Side Quests - The Wormwood Mutiny


Skull & Shackles


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So I've decided, at least for the first installment, to go ahead and use those lovely little plot-hook rumors in the inside back cover of the book. As a rule, I want to introduce the rumors in the volume in which they appear. This was mildly problematic for The Wormwood Mutiny because the PCs only gain their freedom near the end of the adventure. Consequently, all of these were introduced on Bonewrack Isle in order for me to comply with my self-imposed rule.

I do apologize for the length; pages worth. In my head at the outset it seemed like they would take a paragraph each. Then I realized it had to make sense for someone else to read. So now it's long, wordy, still part brainstorming, not fully statted and each will probably require more than one post (I do not know what the limit is for one post).

If you play Capt Firix Drakethorn, Razmira the sorceress, Davor the Red or Lionel Ulyses Caleb Kilick, feel the Forbiddance and Antipathy and read something else instead!

Largely spoilered so as not to assault the eye and presented in the order given in the book, here's my take on The Buzzard's Bounty, Fisherman's Folly, Shipwreck in a Bottle and The Lost Messenger:


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The Buzzard's Bounty (Part 1)

Planting the seed: The Buzzard’s Bounty is a rumour that one of the NPCs formerly loyal to Plugg shares with the new regime after the mutiny.

Plugg gleaned from the Rahadoomi sailors from the Man’s Promise the rumour of the unfound plunder from the shipwreck of the Blue Buzzard and its location near Tempest Cay. He used the rumour of this booty to lure the selected crew to go solo with him. Part of the plan was to use that loot to secure the entry fee into the Free Captains’ Regata. Survivors of Plugg’s clique can share the plan with the new regime, who may well adopt it for their own.

Kroop can use the opportunity to explain the risk the PCs face by sailing in the Shackles without one of Bonefist’s Letters of Marque and/or without a reputation of their own. If the PCs want to dare to look for the Buzzard’s Bounty, he can recommend they skirt the Shackles and approach from the North, tacking against the storm winds coming off the Eye, though that route sports its own hazards and is not predator-free.

Above the Waves:
The Other Predator:
Should the PCs take up the rumor and sail their way to Tempest Cay, they find they are not the only ones fishing for plunder that day. The Sea Lash, under the command of Captain Slip (p79 Raiders of the Fever Sea), is plying the same waters for the same treasure. The Sea Lash has furled sails when initially spied. The lookout (or anyone else, once attention is drawn) can make a DC 20 Perception check to determine that the Sea Lash is stationary due to being anchored. (This check succeeds automatically if specifically looked for.) Depending on their approach, the PCs might notice the Lash’s dingy with a handful of crew some 100’ away from its ship. There is no land nearby to indicate why a ship would be anchored or have its boat launched. From a distance, it’s a DC 25 Perception or Profession (Sailor) check or DC 30 Knowledge (Geography) check to notice or have knowledge of the oyster reef which poses a threat to vessels only if the lookout fails to spot it in the clear Shackles waters when drawing near.

Determine when the crew of the Sea Lash becomes aware of the PCs. Slip will call in his dingy, raise anchor and drop sail in readiness for hostilities.

The PCs can engage the Sea Lash in combat, can parley and come to an agreement, can hang around and let them do the work and then attack or can just give up. If the PCs have not changed the name of the ship, the Man’s Promise may be recognized as a Rahadoumi slaver and prompt an attack from the Sea Lash.

For purposes of diplomacy, Capt Slip is hostile to professed or known slavers. He will momentarily put aside the treasure hunt to eradicate the present slaver threat. He is unfriendly to anyone staking a claim on “his” rumor (which escalates to hostile should anyone actually make a play for it). His attitude improves to indifferent for those who can prove they were former slaves themselves. He will defend his claim to the plunder and has no objection if he and his crew take another ship as prize during such an encounter.

Capt Slip is not initially keen on splitting the bounty but he is not zealous to the point of giving up his life for it. If that appears to be the alternative, he will be amenable to a deal.
If the party convinces Slip that they outclass him but still let him sail away with a fair share of the plunder, Slip will remember them favorably for later in the adventure path should the party decide to recruit a fleet. (Note that if the party is generous and easily let Slip sail away with all or most of the Bounty with little to no bloodshed, his opinion of the PCs will not improve with respect to being won over for recruitment. He sees no compelling reason to sail under chumps.)

