Chapter One: Voyage of the Arcana (Team Green)

5th of Patchwall

It is a quiet and foggy morning in the City of Greyhawk. Ships that should be heading down the Selintan River and off to the lake sit idle waiting for the fog to burn off enough for the river pilots to give the all clear. It gives idle hands time to plan, or get into trouble if you have a mind to. You have agreed to meet up with your companions and break your fast in the common room of the Griffon's Nest Inn and plan your next course.

Leaving his familiar outside to keep an eye on things, Finn takes a seat in the Griffon, calls over a server and orders something small…. While awaiting the crew and his meal he idly spins a coin, eyes and ears open for any interesting tidbits that may trickle in.

Jewel gets down from her room into the common hall of the Inn.
She's looking awake and alert, as usual really. The blue skinned elf with with hair wears her trademark simple leathers.

"Morning" she says in a relaxed tone to Finn. She'll sit down and orders some bread and cheese. She cuts it and uses her knife both as knife and fork, while she leans on the back two legs of her chair with her feet on the table.

"Morning" says Finn in Elvish before returning to common "What did you think of Maester Azans presentation the other day? Assuming his research is accurate, I think we might be sailing soon."

Kitty joins the table with a tray with 2 plates of food and 2 cups of tea. At their raised eyebrows she explains: For the professor

She then sits and begins to eat. Maester Azans presentation did indeed interest more than just scholars. That could prove a problem as it will muddy the waters for any real scholars

Jenos is bleary eyed when he eventually joins the others. The professor's gotten very little sleep the past couple of days. The nightmares have been getting worse, driving sleep away, keeping him obsessively poring over his maps and notes.

Jenos squints absently at the plate of food Kitty puts in front of him. Thank you, my dear."

"Is today the day, Captain?" Jenos asks Jewel. "Is the Arcana ready? I'm really anxious to set out."

Finn takes a sip of his coffee and thinks about the wrecks for a moment, and which one may have gone down with Lore.

Leaning in Finn whipers to the group,

"Maester Azans maps with those wreck locations are going to be out soon so if we are going to be first onsite, we need to set sail right of way. Fortunately for us I have Maester Azans presentation AND maps committed to memory."

Finn smiles, tapping his temple with a sly smile.

"We can simply update the Arcana's maps when we board. Lets get some wind in those sails now and decide where to on route."

Jewel sits in her relaxed mode still. While eating cheese from the tip of her knife.

"Yes. The presentation seemed quite interesting. I'd reckon we'd best set sail sooner than later. Find ourself a good shipwreck and see what beautiful loot it all has. My guess wouldn't be the nearest one, for everyone and their granny are going for that one... Finn, which wrecks you'd recommend?"

Finn is a little biased in his wreck selection as he is interested more in knowledge than riches. That considered though, he is no fool and knows that wealth can be a ways to an end.

"You are probably right about the nearest wrecks. I say let us make haste to the Edmund Fitzgerald. It is in shallow waters and its treasures are rumored to be quite unusual. Unraveling it's secrets may yet make us all rich!"

Finn, dismisses his thoughts on the Eastern Star for now. The wreck is in a potentially deeper part of the Lake, and it couldn't hurt to do a little more research before dyving in. Finn thinks that The Edmund Fitzgerald, although 6 days away, offers some safety in shallower waters and it might be a good way to break the crew in.

"News travels quickly everyone, we need to move out now or there will be slim pickings."

Finn drops a few coins on the table, looks at his crewmates and then heads out to the Arcana to begin preperations.

"The Edmund Fitzgerald sounds good to me. Six days away might be good actually. We could make haste for it, and hopefully beat anyone who is going to the closer wrecks first."

Jewel stood up from her seat.

"Right, mates, let's do what we do best and set sail. We'd be on open lake by noon if we can make it."

Do you need anything else professor? Otherwise I will pack our rooms and go to the ship.

The warmth of the inn swiftly fades as the chill fog lays damp upon your skin. The mist off the lake is common enough but the River Quarter has a strange air about it. A foggy day like this usually means that the taverns, brothels and gambling houses are still going strong as the sailors have extra hours to while away. Today the Quarter is too quiet by half until you get to the docks themselves. There isn't much activity loading and unloading but the ships themselves are full of sailors, doing the things sailors do to look busy when they are forced to wait.

Such is the state of the Arcana. From the looks of things your bosun has been successful at rousting the crew out of whatever flophouse they found for the night and make ready for departure. As you approach, the slim figure of your bosun, a lanky, wiry cove that goes by Sticks, flips you a lazy salute as you approach. "You sure picked a fine day for sailing, Cap'n, no mistake." He observes wryly. "I got most of the crew on board and the ones I couldn't find you won't miss. Food and gear is loaded." He pauses for a moment. "What we don't have is a river pilot." He admits. "Price keeps going up every time you ask 'em. They can smell the blood in the water. None of 'em want to go out in the fog anyway. Why bother when you can charge five times the price and still linger over your breakfast?" Sticks spits in frustration.

