Gather ‘round, friends, and lend your ears to the tale of the Brazen Pegasus and the motley crew of adventurers who were united by a singular purpose. In our last chronicle, we witnessed the harrowing Fall of Zaldara Cordress, where our heroes emerged not unscathed but wiser and more resolute. Now, as dawn kissed the horizon with hues of gold and crimson, these brave souls converged upon Baldur’s Gate Port, each drawn not by their own mysterious threads of fate but by a mission of grave importance.
Their journey to the Brazen Pegasus was a pivotal moment, set in motion by accepting a crucial mission from Syndra Silvane. She had unraveled the mystery behind the Death Curse that was afflicting the lands, linking it to a malevolent artifact known as The Soulmonger. Armed with her extensive knowledge and resources, Syndra had successfully pinpointed the artifact’s location within the treacherous jungles of Chult. It was this urgent quest that called our adventurers to embark on the storied sloop, the Brazen Pegasus, as they braced for a perilous expedition with the potential to alter the destiny of their world.
As they neared the dock, the vessel that awaited them was a marvel—a wooden figurehead in the likeness of a majestic pegasus adorned its prow, its paint shimmering in tones that melded copper with brass.
Captain Ortimay Swift and Dark was not at her usual post at the helm but stood firmly on the dock. Her skin was dark and tanned, testament to years spent under the sun and against the salt water. She wore a tricorne hat perched above a bandana, with a battered coat that marked her as the captain she was.
Flanking her were two imposing figures: a towering humanoid hippo and a serene yet equally tall turtle-like creature, both exuding an air of strength and calm. As each adventurer stepped forward, Captain Swift greeted them not from above but from firm ground with a knowing nod; their arrival was expected, all part of the arrangement made with Syndra Silvane.
The Brazen Pegasus was a ship of open decks and tarps rigged for shade. Sailors sprawled across the planks in slumber when weather permitted, their snores mingling with the creaks of wood and the murmur of waves. As our adventurers boarded and exchanged greetings, sharp-eyed Corema Sabugueiro observed an unusual negotiation unfold. A trio of finely dressed humans engaged in a persistent haggle with Captain Ortimay, their offers escalating from a mere 50 gold pieces to 100, then 200, climbing to 500, and finally reaching a desperate bid of 1000 gold pieces. When even this hefty sum didn’t sway the captain, they offered an obscene sum of 2000 gold pieces. Despite initial reluctance, such wealth proved irresistible; the captain acquiesced.
As our adventurers became acquainted with the ship and began to navigate its confines, they found that below deck lay Captain Ortimay’s quarters and cargo hold, alongside a communal space for sustenance and rest. However, the area was currently in a state of disarray, with sailors diligently removing the captain’s possessions from her quarters to make room for their wealthy new passengers.
Amid this hustle, three items were given particular attention and watched over with utmost care: two simple wooden boxes and one ornate chest. These chests were guarded at all times by a member of the ship’s crew, who alternated roughly every 4 hours, protecting them as though they contained treasures far greater than mere gold.
As nights fell upon the Pegasus and Selûne shed her light over the salty waters, intrigue brewed under starlit skies. The crew shared tales and shanties, their voices mingling while the silent humanoid hippo spent almost all night in the upper deck, looked like he was utterly fascinated with the celestial dance above.
As night descended upon the Pegasus, the moon Selûne cast her glow over the sea, setting the stage for a night filled with mystery. The crew engaged in lively storytelling and singing shanties, their voices blending into the night air. Meanwhile, a silent humanoid hippo figure spent the entire evening on the upper deck, captivated by the stars twinkling in the sky.
As a couple of days passed, our adventurers, driven by both curiosity and the prospect of uncovering valuable secrets, were drawn to the enigmatic cargo and the wealthy passengers aboard. Their intrigue went beyond simple curiosity; they were also concerned about the potential implications for their voyage. They tried various covert methods to uncover these secrets—stealth, dexterity, shapeshifting and other kinds of magic—but all their attempts were foiled by powerful protective spells surrounding the captain’s quarters. It was within this room that the answers to their questions and the treasures they coveted were securely hidden.
