D'ward approaches the end of the table and stares at the map as the candlelight flickers.
“Very well. I can tell you in all my years of traveling the seas, nothing has haunted me more than what I witnessed that night, nothing could have prepared me for it. The creature that destroyed my former ship, The Hunter… the creature that grabbed me… I can’t put it into words.” He stares into the water on the map. “I found myself face to face with a horrifying monstrosity that defies logic. I swear to you this is true.” He makes eye contact with the party and takes a more serious tone. “What I witnessed, as I fought for my life… It resembled a giant, man-eating shark. But not any shark you’re familiar with. Its lower half was a tangled mess of dark tendrils and tentacles. It felt like I was dreaming. This being, it was not from this world. It pulled me close and our eyes met. I could never fully articulate the horror I was face to face with. He was… inside my mind, I could feel him looking around.” D’ward grabs at his head with both hands, slowly running his hands down the back of his head, pulling down his hood. “I heard its voice, the voice of a sinister, greedy, evil entity. I can still hear it to this very day, it echoes in my mind. I can only describe it as a terrible grinding sound like massive rusty gears moving for the first time in centuries. Time seemed to have stopped. The creature spoke into my soul as he uttered the words, “Perish, worthless mortal, as I take what is mine.” He tossed me aside like I was nothing, as the words billowed in my head and everything went black. A few moments went by and suddenly it felt as though I was floating through a thick wall of mist. I thought I had died. These mists seemed to carry me through time and space for what felt like an eternity. When I woke up I had washed up on the shore of a small circular atoll, surrounding what appeared to be a deep underwater cavern. Remnants and pieces of the ship floating all around me, I used the last bit of strength in me to cling to some of the driftwood and I somehow made it back to shore. Every night I have nightmares of drowning and being eaten alive by bloodthirsty sharks. Every night I dream about my crew, my family, meeting their watery demise. Every night, I dream of the creature that pulled our ship into the depths of the ocean. This beast, he took everything from me and robbed me of my sanity… he robbed me of my peace. And now I believe the very creature I faced that night, threatens the land you stand on. The people of this realm have no idea what sinister fate awaits them.” D’ward makes eye contact with each member of the party.
“I vowed to discover the sinister nature of these events. Through my persistent investigations, I was able to follow clues and track down survivors with similar tales. This led me down a path that I never expected.” He seems to snap out of it, “I won’t go into extreme detail now, because time is of the essence, but I can tell you this. There are powers and forces at work in this world that are far beyond our understanding or comprehension. There are various realms and planes, hidden right under our noses. Some of these domains are controlled by Dark Powers that cannot be explained or reasoned with. One such place is known as the Land of the Mists. These strange mists are the same ones that beckon me I believe. The mists reach out to me, as if they are calling me to come with them. I have limited knowledge of what I speak of, but I am confident these strange mists are trying to communicate with me. Lately, I have received surreal visions of this horrible leviathan escaping its dark prison under the ocean and wreaking immeasurable havoc on these lands. These images in my mind, they are as vivid as reality. I have waited a long time for another sighting of this underwater cavern and the beast that dwells within…”
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"You're gonna need a bigger Keelboat." - Noah "Shark" Robertson
“This what you saw, D’Ward,”Bran focuses on the drawing. He remembered other marines telling stories about sea monsters that they or someone they knew “encountered.” A pirate harengon, Duncan McDougal, once told him a tale so dreadful he couldn’t look at pea soup ever again.
"I can't be certain... my memories are fragmented... stories have surfaced once again of a tentacled beast pulling passing ships into a dark, underwater abyss. I come to you now, to ask for your help investigating these strange occurrences and possibly laying this creature to rest. I believe the fate of these lands lies in our hands. As for transportation, if you’re worried about our vessel of choice, I assure you it will not be Ugly Beard’s leaky keelboat that we will be taking on this quest. I have access to a sailing ship that has been reinforced and upgraded for this excursion. I have spent my life savings on improving the ship’s defenses. I have appointed Ugly Beard as my first mate, he is a partner in this as well. Ugly Beard has helped to pay for the ship’s upgrades and is convinced there is a massive treasure at the bottom of this underwater cavern. Onboard we have powerful weapons that I believe will aid us in slaying the beast. I know it sounds intense, but it’s something I must do. It’s something I will do… with or without you.”
