Dwal

Dwal will nod in understanding. It will take a little time for him to prepare but once done he will coordinate the bodies of the slain to be bound in cloth. Dwal will then use Mending and Prestidigitation to stitch, bind and tighten the wrappings as needed. Once done he will say a prayer over each.  Once everything is prepared, by sunset Dwal will be ready to begin.
(If the Captain objects Dwal will tell him that for the Ceremony to be ready Dwal must prepare)
Dwal will have the slain arranged above deck, in a circle, and stand in the middle of the circle. Once everyone is assembled there Dwal will begin.

"MORADIN HEAR OUR PRAYERS FOR THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN SLAIN." Dwal will exclaim in a loud voice. "MUAMMAN DUATHAL, GOD OF THOSE WHO TRAVEL, HEAR OUR PRAYERS."
Dwal will pause for a moment then continue.
"Today we commend these fine dwarves to the place they loved, the sea. They died defending this ship from the evils of the depths and every dwarf brought Honor to his clan and his kin. We, the living, do honor your spirit and sacrifice." Again Dwal pauses.
"Moradin awaits ye at the Great Forge!" Dwal speaks to the spirits of the dwarves. (as he does so Dwal will cast Thaumaturgy and a bit of thunder will be heard, changing into the distant sound of a hammer striking an anvil will be heard)
"Muamman Duathal, guide these travelers to that Great Hall!" Dwal calls out. (Dwal will use Thaumaturgy again causing the sound of Lightning to be faintly heard (Muamman's symbol).
Dwal will then place his hand over the corpse of each dwarf and say a prayer in Dwarven, "Return Ilv Moradin's Bezmadan"* using Prestidigitation to leave Moradin's Rune on the cloth at the head of each corpse and a Lightning Bolt on the chest of each. (*Common translation-Return to Moradin's Forge)
Dwal will turn to the crew and say: "If'n ye have something to say on behalf of these lads that are gone, let it be said." Dwal says while tears well up in his eyes. 
Once any who wish to speak, speak, Dwal will direct those that are assigned to move the dead and guide them into the sea. Just before they do Dwal will use Thaumaturgy once more to call out "Ilv Moradin's Helgot!"* for each, raising his battle-axe high each time. (*Common Translation-To Moradin's Hall)

After the ceremony is completed Dwal will turn and walk to his companions. He will look at them, his face stern and set like stone, and says" "Once we are done with this damn errand, I am going to war with those devil fish!", his voice reflecting the hint of rage. Dwal will walk away to the end of the ship and stand looking out at the sea, hands clasp behind his back, petting Bjorn occassionally. 

Gerrard:

Waiting in respectful silence, Gerrard catches Dwal's comments afterwards and responds, "And we will be with you all the way, Brother Fiercehammer, as will the lizardfolk who wish to retake their home."  Looking over to Oceanus and then back to Dwal, he adds, "I wish we could have convinced Queen Othokent to reach out to the sea elves as well, but we will do what we must with what we have.  My blades are at your service, friend."

Dwal

Dwal waits a moment after Gerrard responds to his statement then says:
"This ain't about no lizards boy," Dwal says sharply. "This is about dwarves being killed while they was doing fer us. We owe them revenge fer the lives they sacrificed on this errand. Dwarves ain't the most repopulatin' race on tha' world and every Dwarven life lost is felt by tha entire race. I won't have them payin' the price without seeking retribution fer 'em and their kin."

Dwal pauses for a moment then tries to kick Gerrard in the shin.
Hit: 3
Damage: Na
"And another thing. If'n ye go and do some damned fool thing like rollin' around like some leaf in the wind, away from where ye can be healed or helped again,  I'll put me steel-tipped boots up yer backside fer a month of tendays." he says furiously. 
Dwal then turns to the rest of the group. "And the same goes fer the lot of ya's"
Dwal stamps off to his intended position, muttering to himself.
"Blasted youngin' thinkin' they can save that world and all they get is the pointy end o' a blade." 

Gerrard:

Deftly dodging Dwal's half-hearted attack, Gerrard retorts, "Of course it is about vengeance for the dwarves.  And putting down the murderers so they can't kill any more of us.  But the sea-devils have wronged the lizardfolk too, and you would be a fool to ignore their aid.  And YOU were the one who cried out during the battle to stop the baron from escaping, or have you so quickly forgotten that it was on your suggestion that I followed him up onto the deck?"

Dwal

Dwal ignores Gerrard's words and takes his spot he intended to take. He stands quiet, deep in thought.