The reef is a natural hazard which has claimed passing vessels unrelated to the Buzzards Bounty. On a clear day, the spotter should not have a difficult time catching signs of the reef and the mostly submerged and stuck wreckage of other ships. (The ill-fated Captain Roronet found the oyster reef served two purposes: first he hoped his pursuers would dash their vessels against the reef in his pursuit, second he figured if he couldn’t spend his loot, treasure-hungry clams would deprive anyone else of the privilege.)


The Buzzard's Bounty (Part 2)

Beneath the Waves:
The Oyster Reef
The oyster reef is several football fields wide and long, roughly crescent-shaped. Its structure is largely one vast oyster colony comprised of oysters (chiefly) and other mollusks of various species and sizes. Most of the water covering the oyster reef is too shallow for a sailing ship. The group will have to anchor nearby and either dive off their ship and swim or launch a boat for a closer, overhead look. It is otherwise functionally similar to the coral reef described on p29 Wormwood Mutiny (Day 11). Where the depth is only 5’, medium-sized characters can stand and rest from swimming and holding their breaths.

The oysters and clams occupy a position closer to the bottom of the food chain. Given the clams symbiotic relationship with the algae that take advantage of their sun-facing open shells, the oyster reef supports a rich echo system of complete food-chain fun which makes for ideal snorkeling/swimming/diving for nature lovers. Aquatic animal companions can be easily justified here.

The oyster reef is not a wholly natural construct. The Master of Gales has nurtured it over the years with a mullusk-equivalent of plant growth. He views it as a combination heritage site and investment. The Master of Gales cares nothing about the Blue Buzzard and any related loot. Interested parties can risk their vessels looking for it to their heart’s content. The oyster reef camouflages some the druid’s own loot. Anyone straying too close to the glyph-bearing huge or bigger oysters may draw the attention of Nivanu, a neutral mermaid cleric loyal to the Master of Gales.

Nivanu is at least level 5 to be able to cast glyph of warding, and is otherwise a CR-appropriate encounter on her own for APL. She has the (totally homemade) Imbue Mullusk feat which allows her to cast glyphs on oysters (see below and next post). Her purpose is a combative. She gives the Master of Gales’ warning to leave his property alone. If hostilities ensue, her priority is to flee in order to inform the druid of the transgression and of the identity of the perpetrators. Knowledge (local or nobility) DC 17 to weigh in on the potential consequences of looting the Master of Gales’ stuff. Or Kroop or Conchobar can inform ignorant PCs to at least consider the warning.

Combing the whole oyster reef/clam bed is a time-consuming affair. There could be a number of approaches:
• If the PCs try by looking for clues among ship-wreckage, a DC 30 survival check to track will allow one sort out the more recent wreckage (from the Blue Buzzard) from the other, older wreckage which will lead to the vicinity of the loot. Every 4 they are short from the DC adds a day to the search effort.
• If the PCs look for giant clams as per the rumour, Knowledge (Nature):
o DC 10 differentiates between clams and oysters (and other species). The oyster reef is comprised mostly of oysters. Oysters are unlikely to be open of their own volition. So they are very unlikely to store any loot. They may have their own loot by the way of pearls.
o DC 15 differentiates between live and dead clams. Live clams stand with their opening facing up to catch sunlight streaming through the surface. They tend to be open as often as not. They tend to be full of, well, clam, so not much room for loot. Clams are edible and delicious to a variety of predators, including humans, hence their reflex to shut when they sense movement.
Dead clams can be in any position and condition. If the rumour holds any truth, loot is more likely to reside in a dead clam (or oyster for that matter) than a live one. If narrowing search to dead clams, DC 20 Survival or profession (fishing) will locate a number of candidates. Each 4 the PCs miss by adds a day to the search (min 1 day for a failed roll).
o DC 17 to be aware of the unintentional siphon hazard posed by the larger clams (see below).
o DC 25 to be aware of a relaxation technique to assist a trapped PC to escape a giant clam’s siphons (see below).
• Combining looking for dead clams in the debris near the debris field of the Blue Buzzard will half the search time. They will get very hopeful clues as they approach the area: broken lockers marked with Osirioni symbols denoting the mint of Rahadoum litter the area.
• If you include magical loot in the plunder (I don't), the large clam shells will prevent detection. If the PCs use detect magic to assist their search, they are instead lead to a potentially profitable but hazardous red herring:
o A number of the large, live oysters radiate magic. This is due to the glyphs of warding (Bestow curse (Will DC 16): -6 str (will affect swimming skill and encumbrance, as well as combat)) on their shells. Inspection will reveal the glyphs as well as mundane writings on the shells. DC 25 Linguistics will recognize the rare written form of Aquan. Once the language is identified, one can decipher that the writing is a date. The Master of Gales is cultivating a variety of giant pearls. The date is when the pearl is expected to be mature. Throughout the reef, a handful of huge and gargantuan oysters house a special treasure of the Master of Gales: in each of those he has placed the naked corpse of a defeated foe in a fetal position to slowly collect layers of nacre. By so doing, he both adds an additional level of ignominy and measured respect to his enemies. The resulting nacre/necro pearls might be used in part of a powerful ritual, might be auctioned as extremely rare and valuable art or might be hoarded as a macabre collection of trophies to decorate some hidden fastness. Should the PCs cross the Master of Gales, he may see to it that this becomes their fate.


