September 25, 2021

Hook

Dead Man's Water - RMS HOA II - Session 3

Plot Synopsis

The crew of the RMS HOA II arrive back where they started, the city of Helmrest, with divine artifacts they have retrieved from the Children of the Brine on Kesperic Isle. As they arrive, a young messenger runs up to the dock and informs them that a “Professor Abiduan” is requesting to talk to them about their recent journey, and that she has provided the party with a free ship upgrade (offer valid only with a signed validation slip). However, half of the party first wants to get some shopping out of the way, since they recently also acquired a certain cache of gold labelled ‘Trust Fund’. A few journeyed to the Mishrite Temple, a bunker-like building that lay half a mile out of town. There, they purchased grenades and played a unique Mishrite game that involved a small trampoline and a live grenade…
Other members journeyed to the University of Helmrest, where they were told they could find and meet Professor Abiduan. They took a short tour of the southern half of Helmrest, as their guide pointed out notable buildings: Tidesquall Prison, Kelbaler Manor, Providence Keep, and finally, the University. Specifically, the party was pointed towards the Jetro Research Center. Meanwhile, more shopping was done, as poisons and acids were purchased. Fatima Abisuan introduced herself to the party, and gave a spiel about a larger threat against The Rhine, an undead revenant named Ishar Magaroth hell-bent on summoning an undead army to take his revenge, needing the Coins of Anubis to accomplish this. The party was briefed on Ishar’s four lieutenants: Xing-Ryu, Vella Kyreth, The Faceless One, and Edward G. Sherwood, and Fatima seemed concerned that an ally named Wilhelm van Markduk had not been heard from, as he was sent to deliver one of the Coins of Anubis.
After the discussion, the party regrouped, arranged to get an onager installed on the ship, and decided to do even more shopping to prepare for their upcoming journey. First, they ventured inside a bookstore and met a mousefolk named Poligone, who sold them a few Duo Lingo brand language books (written by a green owlfolk by the name of Duo), and a cooking book by Gordon Rams’ee (a famous lizard cook). Then, the party journeyed down the street to a peculiar establishment called Grimothy’s Wares and Peculiarities, and purchased all manner of strange and mystical goods, including: a magical perfume bottle, a glowing cat, a very rotund pigeon, a pack of Every-Language Gum, and a magical shield.
Satisfied with their haul, the party returned to the repaired RMS HOA II, and had a family dinner with Man cooking a wonderful lizard seafood dish, but drama broke out as Votum accused Okul of being an Identity Thief, swinging the Dagger of Guilt at him, which to everyone’s surprise pierced the skin! After several rounds of questioning, ‘Okul’, amidst tears, revealed that he had actually stolen the name and resume of the real Okul, who had perished aboard the RMS HOA I, and that his name was Quinn. The group, a bit taken aback, decided to let bygones be bygones, and let Okul stay aboard the ship. Powder, Melog, Galaxy-Eye, and many more of the group decided to try to reason and talk with the ‘powder monkey’ on the ship, who could speak and understand Primordial, and revealed that he was an artificially created gunpowder elemental, and used to be part of an experiment by a “insane, blind mage” by the name of Kyreth.
The ship set out towards Port Saleen to meet up with other groups hired by Fatima Abiduan, but not before they spotted a strange blockade around Port Faraday, and then picked up two strangers who were smuggling out what they learned was a prototype mechanism capable of absorbing elemental magic and blowing up an entire town if left in the wrong hands… and that it was the target of Vella Kyreth’s forces who had blockaded the port… Now, the group heads towards Port Saleen, with this incredibly powerful but unstable device onboard...

Noteworthy Postgame Events