Side quest on the seas

Session 92

It's 30 years before the Librarians met in Urzin; before Æsheryn, a lover of travel and adventure, joined the group. We're in the dark and tumultuous waters near Witchazel, a city on the ocean, on our way to an island known to be wild and dangerous; vastly unexplored. We enter the adventure having just arrived at the difficult approach for larger ships, leaving Captain Kira's Daughter of Aerdrye behind, so we could approach on a smaller skiff.

The water is rough and uneasy. Reefs and debris are difficult to avoid, and a storm is brewing, intensifying the rain and making visibility low. We're nearly there, and just then, things begin to appear from the water. Commander Raknor, our benefactor that hired us, is attacked by these merfolk, appearing effortlessly from swirls in the water. They have pale, semi-translucent skin, with frayed and matted hair, and shiny tails.

Initiative! While battling the attackers, we have a flashback.

...

A week ago, a large Dragonborn with golden scales in armor of all black metal, carrying a large shield emblazoned with the Dwendalian Empire's seal, approached Kira. At this point in time, the great war hasn't started yet. Vox Mochina has recently defeated the Chroma Conclave and saved the world from "The Whispered One" It is a time for heroes. King Dwendel hasn't paid much mind to the Kryn, and has started looking westward.

A hippie-style captain, smoking a joint, bird poo all around from the many that inhabit her ship, hears the dragonborn's offer of gold to hire Daughter of Aerdrye. "Have you heard of The Pegasus? She's been missing for two weeks. I've recently heard word of a possible location. Hire a crew and rescue The Pegasus".

...

Shaeila remembers the day she boarded Daughter, just minutes before meeting Æsheryn and Captain Kira. She's wearing a dancer's headdress and blue silk bandana, holding up blond and graying hair. She has tattoos and jingling a breastplate. Ribbons and satin fabrics flowing all around like water and wind.

An elder Elven man, old beyond years, with white eyes, a sunken face, wispy gray hair, his pointy ears having started to droop. "If you get on this boat, you will not return." Shaeila replies, "You are so kind to think of me, but this is not my first voyage on the sea. If it's my last, I'll make sure it's a final goodbye." He lets her go, seeming to remember he's blind, and asks, "Where is she? She is gone."

...

The battle over, we reach the shore in the skiff. A crack of lightning cuts across the sky. To our northwest is an obvious mast of the ship we're searching for, but broken; its sails dangling in the water. The outline of the Pegasus figurehead sculpture with its hooves raised in a gallop and wings spread out is visible.

...

Flashback to Raknor and the Captain's quarters. Oil lamps and candles brighten the room with snacks laid out; a decent meal. The birds are everywhere. "We're getting closer to our destination. It's only fair you know what you're getting into. I have been hired by Dwendalian Empire to recover Pegasus. It's the best ship in the fleet. Gold and strikingly beautiful, representing adventure and prosperity. A ship described as invincible against almost anything. A gift from the Empire to the Menagerie Coast. I received a message from someone on board before they went missing two weeks ago... a follower of the Dawnfather sent a message to their priest. Kira, when I hired you I assumed he'd still be alive. But now, we must assume it is lost, and I doubt we'll recover it. The Cerberus Assembly gave a powerful artifact to the ship to help on its travels." (He shows a sketch signed by Orius Alezar himself; a gem-like object surrounded by cage of white metal, called the Sun Tear, and believed to have immense power over change and chance in travel, blessed by the Changebringer herself) "No one can know it's aboard, and thus probably on the island of Witchazel." It has many names: Drop of Luck, Tear of Change, etc… many legends and songs that tell of this item as being a holy grail for sailors who want safe travels."

...

The weather has calmed down into rain. It's uncomfortable but manageable. Pegasus (or the only half of it remaining) is in the distance a bit sideways. The stern seems to be gone. Kira speaks with some crabs on the beach and finds that the ship has crashed only a few nights ago. "Scary people came. Snake people. They went that way," indicating a recently-made path.

The group climbs the ship. Kira and Shaeila have difficulty on the side, but notice just how fancy it is. Æsheryn gets further inside and makes it to a nondescript room that was perhaps crew quarters or storage. Pushing the door open, he discovers, bolted against a side beam, a woman, with pale white-green skin, wearing traveler's clothes ending in a tanned leather hood. He can't see her face, but she appears to be alive. He calls for Shaeila and pulls back the hood. It's his first encounter with a Yuan-ti, a "snake person". The skin is scales and she has long eyes and slitted pupils, no hair, and fangs coming out of her mouth.

