The "Meet"
The sounds of crashing waves and seagulls screeching awaken four people in the hold of a ship. Four people who never met, but immediately feel connected by this dire situation. They try to connect some dots as to who is who and what got them here, they also try to discern what is in the hold and if there is any chance of escape.
In doing so, they find out they all share the same birthmark. Probably the first piece of a puzzle they are meant to put together in unison.
In the middle of the room stands a big table with some documents, but they are out of reach. In the corner next to the door there are also two big trunks with unknown contents. Hopes are this is the gear they had on them before being brought aboard.
In an effort to be freed of their chains, the bulkiest of the lot starts pulling on them. Whilst failing to remove them from the hold, a pirate enters to see what all the ruckus is about. After failing to convince him to free them, Vidar manages to grab the man from behind after Xavius taunted him to get him closer. A quick snap of a neck was eventually all that was needed to get the key to freedom. Our party quickly frees each other and rushes over to the trunks and the table. Here they find their gear, a letter regarding their capture, and a map to an island (but not the one mentioned in the letter). After trying the door out of the hold two more guards enter the room. Unfortunately for them our party now have two very big advantages; their freedom and their gear. Without any effort they make short work of them. In the meantime, they can feel the ship slowly docking. In a room upstairs they find a small child, unwilling to speak. The party decides to take him with them to look after him. Slowly and sneaky they make their way off the ship, not encountering any more pirates as they go. They can see this is a small island, and judging by it's general shape and lay-out, it must be the one from the map. To the left is a small area full of dense trees, to the right is a small cabin with a watchtower next to it. They decide to head for the cabin, still sneaking along. Vidar manages to put the sentry in the watchtower to sleep and the party slits his throat. The two pirates in the cabin itself also pose little threat. There is some gold to be found and some general supplies, apparently this island is used mainly for restocking the pirates. In the corner they find a hatch to the cellar and their curiosity quickly sees them down there. Here is one last pirate that after a small brawl throws down his arms. The party interrogates him and they only learn what they already know; someone name Felazar Cane hired the pirates to bring the party to the Lonely Isle, located north-west of Rehten. When presented with oppertunity the pirate cut Ragnar and tried to make his escape, but his effort was in vain. After dealing with him they noticed the cellar was full of jailcells, one of them housing a rather charming Halfling named Wilhelm, calling himself a sailor who takes opportunity when he sees it (isn't that the same as being a pirate?). He vows to pledge his boat, and life, to the adventurers if they save him. Swearing to help them figure out who abducted them in the first place, and what the mark on their bodies exactly means. The party quickly realized they wouldn't be able to leave the island without Wilhelms help (despite Domiras being a seasoned sailor himself, but not to a boat this big by himself), and thus accepted accordingly. (Q) After leaving the cellars through a secret tunnel the party finds themselves in the woods northwest of the hideout. Whilst spotting Wilhelms ship through the tops, the party is attacked by fish-like creatures that Wilhelm identifies as Kuo-Toa. Thankfully their number aren't great and the party manages to escape on Wilhelms ship, which is just seaworthy enough to reach the nearby town of Dalinhan. On the boat they rest and tell their story so far to Wilhelm. The first place the party goes is the town's blacksmith; Smitty's Ironwares. After entering Ilja runs toward the man behind the counter and gives him a huge hug. It turns out Smitty's son was abducted, killing his mother in the fight, when he refused to provide the pirates with new weaponry. He said the Jarl wouldn't lift a finger to get Ilja back, and paid the party what he could as a sign of gratitude. (Q) When getting wind of this the Jarl's mansion seemed like a good place to get some more information. However, the guards in front wouldn't let anyone in and told them that the Jarl would only see the ones responsible for solving the towns biggest problem; the Kuo-Toa. More information on the matter was to be found on the bulletin board in the docks. At the docks the party takes a moment to stop at the shrine of Mishakal, Goddess of Healing and Peace, when a surge comes over them;
Your birthmarks start to burn and something changes within, things you found hard to comprehend now seem to come naturally. It feels as if other skills you had made way for this newfound sensation, but it matters not. You feel your body and spirit are more in tune after this change. (Q)
The bulletin board is close by and indeed promises anyone who can solve the Kuo-Toa problem 1000 gold as a reward. The party also finds a map of the town here. Since the board doesn't show any further insight in the problem itself they decide to go to the tavern and see what they can find out. It turns out they are mostly active at the coast and at nighttime. They also find out there is a wizard named Gideon who lives in a tower north of the town. They decide to check out the coastline and manage to kill two Kuo-Toa. They also find the entrance from which they came, but have no means of getting in there since it is completely submerged and rather deep. Scratching their heads, they decide to turn to Wilhelm who vowed to help them. Wilhelm quickly deducts, while drunk I might add, "if you need something to be able to breathe underwater, why not visit this wizard?".
