Rising Shadows: Moonshae Isles (5e)

Game Master Donnell "The Fox"

The Borderlands An untamed wild region far flung from the comforts and protection of civilization. A lone fortified keep is the only bastion of Good desperately striving to maintain the forces of Chaos at bay. But Evil is everywhere, lurking in dark caves, fetid swamps, and forlorn forests. Bands of cutthroat brigands and ruthless tribes of humanoids eager to clash with the forces of Good rove the region. The Borderlands hold many secret wondrous locations, and the opportunities for fame, prestige and fortune are plentiful. But equally abundant are the perils, risks, and challenges to those brave enough to explore the wilds.

(erm... just ignore that first post, as it no longer applies, but I can't delete it)

You've each been visited (in person, in a dream, etc) by Sister Barley, a halfling seer. She tells you that the Earthmother has shown her your future and that terrible trials are coming to the Moonshae Islands. She provides you with these prophecies, and instructs you to find Poppie, captain of the Shantu, in Caer Callidyrr.

dot dot

Gideon walked the docks shivering in the early morning fog. He pulled his cloak up tighter around his chin and pulled down his wool hat more firmly over his ears. Should have taken a cup of hot tea with me before I came down here.

His troubling dreams had led him here, and he had even beat the fishing fleet out this morning. Unfortunately, the fog kept him from seeing more than a few feet in front of him, so he was having to walk slowly peering at each ship he encountered from close up.

Finally, just as he was about to try and find an open tavern to warm his feet in, he came across the vessel he had been seeking. Hmmm. It wasn't just a dream, I guess. The Shantu is really here. Perhaps I should wait till I see movement on the deck before intruding.

Anybody else foolish to be up this early sees a tall gangly young man, with brassy blonde hair sticking out from his wool cap and spilling over the collar of his cloak. If you got any closer, you would notice his bright blue eyes and perfect teeth. Under his grey cloak was a well-maintained suit of leather armor with the Firey disk of Lathender on each shoulder. He seems to be looking for something.

Toki ran his hand over his bare head as the steam rose in little curls in the cold morning air. The Northlander longship pulled into the dock and the young warrior leapt to the wharf and caught the rope with practiced ease.

I wonder what that old seer meant? the Northlander shook his head, The gods like to toy with us mortals don't they? Valkur smile upon me...

After pulling the longship in and lashing it properly, Toki hopped back on the ship and clapped his brothers in a hearty handshake, snatched up his rucksack and shield, and returned to the docks looking for his first stop.

Toki is a tall man with darker features, reminiscent of the far reaches of Kara-Tur, but he clearly wears his beard short and sports tattoos typical of Northlanders. He wears the heavy chainmail of raiders and a wooden shield across his back. Rather than the longsword, he has a pair of handaxes tucked into his belt.

I have been around my middle school kids too much today, I saw your name as Taki and not Toki. The kids enjoy eating those dreadful things!

Haha, if it makes it easier, he is a mix of Thor and Loki... Toki!

The bunny folk emerges cautiously from his warren and the warm fire that Mamma Lope has provided him. Before he leaves she makes sure to provide him a little brown sweater and an insulated bottle filled with carrot soup. As he peaks out of the portal to the Material plane from the Feywild, he checks him money pouch and he sniffs the air, he ears turning in many diretions to try to hear danger.

As he exits the Feyhome he scampers into a bush to hide. Whereupon he comes upon a halfling woman who has a message for him. Thinking this will be great fun, he scampers off, making sure to write a note on rock and tossing it back through the portal so Mamma Lope won't worry, and keeping as much to the forest as he can, finds himself eventually close to a human city near a large amount of water.

Making sure to stick to the shadows, he finds a box to hide in that is soon to be placed on the ship.

A soft clanging can be heard as a male figure approaches the docks. He is alert but his mind is also thinking about the prophecies. The morning fog is a little thick in some areas, he squints his eyes a bit to try and make out where the ships are.

"Fly swiftly if he finds you first", the words of the prophecy echoing in his head. HE thinks to himself, "Well, I can't fly so he'll have to go down...HARD".

Walking the docks he searches for the SHANTU. After a short while he finds a ship that could be it.

Wykramer wears chain mail, is about 5'11" with light blue/black hair. As you approach him, you will notice his shield, warhammer, and you notice he wears a bright yellow sash around his waist.

She has come far to get here and is weary, and though still filled with doubts Braith is a bit excited at finally having a direction, a purpose. "My family is well, this is worth it," she says aloud.

