THE VOYAGE SOUTH (month 3, day 19-month 4, day 5)

When caught, Rowyn cursed the Tropic Thunder vehemently, blaming them for her ruin and promising them all painful deaths.

Since her guild was dismantled, Rowyn has seethed with a need for revenge. When she learned the Tropic Thunder were preparing for a voyage, she knew she had to be on their ship. Fortunately for the bitter ex-guildmistress, her magic made stowing away a simple task.

Rowyn had been defeated by the Tropic Thunder once before - she had little desire to fight fair. So she came up with elaborate plans to assassinate them without making her presence known.

Her eventual fate is up to the Tropic Thunder. So far, they keep her as a prisoner, planning to deliver her to the authorities at Fort Greenrock.

For the next week or so, the ships became stranded near the coast due to opposing winds. The two ships met a couple of friendly ships making the trip to Sasserine during that time, and witnessed man-sized sharks circling their boats. During that time, Harmony had to join the ship's crew, since Lirith could no longer perform her duties. She and Graim are expecting a baby.

Once the wind was in their favor, the expedition set out again. For several miles, the ships passed several enormous spider webs which clung to the boughs of the great jungle trees. Huge black shapes lay within the webs. The expedition did not tarry exploring these webs.

As their journey continued, the expedition encountered more of the local aquatic fauna, such as a dire barracuda and a morkoth. Dire barracuda are very long, narrow-bodied fish flashing through the water, razor-sharp teeth snapping. Only the morkoth attacked the expedition, luring one of the passengers to its jaws. Thankfully, the Tropic Thunder chased it away before it fed on any more passengers.

Eventually, the expedition reached the area of ancient Tamoachan. Lavinia promised Urol Forol a chance to explore the ruins of the infamous Tamoachan ruins, and asked the Tropic Thunder to accompany him on his short side expedition.

Hungry Flotsam (month 4, days 13-16)

The ooze grabbed Alaric and pulled him overboard, when Harmony chased after them.

During the shipboard combat, one of the passengers used invisibility to take up a position where she could attack Cyq during the battle, using the chaos to escape back into hiding after a single strike.

Once slain the flotsam ooze floated, the driftwood and debris that once coated it slowly drifting away. Questioning the passengers after the combat revealed that all of them had actually witnessed the woman who attacked Cyq waiting patiently in the hold with them.

Eventually, the Tropic Thunder realized they have someone on board who's trying to do them in. After an argument with Lavinia, the passengers and crew of the Sea Wyvern were moved temporarily to the Blue Nixie, while Zan, from the Jade Ravens joined the heroes on the Sea Wyvern. There's only a certain number of places a stowaawy can hide on board, so once the tropic Thunder started searching with Zan's help, they found one soon enough.

It is none other than Rowyn Kellani, once the guildmistress of the largest thieves' guild in Sasserine - at least, until the Tropic Thunder defeated her Lotus Dragons and forced her to abandon her wealth and flee for her life.

Father Feres' Illness (month 4, days 6-13)

When the Tropic Thunder visited Fort Blackwell, Father Feres spent his nights at the shrine of Heironeous.

The last day the expedition spent at the Fort, Father Feres fell desperately ill. His skin flushed, he couldn't keep down food or water, and he grew delirious, moaning and complaining that the world's grown too bright and soft around the edges. A trip to the local shrine of Pelor and its priest located a strange pulsing growth within Father Feres' belly. Harmony attempted to remove and destroy it, but Father Feres did not survive the procedure.

The expedition set out again the following day, and that night the Sea Wyvern was attacked by a gang of foul creatures that appeared more or less humanoid, but had mottled, decaying flesh drawn tight across clearly visible bones. They were mostly hairless and had a carnivore's sharp teeth. Their eyes burned like hot coals in their sunken sockets. The Tropic Thunder, along with the ship's crew, had no trouble disposing of these creatures.

The next few days of travel were quiet, with the passengers of the ships viewing large sharks following them for some time, and other friendly vessels skimming the coast. During this time Harmony tried to learn more of their fellow passengers, hoping to determine who is trying to sabotage the expedition. Her conversations with Amella revealed a woman who makes few attachments and has a poor opinion of gnomes. Harmony's attempts at speaking to Skald left her with the impression that the elf had alternative motives in joining the expedition. While they were conversing, Graim went through his things, but the only thing he found out was that Skald had been in the Styes recently, a foul waterfront far to the northeast.

As the Tropic Thunder neared the mouth of the Havekihu River, the expedition had its first real encounter with poor weather. The ships anchored near the river and took half a day to refill water stores on board from the river's waters (as they will do upon reaching the next three rivers along their route). Near the evening, less than a half hour after the expedition got under way again, a thick fog sprang up. Graim and Urol confirmed that fog banks like this often occur along the coast in this region, but the thickness was nevertheless oppressive. Passengers headed below deck, and the crew grew silent as all ears strained to the starboard side, marking the distant sound of breakers on the shore as the only trustworthy method of ensuring the expedition wouldn't draw draw too close to the shallows while still staying parallel to the coast. The fog grew thicker, and soon even the Blue Nixie, only a few hundred feet ahead, was lost to vision.

At this point, the voice of one of Lavinia's crew called out from the fog to the Sea Wyvern to announce that she ordered the ships to anchor for the night until the fog burns off in the morning. The voice was curiously muted by the fog, but nonetheless easily understood. The Tropic Thunder anchored the Sea Wyvern as well, and prepared themselves for a long night.

Of course, the fog is far from uninhabited. At some point in the night, the entire ship lurched as if striking a reef. In fact, the ship has been attacked by a dangerous aquatic predator called a flotsam ooze. This ooze is an enormous glob of transparent protoplasm that exudes a powerful adhesive that causes driftwood, animal carcasses, ship fragments, rocks, and other objects to cling to its surface.

The ooze itself is fifteen feet in diameter, and the lurching sensation was caused not by the Sea Wyvern hitting bottom, but by the ooze attaching itself to the hull as it prepared to slither up to search for prey.

The flotsam ooze's weight caused the ship to list slightly to the port. Attached to the hull just left of the stairs leading up to the bow, anyone who leans over the rail on the port side can see what appears to be a huge pile of flotsam clinging to the hull. The ooze attacks any target that comes within ten feet of the bottom of the stairs along the port side of the ship.

Fort Blackwell (month 4, days 1-5)

During their stay at Fort Blackwell, Cyq was having food-related troubles. He got food poisoning in one of the Fort's taverns, and the next day his food was also poisoned. Skald brought him food that day, but when the rest of the Tropic Thunder went to confront him he denied that he did so. The Tropic Thunder sent him to Lavinia's ship for a few days until they figure this out. Someone is clearly trying to kill Cyq, but thankfully Father Feres had a potion of lesser restoration with him to give him some respite. The next day, Graim and Alaric wnt to bring Cyq his food, while Harmony guarded Cyq. When Graim came back without Alaric, Harmony became suspicious and asked him about their password. Then "Graim" "hummed" a spell in her ear and she left the room to go look for Alaric. "Graim" then gave Cyq his food and left the room. Soon enough Harmony found the real Graim and Alaric, and realized that she was under an enchantment and that they left Cyq alone with the person who's trying to kill him. Thankfully, Cyq was unharmed and had not touched his food yet. The Tropic Thunder started getting paranoid and enlisted the help of Kaskus and Fhauvial, from the Jade Ravens, to guard who comes and goes from the Sea Wyvern.

The nest day Cyq was healthy enough to travel and the Tropic Thunder went looking for the abandoned sea cave that was rumored to house the redcaps. They found it and defeated them.

LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVES (month 3, day 20-month 4, day 1)

Before the Tropic Thunder set out on their voyage, Alaric and Cyq joined the Dawn Council's and the Witchwarden's interrogation of Drevoraz. Drevoraz was very forthcoming with information about the Crimson Fleet and the Admiral, but he refused to answer any questions about his captain, Harliss Javell. Drevoraz had met the Admiral once. He described him as a barrel-chested man with ruddy skin and demonic features. He is vain, handsome, cruel, and confident.

What is known about Captain Javell is that she made her first appearance as a pirate 7 years ago, earning her the nickname "The Kid Pirate". She was then seen piloting the Slippery Eel (a vessel known to belong to the Crimson Fleet for decades, and also the name of the vessel that Captain Javell said she was on while at Kraken's Cove). The Slippery Eeel entered the waters surrounding Fort Fendawor without flying a pirate flag. When it got close enough to one of ships operated by Sasserine militia, it was recognized for what it was and chased. After the Slippery Eel had lured the Sasserine vessel far enough from the Fort so that other vessels could not assist it, the pirate crew boarded the Sasserine ship and sank it. Nothing was heard or seen from the Kid Pirate for the next 3 years, although the Dawn Council and the militia attribute a number of lost ships to her or other members of the Crimson Fleet. 4 years ago though, the Kid Pirate returned with a vengeance. The frequency of her strikes, along with her methods have made her the single most wanted Crimson Fleet pirate in both Sasserine and the Scarlet Brotherhood. The Kid Pirate no longer sinks ships, but instead lets non-combatants (an even combatants sometimes) go with their ships to spread her name and the fear it instills.

Drevoraz does not know the current whereabouts of his captain, or who she was planning to sell that black pearl to. He joined the crew of the Slippery Eel 6 years ago, and he claims that at that point they were independent of the Crimson Fleet. In fact, they looted and sank enough Crimson Fleet vessels that the Admiral himself came after them 4 years ago. Drevoraz does not give details of the battle, but it was brutally short and did not end in their favor. The only reason they are still alive is for Harliss' skill as a captain, and the fact that she had a weakness the Admiral could exploit: she had her younger sister, Alukain, on board.The Admiral took Alukain as a hostage, and since then Harliss has been buying her time with the money they make for the Crimson Fleet. Harliss and Alukain were inseparable, and Harliss will do anything to keep her sister safe.

