Episode 2: the bullywug gambit
Hired to find a missing brother, the characters discover a secret hideout and witness the effects of the savage tide.
Part 1
Sasserine is gearing up for a major festival. The Wormfall festival is to celebrate the one year anniversary of the defeat of Kryss, the Worm-god. Criers loudly announce the festival on the city streets, posters go up on tavern walls, and everywhere the citizens are abuzz with excitement.
However, the party has work to do. After finishing up shopping, the PCs talk to a local geographer to learn the location of Kraken's Cover. They rent a pinnace and sail the 16-hour journey to find it. However, due to reefs, you must approach from a beach to the north where a narrow trail leads through the jungle up to the cliffs. On the way, the party is attacked by unnatural looking monkeys that have sores with bonespurs protruding from them. After a short hike, the group reaches the top of the cliff, finding a rickety walkway down to the beach within the cove. However, what catches the eye are the several ships burning in the harbor. After avoiding a crash with an errant ship coming toward the walkway, Xander and Timothy find three hungry pirates looking for a meal! They have the same sores bonespurs protruding from them as the monkeys.
In the caves, the party dispatches several small bands of savage pirates, a savage phanaton, a savage dinosaur, several savage krenshars, and a violet fungus. Finally, they came upon a woman, Harliss Javell (a captain in the Crimson Fleet), being attacked by a posse of savage pirates. "Oi bucko, have a taste o' me cold steel!" After you helped dispatch the pirates, she revealed what had so recently transpired in the caves.
Vanthus had posed a s black marketeer, however, he had tried to steel a large black pearl. However, Harliss had stabbed him and his blood spattered the pearl. Choking green gas spewed from it, so Harliss grabbed it and threw it in the water. That's when it exploded and things got 'weird.' Much of her crew was transformed into savage creatures, and the few that resisted were torn apart by the ones that didn't. Then she revealed that she had sent her right-hand man to exact revenge upon the Vanderboren manor!
treasure
- Sea Wyvern, ship with bunks for 22 passengers and crew, plus up to 8 can sleep on deck and in the galley
- 10 sets of masterwork studded leather armor
- slippers of spider climbing (from the phanaton)
- gold nose ring and silver chain linked to a silver hoop earring (whole set worth 100gp)
- ruby ring worth 120gp
- 5 sheets of silk worth 50gp collection of books on topics ranging from lizardfolk cuisine to naturalist studies of the Amedio jungle, slightly water damaged but worth 200gp
- leatherbound collection of nautical charts, well over 300 years old but remarkably accurate (more than modern maps) granting a +4 circumstance bonus on Profession (sailor) checks to plot a course over the open ocean.
- 120gp, 448sp, 683cp, 3 garnets (@20gp), emerald brooch (@50gp), 5 pearls (@100gp)
- a bunch of worthless trophies - ship nameplates (St. Asmod's Hope, Weaperreaver, "T...M...AUT"), a tyrannosaurus skull, shark jaws, animal teeth
- +1 rapier
- ring of swimming (gold band with several aquamarine gemstones)
- darkwood buckler (strapped to some remains)
- 3 silver bars (@50gp)
- vermillion ink (40gp)
- 2 potions of lesser restoration (on the gnome who worked with fungus)
- 3 potions of cure moderate wounds (found using detect magic in the shipwreak)
- +1 studded leather
- masterwork rapier
- purple silk cloak with emerald clasp worth 20gp
- silver locket containing portrait of Vanthus (10gp)
- The shipwreck on the beach will take a few hours to search to find any salvageable non-magic items.
Having salvaged the Sea Wyvern, you set sail for Sasserine, trying to beat Harliss' henchman to the Vanderboren manor. Though you failed to get there in time to save some, there were some alive who did need saving. Lavinia had convinced the first mate, Drevoraz, that Vanthus had contacted her and was coming home this night.
However, before you could reach the manor, you fought (literally) the crowds of the wormfall festival. A drunken gnome tried to assail you, and a runaway cart was stopped by the actions of Kalan and Timothy. Finally, a dancer in a macabre bodysuit attacked Kimble from behind along with six stilt-walking acrobats.
Once at the manor, the party immediately rushed to find Lavinia, but instead found invading frog-men known as Bullywugs. Upstairs in the master bedroom, Lavinia and two Jade Ravens were held hostage by Drevoraz and the Bullywug Cleric. On the first floor, the chief's wife was testing cigars in the dining room. In the basement, the chief was playing a vile game with Liamae; he had told her that he'd let her go if she could keep the rust monster from destroying the silverware attached to her rags by the time their business was concluded. Of the entire Bullywug tribe, only the chief's wife was left alive, to warn other Bullywugs about the danger of the strange creatures encountered at Kraken's cove.
Lavinia was happy that she and the the Jade Ravens had survived. She gave each character a bonus of 1000gp and doubled everyone's monthly stipend (now 200gp). She is resigned that you have lost Vanthus trail, but is ready to move on with her life.
A week later, she invited you to her manor again. After concluding funeral services for Kora Wistlegap, the place has been cleaned and new staff has been hired. She indicated that she is about to undertake a voyage to salvage her parent's legacy. They founded a colony on the Isle of Dread, but were killed before they could resupply it. Lavinia wishes to continue that work, and wishes for you to come along (and to use your ship). (This will make you a party to this undertaking and therefore will have a small but worthy stake in the riches to be found on the isle.)
treasure
- Leather sack of saffron (600gp)
- Crate of fine dishware (200gp)
- 3 Potions of Cure Moderate Wounds
- Jagged Chunks of Black Pearl (now non-magical, still worth 250gp)
- Bag of assassin gold
- +1 Handaxe
- Potion of shield of Faith +2
- Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds
- Salve of Slipperiness
- +1 Hide Armor
- +1 Great Club
- Wooden Crown w/ 7 moonstones (worth 700gp)
- +1 Scimitar
- Belt of Ogre Power (as gauntlets)
- 17gp
- +1 Leather Armor
- Periapt of Wisdom +2
- Reward from Lavinia: 1000 gp each
- Stipend 200gp each