Constanza finds the revelation quite disturbing and the fact of the sightings of giant, man-eating sharks with unnatural tendrils and tentacles has caused her mental distress. She has witnessed various types of aquatic or coastal monsters, but the aberration or monstrosity pictured in the piece of parchment is something that should not be underestimated.
"This creature probably has otherworldly origin, or it's the outcome of illegal use of dark magic or result of a mad scientist's experimentation. Look at the rear part of the creature, the overall size and the sharp teeth. What do you see? Are you ready to face this 'thing' without re-assesing its capability?"
Rather scratches his chin and squints at the creature, "It's pretty big and scary. If the cave is its hidey-hole then it's probably got a decent stash of ship cargo; gold, jewels, maybe even magical items. I wonder if anyone has ever stabbed it or seen it bleed. If it can't die proper then there might not even be use in fighting it. And if it is some kind of experiment does it have a master? And if it's from another place how did it get here? Hmmmmm."
"These tentacles and tendrils can be used for melee attack or constricting creatures. The creature can make bite attacks. But such kind of large creature will have difficulty with the movement speed. These are calculated assumptions based on my experience with other creatures."
Constanza examines the sketch and describes its physical characteristics without taking account of her surrounding. Then she sits down to inspect the facial expressions of her colleagues while drinking the lightly flavored mead with quick sips.
“D’Ward, you said this isn’t just threatening the sea and ocean and Faerun, but all of Toril, yes?” Bran looks at D’Ward as he poses the question and then scans the room and speaks further, “Each one of us has starred death in the face and laughed as we told that grim son-of-a-*****, my turn! Each one of lost something or someone in the process... We are strong and don’t quit!” “Now I’m not suggesting we go into the fight willy-nilly and blindsided, no. We will have to recon and research. This is gonna take time, that we probably don’t exactly have, but I’m willing to fight for this world even though she’s a thankless and cruel mistress sometimes that leaves you bloody.”
"You all make very good points, trust me. A beast such as this, we don't tread lightly. I appreciate your interest, even after my revelations."
"There are many stories of untold riches that lay at the bottom of this underwater cavern, only adding to the intrigue. If this is true, I can offer you at least 10,000 gold for your efforts. I’m confident that with this group, with this ship, and with my knowledge…" D'ward sorts of trails off, looking worried and pained.
He continues again after a moment of reflection. "Ugly Beard and I are off to the town of Lielon in the morning where my ship will be arriving with the appropriate improvements. I implore you to travel with us and at least have a look at the ship and the upgrades we have commissioned. I think it will shine a light on the situation and provide you with a better idea of what we are working with. Lielon is only a day's ride from here. I have spoken with Barthen over at Barthen's Provisions and they are willing to provide the members of this party riding horses for only 50gp each, a discount from the usual 75gp each. Ugly Beard and I will be fronting the money for your horses, we'll call it an investment."
"You're gonna need a bigger Keelboat." - Noah "Shark" Robertson
Dagger Throw with Advantage
25
20
"You're gonna need a bigger Keelboat." - Noah "Shark" Robertson
Bran noticing its Honeysuckle Mead, gets excited and he passes a bottle to each member at the table.
“I’ll take this one,” referring to the bottle he grabs before he sits back down.
D'ward approaches the end of the table and stares at the map as the candlelight flickers.
