Chapter 20: Toward the Next Adventure

August 6

The group decides to keep the casino. They go tell Kwava what has happened. They tell about finding the dark elf that Kwava was looking for. Kwava listens with interest to what those elves had planned and considers their calling a star to hit Devil’s Elbow island extremely worrying. He sends a message to his employers.

Neiia and Jaysek write a report to the adventurers’ guild, and after that, Neiia goes to look for employees for the casino, namely one casino manager and one casino floor master.

Jaysek and Kieron go looking for a ship. They find a 65 foot four-masted vessel whose captain believes he can get it repaired in a few days. The ship’s name is Flying Cloud, and the captain’s name is Creesy.

The captain invites the group to dinner to discuss the matter more thoroughly. Neiia finds a new casino master for the Golden Goblin who had been fired from the neighboring casino because he was apparently too honest. The casino boss’s name is Kwareid Edward.

In the evening, the group goes to talk with the ship’s captain and they sit and chat. They hear that they have gotten other things repaired, but they haven’t gotten new sails yet. Kieron remembers that there are old sails as curtains on the casino roof, so something could be found there. Neiia thinks that some of them might be in good enough condition to be used.

When they are finishing their meeting, they hear a shout from outside that “fire is loose.” The group runs to the deck and notices that there are five separate fires on the ship’s deck. Jaysek starts putting out fires with magic, Neiia casts water on one fire, and the fires are extinguished in a few seconds. They notice that on shore are four people who have just cut the ropes so that the burning boat wouldn’t set the dock, etc. on fire. However, the group also notices that they look somewhat disappointed, so they suspect that they set the fires.

Neiia slows one, and Ra starts running after one man but falls behind so quickly that he returns and orders the slowed man to surrender or die. The man surrenders and says that they had been hired for the price of one silver to set the ship on fire. He doesn’t know who hired them or why, other than that the group was apparently supposed to be delayed. The group lets the man go and stays to guard the ship for the night. However, Jaysek casts fire protection on the ship.

August 7

In the morning, the group looks at the sails and finally decides that Jaysek will repair the old sails with magic. They go buy magical materials and at the same time buy a couple of magic gloves. The sails are repaired during the day. Since the sea conditions are still quite rough, the group decides to wait and to leave in the morning.

Departed groups: -Overlord a few hours from the destruction -Avery Slyeg left on the first night -Cipher mages, the next morning -Kleg crime boss’s gang left in the evening with a ship in poor condition -The group in the morning -Neighboring boat probably at noon. Owner unknown, crew bearded equipped with pistols and sabers, ship well armed with cannons, etc.

August 8

The group sets off and reaches the island in the afternoon. They can see from far away a large crater about a mile in diameter where the star hit. Additionally, along the route leading to the harbor, there’s a ship’s bow on top of one stone marked on the map. They recognize it as Kleg’s ship. When the group is circling the island, they see how a beam of light appears from the sky and hits the village on the island. Jaysek recognizes the magic as a sunlight spell.

When the group approaches the harbor, they see the gas plant supervisor, a dwarf, who shouts to the group. He says he has already lost five men, and four men are missing. He still has two men left. The men have just disappeared. He wants a ride away, so the group agrees that the captain will take them away and then come back later to pick up the group.

The dwarf also says that Kleg’s men have managed to swim to shore but have then gone somewhere despite their warnings. Similarly, the Cipher mages had landed and gone to set up a base in the village, without listening to warnings. Avery’s vessel hasn’t been seen.