I. Storm’s Eye

Zarantyr 1, 998 YK

The crew awoke on the morning of the new year to a thunderclap and commotion.

They burst out onto the weather deck of the Crown of Mishann just in time to fight off a boarding party led by a towering warforged sergeant while lightning struck at them out of blue skies.

When the sergeant tumbled to the deck and the two remaining boarders dropped their weapons, the crew paused to take stock.

The ship was damaged—not badly, but it would be hobbled, and it was currently adrift in the open sea east of Traglorn Isle. The loss of several vital crew members, including the Bosun, was a more painful blow. A large warship could be seen sailing off, the apparent source of both the lightning and the boarders. And lastly, Midge, disguised as Captain Tyrn, saw that the man himself, her husband, was not aboard the ship.

Midge ordered a search of the ship, and when the crew had determined that Midge was missing, she revealed herself, and it was settled: the Captain was missing.

After gathering some information from their sailors and from Camouflage, the warforged who awoke from his blackout on the deck, the crew determined the following:

• Sailor Jimmy had helped the captain launch the longboat, which the captain then rowed out to meet the other ship, the Mercurial. Tyrn seemed to have been awaiting the arrival of the ship from the quarterdeck.
• The captain left most of his personal effects and his log behind—he did not seem to have planned for a long trip.
• Camouflage reported seeing Tyrn cordially invited onto the Mercurial as the warforged was busy preparing and launching his boarding party.
• Captain Arazka, in command of the Mercurial, had ordered the boarding attempt on the Crown.
• The Mercurial, under Arazka, engages mostly in piracy and smuggling, particularly Dreamlily.
• Arazka himself is an artificer and possesses numerous magical devices that he employs to his advantage in these endeavors.
• The Mercurial mostly operates out of Port Verge.

The Mercurial’s destination is unknown. However, pressing needs took precedence: in order to catch it and to find out why Tyrn had left his crew, and indeed, if he had abandoned them and why, the Crown would need to sail for nearby Port Krez for repairs.