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Session 16

Dates

  • Real World: 2026-09-02
  • In-Game: 23rd-29th Lowsun, 1137 AoD

Player Characters

Experience

  • Venathrax, 3176
  • Anchor, 3533
  • Kanaeda, 3533
  • Corq, 3536
  • Pethi, 3533
  • Wrenn, 3533
  • Xam, 3776

Level 5: 6,500 XP

Session Notes

The Departure of the Dawn Seeker

23rd Lowsun, 1137 AoD

The whole city gathered to watch the Dawn Seeker depart.

Sixteen years had passed since the last ship sailed from Agrovionimb. Now, after months of preparation, danger, investigation, and revelation, the newest expedition was finally ready to leave.

Kuserlion Faewen-FairyMaiden gave a final speech before the gathered city. When he finished, the party boarded the Dawn Seeker along with one hundred crew members, and the ship set sail.

Their first destination was Andavum, the closest of the old Druvavarbian islands. Before the world ended, Andavum had been a major port. Now it would serve as the expedition's first test beyond Agrovionimb.

The voyage was expected to take four days.

Relief at Sea

24th Lowsun, 1137 AoD
On the second day of travel, something changed.

A wave of relief passed over the ship.

The constant sense of hopelessness that had lingered at the edge of everyone's thoughts was suddenly gone. It was as if a weight none of them had fully understood they were carrying had finally lifted.

For the first time in longer than anyone could remember, they were beyond the reach of the melancholy emanating from the body of the Goddess of Hope beneath the Dreadmist.

Andavum in Sight

25th-26th Lowsun, 1137 AoD
By the third and fourth days, Andavum came into view.

The island was rocky and barren. No vegetation could be seen from the ship. From a distance, the city appeared intact, its stone buildings still standing after more than a thousand years.

The lighthouses also appeared to remain in good condition.

Rather than sail directly into the harbor, the party decided to be cautious. The Dawn Seeker spent additional time circling the island, watching for signs of danger, occupation, or surviving life.

Entering the Harbor

After two days of reconnaissance, the party chose to enter the harbor.

The city was abandoned, but it did not appear conquered.

There were no bodies. No obvious signs of battle. No clear evidence that Andavum had been overrun.

As the Dawn Seeker entered the harbor, a magical recording began to speak. It was the voice of the old mayor, warning of the evacuation to Agrovionimb.

As the party moved through the city, more of these recordings repeated from place to place. The messages seemed to have been left throughout Andavum to guide or warn those who remained behind.

The Dawn Seeker docked near the Merchants' Quay.

A second ship was already moored in the harbor.

Its name appeared to be the Glorious Purpose.

The ship's outer hull remained pristine, protected by abjuration magic that had preserved it from rot, erosion, and the sea. But the protection had not extended to everything. The mast, upper works, and interior had decayed into ruin.

The Harbor Master's Hall

The party searched the docks and trade offices for records, especially anything that might mention previous ships from Agrovionimb.

A message was successfully sent to Kuserlion confirming that the Dawn Seeker had arrived at Andavum. He replied that two ships from Agrovionimb had previously gone there as well, and urged the party to look for any logs or records they may have left behind.

Unfortunately, most of the papers and ledgers had long since decayed.

Corq attempted to decipher the harbor's registration system and carved the Dawn Seeker's name into the stone.

In the Harbor Master's office, the party found one object of real interest: a hammered bronze map of the city.

The map showed two ships in the harbor.

One was the Dawn Seeker.

The other was labeled the Glorious Porpoise.

This strange spelling did not quite match the name on the ship, but the map radiated divination magic. Once identified, it proved to be a magical map of Andavum that reflected the location of ships in the harbor.

Thalassara

While the party was investigating the harbor, something massive swam beneath the Dawn Seeker.

The crew called to cut the lines.

A large shell surfaced. Then a giant eye opened.

A dragon turtle rose beside the ship, longer than the vessel itself.

Her voice boomed through the harbor and echoed across the empty city.

"You are very late."

The party ran back toward the commotion.

The dragon turtle introduced herself as Thalassara. She recognized that the ship had come from Agrovionimb and told the party that the Dawn Seeker was the third ship from the city to reach Andavum.

It had been roughly five hundred years since she had last seen a ship from Agrovionimb.

Thalassara told the party about two previous ships and where they had intended to go. She also explained that she had made a deal long ago for a great deal of gold not to attack ships from Andavum.

The party explained that they intended to sail toward Dragon's Maw.

Thalassara warned them that she had not gone there in thousands of years, as it was not her territory. She cautioned them that if they traveled too far east, they would enter the waters of a leviathan, which winters in a bay near Escorta.

She also warned them to remain out of sight of the shore when heading west.

A topaz dragon still lived in the region they planned to approach.

Before leaving, Thalassara mentioned one other thing: of Andavum's seven lighthouses, the northern one still shone brightly at night.

Exploring Andavum

It was still early afternoon, and the city seemed more or less safe.

The crew was sent out to explore and search for anything useful.

The shipyard was larger and of higher quality than the one in Agrovionimb, though age and decay had claimed much of it.

During the search, party members discovered an underwater area marked as restricted to the navy.