Once the Tropic Thunder met the crew and passengers, were comfortable with the Sea Wyvern's cargo and armament, and said any goodbyes to friends they may be leaving behind in Sasserine, the journey began. The two ships set out from the harbor at dawn, and within the hour left the familiar skyline of Sasserine behind.

The map of the voyage shows the route Lavinia charted for the two ships.

The voyage ahead will last, at the minimum, three months - the Tropic Thunder will have plenty of down time to relax,

At times during this voyage, the Tropic Thunder's ship may be attacked by enemies. Stormwrack has extensive rules for naval combat, but for those not familiar with this book, the following quick rules should suffice.

A ship effectively has three areas an enemy can target: the rigging, the hull, and the ship itself. A ship has a number of "sections" in its rigging and hull, each with its own hit points. A hit against a ship damages a randomly determined section of the ship. It's possible to target a specific section of the ship, but specific sections have higher AC than the ship as a whole. Destroying a section of the ship's rigging reduces its speed by 10 feet. Destroying a section of the ship's hull reduces its speed by 10 feet and holes the ship. Each time a ship is holed, its captain must make a Profession (sailor) check to avoid sinking (DC 15+4 for each hole after the first). On a successful check, the ship does not sink but the captain must make a new sinking check each hour until the holed section is repaired up to at least 1 hit point or the ship sinks.

A ship takes a couple of hours to sink once this check is failed, unless the ship has lost 25% or more of its hull sections, in which case it only takes a few minutes to sink.

To repair a damaged section requires a Craft (carpentry) check and 1 minute of work. For every point by which this check exceeds DC 19, 1 hit point is restored. A section that has been destroyed completely can be repaired with a DC 20 Craft check and one day of work. Each day of repair work (successful or not) consumes one ton of repair supplies.

The Sea Wyvern is a caravel-class sailing ship. Full statistics for caravels appear on page 99 of Stormwrack, but the following information should be enough for those not familiar with that book.

Seaworthiness: Any Profession (sailor) checks made to avoid foundering, sinking, and other hazards that large, well-built vessels avoid more easily than smaller ones receives a +4 bonus.

Shiphandling: Any Profession (sailor) checks made to avoid collisions, sailing, or other situations that small, swift vessels avoid more easily than large and clumsy ones receive a +2 bonus.

Speed: The Sea Wyvern has a speed of 30 feet in normal wind, allowing it to travel at a rate of 3 miles per hour. In moderate wind, her speed increases to 60 feet, while in strong winds it increases to 90 feet. The Sea Wyvern can change its speed up to 10 feet per round and turn up to 45 degrees after moving at least 60 feet in one direction.

Combat: The Sea Wyvern overall AC is -3. It has 24 hull sections (AC 3, hardness 5, hp 80) and 3 rigging sections (AC 1, hardness 0, hp 80). If six hull sections are destroyed, the ship sinks automatically. If the ship rams a target, it inflicts 4d6 points of damage per 10 feet of speed.

Although there are two ships on the expedition, they stay in sight of one another.

The Blue Nixie's crew and passengers include Lavinia Vanderboren, the Jade Ravens (a second group of adventurers that serve the Vanderborens - the Tropic Thunder interacted with those adventurers in the Vanderboren Manor), and several other colonists.

Lavinia has chosen the best time of year to travel - the weather, for much of the journey, is quite pleasant.

When the expedition set out, Graim and the navigator of the Blue Nixie plotted a course. This determined if they will arrive on target.

Of greater import are the daily piloting checks to stay on the intended course.

So far, and while the Amedio coastline is in sight, Urol Forol on the Sea Wyvern and the Blue Nixie's navigator had to assist Graim once to pilot the expedition.

The Sea Wyvern's crew must consist of at least seven people. One crew member must have ranks in Profession (sailor), and one must have ranks in Knowledge (geography). The selection of who's on the crew was up to the Tropic Thunder; Graim, Amella Venkalie, Skald, Urol Forol, and Lirith Veldirose were excellent choices.  Tavey Nesk is the ship's cabin boy, but he's not technically part of the chip's crew. Crewmembers sleep in the bunks at the ship's stern (each of the bunks is two bunks high). The seventh crew member is the captain, Cyq, who sleeps in the captain's cabin on the main deck at the stern, and is likely the only person on board who gets a room to himself. Tavey often chooses to sleep on deck, even in the crow's nest at times.

Anyone not a member of the crew is a passenger. The forward barracks on the ship's lower deck contain five relatively cramped bunks, three beds high. After the crew of 7, most of the remaining 17 passengers all sleep here. Some of them have to sleep elsewhere (on deck above on nice nights, or even slumped in a chair in the galley). Passengers other than the Tropic Thunder are non-combatants, and whenever the ship is under attack, they quickly flee below decks for safety. Passengers are unarmed, except Avner Meravanchi and Father Feres.

One person consumes a unit of provisions each day. With 24 people and a horse on board, that means that each day that passes, 25 units of food are consumed. The 10 tons of food Lavinia loaded onto the Sea Wyvern at the start of the voyage consists of 2,000 units - enough for an 80-day voyage. This is just barely enough to reach the Isle of Dread; Lavinia intends on restocking food at friendly ports during the voyage.

If food runs low, the Tropic Thunder can put their crew and passengers on rations, in which case a person consumes only half a unit per day (reducing consumption to 12 units per day).

Avner Meravanchi wasted no time establishing himself as a troublemaker. He arrived a half hour late but didn't apologize. With him were his two servants and his magnificent steed Thunderstrike. The horse is, if anything, as spoiled as Avner, and getting it secured in the jury-rigged pen that was set up for it in the Sea Wyvern took another half an hour. During this time, Avner discovered that he was expected to sleep with the other "commoners" in the forward barracks, and demanded his own accommodations.

Amella had little patience for him, and she made it clear that Avner could sleep with the rest of the passengers or he could stay in Sasserine. Father Feres did his best to try to soothe Avner and play the part of a priest, but a few choice words from Avner about Feres' ear hair and baldness sent the priest into a private sulk for a few days. Skald avoided the confrontation by busying himself at the far end of the ship, while Urol took up an almost obnoxious interest at the horse' pedigree. Lirith offered to share her bunk with him. This event was the first of many during which Urol evoked Amella's anger, despite his best efforts to win her friendship.

In the end, it was up to the Tropic Thunder how to handle the situation. Although Avner did not deny Lirith's invitation, and Cyq offered to throw another bunk in the captain's quarters for him, Avner was left bitter and cantankerous.

The expedition encounter baleen whales a couple of times during their voyage, and they even tried their hand at whaling, although without success.

Once the voyage was underway, Lavinia sent a message via a rowboat piloted by her crew - she wanted to invite the Tropic Thunder, their crew, and Avner Meravanchi over to the Blue Nixie for dinner to celebrate the start of the expedition that evening.

As dusk fell, the two ships closed and a line was thrown between the two, a pulley was attached, and a net seat was hoisted, allowing for safe crossing between the two ships. Lavinia looked very fine that evening, dressed in a silk shirt, jewelry, and dress. She lead her guests into the ship's galley; the Blue Nixie is a bit bigger than the Sea Wyvern, and even after only a couple days, the Tropic Thunder felt relieved to get a bit more elbow room. A fine spread was laid out on the table, including grouse, peacock, and elven wine imported from Celene.

Cyq took advantage of the pleasant surroundings of the cabin to make an impression on Lavinia. This moment also began a romance between Graim and Lirith. At the end of the evening a final drink was taken on deck after the evening sun had sank but the air was still pleasantly warm outside. As the sun set, it was finally time to return to the Sea Wyvern.

During the dinner, someone cut nearly all the way through the rope supporting the net chair and pulley between the ships. Graim was the first character to cross back to the Sea Wyvern via the net chair. As he was halfway across, the rope suddenly snapped and dropped him into the water below. The fall dealt no damage to Graim and he immediately began to swim.

Right after this occured, what looked like a cranky miniature fish-person appeared in the evening air. It was covered in scales and viewed the world through black, bulbous eyes.

The fish person was particularly angry, and immediately attacked the closest Tropic Thunder and passengers with its breath weapon. When it got injured it dove into the sea. The fish person regenerated its wounds in the water, and it emerged again to continue harassing the Tropic Thunder. It followed up with a magical arrow of acid before it was killed by the heroes. During combat, Avner disappeared, while Lirith was showing off. After the battle, Harmony found a sizeable glass jar of briny liquid with its lid open on the deck, hidden inside a coil of rope near the mast.

Forts are common sights along the Amedio coast. The majority of these forts are held by the Scarlet Brotherhood (a sprawling organization of sinister monks and assassins), and are used as staging points for expeditions into the jungle interior. The expedition passed one such fort during their journey, which Lavinia avoided and took the ships further out to sea as she passed them by to avoid any possible conflict. Two forts are not held by the Scarlet Brotherhood - Fort Blackwell and Fort Greenrock.

Fort Blackwell is a small settlement of approximately 2,000 located near the northernmost tip of the peninsula known to sailors as "The Hook". One of the few coastal Amedio forts not controlled by the Scarlet Brotherhood (its distance form the Amedio interior makes it not worth the effort for the Brotherhood to control), Fort Blackwell remains an independently governed small town perched on the edge of civilization.

Fort Blackwell is a cozy town with a tiny harbor protected by an immense gate hung between two squat towers. Before any ship is allowed within the harbor, a troop of Blackwell guards must be allowed to search the ship and interview its captain. Fortunately, years of relative peace and being ignored by both the Scarlet Brotherhood and the Crimson Fleet (who maintain larger ports of call in various forts elsewhere along the coast - forts wisely avoided by the expedition) have made them rather lackadaisical in their searches, and since the Tropic Thunder didn't do anything outwardly suspicious, the guards allow their expedition entrance into the harbor after a mere 15-minute inspection.

