NPC's
Captain Sora Piatra: A legendary pirate who plundered the coasts of Khorvaire over 350 years ago.
Jaiem Hawkins: Adolescent pining for adventure. His father was a d'Lyrandar half-elf who abandoned his wife and five-year-old son.
Soranda Hawkins: Jaiem's mother, a human who runs the Benbow Inn.
Dr. Devlin Dawnsquire: Wildhunt shifter, astronomer, and student of the Draconic Prophecy, and professor of the Morgrave University.
Bilius Bones: An old tortle pirate in possession of a docent leading to Sora Piatra's treasure.
Note: Because this adventure follows a pre-established plot structure, parts of it (especially at the beginning) are intentionally railroaded. Give players a heads' up about this beforehand so they know what to expect, and suggest one of them play as Jaiem Hawkins (a central NPC in the adventure) if they want. Once the main plot-hook is established, feel free to allow players to improvise.
In the Lower Callestan district of Sharn, the adventurers meet in the Admiral Ambaar Inn. Sharn is a hot city, hot and muggy with rain. Monkeys and parrots and rats call the towers home as much as humans, elves, dwarves, and others.
The inn is a bustling tavern with an old copper Ghallanda license proudly displayed by the door, run by a beautiful 36-year-old human woman named Soranda Hawkins. The inn hangs precariously over the Cogs like a balcony, and a skysled terminal is located across a skyway bridge nearby. In the evening the streets are crowded, and the sky looks like it will rain soon. Deep in Lower Sharn, the Ambaar Inn is already in shadow.
[Use the Lower Sharn Street Events table on page 241 of Eberron: Rising from the Last War to give color to the scene outside the inn.]
Inside, the inn is warm, comfortable, and clean, with wooden floors and wall paneling, and windows spelled to show scenes of flowered mountain meadows. A bard is telling the tale of Sora Piatra and her crew of bloodthirsty pirates, a sea hag who looted and pillaged across Eberron with terrifying speed almost four hundred years ago. Legend says that her treasure lies buried somewhere in Shargon's Teeth, guarded by bloodthirsty Sahuagin and terrible giants.
[Have each player describe something they see inside, such as some of the patrons, the bard, the decorations, and the type of food their party is served that evening.]
Soranda's son, a young half-elf name Jaiem, is escorted to the door by a pair of the Sharn Watch, who claim he was caught riding a skysled through The Stores warehouse district and frightened some porters. Soranda berates him for his reckless behavior, and after defending himself a bit, he starts helping with patrons and bussing tables. When he gets to the PC's table, he notices they are adventurers. At first he tries to act disinterested, but soon he begs them to tell him stories about their adventures.
[At this point, have each of the PC's introduce themselves and tell what kind of adventure earned them their first class levels, as well as how they know each other]
As they PC's share their stories, the inn gradually quiets down, until they are the only patrons left.
Suddenly, the inn shakes and a loud boom is heard outside. Jaiam rushes out to see what happened. A skysled has crashed right next to the inn, and Jaiem is helping a mortally wounded old tortle with a buccaneer hat and an eyepatch out of the wreckage. Soranda sends a maid to get help from a Jorasco healer.
The tortle says his name is Billy Bones, and he clutches a bag of holding to his chest. Billy Bones hands the bag to Jaiem, and tells him to keep it safe and "beware the tiger!" Before a Jorasco healer can reach the inn, (if the PC's do not intervene), Billy Bones dies.
Note: If the PC's manage to save Billy Bone's life (which should require a bit more effort than a potion of healing or a healing word spell), he can become a valuable asset to the party. He is (to his knowledge) the last surviving crew member of Captain Flint's ship, an excellent sailor, and has valuable underworld connections. However, he cannot operate the map (as it is a Lyrandar focus object), he does not recognize the other pirates when they disguise themselves, and he is too old (323 years old) to be a good combatant. If they save his life, Billy Bones remains cagey about his past, but claims he knows the location of a fabulous treasure, and specifically needs Jaiem's help in finding it.
After any actions the PC's might like to take concerning Billy Bones, and before they can come to any decisions, the inn is attacked by pirates.
Pirate Encounter
2 Gnolls (pg. 163 of the Monster Manual)
1 Half-ogre (pg. 238)
1 Thri-kreen (pg. 268)
5 Bandits (pg. 343)
1 Bandit Captain (pg. 344)
The PC's get a round to roll a Perception check and prepare. Otherwise, two of the bandits enter and immediately start casting fire bolts from their wands when they recognize Billy, shouting "There's the old turtle!" The inn soon catches fire, creating difficult terrain and burning debris each round that combat continues.
In 3 combat rounds, it will be too late to save the inn. On the 4th combat round, a large crack sounds throughout the building, and with a loud groan, the floor begins to sag. Frightened shouts can be heard outside. Anyone still in the building on the 6th round has one last action to try to escape the burning building as it falls below, deep into the underbelly of Sharn.
Jaiem and his mother Soranda will flee out a back door towards the beginning of combat, inviting the PC's to follow them into the central alleys and tunnels of their district. If the PC's stay and fight, one or both will wait for them at an alley entrance. Jaiem and Soranda know their way around this part of the city, and as long as the party follows close behind, they soon lose any pursuers.
Once they get to a safe stopping place away from prying eyes, Jaiem empties the bag of holding by turning it inside out. He finds a 1d8 pieces of Giant gold (worth x5 gp each), a large sapphire, a book labelled the Shepherd's Journal, 20 bolts and a handheld crossbow, two short swords, a crowbar, a hammer, hempen and silk ropes (50 ft each), a waterskin, an everbright torch, a compass, several dried fish snacks, and finally a bronze Lyrandar docent, used to control and steer their elemental galleons.
When Jaiem touches the docent, a glowing dragonmark of indigo and silver blazes across his left forearm, and the docent lights up and projects a holographic map illusion on the side of the nearest building, clearly labeling the location of Skull Island.
Jaiem is incredibly excited and immediately wants to go. He pleads with his mom, saying he can finally fix something instead of mess it up, and that he wants this chance to make things right. She is reluctant, but will eventually consent. She herself will be staying with relatives in Bluespire, a nearby town outside of Sharn.
[At this point, the party has a few things to consider. How are they going to get to Skull Island? Who will be the crew? What supplies will they prepare? Level 1 characters, as this adventure assumes, won't have the gold to hire a Lyrandar airship, or even an elemental galleon.]
Both Jaiem and Soranda are adamant that they not involve the Lyrandar Dragonmarked house, as they've been trying to keep it a secret that Jaiem bears the Mark of the Storm. Jaiem can use the docent to lead them without involving the House. Soranda suggests getting help from her old friend, Dr. Devlin Dawnsquire, a professor at Morgrave University who may be able to finance an expedition.
[Ask the players if their characters would have any contacts they might want to use instead. If they want to make up a contact on the spot, that's fine, as long as it makes sense]
Next: Choosing a crew, a ship, and supplies.
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