Session 39: All Frogs Go to Heaven (7/20/25)

Desnova 20

The PCs decide to grab some rations and then take their own folding boat down the Skorbi to locate the stolen Slack Mallard, so they round up Captain Condor so as to eventually have him guide them to their destination. As they are leaving Zolovhny, they notice that Dr. Flargheist's circus is also wrapping up, his silent servants breaking it all down. They decide first to see if Condor's ship was scuttled over on the Jaggerhead Lake. When crossing the coast where they fought the winged creatures in the graveyard, Aldren notices a small primate hiding in the old cracked bell. He ties to communicate with it, to some response, then leaves some food behind for it, hoping it will still be there when he comes back.

They speak with some fishermen to no avail, including one they had met with in Zolovnhy earlier that morning, and then they come across a lone man in a boat who it turns out was dumping the recently slain body of his wife! Rucia makes quick work of the lout, sending him down into the drink. They head towards the Rowers' Point lighthouse to inquire with the Soverat about any sightings of their quarry, to no avail, but they do learn that there have been more sightings of Old Marrow...only smaller! They then decide to swing into Arkany to gather some goods. Nebol'shoy retrieves his spell component from the Silversmith, as well as a silvery, fancy pair of boots for Mockleg, whose process of regeneration has completed and is now whole again! Meanwhile, Aldren also gets Mockleg some more practical boots. Through the city, they notice a prevalence of the small, smoking mice that Bjork was given earlier by the old hag...when inquiring with the locals, there has indeed been an uptick.

They stop back by the graveyard en route to the Skorbi, and Aldren lures the strange animal, a lemure, back to their ship. Nebol'shoys peaks with it and learns that it was held as some sort of captain by pirates or traders and hails from a far-off land. Their initial journey Southwest down the Skorbi doesn't reveal too many clues, so they stop off at Borgaborsk for an evening, staying at the Inn. Bjork visits his minotaur contact at the Smeltworks to craft his piece of Old Marrow into some armor. They are largely undisturbed other than by a snooty dockmaster.

Desnova 21

The following morning they set off back down the Skorbi and eventually find a piece of rigging that is caught in some thorny reeds along the western bank, bobbing in the current. Nebol'shoy goes down to confirm that it is part of the Slack Mallard, and before long they find a little inlet cove where the ship has recently been scuttled into a stagnant pond. Several of the PCs dive into the wreck with Condor, where they are attacked by some sort of giant leeches! After putting the creatures out of their misery, they note that there are some small spears in the mast dripping a purplish ichor, and they hear some banging coming from an airtight barrel. Apparently the strange Mr. Hanz, escapee from Dr. Flargheist's Canvas of Curiosities, has stowed aboard, but hid out of fear of the powerful pirates that took the craft. When asked about Ekaterina, the amorphous individual claims she was taken by some native humanoids that dwell nearby in a swamp fed by the river inlet.

The PCs set out in pursuit after Aldren goes high to scan the area. Captain Condor notes to Nebol'shoy that in order to reach his Lost Isle on time, he will need three components for a ritual: a specific water lily, a river serpent's egg, and blood from a creature whose blood is water. They follow some tributaries to a village of humanoid frogs. Rucia and a few other PCs approach directly by boat, and are led off to a cabin to greet with an elder, while the rest of the party uses stealth to enter on foot. It turns out that the creatures disemboweled the girl and then smoked her in a ritual hookah...causing Rucia and the others to instantly engage! A mass of frog warriors attacks them, led by several spellcasters, and a pair of enormous aberrations they kept in the lake...while the PCs' initial onslaught of magic fells a large number of the native warriors, the fast-leaping adversaries manage to 'catch up' to them...

PCs: Aldren, Bjork, Nebol'shoy, Rucia/Richardt