Although Lavinia intended to stay only one night in Fort Blackwell, she deferred to the Tropic Thunder if they wished to stay longer. She pointed out to the heroes that it will probably be seven weeks before they reach Fort Greenrock, the next friendly location where they'll be able to resupply, so she encouraged them to get all their shopping done here if they can.

Fort Blackwell features numerous small and cozy inns and taverns, all of which serve a delicious local malt blend of whiskey called the Green Man (10 gp per bottle). Food and supplies were readily purchased from one of four large provisioners who keep who keep warehouses on the waterfront. Several small shrines, including ones dedicated to Heironeous, Kord, Pelor, St. Cuthbert, and the gods of the sea (Procan, Osprem, and Xerbo), were found here as well.

Yet there are hidden dangers in Fort Blackwell. Rumors say that the Scarlet Brotherhood has several spies in town to keep an eye on things. Rumors also hold that a hidden sea cave just north of town once used by smugglers has become the lair of a family of sinister fey known as redcaps led by a foul-mouthed father named Kaboutermannekin who sometimes sneak into the fort to cause problems.

The Tropic Thunder asked Lavinia to stay in town longer in order to explore the rumors surrounding the sea cave.

A MODEST PROPOSAL (month 1, day 12-month 3, day 19)

After the basement battle Graim went upstairs to check on Tolin and the prisoners. When he told Tolin that Liamae was dead, he insisted on joining the Tropic Thunder to find Kaskus. He took Graim to the hidden armory first, in order to find healing potions.

The walls of this stone-floored room were lined with weapon and armor racks, many of which were empty. Still remaining on the shelves were a silvery bastard sword, a light crossbow, a glowing dagger, a suit of studded leather armor, a light steel shield, and a small wooden coffer. The wooden coffer lay on its side, the lid open and its contents (several vials and a pair of boots) strewn on the floor. Slumped on the ground nearby was what appeared to be a recently slain dwarf.

This hidden armory is where the Vanderborens keep several spare weapons, stored here in case of an emergency. Unfortunately, neither the Jade Ravens nor Lavinia were able to reach this room in time for its contents to make a difference during the bullywug attack.

The dwarf druid Kaskus Kiel managed to hide in this room after the other Jade Ravens were captured. Unfortunately, the wounded druid didn't know about the trap that once warded the coffer of healing potions, and in his frenzied attempt to get to the contents he triggered the trap and was nearly slain. As fortune would have it, the dwarf stabilized naturally. Graim and Tolin healed him, and he frantically recounted the battle for the manor (including a tearful account of the death of his animal companion Brunthus at the hand of that damned half-orc).

The weapons and armor in this room were of masterwork quality. Four of the potions that were once in the coffer were smashed, but four healing potions survived intact.

While waiting for Graim, the rest of the Tropic Thunder finished exploring the last door leading off the basement. This chamber contained several twisting pipes and a large water container.

The mansion's water supply is stored here, and can be pumped up from the container into the kitchen above as needed.

Meanwhile, Lavinia and Zan seeked help for the Tropic Thunder. Without concrete proof that bullywugs had invaded Sasserine, the city watch had little time or resources to aid them in their task. With the Wormfall Festival in full swing, they had their hands full keeping things in relative order as it was. Fortunately for them, they happened upon Alaric, a crusader of Pelor, who was willing to lend a hand.

After the Tropic Thunder had found all surviving members of the Jade Ravens, they had little desire to flush out the rest of the bullywugs, and decided to wait for the city watch. The watch took the prisoners off their hands (although Alaric, a junior member of the Dawn Council, and Cyq, with his new status as an Initiate of the Witchwardens, were allowed access to them), and subsequently cleared the manor of the remaining bullywugs. Bua Gorg was eventually executed, while Drevoraz escaped the noose due to his willingness to provide the Council with information on the Crimson Fleet.

After things returned to normal, the adventurers learned of the assassins who attacked them during the Wormfall festival. Angered at the shame the Tropic Thunder brought upon her daughter Rowyn, and furious at the loss of income generated by the Lotus Dragons Thieves' Guild, aging noblewoman Heldrath Kellani had hired a group of specialized murderers and killers to strike a blow of vengeance against the heroes. They were led by a dangerous woman named Diamondback.

Diamond is a deadly performer, late of the Talventa Academy before she decided there was more money in murder-for-hire.

The captured rogues and Diamondback readily gave up the identity of their employers when interrogated. Legal action against the Kellanis was unfortunately a bureaucratic nightmare, but this assault combined with evidence the Tropic Thunder uncovered in the Lotus Dragons Guildhall two months ago went a long way toward stripping the Kellanis of their noble status.

At the end of these events, the Tropic Thunder are no closer to finding Vanthus, yet they had made an important discovery - although they did not realize it. The black pearl that was the apparent cause of the madness which gripped Kraken's Cove could have been one of the greatest threats Sasseirne had ever faced, were it to activate within its walls.

For now, however, the Tropic Thunder had earned a break. Further impressed with their ability to act under pressure, Lavinia rewarded the heroes not only with monetary wealth (using the monies she had gained from the various guilds and nobles who had finally paid back the debts owed her family she granted each adventurer a reward of 100 pp) but increased their monthly stipend from 100 gp to 200 gp.

The Tropic Thunder enjoyed their time off. They used this time to shop for new gear. Vanthus never returned to Sasserine, and as the months went on, Lavinia's need to see her brother face his crimes went from a burning obsession to a quiet brooding anger.

In Kraken's Cove, the remaining savage creatures quickly died off as their violent nature sent them into constant battles with the dangerous creatures of the region. By the time the Sasserine militia reached the cove, they were gone, and all that remained of their passing was an empty seacave littered with well-gnawed bones. Stories the Tropic Thunder spread quickly become part of the region's rumor-haunting tradition.

By the time the itch for adventure strikes the Tropic Thunder again, Lavinia was ready for them. She had finished reading through the strange notebook recovered form the family vaults a month ago, and reported that they were, in fact, penned by her own mother during a trip to a place called the Isle of Dread. Further, it would seem that one of her parents' last accomplishments before their untimely deaths was to establish a colony on a relatively safe islet near the Isle of Dread. According to the notes, her parents planned on returning to this colony, called Farshore, with supplies and additional colonists, but their deaths put an end to that plan. With the heroes' aid, Lavinia hopes to travel to Farshore, resupply the colonists, and nurture the settlement into a living monument for her parents. The trip, she warned them, will be anything but short and safe, but the prospects for adventure and wealth should overweight any fears the adventurers may have. All she needed was another ship to aid in the voyage. Perhaps one of the pirate vessels that survived the fire in Kraken's Cove might fit the bill?

As mentioned above, after the harrowing events two months ago, the Tropic Thunder had a chance to relax. When they were ready to start adventuring, they received a message form their patron, Lavinia Vanderboren, inviting them to a meeting at her manor house.

The atmosphere of Vanderboren Manor gave the place a busy, vibrant feel. Not only had Lavinia retained several workers to repair the damage done to the manor after the bullywug attack two months ago, but as her fortunes slowly recovered, she had hired a new staff of servants to tend to the manor's needs. Having finished a funeral service for her last major-domo Kora Whistlegap and her beloved Harold (who died two months ago) and washed her hands of capturing her scoundrel brother Vanthus (who had fled to parts unknown), Lavinia was eager to turn to the future. And for Lavinia, that future encompassed a long sea voyage.

When the Tropic Thunder arrived, they found Lavinia in the main dining room, pawing over a number of nautical maps, sea charts, and a large journal Graim recognized as the one they recovered from the family vault three months ago. When the heroes made their presence known, she smiled and invited them to sit at the table.

"Do you recall this journal we recovered from my family vault? It turns out that it was my mother's. My parents, may the gods rest their souls, were brave - foolish and rash some would say, but I have never been one to criticize an adventurous spirit - On the contrary -" she cast a wry smile at them all. "I admire it. In any event, it would seem that about four years ago, my mother and father undertook a risky endeavor. They sailed the Blue Nixie, along with a ship full of colonists, down south across the Vohoun Ocean to a place they refer to as the Isle of Dread."

"You may have heard of this place - if you haven't, it seems apparent from reading my mother's journals that the place is aptly named. A jungle-covered hell infested with immense reptilian monsters, feral savages, and peril at every turn. Yet the southern peninsula remains relatively sheltered from the menaces on the isle mainland, and it was here, among the villages of several friendly locals, that my parents founded the colony of Farshore."

The Isle of Dread represents an untapped trove of resources - exotic lumber, spices, animals, foods, and even minerals like silver and gold. Once Farshore was up and running, the influx of trade would have guaranteed my family a relatively uncontested flow of wealth. Yet before mother and father were able to return to Farshore with supplies and more colonists...my brother made his move and left me in the state you found me a few short months ago."

Lavinia indicated her mother's journal. "Since we recovered this journal, I have not been idle. If Farshore fails, then my parents' last legacy fails. I intend to carry on their work, and have planned for a journey south to the Isle of Dread to resupply and join the colonists at Farshore for the rest of the year. I have the Blue Nixie readying in the harbor to take fresh supplies to the colony, but I find myself a vessel short." Lavinia's face broke into a glowing grin as she continued, "You wouldn't know of anyone with stout hearts who might be interested in helping me mount this expedition, do you? I fear the journey itself might grow dangerous at times, and there's no way of knowing what state or condition Farshore is currently in, but I suspect that danger is a vice you have."

Lavinia plans on taking her family ship, the Blue Nixie, to Farshore, and was already in the process of hiring a crew, outfitting it with supplies for the voyage, and recruiting additional colonists. Yet the amount of supplies she calculated Farshore needs greatly exceeded the amount she can haul with a single ship - she needed another sizeable vessel to accompany the Nixie south. Fortunately, the Tropic Thunder knew of a perfect candidate - the Sea Wyvern. This former pirate ship was moored at Kraken's Cove two months ago, and while the Dawn Council claimed it for Sasserine, they are willing to hand it over to the heroes for the purpose of nurturing the distant colony.