The Buzzard's Bounty (Part 3 - The Final Chapter)
(Warning: needless complexity ahead. I blame the Internet. You see, the picture in the book features a clam. I am not a marine biologist. I do believe with all the knowledge crammed online that, so long as it remains relatively free, the Internet is a person-made Wonder of the World. The following is the result of conflicting information I found online with respect to giant clams, oysters and pearls, as well as my own persisting misunderstandings.)

Unwitting Guardians:
Huh, you know, I can’t find giant clam/oyster/mussel stats anywhere?
The giant clams here are presented more as living traps that actual opposition to the PC's efforts. That said, a thorough search of the oyster reef may result in at least one close call:

Giant clams: While not human eaters, a PC adjacent to a clam two sizes larger than itself risks being mistaken for something that can be strained for food. (These are ad hoc stats. Sorry for the format: I am unable to format a table for these boards. :-/ )

Size: Large; Huge; Garg
AC(open/closed): 8/14; 10/20; 12/26
CMB: +4; +6; +10
CMD: 14; 18; 26
Damage (non-lethal): 2d8; 3d6; 3d8
Handle Animal DC: 20 across the board
Hit Points: 20; 30; 40
Hardness (closed only): 5/ad; 10/ad; 15/adamantine
Str to open: 18; 24; 30
Swim speed: 10; 20; 20 + Run feet
“Walk” speed: 5; 10; 15
CR/xp: 1/400; 2/600; 3/800

A PC that is not flat-footed can add ranks in swim to their CMD for the purposes of resisting a siphon attack. Clams have 2 siphons: a “mouth” siphon that sucks water and food into it and an excretion siphon that expels water/waste/unintentional objects.
A successful siphon attack results in the target being inhaled into the clam, probably to the clam’s distress. A character trapped in a clam counts as performing stressful activity for purposes of holding one’s breath. A PC can attempt a DC 18 will save to remain calm enough to not lose air at twice the rate. Any effect that helps against fear will also assist with this will save. A clam’s CMD in this case represents the difficulty escaping. A clam will not voluntarily resist attempts to flee; a trapped PC is fighting the clam’s natural process rather than a clam’s will as the clam would probably sooner have the PC exit also. The clam’s reflex though is to strain the PC through its system. A clam will do so over 3 stages, each stage being a full-round action. If the PC is struggling, the clam must succeed vs the PC’s CMD to force her to the next stage. Failure to expel a PC from stage 2 to stage 3 merely inflicts another round of stage 2 damage and forces more air out of the PC.

1. Siphon in. This isn’t simply into the shell but into the siphon and ending up within the “meat” of the clam. Even if the shell is open, there is no PC to be seen, only the “guts” of the clam which take up most of the room inside the shell.
2. Process over gills. Inflicts damage as per chart. Squeezes out 4 rounds worth of held breath.
3. Siphon out. (The PC is still holding his breath under stressful conditions this round,then freed just prior to the next initiative.)

Additional PCs may get sucked in on subsequent rounds as the clam siphons more water to try to expel a trapped PC.

