The session begins with the party waking up in a marshy clearing on a small island, approximately 5-10 miles square, following the banishment of the demon Makalo (the Demon of Surprise). The party realizes the dark carnival was an illusion. Nebish flies up and determines that the main continent lies to the south, though the boat is not immediately visible.

The trek through the mangrove swamp is arduous:

• Everyone makes Constitution checks with the Gatling gun in tow (Mickle had successfully retrieved it before the carnival vanished).
• Mickle is the only one to emerge unscathed; others take 5 points of slashing damage from the rough brush.
• All rations spoil during the trek, with the exception of Grundel's.

The party reaches the beach and finds the Sloop Dogg. The hired crew, Ormus and Gil, have made significant progress, leaving the ship approximately 70% repaired. The Dragon Turtle shell remains lashed to the hull.

While repairs continue:

• Nebish and Grundel consume Potions of Flying and Swiftness to scout the island.
• Mickle spends his time finishing Lofta 3.0. This new version of his homunculus is built from scraps and powered by a blue sapphire eye which glows under shard light.
• The party discusses their next move, ultimately deciding to set sail toward the east while continuing repairs en route.

During their scouting, Nebish and Grundel find a small cabin with white smoke. Inside, they discover tiny furniture scaled for someone larger than a gnome but smaller than a human. Nearby, they find a massive Bugbear caught in a large trap.

After a brief interaction, the creature reverts into its true form: a disheveled halfling hunter named Belos. He reveals he has lived on the island for ten years and warns the party of a “darkness” coming from the east. After a meal of “amazing” stew, the party returns to the ship to depart.

The party sets sail, naming the ship's motor “Siri”. During the journey:

• Blu crafts 12 Holy Bullets by engraving wings into rounds and filling them with holy water.
• Mickle and others use Mending and fire magic to rebuild Grundel's shattered wrench, the “Big-ass Crescent Wrench.” It is now a jagged, welded weapon dealing slashing damage.
• Nebish assists in mounting the Gatling gun to the front of the boat.

As the journey continues, Mickle becomes obsessed with “optimizing” Siri. Believing the recently enchanted Shardisite propeller is under-performing, he begins tinkering with the engine's hydrogas-mix—a dangerous habit previously established during his attempts to “huff” hydrogas and siphon fuel into his Bag of Holding.

While attempting to bypass a pressure valve, Mickle inadvertently triggers a catastrophic “Shard-surge event.” The engine emits a high-pitched, metallic shriek, and the Shardisite core flares with a blinding, toxic emerald light. The Sloop Dogg is violently jerked as a localized rupture in reality swallows the ship.

Following the disorienting transition, the party emerges on the other side into a picturesque landscape of rolling green hills. Scanning the horizon, they spot a massive sprawling city on a coastline coast which Grundel identifies as Gorgon, the “capital of Nepal”.

The party docks at a major gantry (docking tower). They pay 400 gold for spare fuel, 200 gold to fill their tanks, and a 20 gold-per-day docking fee.

In the city:

• Mickle utilizes Comprehend Languages to read the first chapter of his Tome of Stories of Legendary Weapons, discovering the legend of the Norse sword Tyrefin.
• The party visits an Exotic Carcass Dealer. They strike a deal to trade half of the Dragon Turtle shell and 50 gold for four Flail Snail shells, which provide illumination when rubbed.
• The dealer informs them of a Neolithid—a gargantuan, psychic-oriented “big worm”—living in the sewers. The creature has been taking the local homeless population, and the dealer offers “thousands upon thousands” of gold for its carcass.

The session ends with the party returning to the Sloop Dogg to rest and prepare for their hunt in the sewers of Gorgon.