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A nagaji woman swims up to the docks and slithers towards the assembled pathfinders. Her head and torso are that of a human woman while her lower half is the tail of a green snake. Her forked tongue tests the air several times before she introduces herself. "Greetingsss friendsss. I am Sssalissssa. I underssstand that my talentsss with wood and wave are required thisss day."
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A tall orc approaches the docks, having finally found someone willing to point him in the right direction. He wears a cloak with his hood pulled over his head. The sleeves of the cloak appear to have been ripped away, revealing intricate patterns of scars covering the majority of his exposed skin. He wears a holy symbol of Sarenrae around his neck. As he finally arrives, he introduces himself to the pathfinders on the docks.
"Ah, good morning to you all. I am Dorgath and I've been told this crew is in mighty need of some of Sarenrae's light! I'm happy to provide" He says with a grin.
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A young human teenage boy, adorned in full plate that's a tad too big for him, stumbles off his ship, "Seas the Day". He hurries to join the gathering Pathfinders. Slowing him down is a large halberd strapped to his left hip and a longbow strapped to his right. Both weapons are comically dragging on the ground behind him as he approaches.
Breathing heavily, the boy looks to the group with wide-eyed excitement. "Golly, it's great to be going on another Pathfinder mission!" Catching his breath, he quickly says, "I'm Dennis. My daddy says I'll grow into my armor. I'm a real good fighter. I've been practicing with my bow, too!"
As he swings around to show off his unused bow, his halberd nearly knocks an elderly gentleman into the water. "Oh, sorry mister. You'll be okay." He shrugs sheepishly and turns his attention back to the Pathfinders.
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A somewhat distracted looking gnome arrives in the briefing room. Flute in hand, they gaze around the room seeing things that apparently nobody else can.
They sit, put the flute in their mouth and start to play.
After a moment or two they blink, and realise there are other people in the room. After removing the small silver flute they ask "Where did you all come from?"
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A small canine humanoid, clad in plate mail and using a traveler's chair with a rose emblazoned on the spiked wheels, with a large axe that glows faintly strapped to the back, wheels toward the docks.
He waits politely for anyone to finish speaking, then cheerfully offers a paw to each of the others and says, "Hello, I'm Ra'uf. Looks like another mission on the open sea. Guess I did well enough on the last one. In any case, I can provide some extra muscle and patch people up if things get rough."
You may begin the Introduction: Into the Storm now!
Good luck, and have fun!
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The briny smell of the ocean fills the air, mingling with the scents of tar, fish, and unwashed bodies. The docks teem with stevedores, sailors, pirates, and Pathfinders making their way toward a massive galleon that dwarfs the other vessels in the harbor. A carved dragon head juts defiantly from the front of the ship, and several smaller jolly boats hang from its side. A flag bearing the Glyph of the Open Road flaps in the wind, and a name painted in bold letters on the ship’s stern proclaims it the Snapdragon.
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The star of the show is always the last to arrive....
You hear a distant sound of strings and an up-tempo beat, almost as if an orchestra is fast approaching. Instead, there is fiery haired gnome wearing a studded black leather coat before you.
He nods to the flutist before striking a chord with his magical lute. With a courteous bow he says,
"Hello fellow Pathfinders, the entertainment has arrived. Sit back relax, and enjoy the famous sounds of Lootie Kriss. It looks like we'll be trapped on this ship for awhile, so there's no where to go!"
He smiles, and breaks into a performance that seems to never end.
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Dorgath shakes his head at the sudden cacophony that erupts from his fellow pathfinders. Eyeing the ship with a trepidatious look, he grunts at the others, "I really wish they would include these kinds of details in our summons. Water. The deck of a ship, it's never been my favorite place to be. I hope you all are more comfortable in such settings than I!" He lets out a half hearted chuckle
"Quiet down!" Venture-Captain Calisro Benarry hollers, her voice cutting through the din and drawing all eyes to the quarterdeck. She’s joined by Venture-Captain Eando Kline, who grimaces as a third figure joins them. The newcomer’s face bears a sly smile, as if she’s laughing at something only she knows.
"Welcome to Quent." Eando calls out. He gestures to the smiling aiuvarin woman at his side. "We’re here at the invitation of the Hurricane Queen, Tessa Fairwind, who brought a discovery of some interest to Calisro."