When siphoned by a clam: A PC’s reflex may be to fight the current, as it were. Swim or grapple check against the CMD allows a PC to go back one step. This could be bad news for a PC unknowingly on the cusp of freedom who instead fights his way to more crushing damage. Knowledge (Nature) 25 will allow one to realize what is going on. Such a PC may decide to go with the flow, in which case she may add +4 to her swim or grapple check to advance a step on her turn. A clam does not have to succeed vs a passive/assisting PC’s CMB on its turn to advance the PC; it will happen automatically. A PC may attempt to damage a clam with a light weapon, as per swallowed whole, as a full-round action. Such a PC does not change stage during her turn; she merely inflicts damage. A dead clam closes on a PC. The Str DC lists the combined Str score required to open a dead clam/oyster of that size, whether to retrieve a stuck PC or see if there’s any loot.

The breath-holding rules are pretty generous. Make sure to track how long it takes to surface after escaping a clam.

The Handle Animal DC is to coax a clam open or shut against what would otherwise be natural for the clam.
A Handle Animal DC 12 will aid another clam to process a creature faster. Success means a trapped PC advances to the next stage on the assisting PC’s turn in addition to the clam’s and PC’s efforts, which can greatly minimize the time a PC spends trapped in a clam.

Clams are poor swimmers. In an action, they can pretty well only swim in one direction, though they do not have to consume their whole movement to do so. A gargantuan clam benefits from the “Run” feet when it “runs” thanks to its huge siphons and the water’s forgiving effect on its great weight. Walking or swimming is a full-round action for these graceful beasts. A walking clam is an "open" clam for purpose of AC.

Options: This is not intended to be a battle encounter beyond the potential with Capt Slip. However, if xps are needed, Nivanu might leave a CR-appropriate encounter to cover her retreat.

Or perhaps there is a real CR+3 challenge (such as Nivanu and 6 dolphins – Having to fight dolphins will give sailors pause as they otherwise have good rep.)(Or, if the party APL 8, a gigas clam - p64, From Hell’s Heart). Maybe Capt Slip already has his hands full dealing with that. Maybe the PCs can neutralize it on their own; maybe they can improve their odds by dealing with Slip for cooperation in taking care of the CR+3 nasty in exchange for an equal share of plunder. If Nivanu has already given Slip the warning regarding the glyphed giant oysters and the Master of Gales, Slip will not want to take that on and will content himself with a share of the Buzzard’s Bounty.


Finally, the Bounty:
Treasure:
The Buzzard’s Bounty may be taken without consequence. The oyster reef offers its own more lucrative plunder but messing with the Master of Gales’ carefully tended ecosystem will likely draw more ire than it’s worth.

Buzzard’s Bounty: Intercepted shipment from the Rahadoumi mint: 200,000 cp, somewhat corroded, stuffed in an emptied, dead gargantuan clam. That’s right, a few tons of copper pieces. Still worth 2 plunder points.

Pearls: Typical salt-water pearls are 100 gp, with the rare black pearl worth 500 gp. Assume that there are 3 plunder points worth of naturally occurring pearls from regular-sized oysters and the odd regular-sized clam. Finding those pearls will require harvesting a ton of mullusks, some of which can be recovered as food, much of which will just be wasted (and may attract avian and piscine predators). I haven't decided how many glyphed giant oysters there are. I admit it. I won't try to mask it by saying, "It is deliberately left to the GM to determine the amount of glyphed giant oysters that figure in the oyster reef. There could be none for those that do not want to include reasons for hostilities between the party and the Master of Gales and his protege Mase Darimar. Set the amount at what you think is appropriate for your party." Cuz, you know, that would be a cop out. I do have a ratio however, if that's any help: Assume that half the glyphed giant oysters are empty – red herrings. How many strength drains does the party wish to risk? Most of the other half is growing giant pearls worth 20 times the normal amount upon reaching maturity, including one or two coveted giant black pearls. The rest are nacred corpses worth a few times more than giant black pearls upon reaching maturity (or maybe that's what makes them black pearls?). So quite a few more plunder points there, if the party has the patience to decipher Aquan, take down the maturation schedule, make occasional harvest trips and risk encounters with an anticipating pearl farmer. If the party does make off with them, they’ll need them: the Master of Gales is coming (p52 Tempest Rising)(Mase Darimar p58 Island of Empty Eyes)

Link to Other Side Quest:
Nivanu may be the mermaid that inspired the Fisherman’s Folly.
The Bounty may include any of the other Side Quest treasures from any of the other adventures.


Fisherman's Folly
None of the other side quests are as long as the Buzzard, I promise.