Virtually unnoticed among all the other people wandering around is a young human woman, dressed in common clothes covered with a well-worn cloak, walking down the docks searching carefully for something or someone. You might make out the familiar moon and star of the Earthmother on her cloak, faded though it is. She is single-minded, barely noticing others nor getting out of their way, until she sees the ship Shantu. "Right then," she says out loud to no one in particular, nods her head, and starts up the gangway.

If you were standing right by the ship, she seemed to not have even noticed you, so singular is her focus.

are the kalashtar setting neutral now?

I don't think so, but it is ultimately DM's call...

Jaylen walks confidently down the dock toward the pier indicated by the dock master. The only hint of concern, the slight shift in his well shaped jaw as he chews on a bit of root gum. A sign that he is mulling over a thought. The prophesies that drew him here.

He actually prefers the anonymity that the fog provides. No need for prying eyes if the stakes were indeed as dire as seer has presented.

Jaylen is a handsome man wearing a leather breastplate under his well worn green robes. His feathered black hair and beard are well trimmed and show the start of grey at his temples. He carries no visible weapons but he does have a shield slung on his back, the only evidence of combat training.

In the cloudy early morning on the docks of Caer Callidyrr, the smells of the briny sea mix with the fresh scents blowing in from nearby Dernall Forest. Thin shafts of light poke through the clouds, promising clear skies later in the day.

The Shantu and its captain Poppie are well known, and the ship is easily found. Those of you lingering on the docks are encouraged to join the others on deck (ditto for the harengan hiding in a box).

The Shantu is a small caravel. It’s definitely seen better days, but it looks seaworthy. About a dozen crew members swarm over the deck. Most of the crew is human, although there are a couple of half-elves and one half-orc. All of the crew have blondish-red hair and blue eyes. As you gather on the deck, an elderly bald woman pulls a pipe from between her teeth and shouts, “Avast! We’ve been expecting you! Slow to grasp your destiny, eh?”

Those of you from Caer Callidyr and nearby ports (or those who might have asked around), recognize the speaker as Captain Poppie Logan, longtime owner and captain of the Shantu, which is crewed by Poppie's children.

"Well now, wee Sister Barley told me to expect the six of you, and now here ye are. Great deeds must lie afore ye indeed! Well, I have my own deals to fulfill with the druidess so, for the next little bit, the Shantu and meself are at your service. So then! What destiny does the Earthmother have in store for ye?"

Gideon seems puzzled by the greeting... but ever one for proper manners he removes his hat and bows lowly at the Captain.

"Permission to board Captain? Name is Gideon". He then mumbles his last name under his breath.

"It is my impression that we were to seek you out, not why".

We’re all of us called here then? Fascinating! Well if this is where the Earthmother wants us, this is where we should be. Addressing the captain, What do you make of the prophecy spoken by Sister Barley?

After some back and forth convo…

Looking around at the crew, Is this...are you all...is this your family? she asks, fascinated. She starts to reach out towards the hair of the nearest crew member, then seems to remember that would definitely be rude.

I'm playing her low charisma as her being blunt and sometimes rude, though never intentionally.

Toki approaches the ship with an amused look, The skein was woven for me, but what it holds remains a mystery. It led me here, though...

The young Northman takes the Captain's comment as an invitation onboard and easily hops up the plank. Where are we headed?

Hearing people making noise and talking, the haregon will begin to move inside the box in order to shake it and have it make noise.

EDIT: I'm assuming everyone has boarded (and escaped their crate) and has gathered on deck.

The captain smiles fondly as she glances around at her crew: "Yep, had some adventures of my own as a young'un," she says with a wink. "They've got salt water in their veins -- work well together too."

"Now, let's see here. Prophecy, eh?" She takes the bit of paper Braith offers to her: "Well... sounds like the Earthmother has laid four tasks afore ye."

She points to the second, third, and fourth stanzas in turn: "The Fairheight Peaks be those mountains ye see there to the north. Hrm... I could sail ye up to Highrock; the dwarves that live there are good folk."

"This here talks about goblins -- can't say as I know much about them meself. Just south of here, though, town o' Lehigh, Great Druid Antola Pilark'd be able to give ye more info'mation."

"Can't make head nor fin of this one, but Blodvahrer's a little bitty town, 'bout west-nor'west o' here, as the crow flies. I run some supplies up that way by times. Easiest for you if we sail out that way than you tryin' t' cross the island, mountains 'n all. 'Course, we'd have to sail up and around t' get there, but 's no trouble."