The Tropic Thunder agreed to Lavinia's request, and she saw no reason to wait. She'd like to leave for Farshore as soon as possible. The Blue Nixie can be ready to go in a day - all that needs to be done is for the heroes to make the Sea Wyvern ready as well.

In addition, Alaric was charged with passing Dawn Council correspondence to Fort Greenrock, one of the few friendly ports of call along the Amedio Coast. Him and Cyq were also advised to seek the representatives of the Dawn Council and the Witchwardens, respectively, that had escorted the Vanderborens on their first trip to Farshore.

The Tropic Thunder were ill-prepared to manage the logistics of a long sea journey. It took a week to prepare for the voyage.

They also needed to consult Amella Venkalie or run the risk of forgetting something critical.

Using her mother's journal and extensive charts, Lavinia had already plotted her course out for the expedition. She intends to hug the coast of the Amedio Jungle until she reaches the far side of the peninsula, at which point she plans to sail more or less directly south from there to the Isle of Dread. The voyage itself covers just over 3,000 miles. Including stops to resupply here and there, and assuming fair weather and minimal mishaps along the way, Lavinia estimates that the entire journey should take not much more than three months.

Lavinia needed a second ship to make the voyage; she can't carry all of the colonies and supplies on the Blue Nixie alone. She was looking for another caravel-class ship, but with her expenses tied up elsewhere, she couldn't afford the cost of hiring one (let alone purchasing one for 10,000 gp). The easiest solution to this dilemma was the Sea Wyvern, a perfectly-sized ship that escaped the inferno at Kraken's Cove two months ago. The Sea Wyvern remained moored at the cove, safe and sound, until Sasserine militia went to investigate the cove after the heroes' report of the events there.

The Sea Wyvern requires a crew of at lest seven to sail, and can comfortably accomodate up to 30 people on a long voyage (although there's bunk space for 22, an additional 8 can sleep on mats in the galley or the forward hold, if needed). A total of 25 passengers (including the Tropic Thunder, the crew, and colonists) set out on the voyage.

In order to make the voyage to the Isle of Dread, the Sea Wyvern needs a captain and a navigator. Cyq took the role of captain for the voyage, and Grain the role of navigator. Fortunately, Lavinia had already secured a crew and taken on passengers for the voyage.

The Sea Wyvern's hold, storage lockers, and other areas must carry at least 60 tons of supplies for Farshore, leaving an additional 60 tons of space for supplies. Ten tons of this space were consumed by repair supplies for the ship itself. A further ten tons of food, water, and other miscellaneous supplies for the crew and passengers leaves 40 tons of space for the Tropic Thunder to play with. If they don't have any other particular requests, Lavinia suggested using any remaining space to load up on additional supplies for the colony.

The Sea Wyvern was not outfitted with any siege weapons. The Tropic Thunder wished to add a ballista to the caravel. The Sea Wyvern can accommodate up to two ballistae or one light catapult.

Amella Venkalie serves as first mate, crew member, and advisor for the journey. A slight but powerful woman with fine blonde hair tied neatly back from her forehead, Amella dresses to fight and sail rather than to please the eye. A thin scar graces her right cheek. Amella is rather foul-mouthed, fond of uttering oaths only heard in the worst dockside taverns. Confident, haughty, and astute, she does not suffer fools gladly.

Father Feres is a clergyman of Heironeous that joined the expedition to Farshore.

Avner Meravanchi, the spoiled son of nobility, represents the primary investor for the voyage south. He is charming, helpful, and brave. Despite the slow recovery of her wealth, Lavinia couldn't quite finance her expedition to Farshore on her own. She spoke with the other noble families of Sasserine, but only one felt the profits for aiding her outweighed the dangers - the semi-notorious Meravanchis. Avner carries with him a vastly inflated sense of self-import. Travelling with Avner are two meek servants (Banaby Chisk and Quenge Asper) who defer to his every need but are otherwise unobtrusive.

Skald is a wispy and beautiful elf, with pale skin, pointed ears and almond-shaped but unsettling eyes. Due to his appearance he draws attention wherever he goes, but he has a morose and unfriendly attitude and the tendency to jump at shadows. Skald's gift for navigation and his eagerness to join the expedition (he asked only for room and board for the voyage) were the primary reasons Lavinia invited him along.

Urol Forol is a gnome naturalist who's studied the Isle of Dread extensively, and he also wants to stop at the legendary ruined city of Tamoachan during the voyage. Urol is a bent old gnome who constantly squints when he looks. He carries the odor of the land about with him, an odor that most find not too pleasant. He is talkative and chipper except when the subject of the natural world comes up, whereupon he flies into a frenzy of excited stuttering bliss, expounding upon obscure and often strangely fascinating (to him, at least) bits of lore. Urol has actually been to the Isle of Dread before, although his stay, in his words, was, "Unfortunately short - due to events beyond my control, I might add! We've certainly nothing to fear this time around!" He demanded to be part of Lavinia's expedition when he learned about it, and indeed his knowledge of the Isle could greatly help the colonists of Farshore. Urol has a strange fascination with poisonous creatures.

Lirith Veldirose is a member of the crew. A red-haired tomboy who often wears flamboyant scarves and silks, Lirith has been a sailor for the past year. Lirith intends to work hard while she can, then retire early to some fabulous island. Above all, Lirith loves to show off, and her eyes are drawn to precious things.

Tavey Nesk is a young and excited lad, and he is the Sea Wyvern's cabin boy.

Basement (month 1, day 12)

After they rescued Lavinia, Tolin and Zan, the Tropic Thunder tied up Drevoraz and Bua-Gorg, and healed Tolin and Zan. They then asked Tolin to guard the prisoners, while Lavinia and Zan would go seek help, and the heroes would look for Liamae and Kaskus.

On their way to he basement, the Tropic Thunder heard croaking from the trophy hall. Graim went through a few other rooms in his effort to surround their enemies.

Row upon row of bookshelves filled to bursting with tomes on all manner of subjects lined the first room. A hearth sat against one of the walls, embers glowing softly within. A reading table sat near the fireplace.

An old musty diary written in a strange archaic language rested on the reading table. The diary's current page was marked with a strange card of flexible gray material with holes and bumps along its surface.

The next room was a dismal excuse for a gallery that obviously once held dozens of works, but now most of the frames stood empty, save a few exotic landscapes and a portrait of Lavinia's parents.

The contents of this room suffered recently, as Lavinia was forced to sell most of the paintings herein to collectors and merchants to pay off the most critical of her inherited debts.

The exhibit hall displayed many hunting trophies, all well-preserved by taxidermy. Great saber-toothed cats, a crouching deinonychus, a bloated toad the size of a pony, and a strange badger-like creature with golden fur and eight legs rounded out the menagerie of more mundane leopards, wolves, and bears. The carpet in this room was terribly stained with mud, especially around the door in one corner of the room.

The door in that corner of the room led down to the basement.

The bullywugs hid behind the dire toad trophy when the alarm was raised, but were soon killed by the Tropic Thunder.

Water from the central pool in the courtyard flowed through the basement, cascading through a grate in one wall and then out through a second grate in the opposite wall. This second grate was nearly completely rusted through; only a few jagged chunks of metal remained. Great swaths of mud stained the floor there.

A Medium or smaller creature could use the missing grate to exit and enter the Vanderboren Estate relatively unnoticed.

The muddy floor was difficult to walk through. Bullywugs could move through mud like this with no penalty.

When the Tropic Thunder first reached this area, the sounds of deep slobbery laughter, a woman's cries of distress, and a weird thrilling chitter echoed into the area from one of the chambers.

Liamae Teslikaria, one of the Jade Ravens, wore nothing more than a tattered sheet into which three spoons and a single fork were threaded. When the Tropic Thunder arrived, she used a spell to distract the bullywugs. Covered with rust monster bites, she did not survive the attack which followed her casting.

The bullywugs had with them a pony-sized creature with four insectlike legs and a squat, humped body protected by a thick, lumpy hide. Its tail was covered in armored plates and ended in a bony projection that looked like a double-ended paddle. The creature sported two long antennae on its head, one beneath each eye.

The creature attacked Harold and the three bullywugs gathered around each other to prevent the Tropic Thunder from flanking them. The bullywugs fought to the death, but the creature waddled off into a corner to eat when it got Harold's armor and mace to gnaw on. Unfortunately, that left Harold vulnerable to the attacks of the bullywugs, which managed a fatal blow on him, before them and the creature were killed by the remaining heroes.

The bullywugs had stacked Liamae's gear next to a rough overstuffed chair. This consisted of a ring, a vial, two thin batons and tens of gold pieces.

FROGS IN THE HOUSE (month 1, day 12)

Bullywugs arrived at Vanderboren Manor only a few hours before the Tropic Thunder arrived.

It wasn't long before the invaders clashed with the Jade Ravens, another adventuring party employed by Lavinia. Further, Lavinia herself  had taken up her interest in fencing and had honed her skill as a swashbuckler. But the bullywugs eventually defeated them, capturing most before they settled into wait for Vanthus' arrival.

A bullywug is a froglike humanoid with green, gray, or mottled yellow skin. They have long, flicking tongues and typically speak with thick, sloppy accents. They stand four to seven feet tall, weigh 100 to 300 pounds, and reek of the swamp. Bullywugs are fanatic creatures loyal to their tribe; they fight to the death. The encountered bullywugs had already taken some damage in the fight to wrestle the manor away from the Jade Ravens and Lavinia. Some bullywugs were at full health, as they held back from the initial fights or had already been healed by their shaman, Bua Gorg.

The bullywugs had posted no guards outside Vanderboren Manor so as not to draw any attention to the grounds during their invasion, making it relatively simple for the Tropic Thunder to approach the manor. They approached openly shouting Lavinia's name, and a bullywug noticed them through one of the manor's windows and raised the alarm.

The Tropic Thunder had been to the mansion numerous times by now, and while they had not visited every room in the building, they were familiar with its layout. The manor itself was a well-made structure. The bullywugs had lit the manor's numerous wall-mounted lamps at night. Doors were made of wood and were unlocked.