“Very well. I can tell you in all my years of traveling the seas, nothing has haunted me more than what I witnessed that night, nothing could have prepared me for it. The creature that destroyed my former ship, The Hunter… the creature that grabbed me… I can’t put it into words.” He stares into the water on the map. “I found myself face to face with a horrifying monstrosity that defies logic. I swear to you this is true.” He makes eye contact with the party and takes a more serious tone. “What I witnessed, as I fought for my life… It resembled a giant, man-eating shark. But not any shark you’re familiar with. Its lower half was a tangled mess of dark tendrils and tentacles. It felt like I was dreaming. This being, it was not from this world. It pulled me close and our eyes met. I could never fully articulate the horror I was face to face with. He was… inside my mind, I could feel him looking around.” D’ward grabs at his head with both hands, slowly running his hands down the back of his head, pulling down his hood. “I heard its voice, the voice of a sinister, greedy, evil entity. I can still hear it to this very day, it echoes in my mind. I can only describe it as a terrible grinding sound like massive rusty gears moving for the first time in centuries. Time seemed to have stopped. The creature spoke into my soul as he uttered the words, “Perish, worthless mortal, as I take what is mine.” He tossed me aside like I was nothing, as the words billowed in my head and everything went black. A few moments went by and suddenly it felt as though I was floating through a thick wall of mist. I thought I had died. These mists seemed to carry me through time and space for what felt like an eternity. When I woke up I had washed up on the shore of a small circular atoll, surrounding what appeared to be a deep underwater cavern. Remnants and pieces of the ship floating all around me, I used the last bit of strength in me to cling to some of the driftwood and I somehow made it back to shore. Every night I have nightmares of drowning and being eaten alive by bloodthirsty sharks. Every night I dream about my crew, my family, meeting their watery demise. Every night, I dream of the creature that pulled our ship into the depths of the ocean. This beast, he took everything from me and robbed me of my sanity… he robbed me of my peace. And now I believe the very creature I faced that night, threatens the land you stand on. The people of this realm have no idea what sinister fate awaits them.” D’ward makes eye contact with each member of the party.
“I vowed to discover the sinister nature of these events. Through my persistent investigations, I was able to follow clues and track down survivors with similar tales. This led me down a path that I never expected.” He seems to snap out of it, “I won’t go into extreme detail now, because time is of the essence, but I can tell you this. There are powers and forces at work in this world that are far beyond our understanding or comprehension. There are various realms and planes, hidden right under our noses. Some of these domains are controlled by Dark Powers that cannot be explained or reasoned with. One such place is known as the Land of the Mists. These strange mists are the same ones that beckon me I believe. The mists reach out to me, as if they are calling me to come with them. I have limited knowledge of what I speak of, but I am confident these strange mists are trying to communicate with me. Lately, I have received surreal visions of this horrible leviathan escaping its dark prison under the ocean and wreaking immeasurable havoc on these lands. These images in my mind, they are as vivid as reality. I have waited a long time for another sighting of this underwater cavern and the beast that dwells within…”
"You're gonna need a bigger Keelboat." - Noah "Shark" Robertson
D'ward lifts up a corner of the map and pulls from beneath it a piece of parchment and places it on the table for the party to see.
"You're gonna need a bigger Keelboat." - Noah "Shark" Robertson
"You're gonna need a bigger Keelboat." - Noah "Shark" Robertson
“This what you saw, D’Ward,” Bran focuses on the drawing. He remembered other marines telling stories about sea monsters that they or someone they knew “encountered.” A pirate harengon, Duncan McDougal, once told him a tale so dreadful he couldn’t look at pea soup ever again.
”Where did you go down?”
"We were a hundred or so miles out, West of the Sword Mountains near Whale Bones."
"You're gonna need a bigger Keelboat." - Noah "Shark" Robertson
“How far East of Ruathym? Do you recall the date and what time of night it was when the attack came?”
"I can't be certain... my memories are fragmented... stories have surfaced once again of a tentacled beast pulling passing ships into a dark, underwater abyss. I come to you now, to ask for your help investigating these strange occurrences and possibly laying this creature to rest. I believe the fate of these lands lies in our hands. As for transportation, if you’re worried about our vessel of choice, I assure you it will not be Ugly Beard’s leaky keelboat that we will be taking on this quest. I have access to a sailing ship that has been reinforced and upgraded for this excursion. I have spent my life savings on improving the ship’s defenses. I have appointed Ugly Beard as my first mate, he is a partner in this as well. Ugly Beard has helped to pay for the ship’s upgrades and is convinced there is a massive treasure at the bottom of this underwater cavern. Onboard we have powerful weapons that I believe will aid us in slaying the beast. I know it sounds intense, but it’s something I must do. It’s something I will do… with or without you.”