"As for this last one," she hands back the paper, "I've no blessed idea. Hopefully, ye'll figure that one out along t' way."

There's no set order to the tasks / prophesies. Capt Poppie is happy to sail you wherever you need to go (except Lehigh, obviously, since it's inland from here).

"Sounds to me like Blodvahrer might be a good initial destination. How often do you sail there in case we need a ride back in the future"?

Is there a map showing the reference to these places? Might make for easier planning.

Oh, sorry -- I guess I forgot to mention. The map is linked under my name: NPCs, Handouts, and Maps

I added an arrow to indicate your current location (Caer Callidyrr). Bloodvahrer and Highrock are in large letters in red (NW and NE of your location, respectively). Lehigh is just south of you, in the forest near Bulak's Manor.

Poppie nods "I made some good coin from Sister Barley's last prophecy, and part of the deal we struck was for me to work with you. You talk amongst yerselfs and let me know what's decided. Where'er ye want ta go, I'll take you and bring you back."

Is this a regular occurrence then? Well, guess we should all introduce ourselves and such. Hi, I'm Braith, I'm a, um.....traveler. And faithful to Earthmother of course. She seems uncertain as to what to say, but eager to get to know everyone, especially someone from the fey which she might have never seen before.

I think the far place to the north west sounds good to start.

As a Northman, would I know anything about Blodvahrer? As a player I know nothing, but the name leads me to believe that there may be a connection to my people...

We could visit the dvargar princess first... I mean, maybe we can get one of their dvar-steel weapons! Toki grins with excitement.

Being they were all here on a mission vague on details, Jaylen nods ”Blodhaven seems as good a place to check out than either of the other leads we have.” He looks around at the others, trying to gauge competence. ”I believe Blaith has the right idea. Let us first learn who we are all working with.” he nods over toward Blaith ”I am Jaylen Greystone, a fellow traveler, and also a servant of the Earthmother.“

The haregon stamps his bunny feet in boredom and pulls out a carrot to snack on, making sure to chew very loudly as he looks around. I am called Jack a lope. Sometimes I am called King under the Mountain or Barrel Rider and box cutter.

Toki! the Northman emphasizes with a beat on his chest, Well met!

Poppie waves her pipe in Braith's direction: "Weelll... p'raps I'm being a wee bit loose wit' my use of 'prophecy' -- I certainly wasn't involved in any saving-of-the-world. Eh... probably..."

Sounds like two votes for Blodvahrer and one for Highrock. I'll let this sit for a few more hours in case there's further discussion.

@Toki: Blodvahrer is a bit of a trading hub because of its deep harbour, but otherwise is a pretty small village. If you know anything about it at all, it's probably not more than that.

Toki would also recognize that Blodvahrer is in the Gnarhelm region, though, which is better known. Northlanders in that region are thought to have "gone soft" because they live in close association with the Ffolk and do things like "trade" and "fight on land" and "ride horses instead of ships." The area is well known for its mines and smiths. (Anyone from the Moonshaes also knows this about Gnarhelm, though likely without the prejudice of a Northlander)

In that case, Blodvahrer is as good as the Dwarf Princess' home for the first destination...

He is around for the fun so it dont matta to him

"Then Blodvahrer it is! Let's away while we still have the tide. Oy, Georgie! Alert the harbourmaster that we're away," Poppie walks off bellowing orders, the crew scampering to finish preparing the ship.

Back of the napkin calculations:
Blodvahrer is about 300 miles from Caer Callidyrr.
The Shantu is described as a caravel, which travel at about 4 knots (4.6 mph). I'll say you only really have the crew to sail 2 eight-hour shifts, so the journey will take you about 4 days.

Feel free to RP getting to know one another and / or the crew.

You sail up the fjord toward Blodvahrer mid-morning on the fifth day, the rocky coast hemming you in as you approach the dense pine forest into which the small village has been carved. Despite mostly clear skies while at sea, today is cold, gloomy, and likely to storm, if the distant sounds of thunder are any indication.

No other ships are docked this morning, and a group of dockworkers approaches the Shantu, looking hopeful, but your Captain waves them away. As the crew secures the ship and prepares to resupply, Poppie points out the elderly man on shore: "That be Blodder Jehanson, the dockmaster. If ye'll kindly let 'im know that we've no cargo, nor be takin' on any. Take yer time in town, an' come find us when ye're ready to leave."

Map updated

Toki, having made himself useful on deck, hops the rail to land on the dock with a thump, Will do, old man!

The warrior looks back at his new companions, Hurry friends, before your seat at Valkur's table is taken!