"Thank the lord… will you please help me. My brother... He left me here to die and took everything," Æsheryn can tell she's being truthful about being left by someone but is holding something back. He tries to free her but can't quite get it. Raknor helps Shaeila get up and she enters the room and sees the scene. She shares the detail that in Yuan-Ti society, the more one looks like an actual snake the higher in society they are. This one is a nobody due to having such a non-snake-like appearance, all things considered.

Shaeila and Æsheryn get her down by removing the nails with a second try. He heals her with an Elven lullaby for 5 hp to staunch the bleeding. She picks up her two shortswords and sheathes them. Shaeila has her confirm that her brother took it, and insight from Kira for sure confirms this. And the holy man is alive. We leave the ship and make introductions. The snake girl names herself as Yssska.

Shaeila and Æsheryn have studied history enough that, at the mention of ruins here, a name comes to mind, from old stories from hundreds of years ago. Before this land was populated by the Yuan-Ti, it used to be the home of the Ki-Nau people. Think Aztec/Mayan (ziggurats, square pyramids, mostly Elven) known to worship a Leviathan being from the bottom of the sea: Ukotoa.

She and her group have been living in ruins a few miles north of the wilds, ever since her people exiled them. She talks about her people meaning to ascend to their truest form, but her brother Zakiah and she failed, and were denied an ascension. They found a way to survive on their own. "Until my brother took the glory for himself and left me here to die!"

Yssska tells us that poison won't affect Zakiah very much, and helps Kira find new plants that can brew better, more effective substances. It's enough to create six doses of non-poison poison that will be more effective against him.

Another hour of walking and Yssska brings us deeper in, very competently avoiding a group of displacer beasts. Shaeila tries to convince her that she should consider being hired to guide the island for outsiders, but she flatly refuses. Another hour and we reach a rocky outcrop protected from the rain. Her brother is one more hour north.

We take a short rest and heal up a bit. Kira counts six doses of the new poison called serpent breaker. "I've never seen this much made all at once; it will be very pleasant," she grins. Shaeila sings the song of Molaesmyr. "You sing the songs of the Ki-Nau!" Shaeila explains that yes, those are the people she was referring to. Yssska's eyes are glassy and the flames reflect in them. "Do you consider yourself to be a holy woman for singing such divine songs?" Shaeila thanks her for the high praise. "My voice is a gift. I don't know if it makes me divine, but it inspires, and I'll take that."

"I like to think it's a gift from a god, yes," and pulls an amulet with a single ruby in the center. An amulet of health, but also a symbol to Corellon. "I know of this Elven deity; parent of all Elves. We sprang from his blood."

"He's a very demanding god as well, is he not? Asking for beauty and perfection?"

"I don't see it that way, personally. Perfection is something to aspire to, but if you were to ever reach it, life would certainly be boring. And Corellon is anything but boring."

Yssska tells us, "My brother enjoys seeing other deities defiled and torn down. And we found one, and oh we defiled it. And the great serpent loved it. Loved Zakar most of all, and granted him many boons because of his depravity. Saw the sun priest as a final sacrifice, and left me to rot so he alone could finish the offering so he alone could reap the rewards."

She continues, "He might be alone, but maybe a friend has joined him for this occasion. If your priest is still alive, it will be barely."

Shaeila and Æsheryn discuss weapons and magic bestowed. Gwarden is where she's from. It's an Elven city off the Menagerie Coast, off in the jungle, known as the birthing place of the Steamforged steel; Elves are able to use hot springs steam to melt and meld the metal.

Nearing the encampment, Kira casts Pass Without a Trace on us. Yssska says we are close and entering "his realm" and to perform our final preparations. Shaeila feels that it is very clear that in this moment she was meant to be here. Recognizing Elven carvings on a sword on a statue, that this was dedicated to some hero of Corellon's faith. Something shiny from within the cracks of the statue catches her eye: A silver ring of two strands woven together to make one band. It's an Elven silver ring of protection (+1 to AC & saves) that she gives to Æsheryn.

