Talon Squad 1: To Talon's Reach

The Squad makes its way to Talon's Reach across the Uferbrech Sea.

Your journey across the shallow seas of Uferbrech has been largely uneventful to date - having taken half a week of solid sailing. The small catamaran you were given for the trip skims across the waters. Below you you see tangled reefs and teaming sea-life, and the occasional broken masonry of long forgotten ruins.
With the sun burning low on the Western horizon behind, you gaze forward into the gloom of Shadowside. The tide is high and the air is clear. The two moons are bright slivers above you, and the Nightbridge shines its ever present halo across the gentle waves.

Introductions

• How do you know each other?
• What was your experience in the recent skirmishes with the Protectorates?
• Why are you in trouble with the tribes? What crimes did you commit?
• How do you feel about each other? Are you related? Friends?

Encounter: Navigating the waters

• Group check: tasks are navigation, avoiding reefs, catching wind, general baoting/meals etc. - DC 12.
• failure: off course, out of the lee of Tokaru, and the current and winds become dangerous. An extra rest travel, or 1 pt exhaustion.
• Bad failure: into a sleet storm - reduced vision, difficult terrain on the boat, and a raid by two Ice Snakes

Encounter: underwater ruins

You see the broken ruins of an ancient tower rising at an angle from the waters.

• the waters are only 10ft deep here, with reef and seaweed growing around the ruined building.
• The top of tower rises 10 ft above the water. Cracked and broken, can be scaled and climbed down.
• Below the water can be seen broken blocks of fallen walls half-buried in silt.

The base of the tower is the home of a Giant Octopus who doesn't take kindly to being disturbed.
Perception checks:

• (DC12) - a large crack at the base of the tower like a cave. 
• (DC16) - recent wreckage of a small boat strewn nearby - crushed. 
• (DC20) - the tentacles of a Giant Octopus twitch and move in the darkness of the tower cave.

Investigation (DC12) a small chest in the wreckage with:

• Silver necklace with jade pendant (50gp)
• 20gp, 40sp
• a bone carved chess-game (10gp).

Investigation DC (16) The skeletal remains of a Protectorate warrior buried in the silt.

• Rusted armor (useless)
• A mace - slightly rusted but usable
• A holy symbol of the Trinity  around its neck, made of silver with inlaid platinum (worth 250gp if sold to right people).

Encounter: Land sighted, Protectorate Skiff

As you sail further Shadowside, distant mountains rize up over the sea on the horizon.  The water beneath gets progressively shallower, and more treacherous with reefs and sandbanks the closer you get.  Eventually the shore is spotted - a wide expanse of dark marshland and low mangrove forests that swallows the rippling waves ahead of you.

• Perception (DC 16) - Protectorate skiff hugging the coast (optionally it has run aground and in trouble)
• Navigation: reefs, DC 14. Failure = stuck for 1 minute, and the Protectorates notice them and launch attack - takes 4 rounds to get close, missiles/arrows. Party work to free themselves
• Or good planning may surprise them
• The crew of the skiff with minor noble leading, a goblin slave known as Gummy is with them. They are scouting, and trying to find Talon's Reach. If things going very badly for them, they attempt to flee. Last alive will plead for mercy. Take prisoner?
• Leader: Fabian Del Magna. The youngest son of a mainland aristocrat from New Lafaelle. Pompous coward, and tries to buy his way out of any trouble.
• Scout: Exasperated dark elf woman. Dex Ulrot. Estranged minor daughter of the royal family at Deepmot.  Will slink overboard to escape if things are obviously going against them.
• 4-6 Shield guards
• 2 x Ballista - one broken
• If things go badly for the party, a Talon monk  on giant vulture intervenes. They will want prisoners.
• If things go well, a monk will arrive after and guide them to the river mouth. Cannot carry them all - but points them in the right direction. If they ask, he shows them the woven symbols of Aeotora that have been tied to the branches of trees to mark the route to Talon's Reach. This gives advantage on Survival checks for the next tasks.

Treasure

• The Ballista if they spend the time/approach (they are fixed to deck and very heavy). With 8 x bolts
• 2 x barrels of rum (20gp each)
• 10 x rations
• 1 x silver candelabra (20gp)
• 60 sp
• 1 x spyglass made from brass (1,000gp)
• 1 x navigator tools
• 1 x map of Tokaru, showing locations of rocks and reefs on east coast.
• 4 x shortswords
• 5 sets of armor (human sized)
• 1 x longbow
• 4 x shortswords
• 1 x rapier
• 1 x set of expensive clothes (human sized)
• 50" rope
• grappling hook
• the ship itself (if they want to spend time working it - needs crew of 3min)

Encounter: The Mangrove forest.

You sail quietly into the gloom of the mangrove forest. Huge twisted roots rise into the canopy above you, the still waters becoming so shallow, eventually even the catamaran founders in the sands. Water ways twist chaotically through the roots, like the walls of a maze, and the sounds of sea-birds and insects fill the air. There are shallow channels and pools of water throughout.

• If they paid attention to the Talon Monk they have advantage finding the trail markers.
• Survival or Investigation check (DC 14) to find each trail marker.
• Too tangled for the catamaran
• they could make simple rafts (half day to Talons Reach)
• Trek - very slow going in the mud, difficult terrain throughout - 1 day (Con check (DC10) or exhaustion).
• Survival check (16DC) to stay on target.

Encounter: Mycanid herder

• Trap if trecking - deeper pool of quicksand (perception:18DC) or first in line falls in, second has Dex save (14DC) to evade.
• If stuck, then are prone and restrained unless ACTION to make STR check (DC 14) to extract self (advantage if someone gives help action or some other clever trick).
• When triggered, a Mycanid attacks with its herd of 2-4 Vegepygmies.
• Start with distance attack, surprise (Stealth vs Perception)

Treasure:

• 4 stink bombs (custom ammunition)

Parent Plot

Act 1: Talon Squad