More Dragons of Stormwreck Isle [IC][2024 rules][1]

"Considering you just took stuff from her nest Goldie, she wasn't all wrong you know. Not that I had any qualms about putting her down, her singing was kind of a nuisance, right Pev?" Valeria says with a grin as she checks out the corpse of the feathered hag. "Now, are we any closer to finding out why there are so many wrecks around here?" She calls out to the others with a hint of impatience in her tone.

Dev wanders over to the womanbird and gently prods it with a foot.  He bends down and plucks a feather from the body.  "Souvenir.  Ain't never seen a bird like this afore," he says.  "We should go'n bring that there chest up here.  Ain't wanting it to fall back down again."  The gnome heads back down the stairs to the lower level.  Once below deck he walks over to one of the containers there and uses his axe to prise it open. 

Athletics check if needed: 16

"Well, since you asked so nicely," Lothia responded to Val, stopping mid-drawing and studying of the fallen Harpy's form. "It turns out some lovesick puppy girl got desperate enough once things got rough to ask Orcus or some such to make sure she could meet her lover on the island. And judging by all the undead about, I can only guess this Orcus fella' is some divine or... somethin' else that's reeeaaaal big into undead." The goliath explained, then put away her own book to fish out the journal she found and waved it a bit without opening it. "At least according to this journal. But anyhow, we aughta be able to stop the deadies from rising again if we're able to get the keepsake inside the book to her lover. So, we best be get goin' as soon as the chest is seen to." 

At that, Lothia followed Dev down into the hole, happily humming a haunting melody very reminiscent to the song the Harpy sung. Once back down stairs she'd help if it appeared needed, but otherwise stood back to watch Dev work. 

Pev scratches his chin before moving to follow Lothia and Dev. “It’s strange, it reminded me of home for some reason, it was peaceful in its way. How odd a sound so familiar and serene can be produced by a monster like that.”

The young red-haired sorceress nods, and if allowed she would read the journal for herself to make sure she had understood what had been said. "Yes, well, I suppose we could try delivering the talisman to Aleitha's husband and hope it will lift the curse." She says with a nod as she closes the journal, ready to head back as soon as the others are.

"The things folk do for love," Dev says to Lothia as he searches the containers.  "Who's the hubby?"   He stops, considering the situation.  "Could always just taken it out to sea, findin' somewhere deep and droppin' it in."  He scratches his chin.  "Even destroying it.  That might be workin' to stop 'em, eh?"  He crumples his face up in disgust.  "Orcus?  Sounds a bit to close to them orcs and goblins to me.  Can't be nothing good coming from a name like that."

"What stuff from her nest?" Paddy barks in retort to Ellora, blushing a deep shade of bronze at the insinuation. "Ah, doesn't matter now any way, heh heh. She'll be sleepin' with the fishes now anyway, won't ye, Polly?" 

The former Zhent hauls the harpy over to one of the bulwarks and with an almighty heavy and grunt, tosses the corpse over the side. "Don't ye be worrying, Pev. Forget she ever existed."

As Dev mentions the chest, his eyes light up with a familiar acquisitiveness, recalling the treasure. He scurries after the group with surprising haste despite his long-standing limp. "Eh... orcas aren't divine, pumpkin. They're a type o' whale." He pats Lothia on the shoulder with condescending gentleness, as if his certainty was common knowledge and the goliath must be soft in the head. 

Religion: 8

Paddy and Val, you find the remains of a half-eaten rat and a couple of beautiful sea shells but nothing that looks particularly valuable. And neither of you has heard of the name Orcus before... 

Pev, you, on the other hand, might have seen the name before in books or heard it in tales...

Dev and Lothia, haul up the heavy chest to the main deck. Inside, you find a coin pouch with 54 gold pieces, some waterlogged, ruined clothes,  three turquoise stones (worth 10 gp each), as well as a pair of boots of elvenkind. 

"Well.  Look at that.  We got ourselves some real treasure, eh Paddy!" and Dev lifts up the pouch, and pours a couple of gold coins onto his hand.  He throws the clothing over the deck carelessly and lifts up the stones.  "Now these be real nice lookin'."  The boots he pulls out and places on the deck.  "Any you folks know what these be?  Them boots look special, somehow."

(everyone okay if we add the gold and stones to the party inventory, for now at least?  Whoever is the clankiest should get the boots!)

Pev religion: Nat 1! (+9 for nothing)

“Orcus. Orcusss. Orcus. No, I’m afraid never heard of them in my studies in the Gold Halls. Though there’s not an unpleasant turn to the sound of the word — perhaps some psychopomp, a spirit of mercy?”

The young red-haired sorceress grins to herself at the speculations over the name Orcus. While she did not recognize it she concluded it was someone powerful that could grant wishes, albeit in a quite gruesome way, Runara would surely know more. "A good find indeed, but unless there is more looting to be done I suggest we return and try to find out more about this husband so that we can lift the curse before there is another ship wrecked here." She says as she looks around at the others.

"Pbbt! Fer a spirit of mercy, they certainly got a funny way of showing it." Lothia said while trying (unsuccessfully) to fully hold back giggle fit. Thankfully with Val bringing focus back on to more pressing matters, the goliath is able to reign herself back in a bit and nod in agreement. "Hopefully he's got a decent pearl too. 'cause, I'm gonna need that and a day's rest if I'm gonna be any help sort'n out just how special Dev's boots are." She confessed, and then barring any objection would make her back to the boat eager to make sail!  

"Heh, heh. Ah to be sure, to be sure! A healthy bag o' swag, oi'd say, Dev." Paddy lights a cigar as he surveys the fruit of their labours, but soon finds himself grumbling under his breath when Lothia declares the swanky elven footgear as belonging to the gnome. He is mildly confused by Pev, trying to recall what a psychopomp might be, but doesn't bother interrogating for further explanation.

However, at Val's suggestion that there may yet be spoils to uncover, the new Captain of the Compass Rose scours any nearby containers for valuables. "Good thinking, Red!" He chuckles as he turns over crates and barrels and checks under loose decking. When he is satisfied that they have exhausted any possibility of uncovering intriguing trinkets - talismans or otherwise - he joins the remaining members of the party in boarding the boat that ferried them to the shipwreck.

Once aboard, he settles onto a bench and takes one set of oars and begins rowing toward Dragon's Rest. The gleaming dragonborn watches the sundered vessel recede behind them, humming the harpy's ethereal tune while interspersing the melody with some lewd lyrics from various sea shanties he has heard in various taverns around Waterdeep. "Not a bad day's work. Not bad at all!"

Investigation: 20