Date: 03/03/10

XP Awarded: none

Start: The city of Magnimar, early winter.

The next several weeks after the Lord Mayor's dinner party are filled with more invitations to social gatherings and Magnimarian citizens from across the spectrum paying respects. Then rather suddenly, the attention quickly drops off and the party's five minutes of fame are over. The adventurers spend time searching the shops and merchants of Magnimar for equipment and magic, while Gob spends more time at the Stone of the Seers (where he is back in the good graces of the school's Master Nivlandis). Shalelu and Garrick head out into the cold waters of the Mushfens for some survival and tracking practice, feeling too enclosed within the crowded streets of the city.

One morning, a gilded carriage arrives in the courtyard of the party's townhouse, and a smartly dressed squire knocks on the door to announce an invitation to speak with Lord Phelan Escelant, effective immediately. Kiria informs the rest of the party that the Escelants are one of the most powerful noble families in Magnimar, and the adventurers quickly get dressed in their finery for the visit. The carriage rides through the crowded morning streets towards Escelant Manor in Magnimar's Alabaster district, with liveried footmen clearing passage for the well-recognized carriage. The carriage speeds through the normally closed golden gates piercing the marble-inlaid walls and ascends the wide, tree- and statuary-lined avenues to a huge, white manorhouse overlooking the Gulf of Varisia from atop the Fogwall cliffs.

A young servant leads the party through palatial rooms to an airy conservatory with breathtaking views. A few minutes later a woman in a chain shirt enters with a well-dressed man, and he introduces himself as Phelan Escelant and the woman as the head of his security forces, Felia. Kiria recognizes Phelan as the family patriarch and one of the leading legislators on Magnimar's Council of Ushers. He explains that the Southstar, a ship carrying his son and heir Valorio Escelant, has been driven aground by a winter storm in Sog's Bay near Sandpoint. He would like the party to listen to Felia's rescue plan and decide if they will join the effort.

Felia steps forward and clears her throat. In a commanding tone, she outlines a plan involving an expeditionary force of well over 100 men combing through the area around Sog's Bay. Kiria, familiar with the sucking mud and tangled undergrowth of the Brinestump Marsh surrounding Sog's Bay, clearly sees the unworkable nature of the plan and suggests an alternative plan to Lord Escelant. He says the party will sail to Sandpoint and personally search the area for the ship and any survivors, and that the group's familiarity with the region and smaller size will give them an important advantage in speed. Phelan ponders this for a moment, then dismisses Felia in order to discuss details with the party. As the head of the security forces leaves, she gives Kiria a cold glare.

Lord Escelant offers the party three thousand gold pieces if they return his son to him safely. He offers the party the use of the Stormwolf, the fastest ship in his fleet, and gives the party a tour of his manor house while waiting for the ship's captain to arrive. Soon the tall, fierce-looking northman appears and says that it should take ten hours of sailing to reach Sandpoint in good weather. Captain Hagrak tells the party to meet at the docks an hour before sunrise to get an early start on the journey, and the adventurers leave Escelant manor to return to their townhouse.

The next morning the party meets in the cold, windy, rainy streets of Dockway to board the Stormwolf, lurching uneasily alongside the pier. Captain Hagrak ushers them onboard, and soon the sleek longship is pulling out of Magnimar's harbor. Skirting the stony bases of toppled pillars beyond the abrupt end of the Irespan - now little more than barren islets - the ship picks up speed in the strong winds and choppy surf. The coastline slips rapidly by, but each time the ship tops a crest and slams back down into the water, Gob turns a slightly greener shade. Soon he's hanging his head over the ship's side, and the rest of his travelling companions aren't having a much better time due to the lack of shelter in the open boat.

The journey is rough, and intermittent sleet soaks the crew through to the bone. Because of the heavy seas, Captain Hagrak explains that he's got to alter his course to maintain a safe distance from the shore and the many submerged obstacles that litter the area. As the grey daylight quickly fades into dusk and then nightfall, he tells the party that they won't be able to sail into Sog's Bay to scout for the ship wreckage after all. An hour later the Stormwolf makes a rough but safe nighttime landing on the gravel beachfront of Sandpoint. Gob splashes ashore and eagerly hugs a soaking rock, happy to be safe on land once again. The party heads straight to the Rusty Dragon and find their friend Ameiko in the commons room. She appears to be in much better condition than the last time the party saw her, and she clears a space by the roaring fire for the dripping adventurers.

The party has mostly dried out by the time Sheriff Hemlock enters the Rusty Dragon. After a warm greeting, the group finds an isolated table to talk. Sheriff Hemlock explains that due to the poor weather, no rescue teams are willing to enter the Brinestump Marsh. He also mentions that there have been reports of enormous wolves stalking the moors during this unusually early and cold winter. The party discusses their plans to leave for the marsh the next morning, and Sheriff Hemlock takes his leave. Kiria suggests the group go visit the Hagfish to see if any of the fishermen there might have good advice about the ship's location, and the party again ventures out into the stormy night.

The adventurers enter the crowded Hagfish down by the waterfront and the friendly owner Jargie calls out for a free round of drinks for them. The crowd seems happy to see them, but haven't got any information about the shipwreck. After one more drink the group return to the Rusty Dragon to find a grizzled trapper telling tall tales around the hearth. He tells a story about Old Megus the Swamp Witch, and how he almost lost a leg to one of her pet alligators.