Planting the Seed:
Among Plugg’s loot in the chest in B7a. Captain’s Storage (p37 Wormwood Mutiny) is a scroll case containing plans for Chiminnie Ebbs’ commission for enchanted armour.

Plugg came across this lead when raiding the Man's Promise and kept it to himself in anticipation of getting command of the ship.

This is simply a scroll which includes part of the tale of the Fisherman. There are notes for the crafting of masterwork armor fashioned with the sea creature motif as per the image in the back cover. It includes notes on the enchantments required to enhance the half-plate into Sorcerously-Crafted Underwater Breathing Armour (for those who want to force an acronym). It also lists the name of an enchanter in Port Peril (or wherever) that can be hired to craft it into a magic diving suit.

The scroll:
(Written in Common)
Once Upon A Time,
A fisherman hauling in his nets after a day of fishing was surprised to find a beautiful mermaid tangled amongst the cod. She was so enchanting that the fisherman, Chiminnie Ebbs, was convinced to adopt a catch-and-release program just for her pleasure. In return for her freedom and deeply touched by his character, she promised the fisherman her heart if he could but join her in the sea. She seemed genuinely saddened by the fact that Chiminnie would surely drown at the depths required for her companionship. The fisherman, mocked by his peers for his tenderness, toiled hard for many years to afford the crafting and enchanting of special armour that would allow him to follow that mermaid. The day finally came when, donning his specially-crafted armour, he abandoned the only life he ever knew and jumped ship to join his love beneath the waves. Neither he nor his mermaid was ever seen again.

Another handwriting in Kellish notes:
Armor said to be crafted by Galen Gaborden, Hell’s Harbour. Enchanted by Winslow Inbarrow, Port Peril. One could retire on the wealth required to craft this. Worth it?

Sorcerously-Crafted Underwater Breathing Armor:
(I was independently stating out this armor when I came across plate armor of the deep in CR p466. It’s almost exactly what I was going for and the picture in the AP fits the description from the CR well enough. In my version, I effectively swapped out the tongues effect for resist water pressure 20, referring to CR p445. I don’t know what spell level resist water pressure would be but probably not 4th level like tongues, so might bring the price down?)


Development:
The scroll spells out the crafting, feats, spells and cost required to create the item from scratch to completion to get the PCs to think along those lines themselves. If they don’t want to do it themselves but still want the item, they can get someone else to do it. If they want to hunt down the fellows mentioned on the plans, they might be able but the enchanter is something of a red herring:

Winslow Inbarow is a charlatan. True, he is a low-level sorcerer but he is no enchanter and does not having the craft magic arms and armor feat. Though he may actually be able to cast the required spells. Unfortunately, he is disarmingly charming and has bluff skill out the wazoo.

PCs can track Winslow with a successful Diplomacy check in any bar/tavern in Port Peril. (Varying DCs per quarter - may be free following a day of successful Infamy building.)
Winslow can be approached in Riptide Alehouse (p12 Tempest Rising), Mermaid’s Bucket (p63 Tempest Rising) or the Formidably Maid (p4 Skull & Shackles Player's Guide, barely. Aside: Why was this "notorious dockside tavern" never followed up upon?). (This might be when they also get Event 3, p12 Tempest Rising). If asked about the possibility of making them the magic armor, Winslow will first try to get a sense of what they know of his past “customer” Chimminie Ebbs and if the PC’s approach is a sting operation. If he pegs the PCs as potential stooges, he will hint that he probably could enchant some armor to their liking. He insists that the PCs must supply the armor. ("Do I look like I can craft armor? A strong lad the likes of you stands more chance than feeble little me!") He asks for the armor and 50% of market price up front.
When he receives the armor and the down payment, he’ll instruct the PCs to pick up the armour in (market price/1000gp days) at an address in the Knotworks (p92 Tempest Rising). He’ll try to get a sense of where the PCs will be staying for the next few days (“in case anything comes up that warrants your attention”). He’ll make a point of avoiding that area while living it up on the PC’s coin, maybe pay off some debts. In x many days, he’ll meet the PCs at the appointed location in the Knotworks. He’ll show the armor but will demand the rest of the payment first. It does detect as magic. When payment is received, Inbarow surrenders the magic armor and fades into the Knotworks, masking his retreat with illusion, silence and stealth. Maybe he has the Leadership feat and loyal thugs cover his retreat with a well-placed ambush.
The armor benefits solely from magic aura of the appropriate aura and nothing else. Poor Chimminie was all too eager to go after his mermaid (Nivanu from the other quest? It’s near Drenchport…) and sank like a stone. A reckless PC may suffer the same fate.

