Session Date: 08/24/2024
Session Start: The Entire Party
Arkuda is going through documents to try to figure out how to wriggle out of our contract with Master Sceleris of Nosos.
We all work together to sail the ship and sail up to Vigilant’s Bluff. This was once a city and there are ruins below the castle, but up above is a castle. We can see a figure standing as we approach, and he looks like a normal person sized. As we approach we do not see anyone in the city, but we see a temple, and a keep, something that used to defend this place with something like canons. The top of the temple has been cracked by some powerful force.
There are essentially three hilltops on this island that are not covered in water, and the figure kneels upon one of those tops. The city itself is submerged below the water, with bones and corpses - some of which are relatively fresh.
Trouble isn’t sure what kind of paladin is here, but Trouble can tell that there are spots on the island that are too dark - probably hidden by magic, potentially something exists within those spots. Trouble does know that this paladin is undead, so he doesn’t eat, but others pass through here. We threaten Harpax not to whip anyone as we ready to disembark, leaving Arkuda to watch over him to make sure he doesn’t treat the workers poorly.
The paladin is still praying as we disembark and approach. He’s wearing an older armor style that is not necessarily ancient, but not the style as of now. We all wait as he prays and decide to give him some time - ten minutes pass and he is still praying, so Trouble gets in front of him and waves but doesn’t say anything. His eyes open with blue flame and he stands to his full height, and is clearly a very powerful warrior. He pulls the sword from the ground - it used to be a huge 2H sword, but is now broken - and he holds it with an annoyed aggression.
His voice rings in our minds asking why we are interrupting him. Arseid speaks up and asks if he knows where pirates are. Trouble says that we’re looking for a specific pirate, and Arseid says there’s only one pirate that is causing trouble, and Atheya speaks up to apologize for interrupting and explains that we are looking for supplies, or if he knows where we may find supplies, and then explains we are looking for Pietra van Riese. He points out it’s rude to interrupt, but it’s too late.
He explains that Pietra has been on the Sea of Sorrows for longer than he has been, but she “has her ways”. He looks over all of us, then says that tea is in order and has us follow him to the hut made of driftwood. The place is sparse as the paladin does not need much given his status, but there is enough for all of us. He sits us down and the paladin himself stands, then he makes us all a cup of tea - there is no milk or sugar.
We chat for a little bit and the paladin admits he is not particularly fond of Trouble, but after a little time he doesn’t necessarily mind them.
Pietra has a moving island as he cannot leave the ship. She does have some trusted crew members that can offload the treasure from the ship for her. The treasure place moves even more than she does, and the last time it was seen it was near the Isle of Ravens. Pietra does have a feud with the wives of Blaustein. These two are the most common place for her, but he isn’t sure which of the two she would be more likely to visit. He does mention that Blaustein has more treasure, since we are adventurers. He will help us with supplies, and in return he asks that we come to visit him for tea again, if at all possible. We agree that we will attempt, but we make no promises.
He goes outside and prays and preserved food and several vials of pale blue liquid that will purify a barrel of water each.
Arseid
Arseid pulls the paladin to the side where they won’t be overheard by everyone else and asks how he’s dealt with losing absolutely everything. He admits that prayer was how he got through it, but he doesn’t feel that this is her path. He sees Trouble doing Trouble things and says that perhaps she hasn’t lost everything, and she says she doesn’t know any of us and she just showed up.
He explains that you have to take your wounds one at a time, and just keep moving forward and surviving. She asks if that’s the case if she wasn’t supposed to survive, and he explains that she’s the one that survived so therefore she’s the one to survive. She has to keep moving forward and live for whatever she needs: if she needs to take vengeance, she should get vengeance. He comes around to say that her life isn’t just two small islands, and she needs to live it.
Arseid listens to his advice and says she hadn’t thought of it that way, and admits she perhaps should stop lying to to them. He agrees she probably should, and she comments that it’s so fun because they believe everything she says. He points out that they trust her because they don’t have much of a choice otherwise: in battle they must trust her.
Arseid apologizes for “wasting his time” and he says it wasn’t a waste, then leaves her.
The Entire Party
Arseid comes over and helps to load the supplies onto the ship. We realize we have enough supplies that we can go to each of the isles in the Sea of Sorrows and we opt to start with Blaustein as we feel that it would be the best lead on Pietra.