The River Journey Begins

Summary of Events (1/29/2025):
11/30/4722

Ahhhh, the open water of a river! That most treacherous of highways!

The morning after the flood, our diminished party—now five instead of six—finally reached the riverboat Cestus at Lepidstadt’s docks. Their mission: sail to Lake Prophyria to find the missing teams and rescue Sweet Back Willie from the Phantom Islands!

But first—drama at the docks!

A crane’s chain snapped! A heavy crate swung toward a young scholar named Marcus! Shining Fist heroically tackled him to safety! The crate shattered, spilling fine women’s clothing and expensive cosmetics!

But the broken crate bore an ill omen symbol—of the village of Kronwald which stood in the shadow of Castle Kronquist! The dock workers refused to touch it! The noble passengers fled, demanding refunds! Supersttious fools!

Kong—ever the entrepreneur—negotiated payment to load the cursed cargo himself. Jotaro examined it closely, discovering someone had scraped off another symbol beneath and replaced it with Castle Kronquist’s mark—the double headed dragon! Most suspicious!

They boarded. Captain Wasserman—a toad-like figure—commanded the ship. The Cestus required no sails! Below deck, wooden automatons crafted from driftwood powered the oars with ceaseless rhythm!

Nadja entertained the crew with song! While her raven familiar Spooky, charmed them further with its antics! The sailors—especially old Vasili—declared her performance a sign of good fortune! Their misgivings about our heroes and voyage all but forgotten, replaced with camaraderie.

The journey commenced! They passed Rabinstein Island with its dark, abandoned manor—site of forbidden experiments and fey corruption if the gossip was to believed! The smell of rotting night-blooming flowers assaulted them as they passed it by!

Then—danger in the water!

As twilight fell near Schloss Caromarc, a pale woman with impossibly green eyes appeared in the river! Her voice sang like wind through reeds!

Come, little birdie
let me take you away
into a land of shiny baubles…

Kong—entranced!—nearly jumped overboard! Jotaro grabbed him, but Kong escaped and leaped into the water anyway! Shining Fist dove after him!

Shakoom magic granted Kong breath so he would nto drown and then cast visions of doom upon the enchantress along with harsh words from Nadja—causing her song faltering! Kong snapped free of her spell! The crew pulled him aboard, warning:

“Don’t look into the water after dark! River fey sing mortals to sleep!”

With Kong saved, but soaked the Cestus sailed on through rain toward Schloss Caromarc. Then—another obstacle!

A massive chain stretched across the river from an abandoned toll tower! The tower hadn’t been manned in fifteen years—not since Count Caromarc died!

Someone had raised it deliberately…