Blood River, Ep. 2

You arrived in the port town of Arrowford aboard the suspicious merchant vessel, the Manticore. After disembarking, you sought work, weighing an offer from the powerful Drayman’s Guild against a plea for help from the local fishing suppliers, Jacob and Jacob. Choosing the latter, you met Jacob Sr., who hired you to investigate the cursed Hogger Rock, a fog-shrouded island where his son had sent a group of adventurers to their deaths after several local fishermen had already gone missing.

Bribing the young and impressionable Jacob Jr. to accompany you, you rowed out to the dreaded rock. An ill omen greeted you in the form of ancient, diabolic runes speaking of a sea god named Dagon. Pressing onward, you discovered a hidden crack in the rock face, the entrance to a tomb. Just inside, you found the first body, a bloated lizardfolk adventurer who had been brutally stabbed in the back.

Venturing deeper, you entered a sepulcher where a one-armed skeleton animated with malevolent purpose burst from its sarcophagus, shrouding the room in magical darkness. The ensuing battle was chaotic; Sisyphus fell under the creature’s rusted blade, and Eric was magically enlarged to the size of an ogre. Ultimately, the giant-sized Eric crushed the undead horror. Beyond the tomb lay a hidden chapel to Dagon, where you found another body and looted several strange, ritualistic items.

Taking a silver idol of Dagon triggered a terrifying presence in the chapel, prompting a hasty retreat. You fled Hogger Rock with Jacob Jr. and three recovered bodies, hearing the sound of something monstrous trying to break down a door behind you. Back in Arrowford, you received a partial payment in Drayman’s Guild scrip and spent the evening carousing with the guild, earning the favor of the influential Madame Rose Quartz and hearing a new rumor to investigate.

OUTLINE:

Arrival and Quest Acquisition

The party arrived in the port town of Aeroford aboard the Manticore.
They learned of two work opportunities: the Drayman’s Guild and the local fishing suppliers, Jacob and Jacob.
The party chose to help Jacob and Jacob, accepting a quest to investigate disappearances on the cursed Hogger Rock.
Jacob Sr. offered a reward of 120 Drayman’s chits to recover the bodies of missing fishermen and adventurers.

Journey to Hogger Rock

After resting, Jacob Jr. rowed the party to the fog-shrouded island.
The party bribed Jacob Jr. with 10 gold pieces to join the landing party.
They discovered ancient stones with diabolic runes mentioning a god named Dagon.
The group navigated a stretch of beach trapped with rusty caltrops and found a hidden crack leading into a tomb.

Combat in the Sepulcher

The party pulled the body of a dead adventurer from the entrance of the tomb.
Inside, a one-armed skeleton emerged from a sarcophagus and filled the room with magical darkness, blinding everyone.
During the chaotic fight, Sisyphus was downed by the skeleton’s attack.
A miscast spell caused Eric to grow to ogre-size, and he used his new strength to crush the skeleton.

The Chapel of Dagon

The party found a secret button inside the sarcophagus, revealing a hidden door.
The door led to a large, hidden chapel dedicated to the sea god Dagon.
They recovered the body of a missing fisherman who was tied to a pillar.
The party looted four plinths, acquiring a silver bowl, a bronze knife, an opal, and a silver idol of Dagon.

Escape and Aftermath

Taking the silver idol triggered a hostile supernatural presence, prompting a hasty retreat.
The party escaped the island with Jacob Jr. and three recovered bodies.
Back in Aeroford, they received a partial reward of 75 Drayman’s chits.
The group paid the Drayman’s Guild to identify their new items and caroused, earning favor with Madame Rose Quartz and gaining experience.

NPCs:

Captain of the Manticore: A classic paunchy, bushy-bearded halfling captain with a parrot trained to scream insults. He sails the Manticore, a ship that appears to be more of a warship than a merchant vessel.
Jacob Jr.: A young, red-haired man of 17 who works for his father. He is wracked with guilt after sending a group of adventurers to their deaths on Hogger Rock and was bribed to accompany the party on their expedition.
Jacob Sr.: The proprietor of Aeroford’s fishing supply shop and a member of the city council. A heavy-set man with salt-and-pepper red hair, he is deeply concerned about the men lost at Hogger Rock and hired the party to investigate.
Madame Rose Quartz: An elderly dwarven woman with immense, thick braids who carries significant influence with the Drayman’s Guild. She inspected the cargo of the Manticore upon its arrival.
One-Armed Skeleton: An undead guardian found within the tomb on Hogger Rock. It emerged from a sarcophagus clad in rusted mail and wielding a black-bladed longsword, attacking the party with malevolent fury.
Tam & Tom Heidemark: Identical twin dwarven brothers who work as foremen for the Drayman’s Guild, hiring mercenaries and adventurers for various jobs. They are cousins of Madame Rose Quartz.