"You're gonna need a bigger Keelboat." - Noah "Shark" Robertson
"But I can tell you, it'd be a hell of a lot easier if we had the likes of you in our midst. Our current crew is... rough."
"You're gonna need a bigger Keelboat." - Noah "Shark" Robertson
”I’m in, let’s go vanquish this beast!”
Bran looks to Galingale, Constanza, and Rather and asks, “What say you three, are you in?”
Constanza finds the revelation quite disturbing and the fact of the sightings of giant, man-eating sharks with unnatural tendrils and tentacles has caused her mental distress. She has witnessed various types of aquatic or coastal monsters, but the aberration or monstrosity pictured in the piece of parchment is something that should not be underestimated.
"This creature probably has otherworldly origin, or it's the outcome of illegal use of dark magic or result of a mad scientist's experimentation. Look at the rear part of the creature, the overall size and the sharp teeth. What do you see? Are you ready to face this 'thing' without re-assesing its capability?"
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
Galingale shrugs. "Well, I'm happy to go where glory and treasure can be found. These old bones have life in them yet."
**By the Light of the Sun, you will burn!**
Previously BENEFICENCE
DM: Storm Lord's Wrath || Syr Valor Dayne: Sleeping Gods || tooltips | guides | dice |
Rather scratches his chin and squints at the creature, "It's pretty big and scary. If the cave is its hidey-hole then it's probably got a decent stash of ship cargo; gold, jewels, maybe even magical items. I wonder if anyone has ever stabbed it or seen it bleed. If it can't die proper then there might not even be use in fighting it. And if it is some kind of experiment does it have a master? And if it's from another place how did it get here? Hmmmmm."
"These tentacles and tendrils can be used for melee attack or constricting creatures. The creature can make bite attacks. But such kind of large creature will have difficulty with the movement speed. These are calculated assumptions based on my experience with other creatures."
Constanza examines the sketch and describes its physical characteristics without taking account of her surrounding. Then she sits down to inspect the facial expressions of her colleagues while drinking the lightly flavored mead with quick sips.
InkedBee (Undead_Analyst)
Covetous, Dragonish Thoughts - Jenviel Tsumara: Fallen Aasimar- Monk|Crimson Sands of Time - Navarra Iltazyara: Human- Druid/Warlock| Bleak Prospect - Ermasnietsz: Reborn- Clockwork Soul Sorcerer
“D’Ward, you said this isn’t just threatening the sea and ocean and Faerun, but all of Toril, yes?” Bran looks at D’Ward as he poses the question and then scans the room and speaks further, “Each one of us has starred death in the face and laughed as we told that grim son-of-a-*****, my turn! Each one of lost something or someone in the process... We are strong and don’t quit!”
“Now I’m not suggesting we go into the fight willy-nilly and blindsided, no. We will have to recon and research. This is gonna take time, that we probably don’t exactly have, but I’m willing to fight for this world even though she’s a thankless and cruel mistress sometimes that leaves you bloody.”
(Charisma) Persuasion: 20+1=21
“You amaze me everyday with your knowledge Constanza,” locking eyes with her briefly and feeling proud to call her a friend.
"You all make very good points, trust me. A beast such as this, we don't tread lightly. I appreciate your interest, even after my revelations."
"There are many stories of untold riches that lay at the bottom of this underwater cavern, only adding to the intrigue. If this is true, I can offer you at least 10,000 gold for your efforts. I’m confident that with this group, with this ship, and with my knowledge…" D'ward sorts of trails off, looking worried and pained.
He continues again after a moment of reflection. "Ugly Beard and I are off to the town of Lielon in the morning where my ship will be arriving with the appropriate improvements. I implore you to travel with us and at least have a look at the ship and the upgrades we have commissioned. I think it will shine a light on the situation and provide you with a better idea of what we are working with. Lielon is only a day's ride from here. I have spoken with Barthen over at Barthen's Provisions and they are willing to provide the members of this party riding horses for only 50gp each, a discount from the usual 75gp each. Ugly Beard and I will be fronting the money for your horses, we'll call it an investment."
"You're gonna need a bigger Keelboat." - Noah "Shark" Robertson
"You're gonna need a bigger Keelboat." - Noah "Shark" Robertson