"Sure," Tessa interrupts with a grin and a glance at the Venture-Captain. "I know Callie recently left the Grinning Pixie, so I assumed she was just sitting around with nothing to do. I wanted to help a friend out with a possible adventure."
"I do just fine, thank you," Calisro shoots back, before turning her attention back to the Pathfinders on deck. "Tessa brought us a report from some of her scouts about a shipwreck in the Eye of Abendego. They didn’t stop to investigate—Tessa failed to mention why exactly they were in such a rush—but they noticed a Pathfinder flag flying from the mast."
Eando continues. "Now, we haven’t sent any missions into the hurricane recently, and happily we don’t have any reports of missing Pathfinder ships. So that led us into the archive. We think this ship might be the Whippoorwill. For those of you who haven’t been studying your Chronicles, the Whippoorwill was one of our very first ventures, from the first 10 years of the Society. Venture-Captain Kimma Atyi led her crew to investigate an island with strange architecture. Unfortunately, we lost touch with her in 4316 ar, and—"
"If Kimma was anything like Callie as a sailor, no surprise." Tessa interrupts again, leaving Eando gritting his teeth. The Hurricane Queen laughs before giving way to the Vigilant Seal’s leader once more.
"As I was saying, they were eventually given up for lost."
"She probably ran into Abendego’s Squall," Tessa says, sounding a touch more serious.
"Or some other mythical sea monster," says Calisro. "At any rate, because of the historic significance of this mission and the dangers of sailing into the Eye of Abendego, we’re marshaling all our forces. The Snapdragon here is the Society’s largest, most durable vessel. She’s not as pretty as my usual ship, but she can hold more people and will see everyone safely through the storm."
"As long as you don’t sail her into some rocks!" Tessa gibes.
Calisro takes a deep breath. "We’ll be fine. As I was saying, this will be a dangerous mission into the teeth of the storm, so we understand if anyone chooses to return to the docks right now."
"There’s no need to worry though, Pathfinders," Tessa says, pulling a pearl from her pouch. "I have duties here in Quent, but I’m sending some of my pirates with you to show Callie where to go. They can take over too if she falls overboard. I’m also loaning her my magical pearl of depths. That way, when she inevitably sinks the Snapdragon, you can breathe underwater long enough to swim to safety!" With those final mocking words, she saunters off the gangplank.
As sailors start casting off lines, Eando calls out. [b]"We’ll be underway in moments, Pathfinders, so if you have any questions, now’s the time to ask.
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This adventure takes place on the ocean and uses several nautical and ship-related terms. This handout may be helpful for anyone who is not familiar with sailing vessels.
Bow: The forward part of a ship.
Bowsprit: A spar extending forward from the front of a ship.
Figurehead: A carved wooden decoration on the bow.
Helmsman: A person who steers.
Hull: The main body of a ship.
Main deck: The highest deck that runs the full width and length of a ship.
Mast: A tall upright spar that holds sails.
Port: The left side of a ship.
Prow: Part of the ship’s bow above the water.
Rigging: Ropes that support the ship’s masts and sails.
Starboard: The right side of a ship.
Stern: The rear of a ship.
Quarterdeck: A raised deck at the stern; usually where the captain directs the crew, and where the ship’s wheel is.
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Slipp eyes the large ship warily. Still, a ship means new horizons - even if they are often just more water.
They skip aboard and find a spot with a good view to sit and play their flute from. "I heard a story about the captain.." they start to say, "Finding a haunted island. I kind of hope we don't end up there."
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Sitting cross-legged on the dock, Dennis takes notes with his colored wax pencils (that are often confused with crayons). He draws a picture of his faction leader, Calisro. It doesn't look anything like her. Obviously. And he draws a boat. He keeps his writing tools out in case there's more important information to document.
He looks up and asks, "How long is the boat ride?" After writing down the answer next to his boat picture, he continues to pepper the leaders with questions, "What sea creatures will we find?" and "What is "Abendego's Squall"?"
When Lootie sings his ballad, Dennis laughs. "That's good. You're a better singer than me." The bard is no doubt relieved to have the lad's approval.
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The group is quite familiar with the storm's history.
"It'll take a few days to get there, winds willing. Not sure what you will find, but be prepared for anything from sea serpents to hostile pirates! Oh, and don't fall off the deck..." Tessa proclaims and Calisro smiles.