After drinking the potions and entering the cave the stumble across the bodies of the Kuo-Toa they killed earlier. It seems these beasts have enough awereness to care for their deceased.. Despite this newfound knowledge the party continues onward and kill five more Kuo-Toa. In this part of the cave they find some more loot that seems to have been taken from the town, and the Orb Gideon spoke of. In the last room they find some small pools of water filled with Kuo-Toa spawn. Observing defenseless are three Kuo-Toa females. Vidar quickly takes the lead in saying the problem needs to be solved definitely. Xavius and Domiras filled with disgust, but couldn't think of any other way to protect the town besides Vidar's plan of killing the females and smashing the spawn. Ragnar said he would have no part in this and left the room. After returning to Gideon with the Orb he explained it is used in some sea-based ritual which would be of no use to them, instead he presented them with a special Skeleton Key which has a chance to work on ány non-magical lock in existence. The party decided they would opt for the Key and handed the Orb over to Gideon. (Q) After returning to the Jarl's Mansion the party is let in and paid royally for solving the Kuo-Toa problem. (Q)
Seymour explains he does not know a lot about the Pirates other then that they use Rapier Cay for their restocking purposes. He provides them with food so they leave the town be. He reacted upset, but said he did not know why Andrei said he would not help. After some intimidation tactics by Domiras he tells te party he didn't help Andrei because he thinks he is stubborn. He pleaded with Smitty to continue supplying the pirates with weaponry but after he didn't they took his son and killed his wife. In his eyes he thought the town was better off with one missing child instead of the alternative; pillaging and burning.. Angrily he tells them "Like you're any better, you just told me you killed all the Kuo-Toa, ever thought about moving the eggs to Rapier Cay for instance? Killing two bird with one stone, no?".
Jarl Vesthouse also tells the party that Gideon has only been in town for a couple of months and seems to eagerly searching for something. Could it be the Orb??
In an effort to be freed of their chains, the bulkiest of the lot starts pulling on them. Whilst failing to remove them from the hold, a pirate enters to see what all the ruckus is about. After failing to convince him to free them, Vidar manages to grab the man from behind after Xavius taunted him to get him closer. A quick snap of a neck was eventually all that was needed to get the key to freedom. Our party quickly frees each other and rushes over to the trunks and the table. Here they find their gear, a letter regarding their capture, and a map to an island (but not the one mentioned in the letter). After trying the door out of the hold two more guards enter the room. Unfortunately for them our party now have two very big advantages; their freedom and their gear. Without any effort they make short work of them. In the meantime, they can feel the ship slowly docking. In a room upstairs they find a small child, unwilling to speak. The party decides to take him with them to look after him. Slowly and sneaky they make their way off the ship, not encountering any more pirates as they go. They can see this is a small island, and judging by it's general shape and lay-out, it must be the one from the map. To the left is a small area full of dense trees, to the right is a small cabin with a watchtower next to it. They decide to head for the cabin, still sneaking along. Vidar manages to put the sentry in the watchtower to sleep and the party slits his throat. The two pirates in the cabin itself also pose little threat. There is some gold to be found and some general supplies, apparently this island is used mainly for restocking the pirates. In the corner they find a hatch to the cellar and their curiosity quickly sees them down there. Here is one last pirate that after a small brawl throws down his arms. The party interrogates him and they only learn what they already know; someone name Felazar Cane hired the pirates to bring the party to the Lonely Isle, located north-west of Rehten. When presented with oppertunity the pirate cut Ragnar and tried to make his escape, but his effort was in vain. After dealing with him they noticed the cellar was full of jailcells, one of them housing a rather charming Halfling named Wilhelm, calling himself a sailor who takes opportunity when he sees it (isn't that the same as being a pirate?). He vows to pledge his boat, and life, to the adventurers if they save him. Swearing to help them figure out who abducted them in the first place, and what the mark on their bodies exactly means. The party quickly realized they wouldn't be able to leave the island without Wilhelms help (despite Domiras being a seasoned sailor himself, but not to a boat this big by himself), and thus accepted accordingly. (Q) After leaving the cellars through a secret tunnel the party finds themselves in the woods northwest of the hideout. Whilst spotting Wilhelms ship through the tops, the party is attacked by fish-like creatures that Wilhelm identifies as Kuo-Toa. Thankfully their number aren't great and the party manages to escape on Wilhelms ship, which is just seaworthy enough to reach the nearby town of Dalinhan. On the boat they rest and tell their story so far to Wilhelm. The first place the party goes is the town's blacksmith; Smitty's Ironwares. After entering Ilja runs toward the man behind the counter and gives him a huge hug. It turns out Smitty's son was abducted, killing his mother in the fight, when he refused to provide the pirates with new weaponry. He said the Jarl wouldn't lift a finger to get Ilja back, and paid the party what he could as a sign of gratitude. (Q) When getting wind of this the Jarl's mansion seemed like a good place to get some more information. However, the guards in front wouldn't let anyone in and told them that the Jarl would only see the ones responsible for solving the towns biggest problem; the Kuo-Toa. More information on the matter was to be found on the bulletin board in the docks. At the docks the party takes a moment to stop at the shrine of Mishakal, Goddess of Healing and Peace, when a surge comes over them;
Your birthmarks start to burn and something changes within, things you found hard to comprehend now seem to come naturally. It feels as if other skills you had made way for this newfound sensation, but it matters not. You feel your body and spirit are more in tune after this change. (Q)
The bulletin board is close by and indeed promises anyone who can solve the Kuo-Toa problem 1000 gold as a reward. The party also finds a map of the town here. Since the board doesn't show any further insight in the problem itself they decide to go to the tavern and see what they can find out. It turns out they are mostly active at the coast and at nighttime. They also find out there is a wizard named Gideon who lives in a tower north of the town. They decide to check out the coastline and manage to kill two Kuo-Toa. They also find the entrance from which they came, but have no means of getting in there since it is completely submerged and rather deep. Scratching their heads, they decide to turn to Wilhelm who vowed to help them. Wilhelm quickly deducts, while drunk I might add, "if you need something to be able to breathe underwater, why not visit this wizard?".