Finn calls over the Sr. Staff of the Arcana,

"It seems we are in a bit of a pickle with the river pilots this morning, but I think we can manage. Kitty, Jewel… I think the Acana can use your talents. Do you think the 2 of you working together (Help) in the water can safely navigate the river? I figure all we need to do is keep her in the deep end and avoid any underwater hazards. It might be slow going this time around but I believe it is doable"

Kitty removes her hat, at unbuttons her coat
Put a few strong sailors in a rowboat, and toss us a line. They will drag us through the water, and we will say on the edge of what the ship can pass. You just have to stay between us

"I’ve seen both of you in the water and in a sprint you can match the Arcana under full sail. However on the river full sail is not safe, even for the river pilots. I don’t think speed will be much of an issue. What does concern me is endurance. The ship doesn’t get tired but you do. Jenos is quite good in the water as well and can relieve you if need be. Between the 3 of you we will make good time!"

All right, lets give it a go! Kitty take a running jump and into the water.

"ALL ABOARD!!! THE ARCANA SAILS!!!" Finn shouts, "BOSUN STICKS! We Sail in 15 minutes, have the crew ready!"

Finn relays the plan to Sticks and makes sure that everyone onboard gets Water Breathing cast on them. Finn can affect 10 sailors every 10 minutes. Duration 24hrs.

Very good. Whoever is at the helm (read someone with water vehicle proficiency) should make two dex checks with proficiency bonus. The ones in the water make two perception checks.

The professor leaves the sailing to the sailors, instead staying in his cabin poring over his maps and notes. Everything he can find or recall about the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Very well. Scouts, please give me a Perception check.

Jenos: You can't find a thing about the Edmund Fitzgerald's history. The only reason the name of the ship is known is because small, wooden rowboats and other weird detritus washed up on the shores with the name upon it.

Kitty swims in the river water, and as she does the movements of the water and the distorted sounds, jolt distant memories from "before". They are there, but it is like catching mists with a fork. Try as she might, she can't get a hold of the memory and it occupies her mind more than scouting.

Jenos is puzzled he can't find any historical references to the Edmund Fitzgerald. Of course, he doesn't have access to port logbooks right this moment, but there really should be more anecdotal records elsewhere. The mystery just makes it even more tantalizing though! He'll certainly be able to glean more information once he actually lays eyes on the wreck itself.As the Arcana makes its way downstream, waves of both exhilaration and gnawing dread crash against each other in Jenos' heart. Clutching at the talisman hung about his neck and drawing a ragged breath, the professor squeezes his eyes shut—and instantly regrets it as visions of a shapeless mass of monstrous eyes wreathed in twisting tentacles assail him.


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The half-elf shakes his head to banish the nightmarish image. Maybe some fresh air will do him good. He puts away his maps and notes and makes his way to the deck to seek out Finn.


"How goes it?" he asks the battlemage. "I gather Kitty's down there to help guide us?"

"She is…Haven’t heard much from her as of yet. Hopefully no news is good news right? I hope you don’t mind me rushing this hunt along. I didn’t care much for the river pilots dragging their heels and charging ridiculous amounts. At the very least this will give the crew some experience navigating the river without their help."

"I am looking forward to the Fitzgerald. The mystery of it all! It could be a whole lot of nothing or something amazing. Strange name, Edmund Fitzgerald wouldn’t you say? Sounds foreign but from where? How would a foreign ship get here? This is a lake and we know everyone that sails its waters."

"Based on the Maesters Maps it doesn’t look too deep and I think I’ve come up with a tricky way to move its treasures quickly to the surface. I can’t wait to give it try"

All the murky depths of all the myriad worlds flow unto each other, each but one ravenous maw of the ancient one that dwells in the fathomless deep mortals cannot hope to plumb nor comprehend.

Jenos licks his lips. "Strange, yes. Maybe we know far less about the Nyr Dyv than we'd like to think."

Not liking the sound or feeling of the Arcana scraping bottom Finn grits his teeth, "Kitty, can you check the hull for damage?"

The Arcana continues its way down the river. The helmsman keeps his course towards the center of the river. All of a sudden a shape looms out of the fog to your starboard. Its blocky shape suggests a barge and it is heading your way. From that barge, you hear the cry, "Again! Procan's balls, are all the idiots on the river today?" Sailors on the barge are frantically poling to push the barge as far to the side as they can.

"Helmsman, reduce speed give them room to pass" "AHOY! Rivermasters, who else has passed by you on this misty morning?"