One night aboard the ship, the our heroes experienced an eerie occurrence that left them baffled. A sudden and inexplicable infestation of fire ants swarmed the vessel, covering the deck in a writhing carpet of red and black. The crew watched in horror and astonishment as the tiny invaders enveloped everything in sight. However, as quickly as they had appeared, the ants vanished without a trace within minutes, as if they were never there.
The strange event left an unsettling atmosphere hanging over the ship. Later that same night, Thalia Nightshade found herself almost alone on the lower deck, her thoughts preoccupied with gaining access to either the containers or the captain’s cabin. She could hear the rhythmic sounds of the sea, punctuated only by the occasional snores of resting sailors. Then in one moment, she noticed Captain Ortimay approaching.
Thalia engaged in small talk with the captain. However, as their conversation unfolded, Thalia sensed that something was terribly amiss. It was difficult to discern if she was fully awake or caught in some lucid nightmare. When Captain Ortimay’s eyes met hers, a hideous transformation began. The captain’s skin started to slough off in grotesque strips, hanging like tattered cloth from what now resembled a skeletal frame.
With each layer that peeled away, Captain Ortimay’s laughter grew louder and more unhinged. The sound of her cackle reverberated through Thalia’s mind and seemed to resonate from every corner of the ship, turning the night’s eerie stillness into a haunting echo chamber of madness. That night, Thalia found no rest, yet she shrugged off her fatigue and embraced the challenges of her day.
On the fourth day of the journey, as they were entering the Asavir’s Channel of the Nelanther Isles, a place known for its several small islands and rocky formations, the crew found themselves amidst an unusual and dense fog—especially strange for this time of year, the spring. Forced to slow down due to the treacherous terrain and reduced visibility, they were suddenly ambushed amidst fog-shrouded waters notorious for danger.
Out of nowhere, the fog that had taken minutes to envelop their ship, the Pegasus, vanished almost instantly. The source of this sudden change was a simple pendant with a light grey rock that hung around the neck of a sea devil, a sorceress of the sea —a fish-like monstrous humanoid. Skinny, tall, and green-skinned holding a staff topped with a clump of mussels. Her tattered rags and unkempt, smelly, greasy appearance gave the impression she had just emerged from the depths. Seaweed clung to her clothing as if it were part of her attire.
However, it was not just her presence that was threatening. Beside her stood someone even more imposing: a tall, built, tan human male with a bald head and a black beard flecked with grey. His simple attire was offset by a necklace adorned with numerous shark teeth. This man greeted Ortimay as though they were old friends, yet the atmosphere was anything but friendly. With an authoritative air, he introduced himself, “I am Captain Elok Jaharwon. We are here for all your valuables. You may keep your equipment and your lives if you cooperate immediately!” His ship loomed large nearby, at least three timesthe size of the Pegasus, bristling with pirates armed to the teeth and ready for plunder.
Captain Ortimay, outnumbered and outarmed, stood in a tempest of fury and resignation as she relinquished her treasures to the rag-clad dwarf amidst Jaharwon’s crew. Her voice, a whisper tinged with desperation, cut through the tension: “Please… we need this… Aremag.”
Meanwhile, the adventurers braced themselves, unyielding in the face of adversity. Thalia, with a steely gaze, poised to unleash a maelstrom from her bow, fingers dancing eagerly on the taut string. At her side, Corema called forth the power of nature to aid in their defense. To the untrained eye, the deck was merely a stage for conflict, but Corema’s keen senses caught sight of fire ants amassing with unusual haste. She reached out to them with hushed words and promises of sustenance, enlisting the ants as allies in their struggle.
As Corema orchestrated her tiny army towards their foes, she sensed an unsettling disturbance. Amidst the chaos, an unseen force seemed to vie for control over the ants, its influence eerily mirroring Corema’s own manipulations. This mysterious presence added another layer of complexity to the unfolding battle. However, bolstered by a newfound strength, Corema’s will appeared to be the dominant force… this time.