Treasure: The PCs may decide to dive the same area that Chimminie was said to jump ship in the tale. This will be a few more Diplomacy-as-Gather-Information checks and maybe Survival-as-tracking. Their diligence may be rewarded with a bloated corpse (undead?) clothed in something that is one make whole spell away from being rust-free masterwork full plate armor.


Potential Link to Other Side Quests:
It may be that the Fisherman himself commissioned the suit in part to go after the Buzzard’s Bounty or that Nivanu is the mermaid that stole his heart. In which case, the party might find the suit inside the other sidequest.
• Yeah, he found the treasure but he got trapped inside and starved to death.
• Maybe he’s undead and turned into a CR-appropriate maritime undead.
• Maybe he found his mermaid, they fell in love, found the treasure, both got trapped and are both undead but awaiting for the clam to open up again.
• Maybe he sank like a stone in front of Nivanu’s eyes and tragically, either Nivanu did not recognize him in all that armor or did not realize his life was in peril until long after he drowned. Nivanu may be a bitter mermaid appreciative of an opportunity to exact revenge against the wretch who influenced dear Chiminnie to throw his life away like that.


Shipwreck in a Bottle

Planting the Seed - Wreckage Within a Wreckage:
Hidden in the wreckage of the Infernus (encounter C9, p44-45, Part 1) bobs the bottled wreckage of the Compass Rose and her crew.

It appears at first as what might have once been a skillfully bottled display of a careened vessel complete with beachfront diorama that was expectantly shaken up upon the Infernus’ wreckage. Perception DC:

12 – Notice and admire the fine detail of spread out plunder and survivors.
14 – Remark the sturdiness of the bottle; somewhat of a miracle that is has not yet shattered. The bottle is corked and sealed.
15 or if specifically looked for – Name of the vessel, Compass Rose.
15 – Position of gear/survivors have moved since looked last time.
18 – No, it can’t be: Why they’re… they’re moving! Albeit very slowly.

The bottle proves incredibly resistant. It is treated as though with glassteel. (What!? No glassteel in PF!? Well… Too bad! It’s glassteel, darnit!) It is stoppered as though with arcane lock; it cannot be opened except by breaking the enchantment. Inside is a genuine shipwreck with survivors barely out of stasis. The survivors are aware of their predicament and have a sense of when someone’s hands or face comes near: gigantic fingers from beyond the horizon come to grasp the sky or a spectral face looms from the heavens. No sound carries through but very slow movements can be discerned as various S.O.S. messages are contrived. Magical communication does not work with the bottle’s occupants. Shaking the bottle does upset the contents but they eventually settle into the same or other formation of a shipwreck. The survivors feel pain and panic as their world trembles and heaves but they recover automatically when the abuse ceases. The slow settling process after being shaken is reminiscent of a snow globe.


Development:
A break enchantment or greater dispel magic will break the curse automatically. (Remove curse should do the trick as per spell description except that Shipwreck in a bottle is such a top-end curse/grand hex that I want a beefier remedy. I'm okay with the PCs hanging on to this thing for a while.) Breaking the curse will cause the wrecked Compass Rose to spring into being with all the collateral damage one would expect. A bit like snapping an instant fortress into place (CR p520)(Unlike the instant fortress, the ship is made of wood, not adamantine, so maybe 8d8 instead of 10d10 damage?).

Story Award
The survivors are at the mercy of the PCs. If the survivors are liberated and delivered to a friendly port, award up to ¼ of the xp needed to level up. The survivors will be glad to be free:
• Some might agree to join as crew.
• Might be a skilled officer willing to serve
• At least a point of plunder, that some of the survivors may insist on claiming a share.
• Their tale and tale of Poxy Peg:
The Compass Rose is an Andoran privateer vessel profiting from harassing Chellish merchant routes. They were hunted by the Infernus and had pretty well made their escape thanks in part to their resident druid, Peggie Pearls. Peggie requested a long detour to Whyrlis Rock. The captain laughed off the request as comically suicidal. Peggy was in a foul mood. She changed the weather, which got the Compass Rose wrecked on some shoals. Peggy then revealed herself as witch and cast her grandest hex, the shipwreck in a bottle! The wreck of the Compass Rose and crew were trapped! After days of harrowing earthquakes, they recognized the face of the captain of the Infernus on the horizon!Poxy Peg was a traitor! Though it seems that somehow the Infernus also ran aground somewhere as the crew suffered many weeks of bobbing up and down in water until retrieved by the party.
• Maybe other Side Quest treasures or lead(s) to them.


