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“I have a mission for you,” says Istivil Bosk, the Venture-Captain of Daggermark in the River Kingdoms. After receiving the assignment from Venture-Captain Adril Hestram in Absalom, traveling for weeks across the Inner Sea and up the lengthy Sellen River, and with barely an hour to adjust to Daggermark’s sights and sounds, the Venture-Captain of Daggermark now paces back and forth across cramped quarters crammed full of maps, books, and adventuring gear.
“Your timing is perfect, friends,” explains Bosk, an elderly man with graying hair and a pinched, weathered face. He waves a parchment in his hand. “I received another letter just yesterday.” He holds up another stack of letters. “It’s from the Black Marquis—I believe his real name is Bazzak—the leader of a band of brigands surreptiously known as the Pirate Pact. In all of these letters, he claims to need our help and offers us The Memoirs of the Silver Brotherhood, a rare text—maybe the rarest—in exchange. The Society tried for years to track it down and now Bazzaks claims to be ready to give it to us. I’m sending you north to Deadbridge near the Echo Wood to meet this Black Marquis and offer him your help with whatever it is he needs. I want this book, and you’ll get it for me.”
And so the mission travels north along the Sellen River, to the aptly named village of Deadbridge, a rundown hamlet partially built on wharves. It is there, in a rundown antique manor house where stands Urdul Bazzak, the Black Marquis.
“I rule the Pirate Pact and with it the stretch of the Sellen River between here and Numeria,” proudly states the portly little man. “The waterways are the lifeblood of the River Kingdoms, so you must understand that any menace to the river is a menace to the balance of power.” The Black Marquis stops and quickly looks to his left and right before leaning in and continuing in hushed tones. “Unless someone deals with this threat soon, I could lose everything. Normally I would rely on my most trusted lieutenants, but …” Bazzak
sits up, regains some composure, and resumes. “The book I’m willing to trade for your service—The Memoirs of the Silver Brotherhood—contains information about an Azlanti treasure vault deep within the Echo Wood. That’s where I sent my most trusted lieutenants. Only, on their way they were waylaid by spiders and abominations and only one returned alive. Lady Riverbane sent out another ship upon her return, the Hanspur’s Luck, to search for my men. The Luck hasn’t returned either.” Bazzak points to the only other person in the room, a raven-haired beauty standing in a corner. “Lady Riverbane is my most trusted second, and she will take one of my best ships and guide you back to the Azlanti vault. Rid the river of these monstrous spiders and their abominations, find the Hanspur’s Luck, and uncover the whereabouts of my men, and the book is yours. Do it quickly, do it quietly, and do it before the rest of the Pact realize I’ve sent my best men on fools’ errands that may have killed them all.”
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Clearly out of his comfort zone, a tall, definitely Chelish man with a foul mouthed (at least if you speak Infernal) raven on his shoulder, eyes the scoundrels who pass for lords in this region with barely hidden disgust.
"Before we consent to what might just be a wild goose chase, what details do you know about this Azlanti vault?"
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Roderick listens as well, making mental notes of the responses to the first set of questions before asking additional details for his own reckoning.
I will assume we will have access to this Riverbane woman with first-hand experience of the creatures encountered. That may be helpful in making preparations.
My question is regarding the The Memoirs of the Silver Brotherhood. Do we know its description or contents? Did this Bazzak explain how they came to possess this tome?
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"Mesa interesests wasa the leuntants namesss?"
My second in commands name is Lady Riverbane.
"You sure your men didn't just decide they'd be better off keeping whatever they found for themselves?"
Lady Riverbane is my most trusted lieutenant. Why would she nearly get herself killed along with her men only to lose the book?
"Before we consent to what might just be a wild goose chase, what details do you know about this Azlanti vault?"
Only that it is worth a fortune! He scoffs. And that book contained a detailed map on how to get to it!
I will assume we will have access to this Riverbane woman with first-hand experience of the creatures encountered. That may be helpful in making preparations.
My question is regarding the The Memoirs of the Silver Brotherhood. Do we know its description or contents? Did this Bazzak explain how they came to possess this tome?
Not only will I let you speak with her I will have her escort you.
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"So if your people didn't flee with what they had found at Azlanti treasure vault (in case they had managed to reach this location) as honorable Tobold suspected, I assume that all the findings there as archeological and historical values belong to Society for the right to discovery"
The pirate captain sneers. Ye can have half of whatever loot ye find in there for all I care.
If no further questions you are guided to the Scrag Fisher. A smaller vessel guided by the second in command Lady Riverbane along with six of the Captain's crewmembers to man the ship down the river.
Since it left Deadbridge, the Scrag Fisher has been cutting a straight furrow into the lazy waters of the Sellen River, making good speed thanks to its industrious crew actively manning the ship’s sail and ropes. Deadbridge is already far behind when an exclamation rises. “Sail Ho!” One of the robust sailors points ahead while turning toward Lady Riverbane standing at the helm. “It’s a cog, Milady. And it flies no colors—should we tender these trespassers?” Looking at the incoming vessel, Lady Riverbane answers in a stern voice: “Nay! Not today, man. We have our mission. We’ll stick to it.” Without another word, the crew gets back to working the hawser and lanyards. As the two ships draw closer, the other craft’s pitiful state becomes obvious. With planks and riggings missing in places, sailors frantically move about the deck and appear to have difficulty steering their ship. As the two ships avoid collision and pass alongside each other, a shout rises—”Now!”—followed by a volley of grappling hooks from the other vessel. The Scrag Fisher is under attack!
The other ship is the Waverender—the name barely readable on the vessel’s verdigris nameplate. A dozen disenfranchised River Kingdoms corsairs sail this worn-down craft.