While Jaharwon and his fish-like sorceress ally were engulfed in a seething mass of fire ants, Corema, with an almost frenzied enthusiasm, dashed toward the aquatic enchantress in a desperate attempt to snatch her pendant. For a brief second, Corema’s eyes gleamed with an unhinged desire, as if she were out of her mind. Meanwhile, almost two dozen pirates had their weapons trained on her, poised and waiting for the signal to unleash a deadly volley that would likely spell doom for Corema. But despite her fervent eagerness, her actions failed to match her intent. In a moment that achieved nothing but drawing the ire of the sea devil and sowing perplexity and confusion among the pirates, Corema’s attempt to grab the pendant ended in failure.
Amidst the chaos that teetered on the knife-edge between victory and defeat, Mealltair employed his cunning to its fullest potential, creating a pivotal turning point in the battle. His impeccable imitation of Jaharwon’s voice was not merely a trick but a life-saving intervention. At that critical juncture, where the line between life and death hung precariously thin, Mealltair’s guile induced the pirates to lower their weapons. Without his timely actions, two dozen pirates would have undoubtedly unleashed a deadly volley upon them, an act that would have led to their inevitable demise.
That’s when our heroes attacked, standing alone as the entire Brazen Pegasus crew watched passively, only stirring into action when their vessel suffered damage. Battle ensued—a dance of spells, steel, and cunning.
Our four champions stood resolute against overwhelming odds. Zermos, using his magic and telekinetic capabilities to the fullest, pushed and pulled pirates with such force that some were sent tumbling into the sea. Thalia, with her bow, took precise aim at the pirate leader, Captain Elok Jaharwon. She unleashed a barrage of arrows that inflicted grievous wounds until he finally fell into the ocean. Meanwhile, Corema unleashed nature’s fury with an ice spell that targeted a single pirate and exploded, sending shards of ice flying and knocking down many of their foes at once.
As the sea sorceress, severely wounded by the ants, posed little challenge, it collapsed lifelessly onto the floor of the Brazen Pegasus. In that instant, a frenzy erupted as two dozen pirates launched a ferocious assault. They attacked at once, unleashing a hailstorm of bolts, arrows, and bullets towards our heroes. It was in this chaos that Mealltair’s moment to shine arose once again. With remarkable prowess, he managed to draw almost all the shots to his shield, sparing many of his companions from what would have been certain death.
The nature of this shield—whether it be a blessing or a curse—remains to be seen. However, on this day, Mealltair’s magically enhanced defense, a combination of the shield’s power and protective spells, was just enough to turn the tide and save our heroes from being overwhelmed.
Buoyed by a string of successes peppered with the occasional setback in their skirmishes against the pirates, our heroes grew increasingly audacious. Their confidence surged as some of them deftly maneuvered from one ship to another, intent on ending the bloody fray that had ensnared them. However, amidst this daring display, a mishap occurred; Zermos, in an attempt to jump and climb aboard the other ship, misjudged his skills and fell into the ocean’s churning waters.
It was during this climactic dance of battle, now tinged with urgency due to Zermos’s fall, that Thalia found herself on the pirate vessel. Her eyes widened as she witnessed pirates hauling a boar from the ocean’s depths with a coarse rope net. The boar bore distinctive wounds identical to those she had inflicted upon Captain Elok Jaharwon, and a chilling realization dawned on her — something was deeply amiss.
Thalia sprang into action without hesitation, her resolve unshakable in the face of the daunting anomaly before her. She delivered a lethal strike, one that would have felled any lesser creature teetering on the brink of death. Yet, despite the blood that gurgled from its wounds, the boar, with an inconceivable reservoir of strength even in its injured state, charged at Thalia with ferocious might. The beast’s momentum was unstoppable, and it barreled into her with such force that she was sent tumbling away, alongside the pirate crew. The impact was devastating, nearly claiming Thalia’s life.
In that critical moment, Corema made her ascent onto the pirate’s boat, her faithful owl Pip soaring by her side. They arrived just in time to aid Thalia. With their combined magical prowess, they worked swiftly to heal Thalia’s grievous wounds, breathing new life into her battered form and granting her a fighting chance amidst the chaos.