Although many of these rooms had valuable objects, the honorable Tropic Thunder haven't looted their employer's home yet.

The Tropic Thunder entered the manor through the atrium. This enormous great hall's marble stonework was smooth and white. Two oak stairwells with burnished brass railing ascended to an open first-floor landing. Tapestries depicting a beautiful and savage frontier of sprawling jungle landscapes and an eerie shoreline hung from the upper landing. A glass chandelier hung form the atrium's ceiling.

Three bullywugs hid behind tapestries and prepared to ambush anyone who moved through the atrium.

During the fight, Quarion went around the manor and entered the kennels. Four locked cage-stalls filled one portion of this room. The air reeked of unkempt dogs.

Three mastiff hounds named Leshton, Ealia, and Kurz, diligently raised as hunting dogs by Lavinia's father, were kept here. Normally, the dogs had free run of the estate most of the time. The dogs were agitated and whimpered with fear - they could smell the bullywugs in the mansion. The fight with the bullywugs ended before Quarion released the hounds.

The Tropic Thunder ran up to the second floor, where the bedrooms were. Once there, they heard noise coming in from the master bedroom. This room was dark and cloying; the shutters were closed, and the air smelled of a rank combination of body odor and swamp mud. The desk, chairs, and most other furniture in this room had been draped with white canvas dust covers, giving this room the eerie feeling of a tomb. Only the large four-poster bed in one corner of the room had been uncovered, its dust covers lying in a heap at the side.

Having secured the manor as best he could, Drevoraz claimed this room as a place to wait for Vanthus to return to the manor. After she was captured, Lavinia managed to convince Drevoraz that she'd heard from Vanthus, that he was en route to Sasserine and that he was arriving home by the end of the day. Her plan to delay Drevoraz worked. Drevoraz relaxed on the bed, passing the time reading a racy novel he swiped form the library and tormenting the prisoners to fight off boredom before Vanthus' arrival. Also present in the room was the disgusting spiritual leader of the bullywugs - a cleric named Bua Gorg. This bloated bullywug had soaked one of the dustsheets in water and sat on an overstuffed chair in one corner of the room, swaddled in the soaking sheet for comfort as he offered prayers to his patron, Dagon.

Four hostages were tied to chairs, back to back, in the center of the room. The hostages included Lavinia, two of the Jade Ravens (Tolin Kientai and Zan Oldavin), and Kora Whistlegap, Lavinia's one remaining house servant. Of the four, only Lavinia was conscious, regarding her captors silently with eyes narrowed in fury. Tolin and Zan were both stable but unconscious. Poor Kora was dead, her throat cut by Drevoraz in a brutal display of power intended to cower the other three prisoners into compliance.

Drevoraz was a muscular half-orc dressed in studded leather and decorated with numerous tattoos.

Bua Gorg was the most grotesque bullywug, with sickly yellowy skin and sagging throat pouch, disgustingly deflated. Now when the priest breathed heavily in delighted anticipation of bloodshed, his ruptured throat pouch sucked and dribbled noisily. He worshiped an entity called Dagon.

When the alarm was raised, Bua Gorg moved to a position near Drevoraz and prepared to start casting as soon as he saw intruders. Drevoraz stood near Lavinia, his scimitar at the ready to strike the woman at a moment's notice. When the Tropic Thunder entered the room, Drevoraz demanded the heroes lay down their arms or he'd hack off their pretty employer's head.

The Tropic Thunder failed to bargain with the half-orc and he tried to strike Lavinia down. Unknown to him, Zan had already managed to work Lavinia free from her bonds and as soon as he started to approach, she lunged free. Drevoraz moved up to her and made a single attack against her. When Drevoraz took lots of damage, the bullywug moved in to use a stick to heal the half-orc.

Drevoraz attempted to flee when severely injured. The Tropic Thunder prevented him from doing so and he fought till he was knocked unconscious. Bua Gorg fought till he was knocked unconscious as well.

Drevoraz had stacked all of the gear he'd taken from Lavinia, Tolin, and Zan in a heap next to the bed.

Lavinia begged the Tropic Thunder to help rescue Liamae and Kaskus; none of them knew where the other two had been taken, but the basement was the first place she suggested checking.

THE WORMFALL FESTIVAL (month 1, day 12)

The Tropic Thunder left the cove and sailed back to Sasserine in the fishing boat that took them out to the cove. In order to reach Vanderboren Manor, the heroes had to navigate a city thick with parades and festivity.

One year ago, a horrific brush with apocalypse in the far-off city of Alhaster sent deadly ripples across the entire face of the world. Even in Sasserine, the Wormgod's brief emergence into the world had an effect, as monstrous minions boiled out of the Spire of Long Shadows in preparation of the dawn of this new age. Only the intervention of a band of powerful heroes from the neighboring city of Cauldron saved Sasserine from a terrible fate. Now, one year later, Sasserine honors the heroes of that dark day with a wild parade and festival to remember the fallen and rejoice the victory of good versus evil.

Wormfall, as the holiday has been dubbed by city officials, is to be an annual event, a gigantic affair involving groups of trained acrobats, marching bands, garish costumes in homage to the heroes of Alhaster and Cauldron (and corresponding effigies of their undead and wormy enemies), and floats constructed in the image of enormous green worms and shrouded skulls. Kites of green worms born on sticks and strings dance in the air above the rooftops. Green lanterns burn above the streets, casting a sickly pale glow upon the cobblestones below, each with a removable shade and a layer of bright gold paper below to bathe the city in the warm sunlight of victory at the exact moment the worms fell and the heroes of Alhaster struck down their foul god.

When the Tropic Thunder arrived in Sasserine they found the city in the throes of Wormfall and had to navigate the teeming crowds of celebrating citizens in order to reach Lavinia's estate. No matter what route they took they found the going slow and frustrating. And of course, the crowd contained a few surprises for them along the way.

Harmony split from the rest of the group to take the little girl they saved to the Merchant Garrison. While the rest of the Tropic Thunder were moving through the crowd, a gnome targeted them for a "bump" so that he could accuse them of being "a bunch of rude, oversized louts". After slamming onto Harold on purpose, the gnome huffed and puffed and rolled up his sleeves while a half-orc desperately tried to intervene.

Harold apologized for the "insult", holding off a fight long enough for the half-orc to arrive and talk some sense into the drunk gnome.

During the height of the celebration, a float-wagon heading downhill bearing a huge humanoid form shrouded in wriggling paper-mache worms and bearing two burning lanterns for eyes rolled out of control towards an open-air tavern filled with revelers. Quarion heard the shouts of alarm and gave the Tropic Thunder some time to act. The heroes themselves were directly in the path of the runaway cart. Harold and Quarion tried to destroy one of its wheels. Quarion cast entangle to slow down the cart's progress as well. Graim warned the revelers in the tavern and all of them escaped out of the float's path.

Eventually the wagon slammed in the tavern with a tremendous explosion, sending furniture and dishware hurling in all directions. Worse, the Wormgod's eye lanterns shattered, spewing flaming oil in all directions and lighting the paper float on fire. Once the fire started, it spread quickly. The fire was contained by a bucket brigade before it spread to neighboring buildings and Harold organized a bucket brigade faster, which saved the tavern itself.

Led by a dangerous woman, a group of rogues posed as a band of street performers mounted on stilts and patroled the streets surrounding Vanderboren Manor, waiting for word of the Tropic Thunder's approach.

The woman, decked out in a form-fitting and sensual-if-macabre black bodysuit decorated with a white skeleton, was accompanied by an entourage of six acrobatic rogues who paraded about the streets on ten-foot-high stilts. The woman preceded the stiltwalkers, dancing and performing an impressive array of acrobatic flips and leaps, while the stiltwalkers themselves wowed audiences by juggling daggers and flasks of oil with burning rags stuffed into them. As they approached the Tropic Thunder, Harold and Harmony (who was waiting for them outside Vanderboren Manor) noticed that the acrobatic troupe seems to be up to no good just before they mounted their assault.

The woman and her killers were well-acquainted with the Tropic Thunder's appearances (with the notable exception being Harmony) and the killers stroke at some point before they reached Lavinia's mansion. The woman approached Graim and attacked from behind. At this attack, the stiltwalkers each threw a flask of alchemist's fire at the heroes, hoping the resulting explosions of fire damage them and cause a swath of chaos in the streets.

The attack worked like a charm. For some time, panicked crowds filled the square. The stiltwalkers could move through the crowds with ease, but everyone else had difficulty moving through the crowd. The woman tried to stay within five feet of her chosen target at all times, tumbling away to find a different target when reinforcements arrived.

One of the rogues was badly wounded and fled into the crowd, but the rest were killed or subdued.

It took the city watch a few minutes to respond to the attack. The Tropic Thunder remained at the scene of the fight and the large number of witnesses were more than enough to convince the watch that the heroes were only defending themselves. Due to Harold's diplomatic skills, the guards let the Tropic Thunder go after only a few minutes of questioning.

Speaking with Captain Javell (month 1, days 11-12)

After the Tropic Thunder recuperated from their inuries, they continued the exploration of the caves.

The bodies of three strange creatures lay in a mangled heap in the center of the next cave, their bodies torn apart and gnawed down to the bone. It was difficult to tell what manner of wolflike or hyenalike creatures they once were. Spiked collars lay empty beside the decapitated bodies, chains running from each to iron hooks in the walls.

Two savage krenshars waited here still. They wore spiked collars attached to long chains that allowed them full reach of anywhere in this cave, but prohibited them from pursuing foes beyond the cavern. The savage krenshars had larger jaws than their untainted kin, and large patches of their mangy fur had fallen away to reveal leprous skin covered with writhing tendrils.