Stumped by his brilliance the party takes leave to the tower where they meet Gideon. It turns out he can create and sell them the potions they need for 40 gold per potion. This ridiculous price comes forth from an owlbear in the nearby woods making it much harder to collect the needed ingredients. However, if the party manages to kill the owlbear and bring him the chickenbane ingredient, he can sell the potions for much cheaper; 10 gold each. After easily dispatching the owlbear the party returns to Gideon for the potions. (Q)
Whilst concocting them, the conversation turn to their birthmark, which he recognizes and tells them about. It is the story of the Gods fighting Takhisis and assigning champions afterwards. Gideon tells them he sees this story as myth rather then legend. They take their leave and head back to the beach where they found the entrance.
Nearing the beach, the whole party hears Gideon's voice in their minds; "If you happen to come across a blue Orb, please return it to me, I'll trade you a rather nifty magic item in return I think'll be perfect for your adventures".
Whilst concocting them, the conversation turn to their birthmark, which he recognizes and tells them about. It is the story of the Gods fighting Takhisis and assigning champions afterwards. Gideon tells them he sees this story as myth rather then legend. They take their leave and head back to the beach where they found the entrance.
After drinking the potions and entering the cave the stumble across the bodies of the Kuo-Toa they killed earlier. It seems these beasts have enough awereness to care for their deceased.. Despite this newfound knowledge the party continues onward and kill five more Kuo-Toa. In this part of the cave they find some more loot that seems to have been taken from the town, and the Orb Gideon spoke of. In the last room they find some small pools of water filled with Kuo-Toa spawn. Observing defenseless are three Kuo-Toa females. Vidar quickly takes the lead in saying the problem needs to be solved definitely. Xavius and Domiras filled with disgust, but couldn't think of any other way to protect the town besides Vidar's plan of killing the females and smashing the spawn. Ragnar said he would have no part in this and left the room. After returning to Gideon with the Orb he explained it is used in some sea-based ritual which would be of no use to them, instead he presented them with a special Skeleton Key which has a chance to work on ány non-magical lock in existence. The party decided they would opt for the Key and handed the Orb over to Gideon. (Q) After returning to the Jarl's Mansion the party is let in and paid royally for solving the Kuo-Toa problem. (Q)
Seymour explains he does not know a lot about the Pirates other then that they use Rapier Cay for their restocking purposes. He provides them with food so they leave the town be. He reacted upset, but said he did not know why Andrei said he would not help. After some intimidation tactics by Domiras he tells te party he didn't help Andrei because he thinks he is stubborn. He pleaded with Smitty to continue supplying the pirates with weaponry but after he didn't they took his son and killed his wife. In his eyes he thought the town was better off with one missing child instead of the alternative; pillaging and burning.. Angrily he tells them "Like you're any better, you just told me you killed all the Kuo-Toa, ever thought about moving the eggs to Rapier Cay for instance? Killing two bird with one stone, no?".
Jarl Vesthouse also tells the party that Gideon has only been in town for a couple of months and seems to eagerly searching for something. Could it be the Orb??
Wilhelm Muss - 26th of Mirtul, 1863
Completed Quests
Freed Wilhelm and gained acces to his ship
Found Ilja and returned him to his father Andrei Smith
Attuned to your skills
Killed the Owlbear
Retrieved the Orb for Gideon
Solved the Kuo-Toa problem
Notable locations:
Rapier Cay
Dalinhan
Notable characters:
Felazar "the Defiler" Cane
Wilhelm Muss
Andrei "Smitty" Smith
Gideon Goldheart
Seymour Vesthouse
Notable loot:
Map - Rapier Cay
Letter - Capture of individuals bearing "The Mark"
Map - Dalinhan
Skeleton Key
1000 Gold
Rapier Cay
Dalinhan
Notable characters:
Felazar "the Defiler" Cane
Wilhelm Muss
Andrei "Smitty" Smith
Gideon Goldheart
Seymour Vesthouse
Notable loot:
Map - Rapier Cay
Letter - Capture of individuals bearing "The Mark"
Map - Dalinhan
Skeleton Key
1000 Gold
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Author's Notes