Rough Seas
Brin approaches the sea captain and offers the services of the party. The captain comes over to the table and introduces himself as CAPTAIN FINN. He says the job is recovering a valuable secret payload from a ship that was run aground by merfolk in PRYTANIA BAY, just off the coast.
If we can escort him there safely, secure the payload, and see them both returned, he will pay us 500gp (and if we don’t get him back safely, we would still get 50gp).
The group discusses it, and seems inclined to take the job, but they are concerned that Finn won’t tell them what the payload is. He claims that we will see it when he recovers it, but he cannot TELL us what it is. Nim asks the bartender about Captain Finn, and she claims he’s a honest man who will abide by any contract. Eventually the group concedes, signs the contract (with its non-disclosure clause), and prepares to sail at dawn, leaving plenty of time for a LONG REST.
The party retires to their rented bedrooms upstairs. Kor goes to the room where Grig is sleeping, still recovering from the trip into town. He puts the novelty mug he stole from The Orb gift shop next to the bed, just in case, before going to sleep on the floor.
The next morning, the party has breakfast at the tavern (including lots of oranges, because scurvy) and returns to the harbor. There, Captain Finn is waiting for them with a small black tabaxi wizard named Toulouse. Brin insists that the captain provide a copy of the contract the party signed, which he does.
As they stand there, another captain approaches them, desperately seeking brawny assistance. He offers Remy 500gp to leave with him immediately, and Remy agrees, saying farewell to the party for now. Toulouse is invited to take his place on the job.
From shore, Kor can see the wrecked ship, exposed by the low tide, and further out, other ships seemingly in a holding pattern, waiting to come into the bay. The city guards they pass on their way to the ship don’t seem impressed by our group, but they do utter quiet thanks as they pass. Before they set off, Captain Finn warns the crew not to look too hard at the merfolk because they can attack from the water, and they can breathe air (though they can’t walk).
ENCOUNTER: Once underway, Brin almost immediately looks over the side of the ship for merfolk, and the merfolk almost immediately attack. The party protects the captain and kills four merfolk attempting to board the ship.
During the fight, bring Brin wants the party to not kill all the merfolk until he can determine why they are attacking. They sort of cooperate, leaving one for him to question. He communicates with one telepathically, and hears the name “ASANA”, and thoughts that indicate one of their number was kidnapped by humans.
After the fight is over, Brin asks Captain Finn again what the payload is, as they are risking their lives for it. He reiterates that he cannot tell them, that they will see when they get it, and that this was all covered in the contract. He also says he has no idea what the merfolk want, but insists the payload is definitely not a person, which seems to be true.
They reach the narrow sandbar where the ship is wrecked and disembark. They see a large number of merfolk watching them from the surf, and they are attacked right away.
ENCOUNTER: Two giant crab and water elemental emerge from the ocean and begin to attack. The party fends them off with little trouble. During the fight, Toulouse casts invisibility on the captain, so he is able to retrieve the payload (two crates) by himself before everyone returns to the ship.
During the return voyage, the party takes a SHORT REST. Though they continue to follow and watch the ship, the merfolk do not attack again. There seems to be a wariness there, perhaps because we defeated their champions, or because of the payload we carry. Dango recognizes the markings on the crates, and is immediately uneasy, believing she knows what’s inside.
After some pointed insistence, the captain is convinced to give the party a glimpse of what’s inside the crates (since he cannot technically TELL them what it is). He pries open one of the crates to reveals several rough-hewn, milky opalescent gems.
Nim also realizes what’s in the crate, and is uneasy. She tells the party that it is apparently ICKARIUM, an outrageously valuable gem from Valon’dai; the gem is used to power technology (such as airships) and is a major reason for their technological and military superiority over Forlon’dai. The Valon’dai are scrupulous about controling who has access to the gem; it is dangerous to even possess it in this country, and attempting to sell it on the black market could get a person blacklisted. The fact that this material is going to be loose in Prytania could be Very Bad News™.
Before the ship docks, Brin sends another telepathic message to the merfolk closest to them that he knows they are looking for Asana, and wants to help. He asks the merfolk to send someone to meet him on the beach later.
After they receive their payment from Captain Finn, he thanks them for their help. He says he wasn’t sure they could do it, but they proved him wrong, and if they need anything, he’s happy to help. Brin asks if he can help them with attempting to get passed the guards at the harbor, and he says they will probably recognize our party now, and let us pass.
Dango asks him if he’s seen any bird people, and Captain Finn stops short. The party explains that we’re looking for someone who’s missing, and the captain says he knows someone who might be able to help; he will send his friend to the tavern to find us as long as we agree (again) not to talk about the payload.
Kor takes the money and invites Toulouse back to the tavern with him, and Dango joins them. Brin asks Nim to join him on the beach, where he hopes to talk to the merfolk. After a while, Brin sees a few faces in the water.
The merperson, communicating telepathically, reveals that Asana was taken by someone who takes others “from where they should be” and brings them here. They don’t trust Brin, but he offers his sister’s necklace as collateral and agrees to help Asana. She was apparently taken a few months ago, and while some believe she’s dead, this merperson definitely does not; they feel Asana is close by. They also reveal that the ship that took her flew blue banners, “like a storm”. Brin tells Nim what he’s learned, and they suspect someone is collecting rare races and outsiders, which makes them fear for Toulouse.
Once everyone has gathered back at the tavern, the party splits the money during a SHORT REST. The bartender confirms that Remy has taken a full-time position with another crew.
Brin and Kor relay what they’ve learned and their theory, and Kor agrees that if someone is collecting living creatures, they have to stop it. Their discussion is interrupted by the out-of-nowhere sudden appearance of the mysterious BIANCA, a beautiful middle-aged human woman in regal menswear-style clothing and impressive jewelry (think Katharine Hepburn). She joins them at the table, smiling, and says she believe they can all do something for each other.
~ end of session ~
random notes
- Theo suggested the shipwreck was roughly “two football fields” away, to which Kaela nearly responded “fantasy football,” before realizing that is already a thing.
- Nim stole some soot and salt that she doesn’t need but REALLY wants to use.
- Erin stole all the good rolls.