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The hulking orc's skin seems to pale a bit when the venture captains mention the plan of sailing into the eye of abendego. "Oh Sarenrae protect us" he mutters under his breath as he walks aboard the ship.
Once aboard he asks the Calisro and Eando about the previous mission. "This previous mission the pathfinders sent to this island. You mentioned strange architecture? What was so strange about it to pique the interests of the society?
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Calm seas do not last long out of port in this part of the world.
The waves surge as the Snapdragon enters the teeth of the hurricane. The mighty galleon climbs dozens of feet up each wave, its prow aiming at the sky above, before tipping over the crest and racing down to crash into the trough.
Gripping the wheel alongside her helmsman, Venture-Captain Benarry calls out, her powerful voice carrying over the moaning timbers, snapping sails, and roar of the Eye of Abendego,
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Dorgath, still feeling his stomach bubbling from the sudden motion of the deck, looks up to the sky and the rigging in an attempt to find the direction of the wind and waves and a possible clear direction for the ship.
Still feeling overwhelmed from the sudden burst in activity, Dorgath is unable to make heads or tails of the motion of the ocean at the moment
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Slipp eyes up a pair of sailors who are cowering near one of the main masts.
"Do you actually want to go down with the ship?" they ask, pointedly.
"I can walk on water, but I don't think you can. So, unless you are really good at holding your breath... I suggest you get aloft and help furl the mainsail./"
Calisro calls out from the quarterdeck, standing proudly against the gale and driving rain. “Pathfinders, we’ve found a path through the storm, and we’re making good time!”
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With the storm subsiding, the ship steadies itself and finds an even keel.
You all return to the meeting room to dry out your clothes and rest.
Calisro frowns as she looks up from the desk in her cabin. Eando stands behind her, looking furious.
“Pathfinders, we’re in the bilges,” Calisro says, gesturing for agents to gather ‘round. “I just discovered someone’s stolen my logs and nautical charts from my cabin. I have to get this ship through this storm without killing us all, so I don’t have time to find the thief myself. Eando wants to go through everyone’s bunks, but we can’t afford to upset the sailors. We need them focused on keeping us all alive!"
“We had a decent view from the quarterdeck, and we’ve identified eight people who entered the rear cabins. One of
them must be our thief. We need you to find out which one and get the charts back! We can’t alert the whole crew, so ask
around quietly.”
1. Joya Ferndown (female halfling Pathfinder scholar) wears rose-tinted glasses to protect her sensitive eyes. The diminutive scholar is short even for a halfling, and always seems to be underfoot.
2. Dostall Krakenbait (male dromaar pirate) takes after his orc parent, with dark green skin and prominent tusks. His head is shaved, revealing a tattooed kraken whose tentacles cover his face.
3. Khizrunk (male kobold Pathfinder inventor) is a green-scaled kobold who joined the Pathfinder Society to learn about more traps. He carries extendable leg braces to help him reach traps set at human eye level.
4. Aulasden Jennirian (female elf pirate) has dark skin and long, densely coiled black hair. Her bright clothing stands in stark contrast to the religious symbol of Besmara that hangs from her neck.
5. Maspad (female vanara Pathfinder trailblazer) is a mischievous Jalmeri monk with golden-colored fur and short, spiky hair. She has a dripping leaf tattooed on one cheek.
6. Tsaraka (male tengu pirate) is a black-feathered beauty, whose talons are adorned with rings and painted the bright colors of sunset.
7. “Fair Wind” Fedge (male iruxi pirate) is a hulking green-scaled iruxi who wears a talisman cord that seems like it’s about to break under the weight of lucky charms attached to it.
8. Beliwa Helequin (male human Pathfinder agent) is a dusky-skinned Bonuwat from Vidris, with short hair in cornrows. Descended from generations of sailors, he goes barefoot while at sea.
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Slipp is obviously unset at the storm, and this theft has put a damper on their flute playing for the moment as well.
Deciding that Joya is more their size, and suspicious to boot because of their love of books, the gnome goes in search of the scholar. "Fess up. What were you doing heading into the cabins in the middle of the storm? All hands on deck included you." they remind her.
"And what do you know, what you were off deck some paper and writings vanished... just the sort of thing a scholar might find 'accidently' falling into their belongings. What did you see while you were down there?"