Freeport Campaign

Rewards Earned

• Experience Points: 800
• Treasure: None to speak of

True to his word, Mantatlus contacted Richard again the next morning with a brief magical message: “Never mind. Divinations inconclusive. Keep the books. Spells expensive, but less than bribing the Boatman. May keep an eye out, and would expect likewise. Mantatlus.” After a quick discussion with his comrades, Richard responded to the mage with an agreement to break off any hostilities between Mantatlus and Four Gulls. Richard then sent a message to Governor Johar in Mavinar, who thanked the group and informed them that Anteashara was no longer available to use as a bargaining chip. After communing briefly with one of Harrimast’s heavenly host, the group decided not to pursue Mantatlus for the time being. With that issue settled, the Primrose and the Sea Wind turned around and headed toward the hermitage on Firewatch Island.

A bit after midnight, one of the crewmen stationed on the port side of Sea Wind’s sterncastle heard something scrabbling below him on the hull and sounded the alarm. About the same time, numerous crew members broke and fled to the starboard side of the ship or into the water. Within seconds, the lantern sea serpent about which the group had been warned slithered onto the deck and clawed its way through several of the ship’s crew.

Richard, hearing the commotion above and guessing at its cause, used the magical bowl the group had retrieved from the sea witch, Black Molly, to summon a water elemental to combat the creature. The priest ran onto the deck just in time to catch a lightning bolt from the serpent’s mouth, along with nearly a dozen of his crewmen. Richard ordered the crew to steer toward the Primrose, and then called holy fire upon the serpent as the elemental bashed it. In return, the creature grabbed the priest and began to squeeze him in its coils.

Meanwhile, the alarm on the Sea Wind and the subsequent light show had attracted the attention of the Primrose’s crew. Chow gave orders for the ship to turn about and head for the Sea Wind. Now awake, Balama endowed Spike with the magical ability to fly, and the two took off toward Richard’s ship.

A few tense moments later, the water elemental had smacked the serpent enough to gain its undivided unattention. As a result, a nearly unconscious Richard dropped into the water just as Spike and Balama arrived. Spike snagged Richard and deposited him on deck, while Balama peppered the serpent with magic missiles. Suddenly much less comfortable with its condition, the sea serpent splashed into the water. Much to the captains’ consternation, instead of diving immediately into the depths, the creature headed back to the waters where the Sea Wind’s crew had jumped overboard. Trying to ignore the distant screams, the crew and officers of the two ships tended to their wounded and fallen comrades.

After a night of mourning, the crews buried their comrades at sea, and Richard said a benediction for the deceased. Assigning the remaining crew members as evenly as possible between the Primrose and the Sea Wind, Spike and Richard gave orders to set sail toward Firewatch Island.

The ships arrived at the island in the late afternoon. As they approached, a bell in the hermitage tower tolled five times, and a large winged figure swooped into the belfry from above. Unsure of the bell’s portent, the ships continued toward the island.

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