Cleaning up Kraken's Cove

The party continues to clean out the cave system at Kraken's Cove.

They enter a blocked off room, and when searching the body found there are attacked by a Violet Fungus. It is easily dispatched, and while searching the body, they find two potions of Lesser Restoration. In addition, Churtle becomes excited when she correctly identifies a vial of sassone leaf and a striped toadstool, both can be made into effective poisons.

The party goes into a slave pen, where eleven "prisoners" still live. Each has made the change into a savage beast. Apparently, the prisoners who haven't changed are sought out and killed, while those that have changed are ignored. The party puts these out of their misery.

The party entered a trophy cave. There are various trophies, including several nameplates from ships, like "St. Asmod's Hope," "Wavereaper," and one that is so old it is barely readable: "T....M....AUT." The party found some treasure:

• Coins


• 120 gold


• 448 silver


• 683 copper


• Gems


• 3 garnets @ 20 gold each


• An emerald brooch @ 50 gold


• 5 pearls @ 100 gold each

In a store room the party found

• 120 crossbow bolts


• 3 short swords


• 5 rapiers


• 2 long swords


• 2 scimitars


• A glaive


• 2 guisarmes


• A halberd


• 2 light crossbows


• A heavy crossbow


• 2 battle axes


• 9 throwing axes


• A greataxe

In what later will turn out to be Kigante's Chamber (the person who owns the cave the pirates are using), the party finds Kigante's body and the bodies of five of the savage pirates whom he killed before succumbing. The party also finds

• A +1 rapier with a bronze hilt in the form of a griffin (unidentified)


• A ring of swimming (unidentified) set with several aquamarine gemstones


• A darkwood buckler


• 3 silver bars @ 30 gold each


• A vial of vermillion ink @ 40 gold

The party enters the final chamber of the cave and are amazed to see sixteen of the savage pirates in battle with a single person (who turns out to be Captain Harliss Javell). Although bitten a few times, she is holding her own against the savage pirates. More than thirty are alread dead or so cut up that they pose no threat. With the parties help, the remaining pirates are dealt with.

In the ensuing conversation, you find out that Vanthus and Brissa came to Kraken's Cove, and Vanthus attempted to steal a black pearl the size of a man's fist. Captain Javell cut him, and some of his blood spattered upon the pearl when he dropped it, and it broke and began to pulsate with light. Javell threw it into the bay, and it exploded. After that, things are unclear, but almost all of the pirates were turned into the savage beasts you fought here. Only her, Vanthus, her first mate Drevoraz, Captain Kigante, and a few others didn't turn.

Vanthus' name comes up in the conversation, and she lets it be known that she sent Dravoraz to kill Vanthus, his sister, his parents, and burn the estate to the ground as a lesson to all who attempt to steal from the Crimson Fleet. After several minutes of explaining they were sent by Lavinia to capture (or kill) Vanthus, Javell is convinced of the parties sincerity (in game terms, Morphumax, with aid from some healing done by the cleric and three successful aid another checks makes a diplomacy check). She says she is sorry for the trouble Drevoraz is going to cause. If the party wants to, they can try to stop him. She gives the party a note to Drevoraz to hold off the attack, and gives her left earring to prove it was her. She would accompany the party, but, her face is too well known in Sasserine, and she (and they) would be arrested on sight.

The party notices there is an unburnt caravel in the cove, but without any experienced sailors, they will have to go back to the fishing boat and get a ride back to Sasserine to prevent Drevoraz from carrying out the orders to kill the entire Vanderboren household and burn the estate to the ground.




.

To Kraken's Cove

The party hired a ship to take them to Kraken's Cove.

But, even before they got there, it was obvious that something was wrong.

Ships are burning in the harbor, and they are attacked by pirates. But, they are no ordinary pirates, but they have some kind of disease. Their mouths are filled with teeth, and there are multiple lesions on their bodies, each with a bony protrusion.

They fight off several of these savage pirates. They enter the cave, fight more of the savage pirates, fight a medium dinosaur, a phanaton, and two krenshars. Additionally, Morphumax swims into a chamber and is attacked by Brissa, who wears a locket with Vanthus' picture in it. All of these seem to be infected with the disease. And now, three of the party have been bitten and themselves infected.

The Lotus Dragons

While trying to search for clues to Vanthus or the Lotus Dragons, the party is attacked by three thieves. The Paladin follows one to Dead Dog Plaza only to lose him when he escapes into the sewers. Penkus' note tells of the Taxidermist's Guild being an entrance to the Lotus Dragons.

The party Talks to Nemien Roblach, who runs the Guild. He throws them out when it is obvious they don't want to buy anything. Later that evening, they break in, and Roblach fights them. He is eventually captured, and reveals that the entrance to the Lotus Dragons is below his shop. He gets paid to have a "legitimate" front entrance for them. When the party comes back the next day, Roblach is gone, having fled Sasserine.

The group makes it's entrance into the Lotus Dragon guildhall, pretty much mowing their way through small groups of thieves, the local torturer, a crocodile, a worg, three rhagodessas, another rhagodessa, and a bugbear zombie. Along the way, they meet up with Churtle, a female kobold, who, begs for her life, and in return, begins following the group around, having attached herself to the Cleric, acting as a cook, and sometimes as a spotter.

Finally, the party meets up with the head of the Lotus Dragons, Rowyn Kellani, a daughter of the Kellani family, and her pet felldrake, Gut Tugger. The party makes short work of Gut Tugger, but Rowyn makes her escape by using gaseous form. They found notes from Vanthus to Rowyn detailing how he got information from Brissa about the smuggling operation at Kraken's Cove, and about a particularly rich cargo coming in on the next week, and how he was going to burn their ships in order to steal the cargo.

Parrot Island

After spending several days fruitlessly looking for signs of Vanthus, the group is approached by Shefton Rosk, who, for some gold, agrees to bring them to Vanthus.

What Rosk does instead, is lead the group into a trap on Parrot Island. And for his trouble, Vanthus kills Rosk while springing the trap.

The party contends with ten undead and finally find Penkus, who, while dying from huecuva blight, managed to write a note implicating Vanthus and the Lotus Dragons.

Catching up on lost time

In the vault, they manage to eventually figure out the combination to the Vanderboren wealth.

Unfortunately, most of it is gone. But, there is enough for Lavinia to begin taking care of the estate. In addition, there are many papers including ledgers cataloging the debts owed to the Vanderborens from various guilds and noble families in Sasserine. Also, included are papers in her mother's handwriting with several maps of jungles and island areas.

Lavinia charges the group to help find her brother, Vanthus, and to bring him to her.