|
A brief interrogation reveals only that these are a few of the Hydras Fang crew, and that Du Moire has only just left minutes ago. The captured brigand spits that even the worst things you might do is far kinder than any fate Du Moire would deliver, so is very short on answers and is of little help – the terror the man seems to instil is highly concerning.
On enquiring whether Du Moire exited via the ladder, the captive remains defiantly silent, which indicates it is almost certainly the case. He is but mere minutes ahead.
|
Daeris looks for signs that someone did indeed pass down the ladder, and if she confirms the story, or at least sees no reason not to, she will proceed down the ladder as quietly as possible, but scrapes her armor against the ladder with the screech of metal on metal. The elf pulls a face in response and proceeds.
|
|
When it is obvious you are headed for the ladder, the captive speaks up.
“Darsielle’s that way. Head through the Underdocks to find the Hydra’s Fang. The harbor guards down below know where he moored the ship. He moves it often, we were supposed to ask them where it was docked when we were finished here.”
Moments before you are about to descend the ladder, Daeris and Adrianna you note it is covered in grease, a last little trap left for any followers.
You enter into a gloomy, greenish twilight where scattered beams of light filter down between weathered dock planks, bouncing off seaweed covered stones that jut from the dark harbor waters.
A forest of pylons suspends the docks above where the scurrying feet of merchants, sailors, and longshoremen hammer like a muffled thunderstorm. Between the pylons, you spot small stone bunkers, ruins of older siege forts now crumbling and weathered from centuries of angry waves.
A narrow set of docks traverses the rocks, connecting various locations.
Eventually, all lead out to the shallow bay at the mouth of the maze. Nearby,you notice a fresh trail of muck-limned, wet footprints.
You follow the tracks to a small bunker with its own short dock with two rowboats. A pair of Consortium officials stand nearby the boats, just chatting away casually.
|
|
The Consortium officials inform you that that recently allowed a Captain and his men to return to their ship, but that the pair are under strict orders to detain any strangers without a harbormaster’s pass.
With a bit of further conversation and a bit of party assistance a figure of 100gp is arrived at for 'administrative work' that would allow you a harbourmasters pass - and it happens to be only a percentage of the coins you rifled out of the pockets of the thugs just minutes ago.
With a price sorted and time being of the essence, the men lead you into the bunker. A wooden box holds keys and a wooden and brass coin about the diameter of an apple and inscribed with the insignia of the Kortos Consortium. The coin serves as a harbormaster’s pass, an extremely valuable item that allows PCs to freely exit the maze without question.
On the wall of the bunker is a chalkboard with a chart labeled with 20 numbers,each followed by a set of initials. One side of the chart reads mooring, the other side reads ship. Pinned to the adjacent wall hangs a map of the outer harbor marking the locations of the numbered moorings. The initials next to #14 read “HF”. The map shows mooring 14 located
in the northwestern part of the outer harbor.
With the medallion in hand you are free to grab a rowboat and make your way out...
|
|
Exiting the Underdocks, you enter the Shallows, a wide rocky bay only a few feet deep and closed off by immense seawalls that funnel all traffic into the maze. Strung between them, a host of steep maze walls crusted with seaweed, barnacles, and small shellfish create narrow passages just wide enough for rowboats or rafts. Lashed along the sides are free-floating docks which allow longshoremen to help pull boats through or to the side for quick inspections. Every so often, a series of rusted spikes forms a crude ladder leading to the upper maze, where guards keep watch amidst strange shadows cast by weathered devices such as giant winches and claw-like crane arms. Water splashes softly throughout, creating an eerie echo, and the entire structure groans with ominous creaks and strains as if you were travelling through the belly of a great beast.
Thankfully, navigating out ofthe maze is far easier than navigating in, and the ever-watchful eyes of Enforcers on the walls fall almost entirely on the cargos of incoming merchants.
