Ectopus, More Like Rektopus

*In-game Date*: May 15, 6804

*Participating Members*: Dhalia, Tristram, Ray, Theo, & Oli

*Base Status*: Living Quarters + Secure Base + Storm Shelter

*Hired by*: Lt. Riggs

*Mission Request*: Find out why Officer Bilson died and complete his missing persons investigation of Finn the furbolg

*Payment/Rewards*: tba

*Monsters*: 2 shadows, bodak, banshee, & ectopus

*Mission Result*: killed ectopus, retrieved Finn's body, retrieved the Shornteal Package

*Discovered Places*: The Beacon (lighthouse), CS Pale Lady shipwreck, Gravewater Cove (on Fog Isle)

*Achievements*: 4420xp (per player)

*Unfinished Business*: Reporting back to Denna Beacner (Finn's mom), try to learn why Bilson died, report back to Lt. Riggs

## The Story

The Stormguard finally made their way to their local bluecoat office to report to Lt. Riggs about the officer who dropped dead in the doorway of The Dancing Owlbear (see C2Ep2). Overseer Tirella monitored their answers while Lt. Riggs asked The Stormguard about the deceased Officer Bilson, but she found they *really* didn't know much about the officer's untimely death. The Stormguard offered to continue Bilson's investigation of a missing person and also try to figure out what caused the officer's frostbitten heart attack. They gathered all the information the bluecoats had on Bilson's investigation, which was practically nothing, and made their way to The Beacon with their only lead. The door to the lighthouse was opened by a tired-looking furbolg woman named Denna Beacner. The Stormguard learned that her 13 year-old son Finn went missing six and a half days ago. With permission, they searched Finn's room and found a book called "Ghosts of Stormgate" by Edmund Flimp. Three pages were dogeared: the Headless Gondolier, Bloody Jane, and Lamplight Annie. Theo, Ray, and Oli squeezed into the adjacent tiny bathroom and attempted to summon Bloody Jane by chanting her name three time in the dark in front of a mirror. As Theo was the one the say her name, only he could see Bloody Jane in the mirror reflection. He asked her questions and now owes her some debts for the answers she gave. She also took away Theo's ability to lie.

The party made their way to Gravewater Cove on Fog Isle and came across the CS Pale Lady shipwreck. Oli cast water walk and admited he could have used it before but wanted to watch Izwick steal a boat. Tristram used his divine magic and sensed three undead creatures in the ship's cargo hold. Together, they made quick work of the two shadows and the bodak. Dhalia looted the dead captain's body and found a small metal key - which opened the chest in his quarters, 10 gold pieces (she gave 5 to Tristram), a spyglass, and a magical harpoon. She also took the captain's hat to and gave it to Theo. Tristram tried out the magical harpoon, but didn't like it, so Dhalia plans to give it to Kallorek after the mission.

Not finding the Shornteal Package, some important chest, anywhere on the CS Pale Lady, The Stormguard made their way to Gravewater Cove. They found a pool of water that ominously lead to somewhere unknown, and while the party was discussing how to get through that obstacle, Ray polymorphed himself into a giant shark to scout ahead. He then came back to pull the two heavy armored party members who couldn't swim. Dhalia and Oli swam on their own. On the other side, they found a banshee hiding among a pile of corpses and the ectopus Lamplight Annie warned them about. There were a flew platforms for non-shark people to stand on, but otherwise the majority of the cave was filled with water that seemed quite deep. The ectopus used its many tentacles to try to drag people under; it could also swim deep underwater or turn invisible. The banshee tried to knock people out with her wails, but teamwork made the dream work and no one stayed down for long. Oli disintegrated the banshee with his signature moonbeam. Ray polymorphed Theo into a giant shark to save him from drowning, and Tristram used the power of trigonometry to help Oli direct his moonbeam at the submerged ectopus. Despite the ectopus being beyond her line of sight and invisible, Dhalia managed to fire bolt it and its corpse floated up to the surface. While she searched for any furbolg-like remains in the ectopus's stomach (she found none), Ray searched the corpse pile for the Shornteal Package and Finn. He found the chest and the dead body of the furbolg boy. Dhalia tried looting the other corpses, but only found 5 silver pieces, then she cast dimension door to get Tristram and the chest out of the cave. Oli wildshaped into a dolphin to take Finn's body back through the entrance.

What they did next with the body may surprise you... (see C2Ep10).