Desnova 18
The PCs break down the folding boat to cross the narrow entrance to the Skorbi river, investigating the purple vortex of light in the small coastal cemetery. They find a trio of winged undead heads that can stun with their shrieks, one of which has oddly human eyes and can also cast dangerous spells, and that creature summons several horrifying spirits from the area, which can also cause great damage or even death with their gaze! Our heroes fight off the bat-creatures, who seem to be searching for something in the graveyard. Amidst a grueling battle, Mockleg manages to dispel the vortex itself, before some larger creature appears to be stepping through. Once defeated, the PCs search the trio of sepulchers at the heart of the small cemetery, and find a green-glowing tiara efirrny that causes their censer to glow!
They put back to river and head and steer back towards nearby Zolovny, arriving to find a strange craft sparking with electricity moored up on the docks, called the Golemeter, but NO signs of the Slack Mallard itself! After investigating, it turns out that their boat, after completion, was hijacked by some flashy rogues (the Lay Blades) who took it downriver and then scuttled it, with Ekaterina on board. Several of the PCs visit the new circus tents that have popped up in Zolovny, something to do with the strange boat, and find more of the large, silent men that crewed it, and an eccentric ringleader named Dr. Flargheist. Nebol'shoy makes a 'friend' after covering the entrance fees of all standing in line, and then the PCs visit the 'oddities' section of the circus tent, where they discover a bunch of strange creatures including a mutated humanoid, a goblin-like being which has been silenced, a magma-dripping bat, among others, one of which (a 'Mr. Hanz') is vacant from its cage, the torch in its tent extinguished.
After watching the impressive electric show in the main tent, the PCs have the opportunity to speak with Flargheist, who lets them know that Mr. Hanz is a dear component of his attraction and he'd love any information about where he might be, and also that he's searching a place called the Lost Isle of Skorbi! A strange coincidence. The PCs head back to sleep at the tents near the river.
Desnova 19
The PCs perform other local activities while they figure out what to do next. Aldren fetches his packages that have arrived from Borgaborsk at the Flapping Salmon, speaking briefly with the dwarf Smoker, and then he also visits the Sallowmoon family to report on the death of Sludd. They don't seem to mind much, but the matron is unavailable. Nebol'shoy visits Old Shard at the Tabernacle, sharing mushrooms in a field. After this bonding experience, Shard asks if Nebol'shoy would one day like to take over the shrine as its tender and become the 'go-to' druid in these parts. Rucia and Bjork visit the remains of the House of Drawn Vails only to find its become the House of Drawn Zippers, a male brothel which has been cleaned up, staffed and run by a leather-clad man named Budi. The PCs later reconnect and decide they will probably take Condor and head south to find whatever happened to the Mallard now that several dangerous parties are after the same Lost Isle.
PCs: Aldren, Bjork, Nebol'shoy, Rucia
NPCS:
Bolgok (human male): Slovenly drunkard with a disheveled beard and unkempt, curling brown hair around a balding head. Takes to Nebol'shoy after the gnome pays for him to enter the electric show at Dr. Flargheist's Canvas of Curiosities in Zolovny.
Budi (human male): Bald, built man wearing scandalous leather vest and shorts, has taken over the House of Drawn Veils from its previous (deceased) owners and turned it into a male brothel instead, now dubbing it the House of Drawn Zippers.
Doctor Flargheist (human? male):
