Hi, everyone, mika here :) Reporting from the field from one of our adventures.
I was out collecting wild flowers near the docks when Harbormaster Geralt (a bear) asked for help from willing adventurers. I've only heard of Harbormaster Edric, but I'm always willing to help, especially as I've avoided venturing into the forest since... well that's another story. As he was gathering up people (Mister Armada and Mister Takashi signed up, two new adventurers I haven't met before), I saw a construct drowning nearby. We helped him get to shore, and he told us his name is Carlsberg, and he has no memory of what happened to him. I promised to keep a close eye on him and potentially help figure out his mission, so Mister Carlsberg joined us for this endeavor. We all boarded a ship and set sail to our destination.
Harbormaster Geralt shared that a supply ship, the Sea Quill, was supposed to reach Dawnport four days ago but went missing. He theorized that due to a heavy thunderstorm four days ago, perhaps the captain of the ship had to do an emergency maneuver and dock at one of the nearby islands--which was where we are headed to. He cautioned us to be careful and prepare ourselves--as he has witnessed sailors getting possessed and attacked by spirits of the damned that protect the borders between seas and islands. The main goal is clear: search and rescue any survivors from the ship was the priority, and if possible, any cargo or supplies.
I asked about who/ what would've been on the ship and Harbormaster Geralt pointed me to a ship ledger. After reading through it, here was what I found:
- 30 people boarded the Sea Quill
- Some of them are High Officials from the Central Continent
- Some are to join the newly built Adventurer's Guild in Dawnport
- There was cargo onboard worth 300 gold
As I finished my read through, I looked up and we we surrounded by spirits. A battle ensued, and after getting their numbers down, the spirits left. Mister Armada shared that one of the spirits whispered to him "You passed the trial". We got on a small boat and reached the island. A large ship, which we assumed was the Sea Quill, was shipwrecked at shore--broken in half. We investigated and found big puncture holes on the ship, and cannon balls--assumed to be the cause of the holes.
Further on the beach, there were bodies with slashing and piercing wounds--they appeared to be killed by humanoids/ humanoids' weapons. We followed the trail of human bodies and it was a terrible sight... reminded me of war. A battle definitely took place here. A lot of the bodies didn't look like most of the pale folks we see in Dawnport--they were darker in complexion, with variations of facial features. They couldn't be from Dawnport. If my memory as a starting merchant in the Central Continent served me right, these people might be from a rival kingdom of the Prince.
The trail led us to a river, with a cave nearby. We saw a man in tattered clothes harvesting food and called out to him. That attracted the attention of two gigantic water monsters and a battle ensued. We managed to escape and made our way to the entrance of the cave. Upon exchanging pleasantries and who we are, we were greeted by a woman and tough looking adventurers. We found out later she was Officer Excella--Chief Logistics Officer, who was aboard the Sea Quill and top of the ledger.
She shared that the during the thunderstorm, the Sea Quill was held stationery at sea. During that time, a different ship approached them and started attacking with cannons. As a supply ship, they couldn't fight back at sea and had to maneuver themselves to the island. They fought off combatants from the other ships and other monsters to make a temporary shelters in the cave. A lot of the survivors were injured and in need of further medical care in Dawnport. We helped transport everyone over and made our way back.
I started this adventure wanting to avoid the complexity of the forest, only for the seas to provide more of the same. Everywhere I look, there is bloodshed. And I'm not fully sure what my place is supposed to be in this violent world.
