Session 26: What’s Up With the Water
Recap
The party had three days before Petra delivers the custom weapons. You went back to the Coconut Grove Inn where you ordered a meal and chatted with the locals. From Mayor Barnaby you learned that:
- Three ships wrecked in the past ten days. The merfolk have been unusually aggressive. The mayor thinks all the issues have to do with whatever’s in the jungle, but Brem, a Canopy Porter, thinks it has more to do with the sea.
- River trade from Belleville is effectively dead. Mayor Barnaby is losing his mind about it.
- Something changed in the water about two weeks ago. Local fishermen report hearing what they describe as a vibration or humming sound.
The party learn that Pip Knotwell, the dock master, may have some information about the strange sound disturbing the Merfolk and disrupting trade. They also meet a very pompous priest of the One God, and a halfling woman knitting a thneed.
In the Morning
After an interesting evening at the Coconut Grove, the party headed to bed. In the morning you awake to the smell of eggs, bacon, and fresh bread. Cassidy Wren, the innkeeper, has breakfast laid out for you.
Plans for the Day
Talk to Pip Knotwell
Pip Knotwell is exactly what you’d expect from a harbor official who’s seen too much: practical, slightly frazzled, talks fast when nervous. He’s been awake two nights running.
“Oh — oh good, you’re still in town. Listen, I don’t — I don’t usually bother folks with dock business, that’s not — but you’ve heard the humming, yeah? Everyone’s heard the humming. The merfolk won’t come within a hundred yards of the breakwater anymore, and Old Thessaly’s cousin says the eels are swimming in lines. Lines! Eels don’t do lines.”
He kneels and flips open the crate. Inside is a corroded brass-and-coral buoy, clearly old, clearly not one of Belleville’s. Barnacles in strange radial clusters. A faint blue-green luminescence pulses from a crack in its housing — on a rhythm.
“Pulled this up in the net of the Gull’s Mercy two weeks back. Thought it was junk till it started doing that. It’s not random. I had my nephew — he’s clever, reads a lot — clock it. Same pattern every time. S: … three short A: .- one short one long, B: -… one long three short, L: .-.. one short one long two short, E: . one short.”
If the party investigates (Arcana, Investigation, or a relevant background check):
“I’d have tossed it back but the humming’s gotten worse since we hauled it up. Worse, and closer. So either that thing’s calling something… or it’s been keeping something quiet, and we just turned the volume up.”
- The pattern doesn’t match any nautical signal code they know
- A successful check might reveal the buoy isn’t transmitting outward — it’s relaying something inward, amplifying a signal from somewhere offshore.
The interruption — combat hook:
Right as the party is examining the buoy, the water at the end of the dock churns violently. The humming spikes — loud enough to feel in the teeth.
| BRINE STALKER huge monstrosity, unaligned Armor class 16 Hit points 161 Speed 10ft, swim 60ft STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 22 (+6) 15 (+2) 20 (+5) 3 (-4) 12 (+1) 6 (-2) Saving throws Dex +6, Con +9, Wis +5 Skills Perception +5 Damage resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from nonmagical attacks Senses blindsight 60ft., passive Perception 15 Languages NA Challenge 8 (3900 XP) Discordant aura. At the start of each of the stalker’s turns, each creature within 15 ft. of it that can hear must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution save or have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the start of its next turn. Actions Multiattack. The stalker makes one bit attack and one tale attack. Bite. Melee weapon attack: +10 to hit, reach 15 ft. , one target. Hit: 20 (3d8+6) piercing damage. Tail. Melee weapon attack: +10 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d10 +6) bludgeoning damage. If the target is larger or smaller, it must succeed on a DC 18 STR save or be knocked prone. Discordant Thrash. The stalker slams the dock or nearby structure. Each creature within 15 feet must make a DC 18 DEX save, taking 21 (6d6) bludgeoning damage and falling prone on a failure, or half damage and no fall on success. | NEEDLEFISH small monstrosity (aquatic), unaligned Armor Class 13 Hit Points 18 (4d6+4) Speed 5 ft., swim 40 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 1 (–5) 10 (+0) 3 (–4) Skills Perception +2 Senses blindsight 30 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages — Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Discordant Skitter. As a bonus action, if it starts its turn within 5 ft. of open water, the needlefish can fling itself up to 15 ft. to an unoccupied space it can see. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks from the creature it lands next to. Actions Bite. Melee weapon attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. (10 ft. when using Discordant Skitter to leap at a target), one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage. |
“Right. Right, okay. That’s — that’s new. I don’t get paid enough for that to be new. Look, I don’t know what that thing was answering to, but I know I don’t want to find out by leaving it on my dock. Whatever you lot are into — quests, monsters, whatever — I think this buoy just became your problem. I’ll pay what I can for someone to take it somewhere far from my harbor.”