The party also noted that a Potion of Water Breathing was an uncommon magic item and would require transmutation essence to craft.

NPCs Interacted With

Note Taker's Recap

The whole city gathers to see the Dawn Seeker depart on its voyage. When Kuserlion finishes his speech, the party sets sail with 100 crewmen. The first destination is Andavum, a rocky island that was a major port before the world ended. The trip is 4 days away, but on the 2nd day, a wave of relief hits everyone; a constant sense of hopelessness that had always been lurking is gone.

Arriving on the 4th day, it is decided to be cautious and circle the island for signs of danger or life. Two extra days are spent reconning from afar before we enter the giant harbor. We are greeted by a magic mouth-type recording of the mayor warning of the evacuation. As we move through the city, more and more of these types of recordings repeat.

A second ship, "Glorious Purpose", is docked at the harbor, its outer hull pristine as the day it was built. However, the interior and mast are decayed to mush, a handy protection spell to prevent decay and damage from the sea.

The party stops by the Harbor Master's hall looking for records of previous ships or information about the previous voyages from Agrovionimb, but much like the Glorious Purpose, the papers and ledgers have been decayed for too long. However, one item of interest remains: a bronze map of the city. Two ships are labeled in the harbor: the "Dawn Seeker" and the "Glorious Porpoise", an odd spelling of the decayed ship but a useful divination magic item.

Outside, a booming voice echoes through the city, "You are very late." We leave the harbor and run to the commotion. A gigantic dragon turtle confronts our ship. Her name is Thalassara, and it has been 500 years since she had seen a ship from Agrovionimb. She tells us of two previous ships and where they were headed. Our destination, the Dragon's Maw, is a place she hasn't gotten to in thousands of years, due to it not being her territory, and if we go too far east, we will end up in the waters of a leviathan. She cautions us when we head west to stay out of sight of the shore and that a Topaz Dragon still lives where we plan on heading. Before she leaves, she mentions one of the lighthouses to the north still shines bright at night.

Still early afternoon, the city seems more or less safe, so the crew is sent out to explore for anything of use. Party members discover an underwater area that is restricted to the navy.

Notes

  • 2026-09-2
  • 23rd Lowsun 1137 AoD, 12:02+

NPCs Interacted With

  • Commander Dynama Vehrozath (Triton)
  • Thalassara (Dragon Turtle)
  • the city says goodbye
  • 16yrs ago the last ship set sail.
  • Kuserlion gives a speech.
  • 96mi a day on our ship. 320mi to Andavum.
  • Commander Dynama Vehrozath - Triton
  • 4 days to travel, first day is circling the island
  • 24th Lowsun 1137 AoD, 12:02+
  • A sense of relief is lifted upon the 2nd day, like the hopeless is gone.

3rd -4th day

  • 25-26th Lowsun 1137 AoD, 12:02+
  • Andavum is just coming into view. rocky, no vegetation can be seen.

5th day

  • we could go into the harbor, but decide to circle the island
  • the city looks intact, stone buildings still intact.
  • light houses still in good shape from afar

6th

  • circling the island.

7th day

  • We head into the harbor.
  • city is abandon not conquered.
  • as we entered harbor a recording from the mayor "evacuation to Agrovionimb
  • A second ship is parked in the harbor, the top is broke.
  • we park next to the merchants Quay,
  • the Haul is in good shape but the top "Glorious Purpose"
  • detect magic is getting rituals as we then begin walking around docks
  • more recordings
  • outer haul is radiating abjuration magic, keeping it pristine. preventing rot and erosion.
  • no bodies.
  • trade offices, detect magic pings. .. another message. more a more magic mouths as we travel.
  • Harbor Master's hall? look for a list of ships.
  • message to Kuserlion, successfully sent, that we arrived at Andavum. He tells us that 2 ships had previously gone there as well, look for logs they may have left.
  • Corq try to decipher the registration system and carves into the stone our ship name.
  • harbor master office, map is hammered bronze, 2 ships show "Glorious Porpoise" and "Dawn Seeker" Divination magic, Identify "Andavum Map" aka "Flock Camera"
  • Something big, swims under the ship "cut the lines!"
  • its a large shell, a giant eye opens" creature is longer then the ship,
  • Dragon Turtle! she speaks "You are very late" the voice echos through the city.
  • We leave at a run.
  • She assumes we are from Agrovionimb, you are the 3rd ship from there.
  • Her name is Thalassara
  • 500 yrs since they
  • the first one is going to
  • the 2nd one was going to
  • We are headed to the dragon's maw, he hasn't gone there in thousands of years, not her territory
  • after evacuation a few trident stayed but died off eventually.
  • Thalasara made a deal long ago for a lot of gold to not attack the ships of Andavum.
  • A leviathan lives to the far east, he winters in the bay near Escorta, capital of
  • Topaz dragon is still alive.
  • stay out of sight of shore, when you head west.
  • There are 7 lighthouses, the north one still lights up at night.
  • time check: early afternoon.
  • shipyard better quality of the one at home, much bigger, but old and decayed.
  • A underwater area that is restricted to the navy is found.
  • send the crew off to explore.
  • potion of water breathing is uncommon, transmutation essence to make.

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