During the sail, Jaylen gets to know everyone a bit. He’s often quiet and a good listener but seems to know when to ask the right question to keep the conversation going and engaging.

He is also often seen at the bow of the ship taking in the majestic views of the Moonshaes from the water.

Once we arrive, Jaylen seems curious, seemingly never being to this area before. ”Valkur’s? Why do I have a feeling that this place is a Tavern.”

Braith is open to getting to know the group, though she isn't great at conversation. Mostly she tries to figure out what everyone else thinks of the prophecies, as she has little idea herself. She's from the north, we might end up near to where she lived at some point, and she is keen to hear about where everyone else is from and what they do for a living. She herself is traveling in hopes of becoming a better "follower" of the Earrthmother.

Upon arriving, she follows Jaylen's comment with I think it's a worship thing, but I'm up for a tavern sure. Maybe they'll know who Witwulf is.

As you near the end of the dock, the older man, Blodder, holds his cane out horizontally to bar you from walking past him. Blodder's grey-haired, probably in his mid-sixties, wearing a loose, faded green shirt. He's got real "5'9-but-lists-his-height-as-6'-on-his-Tinder-profile" energy.

"And where are you off to? Not trying to skip out on your docking fees, are you?" Tapping his cane for emphasis on the ground at Toki's feet: "It's five silver. Per day."

Braith starts back to the ship to ask Cpt. Poppie, then stops mid-thought. Oh, she means for us to pay that, doesn't she? She starts digging around in her stuff and after quite a full minute of searching, comes up with one piece of silver.

Easy, old man, I got your silvers right here! Braith, hold onto your coin, Toki fishes out a handful of coins of various mintage and slaps it into the dockmaster's hand (probably spilling a couple), Now where can a man find a drink, and what do you know of Witwulf?

EDIT: I probably give the old man close to a gold piece, just in case we are here longer than a day...

Blodder weighs the coins briefly in his hand before stowing them in a pouch: "Eh? Witwulf? Is that the old story about ... something about a chicken and an anvil? No? Well, I don't know -- go bother someone else with your inane questions. The Open Door Tavern and Inn is just there, on the other side of the market on your left -- can't miss it."

Pleased to meet you all. I find myself here in this strange place. I had a dream. Lliira, my Diety said my help was needed elsewhere. In the dream she showed me your faces, and now I have found you. I am here to assist you in your quest.

Thanks, grampa! Toki laughs, Come on, everyone! I'll buy you a drink!

EDIT: Toki regards the newcomer with a discerning eye, Another sword is always welcome!

As they travel, the bunny folk busies himself having a grand old time making of himself a nuisance, but the cutest nuisance one has ever seen. He runs to the head of the ship and quickly declares himself I'm King of the World! and while trying to he helpful gets underfoot more often than not.

As you walk north, in the direction of the tavern, you notice large warehouses off to the right, busy with workers moving cargo and loading carts. Your path leads you through the edge of the marketplace:

A cacophony of smells welcomes you to the village’s marketplace. Small stalls offering produce and assorted goods are set up in the open space that is bordered by several shops and workplaces. The shops (off to the left) have signs proclaiming them a bakery, a fishmonger, and a smithy. A general store borders the market to the north.

You can hear some faint singing coming from around the back of the general store, and in front of you, to the north, there seems to be a small commotion in front of the tavern that is drawing a small crowd.

To be honest the singing is more intriguing to Toki than the tavern commotion...

Toki stands in the street, hesitant, looking at the General Store, then the tavern, and back to the store...

While Gideon is friendly enough, and willing to listen and carry on conversations with everyone, he takes care to reveal little about himself. Others can tell he is of good upbringing, and seems to be honorable if a bit elusive.

He makes sure to practice his swordplay daily, and is seen to carefully oil and sharpen his weapons after putting them away.

He heads towards the commotion in front of the tavern.

"Well, well, well welcome to Blodvahrer it seems. Come let's go see what the excitement is".

Jack a Lope will hop on all 4's over to the singing is coming from.

Let me know if the plan is to split the party here. No worries if so, I just need to know who's going where.

Toki will go to see what is going on at the tavern first, then if it doesn't interest him, he will head back to the General Store...

Toki will go to see what is going on at the tavern first, then if it doesn't interest him, he will head back to the General Store...

Jaylen follows suit.

Wykramer follows Jacka-lope to see where the singing is coming from.

Okay, I haven't heard from Braith, but in the interests of an even party split, I'm sticking her in the music group. @Braith, feel free to change this if it's not what you wanted to do.