Riverbane immediately orders her crew to retreat below deck and “leave the fighting to the heroic Pathfinders.” As she finds herself a vantage point and draws a wand from her belt.
Naomi
Roderick
Belvica
Alexander
Tobold
Gringo
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River Thugs
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Roderick quickly readies a bomb to hurl at the invading pirates.
Perish the thought of trying to interrupt us on an archaeological voyage, brigands!
Explosive Bomb (Su) The alchemist’s bombs now have a splash radius of 10 feet rather than 5 feet. Creatures that take a direct hit from an explosive bomb catch fire, taking 1d6 points of fire damage each round until the fire is extinguished. Extinguishing the flames i
10' radius splash, 6 fire dmg (DC14 for half).
The rocking of the boat throws off his aim and he misses the pink thug by a mile (2 range increments = 10' off).
Oh no! Heads up!
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Naomi goes into bluff mode, she draws Delraga (her elven curve blade), and calls out to the intruders, "Flee before the might of my power or you shall perish!" and then she summons the river itself to rise as river water tentacles over the side of the ship away from the enemy vessel (hoping they retreat back where they came from.). She gives a great villainous laugh as the tentacles rise from the river.
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Naomi uses the river's water to her advantage as she creates a pair of water tentacle that sways all about the side of the ship. The river thugs look scared but they seem to be more frightened about the possibility of something else if they were to fail in their task and press forward, through the fear of harm with grim determination.
Roderick hurls a bomb across the ships. As the ships rock he misses and the explosive bomb strikes the edge of the ship and the splash of fire still manages to catch the orange thug.
Alexander hurls a handful of glitter into the air and tries to blind as many of the pirates as he can.
Four of the thugs yell in pain as they scratch at their eyes. Tobold tries to leap on his mounts back but ultimately goes to fast and falls back off.
Gringo juggles his two pistols in the air and quickly takes three shots at the thugs. His three bullets quickly drop the green thug.
Naomi
Roderick
Belvica
Alexander
Tobold
Gringo
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River Thugs (Orange -3; blinded)(Lt Blue- blinded)(Purple-blinded)(Dark Blue-blinded)
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Belvica waits for the river thugs to board, though them seem a bit hesitant between the river tendrils and half their crew being blinded.
Only one of the thugs is brave enough to jump over as the remaining non blinded thugs draw shortbows at fire them at Gringo.
The maroon thug leaps across the decks and slashes his scimitar at Roderick
Each of the thugs attacks miss as the other four continue to claw at their eyes trying to get the dust out.
Naomi
Roderick
Belvica
Alexander
Tobold
Gringo
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River Thugs (Orange -3; blinded)(Lt Blue- blinded)(Purple-blinded)(Dark Blue-blinded)
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"So be it fools!" Naomi gestures and the water tentacles suck up mud and dirt making them murky, then they flow onto the deck like form into walls in front of herself and between the boats, leaving the one invader on this side and the rest no way to see. She leaves an arrow slit near Gringo so he can use it if he desires.
She then takes a 5' step northwards.
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Naomi swirls mud into her water, turning the tendrils into a nightmare for the two remaining thugs that can see.
Where tobold and his wolf fail to strike the marauding river pirate Belvica succeeds.
Belvica moves in and slams her axe into the maroon thug's chest, felling him in a single blow. Alexander creates a magical ward around Gringo to help protect the juggling gunslinger. Gringo begins a small performance, showing off more of his juggling skills.
Naomi
Roderick
Belvica
Alexander
Tobold
Gringo
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River Thugs (Orange -3; blinded)(Lt Blue- blinded)(Purple-blinded)(Dark Blue-blinded)
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The river is not being kind to Roderick as another of his bombs misses.
The river thugs scamper blindly about. With the majority of their crew blinded and the rest afraid to cross over due to the river tendrils whipping about the overall order shouting out is to retreat.
This s~~& ain't worth it. Get us out of here! NOW!
The pirates disengage as quickly as they can and set sail in the opposite direction get get as much distance as they can from the fabled Pathfinders.
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The Scrag Fisher sails on after the altercation with the river thugs and does not come across any other aggressive boats that day. The next morning, low gray clouds smear the sky, and by midday tall trees leaning over the riverbank further obstruct the pale sun. A gloomy mood falls on the pirate crew as the ship enters Echo Wood. A mere hour before dusk, the sailors’ misgivings crystallize when the expedition comes across a barge trapped in giant webs.
The wind seems to come to a dead still as the Scrag Fisher approaches the wreckage of a hulking river barge. “It’s the Hanspur’s Luck, Milady—or what’s left of it,” grumbles one of the pirates. Like a large bee stuck in a spider’s web, the partially sunken boat bulges out of a mesh of sticky tangles, its deck slightly sloping abaft. Slowly turning the wheel, Lady Riverbane orders her ship toward the ensnarled derelict, and a minute later the Scrag Fisher’s moorings are secured to the Hanspur’s Luck. The captain turns around and says, “Here we are mates. That looks like a good place to start your investigation, wouldn’t you say?”
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"We already know giant spiders will be an issue. Don't forget to look up. Watch the webs, their pattern will lead to any spiders that might be home. And be ready for an attack." Naomi gestures for Teak to stay, then with Delraga drawn, she carefully examines what she can see from here, looking for anything out of place as well as where spiders might be lurking.
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The top deck of this bulky vessel holds nothing of interest. It takes several moments to cut your way through the thick webbing to reach the hatchway and staircase leading inside the ship. The hold is dark, full of spider webs, and its aft section is partially under water (up to 3 feet at the deepest end). Mostly broken crates, bags, and barrels that litter the place.