ITEMS:

Brass Shield of Dagon: A surprisingly immaculate brass shield found in the tomb on Hogger Rock. It is a +1 magic shield bearing the large, finely chased symbol of the chaotic sea god Dagon.
Clay Whistle: A simple clay whistle given to the party by Jacob Sr. to signal Jacob Jr. for pickup from Hogger Rock.
Drayman’s Chits: Clay discs that function as company script for the Drayman’s Guild. They are equivalent to gold pieces when purchasing goods or services from the guild, but are otherwise worthless.
Eldritch Bronze Knife: A triangular-bladed bronze knife covered in diabolic runes extolling Dagon. It is a minorly magical weapon that functions as a silvered dagger, effective against undead and lycanthropes.
Rusty Caltrops: Spiked metal devices designed to impede soldiers or horses. The party found and collected two bags of them from a trapped section of the beach on Hogger Rock.
Silver Idol of Dagon: A hand-sized silver idol depicting a writhing, eel-shaped sea beast with a mass of claws, scales, and teeth. Taking it from its plinth in the chapel caused a supernatural disturbance.

LOCATIONS:

Aeroford: A shanty town of about a thousand permanent residents located on a delta where the silty Blood River meets the sea. It serves as a port for vessels like the Manticore.
Chapel of Dagon: A hidden, ancient chapel concealed within Hogger Rock. It features pillars, plinths with ritual items, and a massive wall carving of the tentacled sea god Dagon.
Drayman’s Guild Hall: The nicest building in Aeroford, a two-story structure with a blue paint job and gold-painted pillars. It serves as the local headquarters for the powerful shipping guild.
Hogger Rock: A small, gray boulder-like island perpetually shrouded in thick fog. It is rumored to be cursed and is the site of several recent disappearances.
The Manticore: The ship the party arrived on. While carrying cargo for the Drayman’s Guild, its construction resembles a light warship, and its crew is heavily armed, suggesting it may be more than a simple merchant vessel.

FACTIONS:

Cult of Dagon: An ancient cult that worshipped the chaotic elder god of the deep sea, Dagon. They constructed the hidden tomb and chapel on Hogger Rock, filling it with ritual items and an undead guardian.
Drayman’s Guild: An extensive and powerful shipping and freight guild with a network stretching along the coast and eastern rivers. They seem to be the primary power in Aeroford, issuing their own currency and hiring mercenaries for their operations.

QUESTS:

The Missing Folk of Hogger Rock: Investigate the cursed Hogger Rock to discover the fate of several missing fishermen and a party of adventurers. Recover any bodies found for a proper burial.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Driblet: A mischievous-looking elf druid who appears young for his race. He is a bit short with curly white hair. He seems trustworthy and willing to explore alternative solutions to problems.
Eric: A human magus with long black hair that covers one side of his face. The other side is hidden by a fine mask, concealing terrible scars and disfigurement. He is well-armed but favors lighter gear over heavy armor.
Fang Goldskin: A Vishkanya (snake-person) necromancer with a background as a road warden. He is a worshipper of the pox god and, despite his magical prowess, is physically frail with only one hit point.
Haixia Deep River: A half-elf paladin and former deckhand, recognizable by her jaunty hat and colorful bandana. She is a devout worshipper of the four dragon kings of water and weather, donating a quarter of her income to charity and performing daily penance for humanity’s sins against the ocean.
Sisyphus: A bull-man monk with the archetypal ‘gym bro’ personality. Despite a tragic orphan backstory, he maintains a positive, belief-driven outlook on life, convinced that training the body also trains the heart. He worships Hephaestus and seeks to make a great difference in the world through brawn and determination.