Lycan and Tolvig battled on the sinking splintered pieces of the boat. Tolvig swings his Warhammer down at the Werewolf, angry at her lack of faith in Valkur. Deep down inside Mabel is angry at Tolvig's refusal to give up on the gods who had been killed long ago by the Wizard-King. However, her anger now was more primal. She was monstrous and they were battling. Little else mattered.

They continued to battle even as Harlow called to them. He called three times, but they battled on ignoring Harlow and ignoring the riptide forming under the broken boat. Vilnathari, several feet from the shore, watched as his two allies battled each other.

Vilnathari made himself loud. "Hey, idiots! It worked. The Gnome is back."

Lycan and Tolvig look over to Harlow who was holding a confused gnome, and paddling his lifeboat away as fast as he could. Tolvig looked at Lycan. Lycan looked at Tolvig. They both looked extremely embarrassed for a moment, before running and leaping onto Harlow's rowboat.

Oscomb looked at Tolvig as he landed on the boat. "You killed me," the Gnome stated.

"It was an accident. Kinda your fault actually. It was your Time Machine," Tolvig said, trying to push the blame onto the victim.

"It's only kind of mine, actually," Oscomb revealed.

"We just hope you can fix it," Mabel said, as her large Lycanthrope form shrunk back down into the frailer, friendly form of an elderly scribe.

"We need the Tarkeltool first," Oscomb replied.

"A Tarkel what?" Tolvig asked.