Across from this cave was where the Tropic Thunder encounter Harmony Starstream, one of Halja's companions, along with the little girl they were looking to save. Harmony escaped her pirate captors moments before madness hit the cove, and she and the remaining pirates had an uneasy truce protecting each other from man-eating monstrosities. Not too long ago, the surviving pirates were jumped by a horde of savage creatures, and Harmony and the little girl escaped in the chaos. After the heroes took the girl to the Sea Wyvern and asked her to hide for safety, Harmony took the heroes where she and the pirates held their last stand.

This cavern had been outfitted with the finest in stolen furniture. Thick rugs covered the floor, and fine silk tapestries and masterful seascape paintings hanged from the walls, giving the place an almost regal feel. A four-poster bed took up much of a large nook to the south, and nearby stood an oak desk with a matching armoire. Alas, much of this furniture was ruined, spattered and stained with gore and deeply scarred by swordplay. A skeletal body dressed in the ruins of a once-fine suit of studded leather lay in a red heap at the foot of the bed. Ten more bodies lay about the room, horribly deformed men and women who seem to have perished on a rapier's point.

Kigante Valeros called this dry warm patch of cave home. The cavern walls were lined with extraordinary paintings (more than a few of which were gifts from Brissa).

Kigante himself lay against the foot of his bed, his corpse half-devoured by savage pirates. Kigante did not die without a fight, as the bodies of ten savage pirates in the room testified.

Kigante's weapon of choice, a magic rapier with a bronze hilt in the shape of a griffon, lay under his bed where it was kicked by a savage pirate eager to get to the dying man's flesh. Graim discovered it when he checked under the bed.

A closer examination of Kigante revealed a bit more treasure - a magic ring (a gold band set with several aquamarine gemstones) still sat snug on a bony finger, and his darkwood buckler remained strapped to an arm. A vial of vermillion ink sat on top of the desk, one of the few objects in the room to escape damage during the battle that ended Kigante's life.

As the Tropic Thunder approached the next cavern, the sound of combat, the unmistakable slobbering cries of rage and hunger from several savage pirates, and a woman's voice shouting profane threats and curses became audible.

The floor of this cavern sloped downward to the southeast, finally ending in a large tide pool. The waters seem to be surging from a submerged passageway leading to the southwest. A hammock strung between two stalagmites swayed gently to the south, next to an overturned table and a broken chair.

This tranquil getaway was the site of a heated battle between Harliss Javell and a horde of savage pirates.

Harliss Javell had been backed into the southern corner of the cave, where she used the overturned table as cover to fend off a half dozen savage pirates. Over two dozen more lay dead on the ground, yet for all her skills in swordplay, Harliss was growing weary. She'd been bitten several times by the savage pirates, and was suffering from savage fever already. When she spied the Tropic Thunder, she cried out, "Oi! Get in the fight or stay outta me way, buckos. These things are lookin'to die, and I plan on obliging."

Harliss was a bold beauty with raven-black hair that flowed like the deepest shade of midnight against her deeply tanned skin. She wore tight leather armor studded with fire opals and pearls and wielded a curved rapier and dagger in a blinding display of swordplay. As she fought, she taunted her foes with phrases like "Ye picked the wrong lass to make a meal out of today", or "Hungry? Have a taste o'me cold steel, ya stinking carcass!". As she recognized one of the savage pirates, she even said something like "Jebidiah? Is that you lad? You've looked better boy. Here, let me send you on your way". The savage pirates themselves din't notice the Tropic Thunder until they were attacked, at which point three of them broke off the fight against Harliss to attack them.

Although wounded and sick, Harliss Javell had no problem dealing with the remaining savage pirates. Nonetheless, she used her combat skill for defense to reduce the chance her opponents would land a solid, damaging blow on her. Javell had an imposing presence and puissance at swordplay. Javell was poetry in motion as she avoided the maws of the cannibals, dancing among them, her blades flashing impossibly fast. When the last cannibal pirate fell, Javell sheathed her blades and regarded the Tropic Thunder with a cold, appraising eye as she caught her breath and tried to determine who they were and what they were about. Harold attempted to fight her and found himself dying before he knew what happened, so the rest of the heroes thought twice about crossing steel with her.

After the battle, Harliss called out to the Tropic Thunder. "What manner of driftwood do we have here? Speak up! Your names, lubbers! If only so's I can cut'em inta' yer chests and save the undertaker some asking' round".

Harliss appreciated the Tropic Thunder for standing up to her gruff attitude with threats of their own. Harliss turned her hard gaze on the heroes and demanded to know their business in this "little place o' hell".

Harliss grew frustrated when she realized that the Tropic Thunder knew less about what happened at Kraken's Cove than she. This, combined with her clouded mind from the savage fever she'd contracted, made her a bit more talkative about Crimson Fleet matters than she probably should be. As soon as she heard Vanthus Vanderboren's name, she flew into a poetic litany of profanity that lasted several seconds and was as magnificent as it was scandalous to hear. When she recovered herself, she explained as she righted the toppled table and sat down upon it to rest.

"All this ye see here", the flamboyant woman said as she waved her hand at the slaughtered deformities, "and what nightmares ye must have fought through t'get t'me; t'was all Vanthus Vanderboren's doing! That vomitous pig came t'me with his hussy'n asked t'see our wares; made like he were a black marketer lookin' fer some fur or scale t'move. Told him we had a ship coming in what were full of exotica for him ta'shop, so he stayed on a few nights. Seemed a fine enough chap, but then not a week ago, he dumped a hold full of whale oil into the cove and lit it up. I was on th'Slippery Eel at the time, and that's when I caught the two of them on board, fixin t'rob me! Can ye imagine that? A pair of base curs tryin't'rob Captain Harliss Javell? Anyway, I stuck the fool in the arm with me blade, he yelped, and then as he ducked aside he dropped what he were tryin' t'rob. Were a black pearl. One th'size o'a man's fist, mind you! Was going to make some fair coin off that bauble, but as it fell, the thing cracked like an egg. Some o'Vanthus' blood from my blade spattered the pearl, and it boiled and flashed with light. This foul, choking green gas started spewin' from it, burning through the wood like it were acid. I grabbed th'thing, ran up topside, then threw it inta' the water, but as it struck, the thing exploded!

"After that...things got a bit weird, mind ye. A green mist filled my vision, and I felt strange. Like someone else were in my head. Someone...someone hungry! And the rage! Rage like I never felt 'afore! And then, just like that, it were gone. Vanthus were on deck too by then, but he and I were the only humans left. That pearl, it did something to me crew. Ta' Vanthus' little girly too! Turned them bad, like something ye might find in the net and throw back on account the sun got no purpose lookin' upon it. These things!" She kicked one of the deformed pirates in distaste. "Whatever were in that damnable pearl turned six score men into...into man-eating freaks!"

"Vanthus, he seen what his friend and the rest turned into. He dove into th'water t'get away. I did the same, only I swam for shore. Found me first mate Drevoraz there. He'd resisted the change too, as had some others here and there, yet they were nothing but the banquet for those things. We fought our way into th'caves and managed to hole up here with Captain Kigante, the man who keeps these caves for us. Only, Kigante's freak food now; he got jumped by a mob of them not twenty minutes ago. Tore him apart like they was sharks!

"And one more thing. I think they got the sick in their maws. The places they done bit me still burn, and it's hard to think straight...But hey! You fought yer way in here! That means there ain't much left of them out there, yeah?"

When the Tropic Thunder asked her about Vanthus, she cursed and flew into a tirade.

"I'll learn that cur what it is t'foul my business! I know who he is! Th'Vanderboren name's no secret to me. I know he's got family'n holdings in Sasserine! I sent me right hand Drevoraz't'deal with yer friend, I did. Drevoraz is on his merry way to Sasserine as we speak. He'll do for Vanthus' sister, his mum and pop, and any other family or friends that bastard has in that dunghill city. Cross the Crimson Fleet and we take everything in your life from ye. Best not forget that, boyo!"

Harliss believed the Tropic Thunder's story, and even apologized for any trouble that her first mate might be bringing to the Vanderborens. She encouraged the heroes to make haste back to Sasserine and the Vanderboren Manor if they wanted to warn Lavinia about the coming assault, but doubted they'd get there in time. She offered to write a brief note to Drevoraz, ordering him to hold off on the attack, but Graim secretly manifested a power against her before she had a chance to do that. The power did not affect her, but she made it clear to the heroes that leaving the cove would be beneficial to their health.

Savage Maze (month 1, day 10)

Shortly after the Tropic Thunder finished off the last savage pirate in the mess hall, a strange creature ambushed them. This creature was a phanaton, a kind of creature depicted in the journal that the heroes helped Lavinia recover when they entered her family's crypt. The phanatons are a small race of arboreal creatures with large eyes and prehensile tails that resemble a cross between a monkey and a raccoon. Between their arms and legs are thin membranes the creatures use to glide through the air.

The phanaton had been transformed into a long-limbed, deformed creature with writhing, boneless fingers. The savage phanaton lurked in a hallway, waiting for something exciting to happen in the mess hall before scurrying forth to join the fight.

His once-fine gray-brown fur was matted with blood and bits of gory tissue. Sizzling drool dribbled from his fanged, misshapen mouth. He slavered as he grunted and hooted before finally managing to snarl out in Common, "Come to me, meatbags. Just give me a mouthful of your tasty pink flesh!"

The phanaton heard the sounds of battle in the mess hall and pulled out his masterwork kukri. Of all the savage pirates, this creature retained the most intelligence. He climbed up to the dark recesses of the ceiling and glided down to ambush the Tropic Thunder. He fought until slain.

As the Tropic Thunder approached the next chamber, the sound of shouts, wet cries of anguish, and the clang of metal on metal grew louder.

Dozens of ten-foot-wide iron cages were sitting on the floor of this large cavern. Some were empty, while others contained the partially eaten remains of dead men and women. Yet most horrible were those cages that contained thrashing, wailing figures. Each of these seems more deformed than the last, twisting legs, writhing arms, vestigial heads, and jaws agape with too many teeth were all on display as the mad prisoners howled and slobbered and threw themselves against the walls of their cages in a cacophonous attempt to break free.

