The 9th of Refrum, 1390 of the Storm Era, Royal Harbor of the Astarian King
The party talks about where they are going to go and after consulting Vex for his knowledge about the researchers looking for the Eye of the Sea he suggested they go to “shady ports” such as Darcloud or Grimside. The party decides that they will go to Darcloud to begin their search. They all board Starseeker and the crew finishes loading all the supplies. The party settles in the back of the ship where some quarters are provided. Dink is upset a little that he has to share a space.
Vex goes above deck and sees the Astarian palace disappearing into the distance as the Starseeker leaves the Royal Harbor. Dink and Galad discussed the plan, Galad tells Dink there wasn’t much discussion about it. Milo goes above deck and meets with Vex at the stern of the ship. Moloch remains in his room. Ghesh went above deck and looked around. Dink and Galad leave their room and look for the others, they find Moloch first then they go above deck and look for the others. They speak with Vex about the pirates and the Eye of the Sea. Vex is very cagey, but Milo and Dink don’t believe him. Ghesh also doesn’t believe him and casts Zone of Truth. (Vex fails), Ghesh begins to question Vex, but Vex is able to navigate the questions. At last Ghesh asks him why he is being so nervous, Vex refuses to answer. Ghesh asks him if he would do anything to hurt the party, Vex says no. Ghesh asks him if he is one of them. Vex says yes, and Ghesh holds Vex and hugs him and tells him that he is one of them. Ghesh then backs up.
The party goes and meets with the captain, and asks them about warfare on the seas. The party goes about their day. Later the chef comes out and hollars at the crew and lets them know it’s time to eat. The party goes and gets some gruel and biscuits. The group eats and discuss the chances of meeting pirates on the seas. Vex says the best chances of meeting pirates are in Darcloud. Everyone retires to their quarters.
The 10th of Refrum, 1390 of the Storm Era, Open Ocean Near Darcloud
Moloch wakes up and exercises, Ghesh awakes and says his prayers, Dink wakes and works on his devices and analyzes the attachment device on Runesplitter. Milo wakes and prepares his spells. Vex wakes and goes back to the stern of the ship and stares at the sea. The party goes about their business and lets the day pass by. They are called for lunch and it’s the same fare as the day before.
Later in the day the ship arrives at Darcloud and the party asks Vex where they should go, he says he remembers a tavern here in the harborfront but not the name. Vex recognizes some of the ships as pirate/stolen vessels, though not what their names would be. The party exits the ship and Ghesh finds a drunk dockworker and asks him where he can grab a beverage. The man tells him about the Salty Knave and points it out. Dink throws the man a gold piece.
As they walk in the patrons observe them and Dink overhears some of them mocking Dink. Dink gets angry and goes to approach them. Ghesh holds him back, but after a moment goes and gives the sign of Ava and blesses them. Vex approaches the barkeep and asks him about the Eye of the Sea. He bribes the man with a gold bar and he tells him: The Eye of the Sea? Aye, I’ve heard the tales. A sapphire twice the size of a man’s fist, ragin’ with the fury of the ocean. Folk say it ain’t just a treasure—it’s power itself. The last man said to own it? That’d be Lord Captain Darek Vael’Zarr, the Dread Pirate himself. But Vael’Zarr’s been dead—or lost—longer than I’ve been pourin’ drinks. If he left any clues behind, they’d be in his damned Codex Maelstrom. Blackthorn’s been sniffin’ around. He ain’t just huntin’ for treasure—he’s huntin’ for that book, and if he finds it, he finds whatever Vael’Zarr hid. If you lot are really fool enough to chase this, go talk to Saltbeard Yorrik. He runs Smuggler’s Hollow, and he’s the only man still alive who might know where the Codex’s pages ended up."
Meanwhile Dink and Ghesh play dice with some scoundrels and earn their trust with some dice and gold and they tell them how to access the Smuggler’s Hollow with the passphrase and special knock. He also won an apology for what the man said about Kobo. Meanwhile Moloch goes and shoots darts with some scoundrels. Dink continues to speak to the scoundrel and he tells him about the burning of Weatherdeep.
The party leaves the establishment and they meet up out on the pier and discuss what they learned, they decide to return to the ship and talk there. The group goes to the Smuggler’s Hollow and uses the correct knock and passcode and enter. They find Saltbeard and speak with him. Vex paid him a gold bar to get information and Saltbead Yorrik tells Vex everything he knows, Saltbeard tells them: "Aye, you lot aren’t as thick as you look. And lucky for you, I don’t mind sharin’ a bit of wisdom with those who know how to pay their dues. Blackthorn's got himself the Codex Maelstrom all right, but it ain’t whole. Whoever had it before him ripped out a few pages—pages that held the final resting place of Vael’Zarr and his greatest treasure." He taps his mug against the table. "That’s what Blackthorn’s sniffin’ after. He needs those pages." Now, where’d those pages go? Some say they were lost at sea, but I think different. Not long ago, a shipwreck was found in Dacron Bay, north of Grimside. Matches the descriptions of the Abyssal Reaver—she belonged to one of Vael’Zarr’s right-hand men, Captain Dorian Varn. If those missing pages exist, my bet is they were on that ship when she went under. "Now, here’s where things get tricky. If there’s a man who knows the truth about that wreck, it’s Elias Drae’Vorr, pirate lord of Blackwater Bay. But Elias don’t meet with just anyone. If you want an audience, you need to prove you're worth his time. Two ways to do that. One, you make yourself useful to his people—earn favor with someone in his crew, maybe pick up a job that benefits him. Two, you show up with a prize worthy of his attention. Something valuable. Something he’d want. He’s got a stronghold tucked away in the Shade Docks, but you won’t get past his guards by just knockin’ on the door. You need to make friend’s with someone who can get you in the door.” They ask him about someone who might give a reference, Yorrick says: "That’d be Kordak "Stormchaser" Vahn. He’s a bounty hunter, runs The Broken Compass—the place where sailors go lookin’ for work. Kordak’s got connections with Drae’Vorr, and for the right price, he’ll get you in to see him. But mind you, Kordak don’t work for free. You want him to vouch for you, you’d best be ready to pay up. Either coin… or a favor. Course, you could always storm in, blades drawn, but that’d be a fine way to get yourselves gutted and tossed in the bay. Your call, heroes."
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