Peri:

Peri observes the funeral for the fallen sailors as he prepares to take up the night watch. Outwardly he is somber and respectful, and he does feel some empathy for his fellow sailors lost at sea. But inside he is still seething over "his" lost ship. He has stewed on it the entire day. How he ran around like a fool to get refitting equipment and in the process might have endangered their mission by chattering to that snake, Wavechaser. He didn't care for the appraising look that weasel had given them when Aubrek's name came up. But of course the cat was out of the bag then, and he'd been so fixed on bringing in "his" ship that he hadn't really cared. Stupid! And really what had been the point of buying a blessing from that idiot acolyte if sahuagin were still able to board them? No, that wasn't really fair; it was still a good idea to pay off the sea god so he wouldn't send them a hurricane. But still it rankled.

As he skulked around, checking the sheets were set the way he liked -- gotta give these dwarves that; might not be much for fightin' but they do run a tight ship -- he overheard Gerrard and Dwal's testy exchange. The dwarf was being extra-surly after burying so many cousins, and the nobleman's naive earnestness seemed to have struck a nerve. When the dwarf snaps at them Peri is tempted to bark back, but decides to give it a miss. Their exchange has sparked something in his mind. Slowly over the next few hours he turns it over, until the pieces fall into place and it makes sense. It's the damned Fishheads who took his ship from him. He'd done all he could to make his dream real, and those scaly vermin had ruined it! He could resent the dwarves for failing to detect them sooner, or Procan for not keeping them away, but in the end it all came back to the sahuagin. They had stolen his ship, and they were going to get him a new one, if he had to skin every last one to pay for it! Yes, Dwal would get his vengeance, Gerrard would get his alliance, and Peri would get his ship. He supposed Kei could get quite a tale out of it, and never need to pay for a drink again. And the sahuagin would pay for all of it.

The captain and crew defer to Dwal's instruction. A few weakly offer memorials for the fallen during the ceremony. One of the older sailors sings a traditional shanty. All are moved by Dwal's pyrotechnics and impressed with his command of the proceedings.

The night ends quietly and somberly, with much private introspection. 

Kei 

For all his years crewing various ships, he'd never been attacked by these creatures. The ferocity of the attack left him a little awe struck. His admiration of their assault was soon put into perspective. Dwal had done an admirable job with the funeral proceedings. Even the selfish bard couldn't help but be moved by his words and magics. He had thought of adding to the display, but decided better of it. Let the man grieve in his way. 

Dwal's outburst left Kei slack-jawed. He was too far away to hear the exchange between Gerrard and the dwarf, but from Dwal's reaction, it wasn't good. In fact, the whole group was in disarray. Oceanus almost dead, Dwal kicking friends, Peri stewing like a pot of lamb. All of this from one attack by a group of fish. "DEATH TO THE SAHUAGIN!" He shouts at the top of his lungs. He knew not what else to do. This group had become family to him and he didn't want to see them infighting. Perhaps a united front would ease some tension. He hoped, anyway.

The next day brings calmer winds and a light snow. 

Oceanus admits that his people could never work with the lizardfolk if they were in allegiance with the koalinth - who are just as evil as the sahuagin, as far as the sea elves are concerned. But just as they were taking leave of the lizardfolk, he recalled learning that the koalinth had ultimately declined their invitation, in which case his people may well participate. Oceanus may need to take leave of this group after this next adventure to consult with his leadership further.

A call comes down from the crows nest. Vessel sighted ahead.

The captain soon confirms with his glass. "We found it," he announces. It's the shattered hulk of the derelict Emperor of the Waves. Your destination.

Windrune brings Soul of Winter within 500 feet of the derelict along its starboard side, close enough to make out its major external features. Its masts have been shorn off, but the upper deck appears clear of debris, as if whatever hit the ship was strong enough to carry off the masts, sails, and rigging. Its figurehead, once a majestic angel in flight, has been hacked and disfigured. Wolgar and his mate express amazement that the Emperor is still afloat.

Dwal

Dwal gathers his things, not putting his armor on because "I ain't wearing things to drown meself" he states. Dwal will wait for the rest of the group.
While waiting and looking over the vessel Dwal says "Don't make no sense that that thing ain't under that waves."

Peri:

Peri is roused from his bunk by the commotion on deck. His first thought is that the sahuagin have leapt from his dreams into reality, but quickly realizes their target has been sighted. He trudges up to the deck to get a look at the wreck. 

The first sight of her sends a shiver up his spine -- of dread or desire he's not sure. As they draw near he is perplexed by the state of the ship. Although she'll need all her masts and rigging replaced, everything from the rails down looks unharmed. Except the strangely disfigured figurehead -- disfigurehead? He scurries up to the topmast to get a look down on her deck, frustration twisting his heart at the sight of a serviceable ship there for the taking but for lack of hands to man her.