Shopping
The Hanging Garden
- NPC: Xochi, a gentle Firbolg with colorful orchids woven into their mossy hair. Xochi speaks softly and is always misting the plants.
| Item | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Glow-Moss Basket | 5 sp | A woven hanging basket filled with bioluminescent moss. Emits a soft, greenish light in a 10-foot radius. Must be misted daily. |
| Pitcher-Catcher Plant | 2 gp | A small, potted carnivorous plant that actively snaps at and catches annoying jungle insects like mosquitoes. |
| Sap of the Ironwood | 5 gp | A small vial of thick, amber resin. When smeared on a wooden object, it grants it the durability of iron for 1 hour. |
2. Vine & Line Outfitters
- NPC: Brissa “Three-Toes” Thorpe, a weathered Halfling rogue who retired from swinging through the trees after a nasty fall. She smells like hemp and sap.
| Item | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Canopy Harness | 3 gp | A sturdy leather and rope harness designed to keep climbers secured to safety lines while navigating the high branches. |
| Silk-Vine Rope (50 ft) | 10 gp | Lighter and stronger than standard hempen rope, woven from rare jungle vines. Grants advantage on checks to tie secure knots. |
| Spiked Tree-Grips | 2 gp | Strap-on iron spikes for boots and gloves. Adds a +1 bonus to Athletics checks made to climb living trees. |
3. The Feathered Nest
- NPC: Krr’k, a flamboyant Kenku who mimics the sounds of exotic birds to get customers’ attention. He wears a cloak made entirely of discarded parrot feathers.
| Item | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Exotic Plumage | 1 sp – 5 gp | A wide variety of brightly colored feathers used for fashion, quills, or fletching arrows. |
| Macaw Messenger Whistle | 8 sp | A clay whistle that perfectly mimics the call of a local macaw, used by locals to signal across the canopy. |
| Hat of the Canopy Cockatoo | 15 gp | Magical. A flamboyant, feathered tricorn hat. Once per day, the wearer can cast Feather Fall on themselves, but they must loudly squawk like a terrified bird during the entire descent. |
4. Canopy Crunchies
- NPC: Bram, a hyperactive Goblin chef who manipulates heavy woks over a suspended, well-insulated charcoal brazier.
| Item | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dried Banana Chips | 2 cp | A small pouch of sun-dried, honey-glazed banana slices. High energy trail food. |
| Roasted Grubs on a Stick | 5 cp | A skewered trio of plump palm grubs, seasoned with spicy jungle peppers. Surprisingly nutty and crunchy. |
| Suicide-Pepper Jerky | 5 sp | Strips of dried boar meat cured with the hottest peppers in the canopy. Requires a DC 12 Constitution save to eat without crying and losing your voice for 10 minutes. |
5. The Thirsty Toucan
- NPC: Malia, a cheerful Half-Elf barkeep who operates a stall built into a massive, hollowed-out gourd suspended between two branches.
| Item | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Fermented Coconut Milk | 4 cp | A refreshing, mildly alcoholic beverage served in its original shell. |
| Monkey-Fruit Nectar | 1 sp | A thick, sweet, neon-pink juice that provides a massive sugar rush. |
| The Tree-Toppler Ale | 5 sp | A heavy, dark brew made from fermented roots. Tastes like dirt and molasses, but hits like a falling log. |
6. Sunder & Sap Weaponry
- NPC: Korag, an unusually calm Half-Orc smith who uses a unique, low-heat forge fueled by volcanic coals brought up from the island’s floor.
| Item | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Obsidian Dagger | 3 gp | A beautifully knapped blade of volcanic glass. Incredibly sharp, but if you roll a natural 1 on an attack roll, the blade shatters. |
| Blowgun & Dart Quiver | 6 gp | A polished bamboo blowgun accompanied by a quiver of 20 wooden darts. |
| Chameleon Leather Armor | 120 gp | Magical. Soft leather armor treated with the oils of a giant chameleon. It changes color to match the surrounding jungle foliage, granting a +1 bonus to Stealth checks made in the canopy. |
7. The Curiosity Cocoon
- NPC: Madame Zola, a mysterious Tiefling with wide, unblinking eyes who claims to read futures in the patterns of moth wings.
