Blood River, Ep. 1

The Newcomers arrived in the port town of Arrowford aboard the merchant vessel, the Jolly Wench. Disembarking onto the pungent, fish-scented docks, they observed the town’s operations were largely overseen by the Drayman’s Guild, whose DG symbol was stamped on all cargo. Their first encounters were with the stern, elderly dwarf Madame Rose Quartz, and a pair of identical dwarven workers, the Bendrazin brothers.

Seeking adventure, the party was directed to Counselor Jacob, who ran the local bait shop. The counselor, Jacob Sr., had a grim task for them: his friend Eric and two others had gone missing after drunkenly daring to sail out to the cursed Hogger Rock. Their boat had washed ashore containing only a hacked-off, rotten arm clutching an ancient battle axe. Upon inspection, the scholarly Gavri recognized a symbol carved into the axe blade as the mark of Dagon, a chaotic and ancient god of the deep.

Accepting the job for payment in Drayman’s Guild scrip, the party rested for the night in Jacob’s shed. The next morning, Jacob’s son ferried them out to the misty, foreboding Hogger Rock and left them on a pebble beach with a whistle to call him back. The adventurers discovered a hidden entrance and squeezed through a narrow crack into a dark sepulcher. Inside, a roiling fog erupted as Gavri removed a brass shield from the wall, blinding the party. A skeletal warrior emerged from the mist, its rusted longsword finding its mark with deadly precision. In the chaotic, sightless battle, both the swashbuckler Vorg and the druid Gavri were slain. The survivors, Daisy and Brad, fled the tomb, leaving their fallen companions behind as they signaled for a grim retreat from the cursed island.

OUTLINE:

Arrival in Aerofort

The party arrived in the town of Aerofort aboard the merchant ship, the Jolly Wench.
They observed that the town’s commerce was controlled by the Draymans Guild, whose ‘DG’ symbol was on all cargo.
The group met Madame Rose Quartz, an elderly dwarf overseeing the cargo, and the identical Bendrazin brothers working the docks.

A Job from the Council

Seeking work, the party was directed to a bait shop run by Counselor Jacob Sr.
Jacob Sr. hired them to investigate the disappearance of his friend Eric and two other men.
He explained their boat returned from the cursed Hogger Rock with only a severed arm holding an ancient battle axe.

The Mark of an Ancient God

The party examined the axe and Brad identified a carving on its blade as the symbol of Dagon, an old god of the deep sea.
They agreed to take the job for a reward of Draymans Guild chits (local scrip).
The party spent the night in Jacob Sr.’s supply shed before their expedition.

Voyage to Hogger Rock

The next morning, Jacob’s son ferried the party to Hogger Rock through a thick, ominous fog.
He left them on a pebble beach with a whistle to call for his return.
While exploring, Vorg was injured by rusty caltrops hidden among the pebbles.
The group discovered a narrow crack in the rock wall, a hidden entrance to a tomb.

Death in the Sepulcher

The party squeezed into a dark sepulcher, where Daisy found a large brass shield marked with Dagon’s symbol.
When she took the shield, a magical fog filled the room, blinding everyone.
A skeletal warrior ambushed them from the mist, critically striking and felling Vorg.
The skeleton then killed Gabby as he tried to help Vorg.
Daisy and Brad fled the tomb, leaving their companions’ bodies behind as they escaped the island.

NPCs:

Captain of the Jolly Wench: The hyperactive captain of the merchant ship that brought the party to Aerofort. He has a giant mohawk and seems to do every job on the boat himself, despite having a crew.
Counselor Jacob Sr.: An older, heavier-set man who runs the local bait shop and is a member of the town council. He hired the party to find his missing friends and may be a former member of a bandit gang called the Jingleheimers.
Jacob Jr.: The thin, gangly, red-haired son of Jacob Sr. He helps run the bait shop and ferried the party to and from Hogger Rock.
Madame Rose Quartz: An elderly, stooped dwarven woman dressed in a fine dark blue tunic with gold trim. She is a figure of authority in Aerofort, overseeing the Draymans Guild’s cargo operations.
Skeletal Warrior: A male-clad skeletal figure with a horned helmet and a missing left arm. It wields a rusted longsword and ambushed the party in the sepulcher on Hogger Rock, killing two of them.
The Bendrazin Brothers: A pair of identical, portly dwarven twins with large handlebar mustaches. They work for the Draymans Guild on the docks of Aerofort.

ITEMS:

Ancient Battle Axe: A two-handed, double-bitted greataxe with a black blade and a heavily decayed wooden handle. It is crudely made but bears the carved symbol of the sea god Dagon.
Brass Shield of Dagon: A large, gleaming, and immaculate brass shield found hanging in the sepulcher on Hogger Rock. It is chased with the symbol of Dagon.
Drayman Chits: Scrip, or company currency, issued by the Draymans Guild. Useful for transactions within Aerofort’s businesses but may not be accepted elsewhere.
Whistle: A simple whistle given to the party by Jacob Jr. to signal for him to pick them up from Hogger Rock.

LOCATIONS:

Aerofort: A small, pungent port town of about 900 people, serving as both a mining town and a fishing village. It is located at the confluence of the South Meierfen and the Red Hills.
Blood River: A wide river or inlet that flows through the region and out to sea. Its waters run thick with crimson silts, making them appear bloody.
Hogger Rock: A large, gray boulder out in the coastal waters near Aerofort, rumored to be cursed. It is perpetually shrouded in mist and is where the fishermen went missing.
Jacob’s Bait Shop: A shop in Aerofort filled with nets, poles, and bait, run by Counselor Jacob Sr. and his son.
Sepulcher on Hogger Rock: A hidden tomb within Hogger Rock, marked with the symbol of Dagon. It was here that the party was ambushed by a skeletal warrior.
The Jolly Wench: The merchant vessel that transported the party to Aerofort. Its captain is a man with a large mohawk.

FACTIONS:

Draymans Guild: A powerful mercantile guild that seems to control most, if not all, of the business and trade in Aerofort. They use their own scrip currency and are led locally by Madame Rose Quartz.
Jingleheimers: A former bandit gang that Jacob Sr. was once affiliated with. He seems keen to keep this part of his past quiet.

QUESTS:

The Missing Fishermen of Hogger Rock: Hired by Counselor Jacob Sr. to investigate the disappearance of three local men who sailed to the cursed Hogger Rock and never returned. The party was tasked with finding survivors or discovering their fate.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Brad: A silver-tongued Halfling Bard with a background as a charlatan and grifter. He uses his considerable charm to navigate social situations and sway others to his side. He survived the encounter on Hogger Rock by fleeing with Daisy.
Daisy: A Half-Triaxian Bard who is the estranged child of a noble, now making her way as a charlatan. With her long ears and grey fur, she gives the impression of being better than her current lot in life and carries a trombone strapped to her back. She survived the deadly encounter on Hogger Rock.
Gabby: A frail Lizardfolk Druid who is physically weak and not particularly wise, but possesses a surprising talent for languages, speaking nearly a dozen tongues. Despite being a druid, he seems to have a strong disdain for fish. He was killed by the skeletal warrior on Hogger Rock.
Vorg: A Tengu Swashbuckler and soothsayer. As a bird-like humanoid, he was agile and ready for a fight. He was the first to fall to the skeletal warrior’s blade in the sepulcher.