Session 0031 : Crossing the Sinking Lands

With preparations in Lankhmar finally complete, The Heretic made their final purchases and plans before embarking on the long journey to Mythan Belanore. Lilly spent her morning double-checking food stocks and cookware, ensuring the party would be fed well along the way. Meanwhile, Cathlynn made the rounds among the group, making sure sleeping arrangements were clear. It was decided: she and Lilly would share the two-person tent, Dorian would sleep under the cart, and Lev would sleep inside it.   They discussed three possible routes to Mythan Belanore. The first followed the King’s Road south through Elaysia, and east across the Sea of the East. The second led them all the way to Kokgnab and then by ship to Mythan Belanore. The third, and ultimately agreed-upon route, took them east through the Marsh Gate, across the Great Salt Marsh to Seabridge, through the treacherous Sinking Lands to Toller's Point, and finally south via the road known as Starfall.   The day of departure dawned bitterly cold—30 degrees below the seasonal norm. Daytime temperatures barely reached 32°F. Despite the chill, the day’s travel from Lankhmar to Seabridge passed without incident, until just a quarter mile from the city limits when the rear passenger wheel of their cart failed—its lynchpin snapping unexpectedly. Lev, ever resourceful, quickly repaired it with a casting of Mending.   As they entered Seabridge, The Heretic were surprised by the throngs of people bustling through the streets. Though the town boasted a permanent population of just 200, its strategic location at the western edge of the Sinking Lands made it a crucial trade hub.   Cathlynn secured directions to the nearest inn by buying bread from a teenage vendor. A few hundred yards away, overlooking the colorful sprawl of a makeshift flea market known as The Seepwalk, stood the inn: The Drifting Lantern.   While Dorian and Cathlynn retired early, Lilly and Lev explored The Seepwalk. Lilly had remembered a few essentials she had failed to purchase in Lankhmar—potatoes, rice, and carrots. As they browsed, dusk settled over Seabridge.   Later that night, at around 2 a.m., Cathlynn was awakened by the soft shuffle of footsteps outside her door. A piece of parchment slid under the door. Before she could open it, the footsteps retreated in a frantic sprint. The note read:   "Beware the breath of still waters. The book remembers its master, but not its jailer. The hummingbird sees the truth in triangular light. She who dwells between tide and thorn watches the land that drowns, then breathes again. Ask not what lies beneath—only who."   In the morning, over breakfast, Cathlynn shared the note with the others. Its cryptic tone sent chills through the group. Some phrases seemed clearly tied to their journey and Cathlynn's connection to the mysterious book she carried. Other parts were baffling. The Heretic agreed to proceed with caution.   When they arrived at the water's edge, the landbridge to Toller's Point was above water. A sign nearby indicated the bridge had been up for one hour. As they debated their next move, Lilly recognized someone tending a barge nearby: Gerry Underleaf, a Halfling who frequented her tavern back in Oakhaven. Though charming, Gerry was a known opportunist—more of a scoundrel than a thief.   Gerry offered them passage across the Sea of the East for 10 gold pieces. The alternative was to cross the Sinking Lands via the landbridge, risking being trapped on one of four floating islands if the land sank again. The party unanimously chose Gerry’s barge. Lilly negotiated to pay half up front.   As they waited the six hours for the landbridge to sink, Gerry made his case to Lilly regarding a broken tray of mugs, blaming a tavern worker named Farah. His attempt to pre-empt blame only confirmed his guilt in Lilly’s eyes.   Once underway, a heavy fog rolled in. While Dorian, Lilly, and Gerry remained unaffected, Cathlynn and Lev found their senses muddled. The book Cathlynn carried began to hum. Moments later, a hummingbird appeared, fluttering in an urgent triangular pattern before her. Lev recognized it as a Feywild creature—a strange sight so far from shore.   Cathlynn felt an intense emotional pressure to open the book. She resisted, with Lilly vehemently warning against it. Eventually, the hummingbird flew over to Gerry, danced briefly in front of him, and darted away into the mist. The others noted that hummingbirds never traveled this far out due to their high energy needs. Lilly grew suspicious, but Gerry dismissed it, claiming he "just liked hummingbirds."   Later, Gerry offered to let someone else captain the barge while he slept. Cathlynn took the helm, successfully guiding the vessel for two hours before Gerry resumed control and piloted them into Toller's Point.   When Lilly paid him only 4 gold pieces instead of the remaining 5, citing damages to the mugs he broke back in Oakhaven, Gerry protested. She ignored his bluster. Despite his grumbling, Gerry wished them well, reminding her that halflings look after their own. Just before they parted, he offhandedly warned, "Avoid Ilthmar if you can. They're having a plague!"   Curious about the claim, the party visited the local flea market. Lilly hunted for rare spices and haggled with a vendor named Sabrin, acquiring Sun Ant Husk, Stingroot Shavings, and Cinderpepper Dust. Impressed, Sabrin gave her a rare spice token.   Cathlynn sought materials for her apothecary. A vendor named Elarra offered unique herbs, then startled Cathlynn by asking if her sister Cuuthalion knew she was in town. Through a guarded but emotional exchange, Elarra revealed her past romantic connection with Cuuthalion, and handed Cathlynn a dagger carved from bone—the very one Cuuthalion once tried to use to take her life. She asked Cathlynn to tell her sister that she is always welcome home.   Later, Lev led them to a tent where a carver named Virellen displayed wood and resin icons. Lev admired a pendant but balked at the 300 gp price. Virellen joked he’d throw in his troublesome child for free. The humor landed poorly with Cathlynn, who, still reeling from the trauma of Karja Tal's missing children, stormed out. Lilly followed and offered a comforting bite of Swampcrest Tortlette, sitting silently beside her.   Virellen, sensing Lev’s interest in Titania, offered a statue made of green floral resin. Lev purchased it gladly.   Meanwhile, Dorian discovered a canvas-draped structure at the edge of the market bearing a sign: "If you have to ask, you don’t need it." Intrigued by the sarcasm, Dorian entered. Inside, the tent was an organized chaos of rarities and trophies, all curated by Brannick, a sharp-eyed merchant who immediately recognized a discerning customer.   Dorian haggled over the Bow of the Red Hunt, a beautifully crafted weapon that seemed to call to him. Though priced at 750 gp, Brannick agreed to a trade when Dorian offered two sets of manticore trophy teeth, relics from their battle beneath The Portal, and 150 gp in coin.   With their business in Toller's Point concluded and new treasures in hand, The Heretic readied themselves to continue along the Starfall Road. But the shadow of the mysterious note, the strange hummingbird, and the warning of plague in Ilthmar lingered in their minds.