General Summary

Serenity's Vanguard has been dispatched to the Isle of Moncor to investigate the whereabout of missing heroes, and bring peace back to the land.
After 3 days of travel via their airship, the party had arrived at the island during a torrential downpour. Due to the thick foliage and uneven ground, they were forced to dock on the beach- and trek through the heavy rain and terrain.
But thanks to Novel understanding in this mountainous terrain and Iliren's keen eye, the party was able to spot the frontier village and navigate through the tropical terrain without any nasty surprises lurking in wait. As they marched further inland, they noticed the sky was a murky red over the frontier.
The village seemed deserted when they arrived, if not for the lights within some homes they would have easily believed that the frontier had fallen. Homes are in shackles, and the asphalt road is nothing more than a muddied dirt road. The only sign of life was the flickering light of the tavern called The Hermit.
The team decided to SPLIT UP?! and search for clues. Joshua and Novel opted to investigate around the town, while Masami, Silas and Iliren would gather info from the Tavern locals.

Team A (The Tavern team)

met mayor Orsob- a triton man who runs the tavern as a community hub. He informs the party that there haven't been much trade on the isle since the dragons razed Caelesti Corpore. Spirits are low in the frontier and people rarely leave their confines now. The village was a speck of what it used to be.
When asked about the missing heroes, he appeared anxious. He hadn't seen the heroes since they left to investigate the black pool of icker that ruined their fishing spots on the island, corrupting everything it touches. Ever since it appeared no one has been able to fish and they were forced to only eat what produce they have left.
When asked about the dragon, he seemed dismissive of it- frightened even- and changed topics to the Sahuagin issue. The local Sahuagin usually kept to themselves, but they've been active as of late. He's heard that they'd been demanding of the townsfolk- the people believe they're preparing for a ritual and it got them scared. Mayor Orsob claimed the black icker was the more dire issue to solve. They can tell he did not believe they could defeat the dragon, but remained hopeful that they could remove the black icker so that people could work again.
Mayor Orsob wasn't sure why the sky turned red. After the town turned for the worst, the sky turned red. Some thought it was due to the dragons, while others believe it is a sign of the end. Silas and Masami both gave a generous tip for the information to aid the business and inspire hope. A hope that the people were scared to believe in.

Meanwhile, Team B (The wildling team)

searched about the town. Noting the lack of maintenance the houses, some roofs are damaged from the continuous downpour. It would take a few hundred gold just to repair the frontier to be in good condition. Something that the people could not easily afford and would take months- if not a year to do so.
Upon their investigation, they came across a desiccated patch of farm. Curious, they went to the neighboring farmhouse to inquire about farm. Except there was no response. But answers wait for no one- thus the dynamic duo put their heads together to break down the door and enter.... an abandoned home?
The two searched the home, finding layers of dust on furniture and the floor. No one was living there for some time. Novel had found the farmer's ledger, pertaining information on the amount of crops harvested and about it's desecration.

• Journal Entry 1:
The farm is destroyed. The earth was salted, making it difficult to grow plants. It is strange... destroy the farm and then salt it?

• Journal Entry 2:
I done a thorough investigation of my farm. It is as I feared, the amount of plants destroyed doesn't match the amount of produce destroyed. This wasn't a raze- someone purposely stole my produce, and covered it up as an act of violence. They thought they could fool me, but no one fools Jaren!

• Journal Entry 3:
I have suspicions of the the culprit. Could be the Sahuagin, or someone in the frontier. I'll confront them about it- they need to know I don't fear them!

The last entry was dated exactly 2 weeks ago. The same time where the heroes was last seen. Novel and Joshua decided to investigate the destroyed crops to find what little clues remain. Unfortunately, too much time had passed, and the torrential downpour made the ground muddy, making any remaining track incomprehensible.

Meeting Kima'ii

The group reconvened at The Hermit to trade pieces of information to solve the puzzle. Upon their conversation, a prying triton woman named Kima'ii was eavesdropping on their conversation and wanted to tell them what really was happening in the town.
Meeting her outside, behind The Hermit in secret- and away from prying eyes. She informs the party that a large teal dragon rules over this island. Everyone is too scared to do anything about it and just wants to live. She tells the group she's been tailing the dragon and believes to know where it resides and wishes to take them to it!
The group discussed their options and ultimately decided to investigate the black pools first. Kima'ii had other duties to attend to first, and would rendezvous back in the village later in the day. She was willing to scout ahead to make sure it's there.

The Taboo Fishing Pool...

Thus, Serenity's Vanguard marched east towards the fishing camp through the torrential rain and hazardous path. Thanks to Novel, they were able to avoid any dangerous environmental mishaps. For hours they marched, and a thick fog with a similar color as the sky rolled in that obscured their vision, along with a foul smell of rotting flesh.
Silas used Detect Magic and was afflicted with a horrendous migraine. The fog was magical- but in a sense of otherworldly evil. As if the magic itself was twisted and corrupted. Not from this world, nor should it be. The team prepared for a fight- and sure enough a fight awaited them.
Upon finding the fishing camp, where the heroes were last seen, they were attacked by one of the missing heroes! Except... he's undead?! Thanks to proper preparation, the team weren't caught off guard by the sudden attack.
However, during the conflict, a crate fell over, and a swarm of maggots came out swarming Masami. The fight was foul, disgusting and quick. With Novel speaking persuading the maggots to leave Masami alone, and the party putting the undead hero to rest.
Upon further inspection, Masami determines that the hero wasn't killed, but drowned to death. A good 2 weeks ago at that. But as she uncovers that truth, Joshua went scouting ahead on the shoreline and found the pool of black icker...and with it...hostile otherworldly creatures.
The group rushed down to aid Joshua against the assault of the other drowned heroes and estrange tentacled aliens that emerged from the pool. The fight proved difficult due to the heavy fog, but Serenity's Vanguard prevailed through coordination!

---

What happened to these heroes?
Just what is this black icker?
And what else is in store for our heroes?
Find out next time in the next episode of Vanguards of Serenity!

Items Secured:
Assassin's Dagger
Assassin's Hand crossbow
Leather
Healing potion (x3)
Potion of Climbing
Spell Scroll: Sleep
Turquoise Crystals with etched religious sigils (x9)

Report Date

14 Mar 2022

Episode Run time:
Approx. 5 hours
Characters Met:
Hope WindGlade (Human Man)
Mayor Orsob (Triton Man)
Kima'ii (Triton Woman)