As you draw closer to the end, the sounds of angry waves slam against the outer walls and echo like hordes of chanting goblins. As you reach the outer locks, a grizzled longshoreman calls down to you from above, telling you to hold tight. The first gate opens with a lazy moan, and he ushers you to move your craft into the small chamber ahead. Once inside, he lowers the gate behind you, then he bids you good luck as he slowly cranks apart the front doors to the open harbor where dozens of galleons and merchant ships bounce softly on their moorings in the water.
Perception
A few hundred yards outside the maze the ocean seemingly explodes with a flurry of activity.
Two sea creatures swim in from nowhere, attempting to spear the Eidolon with tridents!
Attack (Charge)
Damage
Attack (Charge+Flank)
Damage
Adrianna
Daeris
Kormil
Kyra
Enemy
Those rowing are seated and with no weapons equipped.
The others are seated, but with an item at hand.
MAP UP!
R1
ENEMY [Acted]
Daeris
Kormil
Adrianna
Kyra
She shreeks in pain, as she tries to bite the creature who stabbed her
Both bites crunch into her attacker
|
|
Daeris releases an arrow, but it fails to find its mark in the churning water.
The Eidolon chomps into the attacker spilling blood into the water and then the second head finds its mark and the creature stops thrashing.
Kormil shields himself.
Adrianna makes meaningful hand gestures.
Kyra stands and readies a weapon.
***
The other fish creature becomes irate and moves to the side of the boat.
Str
For a moment you all think it is trying to board, and ready to defend, but instead it sinks down, pulling the edge with it...
You are all now 'swimming'.
R2
ENEMY [Acted]
Daeris
Kormil
Adrianna
Kyra
|
|
You manage to get your way back into the rowboat, wet and cold, but still alive.
You continue rowing until you see your target floating on the waves.
The Hydra’s Fang is a small galliot, a man in what appears to be rather Chelish livery calls for you to identify yourselves - a pair of sailors seem to be moving about and duck mostly out of view. They are some distance away still and it would take a minute or so of earnest rowing to get to them...
"Identify yourselves!" the shout comes across the waves...
|
|
They don't reply, but the small ship becomes a flurry of activity - they appear to be about to make sail! Strangely though, they throw wome sort of slop into the water - if you didn't know better you'd swear it was blood and offal...!
Two men launch arrows hiding behind cover.
DuMoire likewise takes cover.
***
Two rounds distance (~120')
Arrows fly from the Hydra, both at Daeris
Attack
Attack
Damage
Party - R1
Daeris & Kormil can act,
Adrianna & Kyra are rowing...
|
Kormil will use one of his uses of summon monster to summon a dolphin to help push the boat forward faster
Dolphin
|
Adrianna will work with Kyra to aim the boat for the transom - her thinking is more than one person can climb at the same time versus the anchor chain where it's one at a time...Also, since she has no ranged weapons she will want to climb first while Daeris and Kyra (or Kormil) provide cover for her and the other person to climb...
|
|
Daeris winces from the arrow hitting her and releases one back
Attack
Damage
A miraculous shot, she hits the man crouching behind cover who yells in surprise as he is struck.
A magical Dolphin appears at the stern of the boat, and helps the rowers power it to the Hydra.
In the sea
Init
Magic Dolphin
Shark
Attacks
Magic Dolphin
Shark
Convert?
Shark
On the ship
Init
DuMoire's crew
Skeleton
Attacks
Skeleton
Damage
Dumoire
Convert?
Damage
Crewman
Boarding round
Kyra heals Daeris
Kormil appears to cast, yelling is subsequently heard up on the ship.
Adrianna begins to climb and doesn't see the trip wire and trap at the rear of the boat. There is an audible snap and she is sprayed with a putrid mix of bilgewater, blood and gore it coats her from head to toe but she manages to hold on to the side and eventually reaches the top. She also sees a skeletal form attacking DuMoire and one of his crewmen. Dumoire has been hit, and the skeleton looks a little bit broken
Daeris down below witnesses the spray, and connects it to what the men were doing earlier - chumming the water.
The water at the rear of the boat rips into a churning sea of frenzy as a large shark surfaces and goes for the dolphin, the dolphin tries its best but the shark manages to get a solid bite into it and snaps the dolphin in two.