The Crimson Fleet pirates used these cages to house prisoners, sorting them into groups before shipping them off to Scarlet Brotherhood ports for sale as slaves. When the effect Halja described washed over the caves, those prisoners who didn't succumb to the tide were quickly murdered and eaten by those who did.

There were 11 savage slaves locked in these cages. They thrashed and writhed, but for all their noise they weren't quite strong enough to break free from their cages. Anyone who comes within five feet of a cage is in reach, though, and the savage occupant may be able to make a bite attack against such foes.

The next sandy-floored cavern seems to be some sort of trophy hall. The centerpiece of the display was an enormous reptilian skull, nearly six feet in length, mounted on a wooden display. Other trophies lined the walls - nameplates from ships, battered sea chests, mounted heads of sea monsters, and weathered figureheads, each doubtless carrying a sordid story of theft and betrayal.

Most of these trophies were relatively valueless, but there were a few exceptions.

Other than the reptilian skull, monstrous trophies included several shark jaws; a humanoid head with scaly skin, sharp fangs filling its mouth, fins on its head and great, staring eyes that were deep black; jars containing enormous fragments of tentacles; and a set of teeth the size of daggers. Among the nameplates of ships were names like St. Asmond's Hope or Wavereaper. A part of this collections was a barnacle-encrusted mast of wood badly eroded by a great deal of time spent below the waves. The only legible letters read "T...M...AUT". Nearby hung a heavily rusted ship's bell bearing the name Sea Ghost.

The only trophy of any real value was a leather-bound collection of nautical charts well over three hundred years old. These charts are remarkably accurate, even most so than most modern ones, and grant a +4 circumstance bonus on Profession (sailor) checks made to plot a course on the ocean.

Three locked chests (which Graim opened) in the corner of the room contained gold, silver, and copper pieces, three garnets, an emerald brooch, and 5 pearls.

The next small area was filled with piles of blankets, clothing, cases of crossbow bolts, and a collection of swords, pole arms, axes, and other weaponry.

There were crossbow bolts, 3 short swords, 5 rapiers, 2 long swords, 2 scimitars, a glaive, 2 guisarmes, a halberd, 2 light crossbows, a heavy crossbow, 2 battle axes, 9 throwing axes, and a greataxe to be had here.

The Tropic Thunder entered a small labyrinth next. The warren of tunnels made an excellent defense against enemies who were unfamiliar with their layout.

Three savage pirates lurked in these caves. Once one of them noticed the Tropic Thunder in the area, it shrieked and howled in delight as it shambled forth to attack. Its two mates arrived soon thereafter to join the battle. Although their knowledge of the maze's layout could have given them a significant tactical advantage, their madness prevented such coordinated attacks. Despite this, they managed to kill Pillboxer before they in turn were killed by the heroes.

Mess Hall (month 1, days 8-10)

While the Tropic Thunder payed their respects to Vicros' body, they detected light coming their way fast from the northwestern exit of the cave. Cyq and Graim hid while Quarion greeted a young woman who was running away from another deformed deinonychus. After the monster was defeated, she introduced herself as Halja, a soldier in the employ of the Sasserine military. The sister of one of her friends had been pressed into service with the Crimson Fleet. Research revealed that the press gang had relocated to Kraken's Cove. She and her friends charged the cove a few days ago, but were killed or subdued by the pirates, who were normal human beings at the time. While Halja was wasting away alone in a cell in a cavern to the north, she felt strange, like someone was trying to take control of her mind, someone angry and hungry. Halja resisted the foreign influence, but all around her, pirates and prisoners alike transformed into savage creatures. Anyone who resisted the change was promptly eaten by the ones who did not. Halja was lucky enough to be alone in her cage, and eventually one of the savage creatures that tried unsuccessfully to grab her through the bars kicked the keys within her reach. As soon as she exited her cage and lighted a torch to guide her way, she was spotted by a savage deinonychus, and this is when she stumbled into the rest of the heroes. Halja decided to fight along the heroes to find her friend's sister.

A low table in the northeast corner held a number of rare books laid out to dry on it. This collection of tomes on topics ranging from lizardfolk cuisine to naturalist studies of the Amedio was water damaged.

Unfortunately, Halja and Quarion's wolf were infected by the creature during their battle. Furthermore, Quarion's wolf collapsed into a coma-like state and transformed into a savage creature, so Quarion had to put it down. The Tropic Thunder spent a couple of days hiding in the Sea Wyvern, nursing their wounds, while Quarion found a new wolf companion in the wilds surrounding the cove.

A search of the rubble on the beach (taking three hours, 20 minutes) uncovered three surviving items of value - a leather sack of stolen saffron, a case of fine dishware, and a case of potions of cure moderate wounds stolen from a naval frigate (of which only three survived intact).

When Graim explored the harbor underwater he noted a section of seabed about forty feet from shore that appeared strangely barren of life - the rocks and sand gleamed, with not a trace of seaweed to be found. When Quarion searched this region, he discovered what looked like a fist-sized black pearl that had shattered into five jagged chunks. The shattered remains bore a dim magical aura.

The next cavern must have served as a mess hall, yet now the large tables lay in ruins. To the north, dozens of barrels that once contained fresh water and food stores had been smashed to splinters. Bodies lay throughout the caves in various stages of dismemberment and consumption - it was hard to count the total dead due to the stage of the corpses, but at least twelve people recently met a gory end in this cave.

One of the savage pirates had spent the last hour in a gruesome repast of his friends - a former bosun lay strewn on the table. He was in the kitchen area in the southwest corner of the room, hacking away with relish at the dead crewman with his cleaver, while two of his fellow cannibals waited impatiently at a table. As soon as they detected the Tropic Thunder, they attacked.

Hall of Hanging Silks (month 1, day 8)

Once the Tropic Thunder reached the cliffs overlooking Kraken's Cove, they were greeted with a tragic sight.

In the sheltered cove below, signs of a past inferno were visible. Several ships, including a two-masted caravel, a sizeable frigate, a long barge, and what might have once been a schooner were all burnt to the waterline. Further out, a three-masted caravel seems to have escaped the fire - for now. A shiny slick on the surface of the water itself reflected the sunlight, evidence of an oil fire. The crashing sounds of the waves masked any other sounds that may be issuing up from below. Through periodic gaps in the smoke, however, movement on the beach was visible - something still lived in the inferno below.

Descent to the beach below was accomplished by climbing down ropes. The cliffs that surrounded the cove were sheer but featured numerous handholds. They were forty feet high, and the Tropic Thunder scaled them down.

Another route was a rickety wooden walkway that descended from the eastern cliff down to the beach below. Although the fire had not reached it, the rickety wooden walkway had not been used by the pirates in some time and had rotted in the salt air.

To make the walkway less tempting, the tide carried one of the burnt ships careening into the west wall of the cove, where it had destroyed the central 50 feet of walkway.

The water in the eastern section of the cove was 20 feet deep - deep enough that a person could dive into the water from the cliffs forty feet above, taking no damage.

The one surviving ship in the harbor was the Sea Wyvern. The Sea Wyvern was a fearsome vessel. Her sails were decorated with stylized figures of a wyvern; its tail raised over its back as though ready to strike at enemies. Even its figure carried the figurehead as motif; a powerful wyvern, its wings unfurled, crouched at the prow. This ship had seen plenty of action; her hull was scarred in many places by scratches and dents, and a single huge claw mark raked across the starboard, deliberately left as a scar of battle. The ship's wheel was designed to represent a dozen-headed wyvern.

A fifty-foot wide beach separated the waters of Kraken's Cove from the cliffs to the north. A ten-foot-wide cave opened at the base of the cliff to the northwest, while to the northeast several planks provided a crude bridge across a tide pool to a second, smaller cave entrance. The swaths of blood and ragged body parts strewn across the beach testified to a terrible and recent battle upon the sands here. Broken crates and bamboo cages littered the area, blood and bits of bone sprayed across bolts of silk and cracked barrels of ambergris seeping into the coarse, rocky sand. A number of mangled corpses, each stripped nearly clean of flesh and bones cracked open, lay strewn about the beach. The casualties were staggering, with a quick count putting the dead at nearly forty.

Two savage pirated remained here, lurking hungrily among the rubble. They may have once been men, but now their gray skin, strangely flopping arms and legs, and the vacant-eyed vestigial head hanging from their neck make these creatures anything but. Yet perhaps worst of all is the creatures' mouth, a cavernous wound in their twisted face filled with a twisted landscape of teeth, a mouth designed for one thing only - the tearing of flesh from the bone.

The two savage pirates hid in the ruined wreckage along the shore, waiting for untainted flesh to draw them out. When they noted the Tropic Thunder approaching the cave entrances, the gibbering menaces leapt from hiding and charged.

Examination of the bodies in this area showed them to be devoured with a ferocity that bellies reason - bones gnashed in a single crashing bite, entire lengths of flesh and muscle ripped free. It was also obvious that the battle broke out suddenly between friends and allies. Crossbow bolts riddled the few savage pirates slain, and the mingling of deformed corpses and those nearly completely devoured was demonstrative of the infighting that took place. Near the tide pool, two sea cats lay dead on the rocks, still chained fast to a heavy iron stake embedded in the ground.

A deep pool of rushing water separated the smaller cave entrance from the beachhead. Two wide wooden planks served as a crude bridge to cross the surging waters of the pool.

The water was 20 feet deep below the boards. Crossing the slippery planks required a good balance.

The cave walls were of smooth, wet stone and stalactites hanged from the ceiling in places. Passageways averaged ten feet in height, and caverns were about twenty feet high. The pirates had long since removed the stalagmites that once clustered in many of the caves, and had spread sand through the entire area to even the floor and make movement through the caves less treacherous. The caves were lit by cheap hooded lanterns that hanged from the walls every 30 feet; these lanterns were burnt out by the time the Tropic Thunder entered the caves.