Tracking Peg:
Don’t know why you’d want to. Meantime, Pockmarked Peggie, or Poxy Peg, has made her way to the Shackles. Diplomacy to gather knowledge will give the rumour from the book: run out of Ollo for her disturbing art.

Peggie's Agenda
In Andoran, came across an odd bit of lore which put her on the hunt for the same thing that Alahandra Boisich is looking for (p35 Isles of the Shackles). She`s not fully sure what that might be but is fairly certain it would offer power on the scale of Gray Whyrlis or Raugsmauda. (Of course, Peg is not too shabby herself but you know, more is better.) She is ignorant of the settlement at Rock Harbor but will stop at nothing to usurp the mining efforts already made there once she finds out.

Maybe it`s karma but Peg has had the hardest luck securing passage to Whyrlis Rock to follow up on her leads. She had hoped that good service on the Compass Rose posing as a nice druid would earn her a favor. When that did not work out, she bargained with the captain of the Infernus for passage there but then storms that she could not control blew them off course. Peg abandoned the doomed ship to look for more hopeful passage. (She can magically abandon a doomed ship lost at sea but still needs help getting to Whyrlis Rock? Yup.) She managed to make it to Ollo. There she wanted to keep a low profile. To raise funds, she crafted and sold more mundane ships in bottles. She's not bad; her work was flatteringly appraised. Ollo being Ollo and an evil witch being an evil witch, traded insults were escalated to so much more and she succeeded in making herself the target of a witch hunt. Hence the rumor and the ironic grain of truth.

She will end up with the hags on the Maiden’s Gasp (p 77, Part 6 From Hell’s Heart). The hags like how she rolls and together they make a wicked coven. Peg is the brains of the bunch and is in the process of convincing the coven to make a play for Whyrlis Rock. This could develop into a high-level, multi-party threat for the Shackles, pitting Raugsmauda against Peg and her coven against an overwhelmed Alahandra against whatever adventurous party/Hurricane King may want to become involved.


The Lost Messenger

Planting the Seed:
The Lost Messenger is on the Fist of Bonewrack Isle, having made a nest of the unlit beacon fire before winding down (p40, C2. The Fist). It can be readily found if the Fist is climbed and the beacon fire examined. Note that the key in the image is not present when the bird is found by the PCs.

Standing anywhere on the ridge of the mountain upon which rests the stockade (C8), a Perception DC 14 made during the day will notice the flash of reflected sunlight off the silver toucan.

The toucan is inanimate and wound down:
Anyone with an appropriate Craft or Create Wondrous Items or Trapfinding or DC 5 Perception can notice the empty keyhole and square peg inside around which a key would fit to wind the toucan.
DC 10 Perception notices flourished initials: LM. Knowledge (Local) DC 20 reveals that Liat Murks is a skilled Taldan jeweler.
The toucan still has Liat Murks' message on a piece of parchment rolled in its talons:

Liat Murks' Distress Call: To the party that delivers me from pressed service under Capt Svard to my freedom on Little Oppara, Taldas Isle, I relinquish the key to this argent avian. I offer no resistance to whatever plunder this crew has amassed. To my knowledge, we will soon sail out of Mgange Cove, sailing a wide course outskirting the Fever Sea bound for Ollo and return by the same route. Seek the Shackles drekar Devil’s Pallor but beware the brute Captain Gortus Svard. This savage hobgoblin is crude yet skilled, both with the catapult and his exotic falcata. He keeps his blade meticulously sharp; more than once I have witnessed devastating cuts to challengers that might otherwise have proven a match. Note also that we have a large mix of Mwangi and Hobgoblin sailors, near four score and we have just fitted a ram to our vessel. I inform you of this not to put you off my rescue attempt. Quite the opposite! I want it to succeed; forewarned is forearmed. Therefore may the gods smile upon you.
To our happy meeting,
Liat Murks
(15 months ago)