| Item | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Perfectly Round River Rock | 1 sp | A completely smooth, gray stone. Madame Zola insists it possesses “immense grounding energy,” but it is just a very nice rock. |
| Monkey-Paw Backscratcher | 2 gp | A dried, taxidermied monkey paw attached to a bamboo stick. Cursed. It provides an incredibly satisfying scratch, but every time you use it, a minor, highly inconvenient itch develops somewhere else on your body 10 minutes later. |
| Vial of Jungle Mist | 50 gp | Magical. A sealed glass jar containing swirling grey fog. When broken, it replicates the effects of the Fog Cloud spell centered on the broken jar for 1 minute. |
8. Bark & Bite Apothecary
- NPC: Dr. Thaddeus Finch, a human wearing a plague doctor mask filled with dried mint leaves to ward off “jungle miasma.” He is highly paranoid about tropical diseases.
| Item | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Antidote Salve | 5 gp | A bitter, green paste made from boiled roots. Applying it grants advantage on saving throws against jungle poisons for 1 hour. |
| Leech-in-a-Jar | 1 sp | A plump, medicinal leech. Good for extracting venom, bloodletting, or just keeping as a very low-maintenance pet. |
| Mosquito-B-Gone Incense | 3 sp | A stick of pungent, smoky incense. Keeps mundane insects away from a 10-foot radius for 2 hours. Tastes terrible if it gets in your mouth. |
9. The Weaver’s Web
- NPC: Arak, a quiet, multi-limbed Thri-Kreen (or an enterprising Elf using a loom) who works with silk harvested from giant canopy spiders.
| Item | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Spider-Silk Hammock | 4 gp | An incredibly lightweight, compact hammock that can be folded into a pocket. Dries instantly and can hold up to 500 pounds. |
| Gossamer Veil | 1 gp | A delicate, breathable face covering that filters out heavy pollen, spore clouds, and dust. |
| Glider Cloak | 75 gp | Magical. A cloak woven from fine silk and rigid bamboo ribs. If you fall from the canopy, you can use your reaction to deploy the cloak, allowing you to glide horizontally 2 feet for every 1 foot you fall. It does not stop vertical damage if you hit a wall. |
10. Tik-Tok’s Trinkets
- NPC: Tik-Tok, a rusted, malfunctioning Warforged who was abandoned in the jungle decades ago. He thinks he is a biological native and speaks of the trees as his “ancestors.”
| Item | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Petrified Wood Carving | 5 sp | A small, heavy figurine of a canopy beast carved from wood that turned to stone eons ago. |
| The “Infinite” Matchbox | 1 gp | A small brass box containing a single match. Humorous. The match never burns out, but it can only be lit by striking it against another already-lit match. |
| Compass of the Lost | 10 gp | A brass compass where the needle spins wildly in circles whenever you are actively lost, and points directly to the nearest tavern when you aren’t. |
Visit the Library
The Ledger-Keeper
Common knowledge (no check): Old debts don’t expire. Folk tales warn against shaking hands with strangers who don’t blink, and against thanking anyone three times in a row — three thanks is said to be a contract.
Investigation/History DC 12: A shelf of contract law and Fey etiquette references the “Notary of the First Age” obliquely — never by true name, only by titles like the Collector of Debts. One marginal note in a 200-year-old ledger reads (paraphrased, not direct quote) that he doesn’t take what’s owed by force — he simply waits, and waiting is its own kind of leverage.
DC 16 or a relevant background (Fey heritage, criminal contacts, a deal-making NPC ally): A restricted or hidden text reveals the real danger: he can’t be cheated by breaking a bargain, only by fulfilling it in a way the other party never anticipated. This is good breadcrumb material if you want the party to eventually out-clever him rather than out-fight him.
The Deep Choir
Common knowledge: Sailors avoid certain stretches of water where you can “hear the choir” on still nights. Considered very bad luck. Older folk say covering your ears does nothing — the song isn’t heard with ears.
Investigation/Religion DC 13: Texts on regional cults mention the Choir’s structure in careful, frightened language — Initiates, the Resonant, and the Riven, the last of whom are spoken about only in past tense, as if becoming one means you stop existing as a person. A few practical notes: salt circles and silver don’t ward against the Choir’s influence; only distance and silence do.
DC 17, Arcana/Religion, or access to a restricted archive: A heavily annotated text links the Choir’s hymn structure to tidal patterns and lunar cycles — useful if you want to telegraph when the next surge of Choir activity (or your buoy’s pulsing) is likely to happen, building dread on a timer.
The Pirate Council
Common knowledge: Pegport doesn’t have laws, but it has the Council — an informal, shifting group of captains who settle disputes by something between a vote and a duel. Nobody’s quite sure how someone gets a seat.
Investigation DC 12: Town records (what little exist) suggest seats aren’t elected or inherited — they’re taken, and the only rule is that a sitting member can’t be challenged twice in the same season.
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