Yssska whispers, "He's here; this is our friend…" as we see a sentry snake person patrolling. Also, her brother wearing a long golden chain of dangling holy symbols. "One for each holy man he killed in honor of The Great Serpent." He has a giant cobra head and four arms. Finally, we see the holy man laid on the temple altar.

If he finishes the sacrifice, it will certainly be a crazy and dangerous transformation.

We get into position and prepare to attack. Shaeila casts Bless on herself, Kira, and Æsheryn and says the invisibility is the opportunity she's been waiting for. Shaeila also calms down Raknor by pointing to wall with a large painted surface. "Have you seen this?" and recognizes a Ki-no relief that is a life given in order to protect or save.

Yssska appears from her invisibility stabbing one of her poisoned short swords into her brother's neck.

The stab wound hits, and in a blur, corrosive skin pustules from serpent breaker appear. Everyone rushes forward and Kira hunters marks Sszakar. He is immune to poison and to being poisoned. Serpent breaker removes that entirely! Vulnerable to saves against other poisons. Resistant to physical damage. And magical saves.

Æsheryn hits with a crossbow, moves forward, and then crits with a rapier attack. Shaeila moves forward and misty steps onto the altar between the priest and the cobra. Channel divinity from Path of the Ancients but he makes the save. "You really think your god has power over us? Look how many of his followers died right here." Yssska nat 20 rummages into his robes and dangling from his chain and finds a bluish metal gilded diamond shaped item. She disengages and moves away, with the Sun Tear. A sentry climbs the wall and and above the altar and poison blasts toward Shaeila and both hit. Kira hits like a truck with darts and poison damage. Commander Raknor runs up and performs a breath attack… on us!! He targets the Cobra, but also Æsheryn and Shaeila. "I apologize, this isn't a betrayal, it's an evolution!"

Æsheryn attacks Cobra, but resistance to physical damage is annoying. He moves and hits big on Raknor. Shaeila crits and smites the shit out of Cobra and hits a bunch more. "This is your moment; write your song!" to Yssska. She looks at Shaeila and says, "You can have my vengeance. With this my people will welcome me back," and she steps backwards, and dashes away into the woods. Sentry casts poison bursts onto Kira. Casts suggestion on Kira but she makes the save. Kira attacks him with a poisoned dart and he fails. Serpent break poisoned, and hits with a nat 20 but succeeds on a save to be kept from sleeping. Moves the birds onto Sentry and Raknor. Raknor misses Æsheryn, but hits Shaeila. "Why traitor?!" Blood on altar changes from draconic into snake. He's trying to transform. "So done with the King's authority. I want what they have — freedom and power!"

"You will only find death at my blade!"

Æsheryn hits Raknor and crits. Shaeila hits Sszakar and then Lays on Hands into the Priest. He awakens and joins the fray. The sentry moves behind Æsheryn and tries to constrict but fails. Kira hits with a dart with Drow poison, but he saves high enough. A second shot knocks him out. She moves her birds to hit Sszakar. The priest stands and gives Shaeila a healing word. Raknor attacks Shaeila and hits twice; she is nearly dead. Sszakar saves and ends his paralysis.

Æsheryn attacks Raknor and moves and taunts Sszakar. Shaeila moves behind Sszakar and attacks with divine smite. But Sszakar, now at 0 hit points, uses his final reaction in a Hellish Rebuke. They both die in flashing lights of necrotic green and divine white. Sszakar's split body pours out a poisonous gas. Death fail on Shaeila, successes for Kira and Æsheryn. The poison cloud also hits Raknor and he corrodes to death. The snake sentry awakens and stands, and moves to the Priest to double poison burst and knock him unconscious. Kira takes damage from the poison cloud and can't see much beyond 5 feet. She moves out of the cloud and hits the sentry with another dart of Carrion Crawler and he's paralyzed, then another poison hit that kills it dead. The unconscious (again) priest fails a death save.

Æsheryn stabilizes Shaeila after pulling her out of the poison cloud She will not die today. Kira does the same for the priest. We're able to get them to the skiff and then to Daughter of Aerdrye. Shaeila wakes up and decides to stay with Kira and her ship. Æsheryn gives the ring of protection back to her saying that she might need it. The priest and Æsheryn head home.