Session 8: The Storm, the Wreck, and the Whisper

General Summary

Date: Draksday, Cythrea 18, 472 HE

  The sea is an unforgiving mistress, and as the ship is tossed like a child's toy in a basin, a monstrous wave crashes over the deck. The party scrambles—Ioane nearly flies off, only to be caught by Zindove, whose ankles are now legendary. With quick thinking and considerable Kobold concern, Mumpo is lashed to Zindove’s back like a chaotic rucksack.   Despite the storm, Blepp spots an island on the horizon, and with torn sails and a breached hull, the crew makes for shore. On the beach, they spy the half-sunken bones of a Miranorian vessel. Naturally, the party wants to explore. Zaruk, ever the responsible Barbarian, removes the ship’s wheel and straps it to his back like a barbaric backpack. No one is stealing this boat.   They leap aboard the wreck: Zaruk via jump ring, Ioane levitates in, and the others follow via rope. The wreck is old, long abandoned. Inside the captain’s quarters, they find a weathered map, a scroll marked with a phoenix and arrows seal, and a pouch of gold. The scroll, nearly illegible, warns:  

“Never reach the port. Change course at once.”

  Down below, they find a decayed body clutching a sending stone. Ioane and Zindove dive underwater and discover a crate containing a smaller box… and a cracked magical core. Dez touches it and takes psychic damage, receiving a vision:  

“The world above forgets its roots. We will remind it.”

  No one else sees the vision, but Dez feels a pull—a connection. She keeps it. Meanwhile, Zindove finds magical bracers, because underwater treasure hunting pays off.   Then, the drama. Dez tries to leave with a flourish and snaps her ankle on the jump. She heals herself, but dignity? Gone. On the beach, the party hears movement in the brush. A blow dart hisses past Ioane’s head, and three cloaked figures appear—Yuan-ti, and they're not here for tea.  

“The root must not spread. You were not meant to find it.”

  Battle erupts. Zindove charms one, while the others are swiftly defeated:

• Zindove decapitates one.
• Zaruk throws a javelin so hard it breaks the sound barrier and a skull.
• Interrogating the charmed Yuan-ti, the party learns of something ancient and terrifying: Zha’xilrath, the Sleeper Beneath.

 

“It doesn’t rise like a Dragon. It spreads through memory, through roots, through silence.”   “If it awakens… the world forgets how to speak.”

  The cracked magical core is a door, never meant to be found. It was meant to sink. Though the Yuan-ti is charmed, Dez argues to leave no witnesses. The party executes it, tying off the last thread.   Repairs commence. Sails stitched, hull patched, wheel returned. And Mumpo?   He regales the crew with how he single-handedly defeated the Yuan-ti and saved everyone. No one corrects him.

Rewards Granted

• Cracked Containment Core

• Aether-touched Bracers
• A finely made navigation compass, still working, engraved with the Miranorian crest (could fetch a good price or be useful at sea).
• A half-burned letter sealed with red wax, mostly unreadable—only the words “never reach the port—change course at once” are legible.
• a bottle of aged port wine, surprisingly intact
• a deck of hand-painted playing cards, drow-designed.
• 30 gp in trade bars
• A salt-damaged map with a route marked: Miranore → Stormwreck Isle

Missions/Quests Completed

• Survive the Storm The party successfully navigated through a violent storm at sea, saving their ship and crew from destruction by steering toward a nearby island.
 
• Investigate the Miranorian Shipwreck Explored the half-sunken wreck of a Minorian vessel, uncovering a cryptic scroll, an ancient map, a magical core, and clues related to a forgotten danger tied to Zha’xilrath.
 
• Uncover the Forgotten Threat Discovered the name and nature of Zha’xilrath, the Sleeper Beneath, through visions and interrogation of Yuan-ti agents. The party now knows this forgotten entity spreads through silence, memory, and root-like influence.
 
• Neutralize the Yuan-ti Agents Engaged in combat with a Yuan-ti scouting party sent to suppress knowledge of the magical core and Zha’xilrath. Successfully defeated all three enemies, preventing word from reaching their masters.
 
• Salvage and Refit the Ship Repaired their vessel’s sails, hull, and returned the wheel, ensuring they are seaworthy and ready to continue their journey.

Character(s) interacted with

• Zindove – Saved Ioane from the sea, carried Mumpo, found magical bracers, and decapitated a Yuan-ti.
• Mumpo – Strapped to Zindove, survived a storm, and inflated his heroic resume.
• Blepp – Spotted the island during the storm.
• Yuan-ti Agents – Three hostile agents of Zha’xilrath, one interrogated before execution.
• Zha’xilrath (mentioned) – A forgotten terror, "the Mother of Silence", revealed through visions and warnings.