Winedark, Chapter Four
General Summary
Wherein the Vastblasters meet with the Sea Sibyl, explore Awa Harbor, and retrieve an ancient and powerful artifact, despite all odds.
An Audience with Loshi Saltbloom
When last we left our heroes, they were face-to-face with probably the most politically powerful single individual in the Drembari Isles, Loshi Saltbloom, the Waterspeaker of Bragaki and Sea Sibyl of the Isles. Water wasted no time in reciting the words that Lita asked of them, telling the Sibyl that "At last, the lovelorn lingers solace" and presenting her with the scroll entrusted to them by Lita. Despite her best efforts at maintaining a stoic countenance, Saltbloom seemed deeply distressed by this encounter. The rest of the Vastblasters filled in the Sea Sibyl about both the barrel situation in Kalope and the wreck of the Eelsnap. A gang of motley sailors conversing with the Sibyl began to draw much attention in the hallowed corridors of the Gathering Hall, so Saltbloom asked our adventurers to enjoy her hospitality at an inn in Bluebud called The Filthy Horn, and to present the owner, a fastidious gnome called Xobias Dappleheart, with her seal. With that, she rather unceremoniously ushered them out of her office. All except Water, that is. She asked to converse further with Water about the specific nature of the Eelsnap's destruction, and what, if any, information they could provide about Lita. Unfortunately, Water had no more insight to offer. Disheartened, the Sibyl asked Water to inform their fellow crewmates that she will meet with them in the Horn this evening.Exploring Awa Harbor
After relaying that message, Water and the rest of the Blasters found themselves with some time to kill. Pitch, as captain, decided to restock supplies, using some of the gold that Saltbloom provided to do so. They found a full month's worth of pickled Algaesmosh, tvelk, and other provisions for their future endeavors. Nice! Also, they located a really badass signal whistle. Kharlo Chondricht decided to check the crew into their lodgings at the Horn. A brief conversation with Dappleheart resulted in the gnome escorting Kharlo to a well-appointed suite of rooms. Disappointingly, room service was apparently not included in Saltbloom's retainer. Luckily, our Selachii] friend had other ways to convince poor Dappleheart--namely, a lot of teeth. Soon, Kharlo's cup runneth over with all kinds of gourmet meals delivered right to his room, including a delectable fish steak that he is certain he can recreate in the VastBlaster's galley. Having gorged himself, he spent the rest of the evening listening to gossip in the common room and overheard some interesting tidbits about a contest called Otuna's Favor and the sponsored crews from Kalope (The Bountiful Harvest, captained by Paddler) and Bragaki (Puppenscub, captained by Dirk Nistay). Wonder what that all means? Kasula Neristina and Water set out together in search of herbs and fire fruit. Their first stop was Milik's Ocean, operated by the apparently ancient Milik. Here, Kasula filled her pouches with plentiful purple Vastbloom and also bought a jar of Burnsalve ointment. Water's search took them to a shop called Burnt Books, operated by Hammish, a goblin who both enjoys books and brewing. Luckily, Hammish had some fire fruit and sold Water enough for quite a few bottles of Sacrament. Water did their level best not to be horribly offended by the brewing sacrilege happening in the bookshop's basement. Having defeated the downtime boss, our crew rejoined in the Filthy Horn and were promptly summoned to their rooms to meet with a disguised Saltbloom.Otuna's Favor
Saltbloom, now confident that she could speak more openly away from the prying eyes and ears of the Gathering Hall, informed the Blasters that she is calling the Gathering to announce an iteration of Otuna's Favor, a cultural contest that seeks to both honor the past of the Isles and provide guidance and structure for its future. The Favor has been called for various reasons throughout the years--to avoid escalating conflicts, to promote unity, to uncover and explore the unrecorded history of the Isles. This time, however, Saltbloom is calling the contest to ensure the survival of the Isles against the presence of an ancient threat--whatever is lurking in The Vast. And she needs the Blasters help. It turns out that Lita was Saltbloom's sister, and the note she left Water was simple--it read: The Unknown Rises. Trust Water. Saltbloom believes that Otuna herself has guided these survivors of sure destruction to her and intends to use them to guide the future of the Isles, namely through their entry into Otuna's Favor. But there's a slight hiccup--all the sponsored crews have already been chosen and the Sea Sibyl is unable to sponsor a crew herself due to perceptions of favoritism. There is an option, though--a rarely invoked clause called Otuna's Entry, awarded by acclamation to a crew whose deeds exhibit the favor of the Matron of the Vast. To do that, the Blasters need to get a head start on the objectives of Otuna's Favor--namely, the location and retrieval of various parts of an ancient weapon, something called the "Instrument." Saltbloom has the inside scoop on where one of these parts might be, but doesn't know who guards it, or what exactly it is. She provided this information to our crew in utmost secrecy--her involvement in this cannot be known, but the risk is worth it. The Blasters quickly agreed to retrieve it and undertake Otuna's Favor, for glory, for the Isles, and for the handsome rewards.Need to See Some Hags About Some Rope
The Instrument's part is rumored to be located just up the river Nemmik, in some cave that used to be part of an ancient culture or community or something (the translated fragments are a bit unclear about all this). So, our heroes headed that directly. What they found in that cave were some goddamn giant spiders and an ettercap guiding said spiders. Stumbling into this trap, the Blasters were faced with some difficult combat but managed to overcome the threats. Moving forward (and down), our sailors found themselves in a collapsing temple, water rushing underneath them, and faced down some skeletons that were rather quickly dispatched. These skeletons seemed to be holding three figures prisoner with the aid of a majestic cord of coral and obsidian. But, it turns out that these prisoners weren't prisoners at all, but rather a coven of hags using the powers of what is clearly the Instrument's Line for their own. So, battle commenced. It was a brutal fight--the toughest the Blasters have yet seen--but, eventually, the hags were defeated and the Instrument's Line was reclaimed. Now all that remains is to secure the Line, head back to Awa Harbor, and present it at the Gathering to become Otuna's Entry. Simple, right?And That's Where We Left It
We'll see how simple that all is during our next session.Character(s) interacted with
- Loshi Saltbloom, Sea Sibyl of the Isles
- Xobias Dappleheart, proprietor of the Filthy Horn, a very clean tavern and inn.
- Milik, a very old man and owner of Milik's Ocean
- Hammish, goblin bookseller and brewing enthusiast, operates Burnt Books
Notes
From "Reclaiming the Line of the Instrument"
A chain, made of intricate blue coral and blackest obsidian, somehow impossibly woven together, spiderwebs around this area, darting and winding between the crumbling pillars. There is an energy both familiar and unnerving at once, like the taste of blood in your mouth from an unknown animal. As you approach the chain, and the figures imprisoned by it, your teeth ache and your bones feel like sponges saturated with saltwater. The tallest prisoner, a man with greasy black hair, calls to you weakly. “Please, save us!”
A chain, made of intricate blue coral and blackest obsidian, somehow impossibly woven together, spiderwebs around this area, darting and winding between the crumbling pillars. There is an energy both familiar and unnerving at once, like the taste of blood in your mouth from an unknown animal. As you approach the chain, and the figures imprisoned by it, your teeth ache and your bones feel like sponges saturated with saltwater. The tallest prisoner, a man with greasy black hair, calls to you weakly. “Please, save us!”
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