Peri peers at the wreck from the highest vantage point he can find. It's a large ship - somewhat longer and broader than the Soul of Winter.

He can see that the ship has suffered heavy damage across its upper decks, consistent with the effect of a typhoon or tidal wave. The vessel lists noticeably to port, evidence that the Emperor’s ballast has shifted, though the incline doesn’t appear severe enough to make moving around on deck hazardous. The ship rides low in the water, implying that the bilge and possibly even the lowest deck are flooded.

The captain also examines the ship through his glass from the deck. He strongly suspects the ship is likely to sink during the ten days or so it would take to tow it back to port. 

Gerrard:

Noting the disfigurement of the figurehead, Gerrard remarks, "Whatever did this sure didn't like angels".

To Dwal, he says as a gesture of reconciliation, "You are welcome to wear the Mariner's Scale armor if you like, Brother Fiercehammer...I can switch back to my leathers and be just fine, and in the scale armor you will move faster than any but Oceanus in the water."

Dwal

"Thank ye lad but nay. My Great Great Great Grandmother spent time with dragons and they imparted some of their essences to an already tough dwarf. She in turn passed that dragon essence to her family line, all the way down to me." Dwal says. "I may not wear armor but my skin is tough as studded leather armor."
Dwal holds up his arm and pulls the sleeve back on his shirt. His skin has a gold coloration to it and a few small scales here and there.
"Plus, I got me shield so that will help," he says with a smile.

The captain offers to ferry the party to the Emperor on a small skiff, piloted by a pair of his crew. They have ropes and grappling hooks to give you access to the main deck. The algae-slick hull of the ship lacks portholes or other large openings, making the main deck or quarterdeck the only apparent way inside.

The snow has stopped, although the sky is low and dark, and the swells are reasonably small.

Gerrard:

"So, are we ready to do this?" asks Gerrard with a determined look on his face, preparing to drop down into the skiff.

Kei 

Looking up the mast as he climbs the stairs to the main deck, Kei spies Peri nearly falling out of the crows nest. "Must've seen the ship" he mumbled to no one in particular. While the snow may have stopped, the glare was terrible. As he exits to he stairs he shields his eyes, letting them become accustomed to the bright light. 

He approaches the gunnel where the others are gathered. "Jeepers creepers, what happened to the Lady of the Ship?" He visibly recoils at the disfigurehead ((I like it)). "And you want me to save that?!" He shouts his question at Peri, hoping the halfling could hear him. Not waiting for a response, he turns towards Gerrard "Let's go nobleman." With a wide grin he gestures to the rail and mock bows to Gerrard, imitating a courtly pose.

Dwal

Dwal nods.
"Aye, I am ready as well.'

With that Dwal will head towards the skiff.

Peri:

Peri scurries back down the mast to the deck. When he overhears Windrune speculating about its imminent sinking he scoffs, "Been out here for years, dunno why she'd sink now. If her pumps work, and we can fix 'er list..." Seeing the ship appears to have rekindled his avarice, regardless of the impracticality of manning a second ship. "Captain Windrune, do you think you could send some archers aloft to provide some support should the ship be less empty than she appears? Maybe ready the ballista too."

He drops lightly down into the boat, fairly buzzing with excitement. He stands at the bow, leaning so far forward in eagerness as to nearly be the skiff's own figurehead. "Bring us around to the bow," he tells their rowers. "I want to get a good look at that angel."

The five of you climb into the skiff, the same one that brought you from Saltmarsh to the Soul of Winter. Oskar, the first mate, is again one of the two crewmembers prepared to row you across. But in this vast, grim ocean and broad, powerful swells, the skiff now looks tiny and lost.

Nevertheless they efficiently ferry you across the 500 or so feet to the edge of the hull, and then around to the bow. The figurehead looks intentionally vandalized by humanoid tools of some sort. The bow is crisscrossed with odd scrapes. (Peri: Nature check: 19)

Whatever caused it, it is not normal maritime wear nor collision damage. (The rest of you are welcome to roll, if you like.)

Oskar and his comrade will help you board with ropes and hooks, and will remain in the skiff until nightfall if necessary, prepared to pick you up. The Soul will remain at a distance, but will have both a ballista and a mangonel trained on the wreck, together with crossbowmen.

The Soul is off the starboard side of the wreck, which is listing to port. The whole vessel is low in the water. Oskar holds a grappling hook, ready to throw. "Where d'ye' want it?" he asks, looking up, studying his options.