Freeport Campaign

Rewards Earned

• Experience Points: 800
• Treasure: From Mantatlus’s manor: Bronze scroll case (150 gp); gilded plate (750 gp); matching gilded chalice (750 gp); Mantatlus’s spellbooks; 2200 gp

Reward from Kathkallan: 2000 gp each (including Balama, Camina, and Isaac) from the proceeds of the executed contracts, plus 5000 gp worth of diamonds to aid in raising Balama

Reward from the Provincial Governor of Mavinar: 250 gp each; small enameled badge depicting the sword-and-axe symbol of Anjeeti, the Matyanist god of justice.

While the respective crews prepared the ships for departure, the party accompanied Kathkallan through the Waft to execute his freshly recovered contracts. The merchant followed through on his plan to use the proceeds from the royal jelly to purchase a large quantity of vanilla beans from Greater Galleon at a steep discount, and then turned a healthy profit when he immediately sold the beans elsewhere in the trade district. Once he and his loot were safely ensconced on one of the ships, Kathkallan awarded each party member a portion of the profits as a reward for cooperation and support in the recent unpleasantness. He added a sack of diamonds to Balama’s share, to be used in raising her from the dead as soon as possible.

During Kathkallan’s business trip, the party had received invitations to meet the provincial governor for tea the next day. The captains admonished the crews to behave themselves in port for one more night, and set about securing appropriate garb for tea with the governor.

The next morning, Ivan Blackfathom used Kathkallan’s diamonds to restore Balama to life and soon returned to his berth on one of the ships. Balama compared notes with Spike and Chow, both of whom had met the Silent Boatman on the Dark River as a result of prior bad fortune. They all agreed to try to help each other avoid further contact with Mormekar for as long as possible.

As tea time approached, the party made their way toward the Provincial Palace in the center of town. Attendants checked their weapons at the door, and then escorted the group to the governor’s tea room. After a ceremonial welcome, Provincial Governor Anavati Johar thanked the party for their assistance in the investigation into Galliad’s disappearance, and for participating in the raid on Mantatlus’s manor. He then presented each member of the group with a sack of gold and a small badge bearing the symbol of Anjeeti, the Matyanist god of justice. He also returned several of the items seized in the previous day’s raid, including the wizard’s spellbooks. In addition, Kathkallan and Nashafeen received tokens of the governor’s regret for their lost friends and associates.

With the ceremonial presentations concluded, the governor requested stories from the group’s homeland, and seemed genuinely interested in an offer to visit Freeport at some point in the future. As the stories wrapped up, he informed the party of the possible fates for Anteashara, Mantatlus’s captured associate. If possible, depending on the nature and true extent of her crimes and her skills, she might be pressed into service for the Empire in some capacity. Otherwise, she would probably be exiled, executed, or punished in some other manner decreed by the Matyans.

Before the party left, the governor requested a couple of favors from them regarding their impending trip to Ashinda. First, he hoped that they would be amenable to transporting an undercover Imperial investigator and his two assistants to the independent city-state, so that they could continue investigating Mantatlus and his cronies. He assured the party that the fellows would be unobtrusive during the trip, and would not be tied to Four Gulls except as paying passengers after being put ashore.

The governor also made the party aware of reports of some sort of sea monster attacking trading vessels between Mavinar and Ashinda, and informed them that he, and by extension the Emperor, would appreciate any concrete information regarding the monster, or preferably its demise.

The party agreed to both requests after some polite discussion and clarifications. With that, the governor thanked them again for their service to the city and to the Empire. The group in turn thanked the governor for his hospitality, collected their weapons, and departed the palace.

As the party approached the ships, one of the Primrose’s officers hailed Spike and called him over to talk to a trio of halflings who were seeking passage on the ship. The halflings introduced themselves as Rangsten ascetics on a pilgrimage from one of the monasteries in the spiritual kingdom of Laodeng. They sought passage to a small island hermitage a few miles from the coast near Ashinda, where others of their order occasionally traveled to commune with the sea. When asked about payment, the halflings scraped together a few coins, but not nearly enough to cover the standard rate. Spike was unsure about taking the fellows aboard for a trip that would be somewhat out of the way, and so asked them to return in an hour or so to give him a chance to discuss the matter with Richard. The monks agreed and set off to seek other accomodations.

While the party discussed the karmic implications of transporting the monks versus leaving them in Mavinar, they also asked around regarding the recent sea monster sightings. As it happened, the harbormaster knew a good deal about the reports. Apparently, this particular sea monster was a relatively young lantern serpent, a variety rarely seen near the surface. Lantern serpents generally preferred to hunt in the deeps, using their distinctive red-glowing tentacles to lure prey into their gaping maws. The harbormaster wished the party luck and expressed an interest in hearing about the encounter, if they survived and returned to Mavinar.

The halflings returned at the appointed time, calmly reporting that most of the other captains they had approached had merely laughed at them. When Spike and Richard agreed to take them aboard in exchange for whatever work they could perform on deck, the halflings agreed and thanked the captains for their generosity. That settled, the crew made their final preparation, and the Sea Wind and Primrose set sail for Ashinda.

The next morning, Richard was surprised to hear a voice in his head state, “Sorry for your associate’s death. Improvised plan went pear-shaped. Let’s avoid further conflict. Talk with friends, I’ll send tomorrow for details. Would like spellbooks. Mantatlus.” Familiar with this type of magical communication, Richard responded briefly that he would indeed talk with his friends before tomorrow’s contact. After stopping the ships, the party discussed the message and used some divinatory magic to try to clarify their potential plans. The results were ambiguous regarding Mantatlus’s motives and possible intentions, so Richard sent a similar communique seeking guidance from Governor Johar in Mavinar. The governor responded that he’d prefer to avoid staging further confrontations in the city if possible, that the party was authorized to offer up Anteashara if necessary in any negotiations, and that he’d see what strings he could pull in the University to procure some reinforcements. He also offered the services of the investigator and his assistants, if they could help in any way. With that, the party continued discussing how they should respond to Mantatlus’s next message.

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