Session 25: The High Seas Report

General Summary

The party makes their way back to Freeport, with very little of note happening along the way. The seas are fair and they run into no roving pirates. As they arrive in Freeport they bid farewell to their extra passenger and make their way to Aubreck and his butler Vertheg. They are quite pleased to see the party return in one piece with his cargo. After a quick exchange of pleasantries the group escorts Aubreck to Phoenix Financial to turn in the notes so they can get paid.   With the party now flushed with cash, they escort Aubreck back to his mansion so he can continue to rebuild his merchant house. The group then heads out and gets some shopping done, and refills on some needed items as well as the purchase of new armor for both Jorin and Ganbold, along with some spell scrolls for Diala to copy to her spellbook.   The party then spends the night resting on The Rancor before heading out to have a fancy breakfast in the Merchant District at a small restaurant called the Wise Wyrm. It was pricey, but they managed to get their hands on lobster. A very expensive delicacy only enjoyed by the high end of Freeport. After breakfast the party heads to the Freeport Pilot's Guild, here they inquire about a quest involving cultists on an abbey. They also hire a navigator who joins The Rancor that day.   The party learns that the Freeport Pilot's Guild wishes to build a lighthouse on the island as it is in an important shipping lane for the area. The guild is offering the group 2000 gp to clear out anything that might be on the island. Payment to be made once confirmation of the job is complete. They are directed to a man named Major Ursa. He is the Lighthouse Keeper on a nearby lighthouse. He informs the party their is only one entrance onto the island given the shear cliffs around the island. It's across a stretch of sand dunes known as the Skull Dunes. A minefield of skeletons buried in the sand, created by the Orcus worshippers to defend their island. They also learn that a large force of pirates managed to land, fight their way across the dunes and burn the abbey to the ground. Unfortunately they took such heavy losses their was hardly anyone left alive when the Guild caught up to them. With this info now in mind they take the three hour sail towards Abbey Isle itself.   Arriving they begin their push across the dunes. They quickly realize just how many skeletons are hear as they are completely swarmed. Easily fighting off the first wave they quickly return to The Rancor to grab missed supplies before pushing back onto the island. Hear they are swarmed once more by multiple swarms and a swarm that forms into a giant juggernaut. The group manages to fight them off and as they do so, they can't help but notice the air seams to feel just a bit cleaner and fresher.