There were body parts, swaths of blood stained sand, deep scratches in the walls, and other macabre hints of mayhem throughout the caves. Further, exploration of the caves was accompanied by a symphony of howls, shrieks, maniacal laughter, clanging of metal on metal, and other discordant sounds one might expect from a madhouse whose locks have failed. As a result, hearing accuracy suffered in the caves.

Dozens of bolts of once-fine brocaded silk hanged from lines of rope stretched lengthwise across the ceiling of the first cavern, making it difficult to accurately judge the size of the sandy-floored cavern.

There the Tropic Thunder faced a creature resembling a deinonychus. The deinonychus' back writhed with wriggling tentacles, several of which wept puss and left a disgusting trail of yellowish smears on nearby silk sheets.

The hanging silks provided cover for any creature standing behind them, as they served to obscure vision and cast long shadows on the walls. As soon as the deinonychus detected the Tropic Thunder, it began stalking them, slipping quietly through the hanging sheets of silk until it picked Vicros to attack. The dinosaur then pounced on Vicros, killing him within seconds before the rest of the heroes could defeat it.

KRAKEN'S COVE (month 1, days 5-8)

Kraken's Cove serves smugglers well, for the entrance to this secluded rift in the coastal cliffs that line the eastern shore of Blood Bay is riddled with dangerous reefs and submerged threats. As a result, only sailors who know the region or possess charts of the waters dare approach the cliffs here - the ship the Tropic Thunder has access to has neither.

Without charts, the safest option was to put aground a few miles north of Kraken's Cove at a secluded beach. From there, it was a fairly short hike up to the cliff tops and then south along a narrow path that eventually reaches the cove itself.

Before the Tropic Thunder reached Kraken's Cove, they realized something was horribly wrong. Plumes of smoke rose into the sky above the cove, visible from a mile away. Worse, as the heroes approached, swaths of dead wildlife, from parrot to gull to monkey to snake, lay dead on the ground, their bodies horribly distorted and deformed. What few wild animals remained alive were similarly deformed, and shockingly aggressive. The Thunder witnessed animals tearing each other apart numerous times on their approach, and at some point before they reached the cove, a clutch of five deformed monkeys attacked them as well.

The five deformed monkeys flopped and writhed down from the trees or across the ground with shocking speed. Their jaws were filled with tiny fangs, and their bodies were covered with open sores from which hooked bonespurs protruded. The deformed monkeys fought to the death, and could be effectively harmed only by magic weapons.

When a deformed monkey died, it immediately made a bite attack, snapping at any one creature in reach just before it succumbed. Once this bite attack was resolved, the deformed monkey's body melted into a puddle of acidic goo, leaving behind only its skeleton. Any living creature within a five foot radius of a melting deformed monkey took acid damage - this acid damage affected only living flesh. The deformed monkeys themselves were resistant to acid. A pool of acid remained on the ground, taking up a space equal to the monkey's space while living - it dealt damage to any creature that moved through the area. The acid dried to a harmless green powder over the course of one minute.

A deformed monkey fought without penalty while disabled and dying.

A creature bitten by a deformed monkey could contract a supernatural disease. The incubation time of this disease was 1 minute, after which point the victim's flesh broke out into a terrible black rash that caused short bony protrusions to extrude from the affected area; the victim also took Intelligence damage. Every day thereafter, the victim took more Intelligence damage as the terrible rash spread and his mind grew more and more bestial.

Since Vicros and Quarion's wolf were afflicted with the disease, the Tropic Thunder returned to the fishing boat, where Quarion successfully treated them both.

TO KRAKEN'S COVE (day 27-month 1, day 5)

A viscous puddle of green goo shimmered on one side of the rhagodessa pen. A large patch of mushrooms grew on the far side of this slime, and what appears to be part of a halfling skeleton lay in a sludge between them.

The skeleton's leather armor and rapier were both rotted and rusted to ruin, but it still wore a gold ring, a ring of jumping, and a brooch of shielding capable of absorbing up to 42 more points of damage from magic missiles.

Most of the next circular cavern consisted of a large pool of brackish-looking water, its surface greasy with filth and rotting seaweed. Dripping lead pipes protruded from the walls of the twenty-foot-high cavern, including one that was nearly two feet in diameter on one side. A five-foot-wide hole in the ceiling seems to lead up to the surface. On two sides was a five-foot-wide beach of grit and gravel. A narrow tunnel led up at a shallow angle to one of these sides and out of sight.

The smaller pipes protruding from the walls provided drainage for the rest of the complex.

Two secret doors on one side were five feet off the ground. Graim found them, and Pillboxer reached them.

There was a crocodile held by chains at the end of the passageway on the side of the cavern.

The next hallway surrounded the previous cavern and connected four domed chambers, each of which sported a wooden ladder leading up to a trapdoor in the ceiling above. These trap doors opened into the abandoned buildings surrounding Dead Dog Alley above. Most of these buildings were boarded up from the outside and apparently abandoned. The boards were a ruse; the doors could be opened with ease. Inside, the buildings were indeed abandoned, but several of them contained hidden trap doors that led down into the guildhall.

The next narrow room overlooked the previous cave on one side - a barely-perceptible haze hanged in the air between these two rooms, almost as if some sort of membrane were stretched over the opening. Five wooden chairs were arranged before this "window". To one side sat a low table surrounded by more chairs, while to the opposite side a large valve protruded from the wall.

From this side, the "haze" was transparent, while from the other side it appeared as a solid natural rock wall.

The next room was currently empty.

A pair of candles lay on the floor; a pair of chairs sat on the floor.

The next room contained a single long bench pushed up against one wall. A door on the same wall was marked "Lavatory".

A table was turned on its side on the floor.

The sound of lapping waves filled the next chamber, a natural sea cave that incorporated a large sloshing tidepool. To one side, a low sandy beach seethed with brightly-colored crabs. To the opposite side, a larger sandy beach sloped up to a glistening wall. A short wooden pier protruded from this beach into the pool, and the cavern wound around the corner beyond. To the same side as the crabs, a large wooden door blocked the cave exit, although the waters flowed unimpeded through a large space under the door.

A wooden wall under a nearby pier was actually a cleverly disguised wide door that could be lifted to allow small boats to pass into the pond.

The crabs on one side clattered and clacked menacingly, but they were relatively small and harmless.

The walls, floor, and ceiling of the next chamber had been covered in white marble tile; every inch sparkled cleanly. In the middle of the room sat a five-foot-by-ten-foot pool of clean water. Across the door stood an unlit iron brazier.

The water in the pool was fresh and clean.

Although the city watch and the Dawn Council might not have realized it at first, the painting from Rowyn's lounge and the documents and maps in the war room were more than enough to prove the magnitude of the service the Tropic Thunder provided to the city. This accomplishment granted Harold the title of High Citizen among the Dawn Council.

At some point several days after they defeated the Lotus Dragons, a representative of the Dawn Council invited the Tropic Thunder to a banquet and dance at Castle Teraknian so that the members of the Council could thank them in person for the services they provided to Sasserine. At the end of the banquet, Lord Worrin Lidu presented each hero with the Spire of Sasserine, a medal awarded to those who perform great services to the city. Anyone wearing this medal finds that it grants a +2 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy and Gather Information checks made in Sasserine. Harold and Lavinia began courting during the celebration, much to Cyq's discontent.

After recovering the money stolen from the Vanderboren Vault and defeating the Lotus Dragon thieves, the Tropic Thunder still haven't succeeded in the primary mission assigned them by their patron, Lavinia Vanderboren. Her brother Vanthus is still at large, but with the discovery of the true extent of Vanthus' involvement in the death of her parents, Lavinia no longer hopes to find and redeem him. Instead, she wants him returned to Sasserine so he can answer for his crimes. According to documents discovered in the Lotus Dragon Guildhall, Vanthus and a woman named Brissa recently left the city to travel to a location known as Kraken's Cove to mount a robbery of several pirate ships supposedly moored nearby.

Determining the approximate location of Kraken Cove in the eastern shore of Blood Bay was possible when Harold gathered information in Sasserine.

As the Tropic Thunder prepared for their journey to Kraken's Cove, the city of Sasserine was gearing up for a major festival. The one-year anniversary of the defeat of Kyuss drew near. Although the final events of this battle played out thousands of miles to the north, repercussions were felt in this region as the Wormgod nearly brought about the dawn of a new age. In the nearby Spire of Long Shadows, a small army of his undead minions erupted from the ruins there, along with several dangerous outsiders known as broodfiends. Three of these broodfiends made their way to Sasserine, but were destroyed by heroes form the city of Cauldron before they could do much damage.

The event has since become yet another reason for Sasserine's Dawn Council to celebrate, the production of a festival being an excellent way to build up the city's morale and wealth as they continue to recover from 100 years of servitude to a foreign power. Criers loudly announced the coming festival on the city streets and canals, posters went up on tavern walls, and everywhere the citizens were abuzz with excitement.

The Tropic Thunder had time to recover from their previous adventure, liquidate loot and shop for gear before they set out for Kraken's Cove.

The cove itself lay on the eastern shore of Blood Bay, about 60 miles along a marshy coastline (or a mere 40 miles as the gull flies). The brisk salt-breeze of the ocean would make for a pleasant journey, if it weren't for the oppressive proximity of the trackless marshlands and the looming Amedio Jungle beyond.

The safest and fastest method of reaching Kraken's Cove was by boat. The best option was to hire a fishing boat or similar vessel. Blood Bay is a notorious region, and most sailors or fisherfolk balked at visiting this location. With Harold's diplomatic efforts, round-trip passage from Sasserine to Kraken's Cove could be had for 8 gp per passenger. Since the Tropic Thunder wished for their transport to wait for them while they took care of business in Kraken's Cove, there was a further 10 gp/day charge. By fishing boat, the trip took only 16 hours (non-stop - since the heroes left before noon, they can expect to reach Kraken's cove the next dawn).