Expedition 10: I Just Wanted to Go Home

### Summary

We escort Saphira Goldhammer's prospector to FerRoc, and encounter many hostile creatures.

### Detailed Writeup

Saphira Goldhammer’s chartered ship weaves through the craggy Rocks surrounding the isle of Fer-Roc. While just an exploratory venture to determine the profitability of establishing a mining presence on the island, plenty of caution has been taken. Our benefactor has sent us along to ensure her best prospector, a lizardfolk by the name of Mardrel, returns with six mineral samples as well as her life. Offering us not only coin but a stake in mining profits, should they materialize.

The party takes note of the rookie adventurer Uzmir on the voyage. They exchange pleasantries and some strategy for their mission as the ship comes to rest at the bottom of one of the isle’s shorter vertical shores. Brightstaff’s superhuman agility allows an anchored rope to be easily placed, and the rest of the explorers have no trouble reaching the surface of the island.

The first thing that catches the eyes of the party is an odd rock formation. Uzmir’s familiarity with stone alerts him that it’s carved obsidian, a rarity as obsidian chips rather than carves. But no other insights could be gathered and so the party moved on to escort Mardel in the gathering of more samples.

After the second sample, some of the keener-eyed adventurers noticed a form in the distance. Closer inspection revealed it to be a construct, similar to one they had fought elsewhere. Quick thinking and placative gestures from Brightstaff showed the creature we meant no harm, and we avoided having to battle it.

After gathering her third sample, Mardrel alerts us that to complete her report she’ll have to take a sample from a red rock formation in the distance. The party proceeds cautiously across the island and runs into difficult terrain on their way to the crimson peak. While avoiding literal pitfalls, a number of us succumb to some unearthly music that clouds our minds and makes us rush, dancing, toward a flame in the distance. Nexrin is the first to slip over the edge of the chasm and receives a nasty shark bite for his trouble, although the pain does break the enchantment. Brightstaff grapples Uzmir and Mardrel, preventing them from a similar fate. They soon come to their senses and take precautions from falling to the siren song again. Brightstaff dives down the chasm to assist Nexrin with the sharks, but soon after he and Lahont fall prey to the mysterious tune. Mardrel, Nexrin, and Uzmir attempt to aid their friends with makeshift earplugs, and while the monk regains his wits, Lahont proves too slippery to hold down and nearly makes it to the flame before he’s subdued by Brightstaff. Just as we think the danger is over the land itself begins to contract around the pair, and they narrowly escape being consumed by the unknown creature luring us to its maw.

After the harrowing encounter, Nexrin proposes heading back to the boat, but Brightstaff convinces him to push on and complete our task. The dragonborn, exasperated, agrees. The party catches their breath and makes it to the red rock. Brightstaff quickly scales the cliff and finds very little to stand on at the top. The cliff drops off again, this time descending into a pool of magma. Mardrel thinks better of gathering the sample herself and has the monk send down a rock.

With just a single sample left to gather, the party makes its way back to the dropoff point, with Nexrin’s survival skills leading the way. Unfortunately, a slipup sent the party into unstable terrain and a newly opened steam vent scalded us. It also released eight hostile creatures who wasted no time attacking. Brightstaff unleashed a flurry of blows against the impish beings, and while downing two of them, was hit by the explosions of steam following their death throws. Nexrin, who had had enough of this, unleashed his acid breath, weakening a few more. The creatures retaliated against our front line and bellowed streams of steam at the two of them, knocking Nexrin out from the intense heat. This only invigorated the rest of the party, bravely fighting on to rescue their comrade. Brightstaff continuing his blinding martial assault, Lahont ducking in and out of the brush to pick of them off with his crossbow, and Uzmir slinging spell and stone. Eventually, a single creature remained but while attempting to flee, Lahont loosed a final bolt and finished the fight.

Brightstaff gathered up Nexrin, making sure the ranger was stable, while Mardrel took the final sample, also finding a Stonebreaker Lily in the aftermath of the battle. All agreed Nexrin deserved the flower as a prize for his bravery. The party swiftly returned to the ship, making note of several oddities spotted from a distance on their way. Firstly a field of obsidian shards that seemed to raise as we came near. Then a figure watching them from atop a hill, his skin taught and dried like parchment and covered with swirling sigils and tattoos. Soon after, a group of boulders that rolled uphill, only to then unfurl into humanoid shapes. Finally, an imposing figure, standing 30 feet tall, lumbering in the distance, it’s belt heavy with bags, pouches, and haunches of meat.

Having seen enough excitement for the day, our party avoided them all, returning to Port Vrall successful if slightly worse for wear. Loot was split and friendships forged as we sailed back from Fyr-Roc.