As Corema and Pip intervened, the tide of battle seemed to turn. Thalia, understanding that her chances of victory and survival were still tenuous, faced a critical decision. Torn between retreating back to the Brazen Pegasus or vanquishing her adversaries?
The pirates make that choice for her when an eerie blend of human and boar cries erupted from the beast, shouting “BURN THEM ALL!” In the ensuing pandemonium, Corema’s attempt to stay in the boat was abruptly ended as the boar charged in her direction. The powerful creature struck her, sending her tumbling into the ocean—a place where Zermos had only recently been rescued from by Mealltair. Meanwhile, several pirates launched flame arrows and bolts into the Brazen Pegasus’ sails, while others busied themselves with cutting the hawsers to set sail once more.
Thalia’s resolve now hardened. Enraged by this treachery and bolstered by Corema’s timely aid, Thalia attacked again with renewed vigor. Despite the boar’s remarkable resilience, she managed to hit the creature again, and this time it fell. However, the victory was short-lived; seconds after the boar collapsed, another pirate rushed to its aid, administering a potion that magically sealed most of its wounds.
At that moment, amidst the clamor, the situation had escalated to an even greater peril. The Brazen Pegasus was now in grave danger, its sails engulfed in towering flames. The three individuals clad in elegant attire emerged onto the upper deck, seeking to ascertain the cause of the commotion. With weapons drawn, they scanned the area, where the crew stood motionless, appearing bewildered and detached from the escalating conflict and the fiery threat before them.
Zermos, drenched in salty water from his recent plunge into the ocean, had just managed to return to the Brazen Pegasus with Mealltair’s assistance. Mealltair, never one to rest, was already engaged in another rescue, helping Corema clamber back aboard from the churning sea. Rather than join the fray, the trio simply watched as some of the Pegasus’s crew endeavored to extinguish the voracious flames consuming their vessel’s sails.
Thalia found herself isolated on the pirates’ boat, her motivations ambiguous. Was she driven by gold lust, a deep-seated anger towards the pirates, or an entirely different compulsion? Her next move was bold and dangerous; rather than simply planning her escape back to the Pegasus, she took action. She seized one of the containers—the heaviest one. It was an ornamented chest, the very same that had been aboard the Brazen Pegasus moments earlier. Clutching it tightly, she made a daring leap toward her own ship.
However, the chest’s immense weight sealed her fate. Despite her valiant effort, Thalia missed the jump by a wide margin and tumbled into the ocean’s embrace. As she sank with the chest, she desperately fought to keep her breath, unable to muster the strength to rise to the surface. Above her, her companions frantically threw ropes from aboard the Pegasus in a bid to help save her. But it was to no avail; the relentless weight dragged her down into the depths where she struggled for breath… for life.
It was in this dire moment, as Thalia teetered on the brink of consciousness and consumed by despair, that something in the distance caught her eye. A creature of gargantuan size emerged hundreds of meters away—a turtle-like creature but as large as a mountain. Only visible at this distance by it’s size. It was swimming towards the Pegasus. Whether it was coincidence or fate, the presence of this colossal being added a new layer of urgency to Thalia’s perilous situation.
As Mealltair plunged into the sea in another act of bravery, their fates hung in balance amidst churning waves. Fearing the worst, Mealltair got hold of the rope and was now trying to rescue Thalia from the domains of the Queen of the Depths. Both were in danger, with Thalia showing impressive determination, holding her breath and trying desperately to reach her companion. Her chances of survival were gradually growing thinner.
Would Thalia survive this ordeal? Would she relinquish the chest she had fought so hard to obtain, or would she cling to it, trusting her instincts and perhaps Mealltair’s assistance? Will we discover the secrets locked within that chest? And what of the other containers that were aboard? Moreover, what about this trio of humans from Baldur’s Gate, who seemed to possess more wealth and belongings than dozens - maybe hundreds - of families put together? And why were our heroes the only ones combating the pirates while the crew of the Brazen Pegasus just watched without lifting a finger to help?
The answers lie beneath rolling waves where even now a shadow looms—a titanic turtle approaching. Stay your breaths for just a moment longer, for this tale is far from over…