Development:
Liat Murks still serves Svard without hope now as they are done that course. This refers to Raiders of the Fever Sea p22, Event 12 - No Honor Among Thieves. Murks will be a non-combatant aboard the Devil’s Pallor. If saved and asked about the Toucan, he will (1) be very joyous at the news and (2) insist he must be delivered to Little Oppara to recover the key that will animate his little construct. The astute may call him on it; if he crafted it at sea, how could he not also have the key? A thorough body search will result in the key being found in his possession. Murks is easily friendly if treated with a modicum of respect, dignity and not summarily pressed into service onto their ship. Under those conditions, he won’t begrudge being made to hand the key over to the party if they insist. He will comment that a person cannot be blamed for trying to return home.

Winding the Toucan to the fullest extent will animate it for a week. It is not too bright but can be taught tricks as per handle animal, using either that skill or craft (clockwork) to make the rolls. My clockwork-fu is not so hot so I’m not up on cost of clockwork beings but if the party just wanted to pawn the creature as loot, they could easily score 1 plunder point for it.

If not searched or challenged, Liat will play true to his word but will attempt any ruse, including being frank, to just be returned home.

Story Award:
If Liat Murks is liberated and returned to Little Oppara (Taldas Isle, p33 Isles of the Shackles) as requested, award up to 1/5 the xp required to level up. Murks will wind the bird and have it fly off to the party with the key in its chest for the PCs to keep, this time with a new message: the poem to Cyrus Wolfe’s legendary booty (but no map) on p 36 Raiders of the Fever Sea.

Murks is not really a settled home-body. After spending some time safe at home, he may be convinced to join the PC’s crew as an expert.

That's all I have. This was the shortest one but in a way my favorite. My players liked the small rolled-up note I gave them as a prop. They related immediately with Liat Murk's situation and started thinking about their own situation regarding crew shortage and potential for ship improvements. Good times.


Good stuff! I'm particularly impressed with The Buzzards Bounty and may work it into my game. keep them coming!


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Very nice and just in time too! I'll have to test out Fisherman's Folly, I had an aquatic sorcerer be related to him as a crazy relative to start sowing the plot that he may have found someone beneath the waves.


Bump.

Uri Meca, these are fantastic!

Did you ever follow up with the other books?


Thanks! Vol 2 side quests were in the works and took back seat to a few other things. I certainly intended to share what I've in the works for Vol 2 at least. I'll see if I can have them up by the end of the month. No promises though - sorry.

How these are playing out for my group so far:

Shipwreck in a Bottle: A curiosity only at this point. The captain has written a few messages on the bottle to which the castaways have slowly replied as answers spelled out in rocks on the beach. Not much more they can do but they follow up on rumours re: Poxy Peg every chance they get in port.

Fisherman's Folly: The party has the scroll. While in Bloodcove, they heard rumors confirming an obsessed fisherman who toiled for years to afford the crafting of armour that would allow him to reunite with his beloved mermaid. He has been reported as having lept overboard and must have met with success because neither he nor his mermaid has been heard from since...

Lost Messenger: The PCs related instantly to the plight of another poor soul press-ganged into the service of a brute. Gortus Svard was a good enemy who put up a decent fight. Sadly, he never critted with his keen falcata. But as a lesser-Harrigan, he was cathartic to best. Liat Murks has been safely delivered to Little Oppara, where the PCs got to investigate the two hooks from Isles of the Shackles before leaving with the Silver Toucan.

Buzzard's Bounty All along the heroes have been paranoid that the rumour was too stale. Judicious rumour-mongering in Little Oppara hinted that the Bounty had not yet been discovered. After encoutering the Hu Hazhong (from Ships of the Inner Sea) and surviving a waterspout spun off the Eye of Abendego, the Besmara's Booty has skirted the deadly Shackles and approached Tempest Cay from the North. Only to find a ship anchored in the area. Said ship gets encountered next session.


Uri Meca,

I just wanted to comment that these are great, thank you!


Uri Meca wrote:

Thanks! Vol 2 side quests were in the works and took back seat to a few other things. I certainly intended to share what I've in the works for Vol 2 at least. I'll see if I can have them up by the end of the month. No promises though - sorry.

** spoiler omitted **

Hey Uri Meca, your Side Quests fill a big void. I made the mistake of giving my players the complete sea map with all the bounties visible. Now they are eager to conquer those. Have you already assembled the ones from volume 2?

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