Cypress Point — Arrival and First Contact
Narrative Summary
The party emerged from the Dreamgate into coastal bluffs overlooking Cypress Point, a modest fishing town burning under coordinated assault. Smoke rose in thick columns from multiple buildings, and a large slaver ship—the Genie's Smile—sat anchored at the quay with predatory stillness. The town's destruction was methodical and intentional: multiple ignition points, fleeing townsfolk being herded and chained. The party recognized the pattern immediately as slavers' work.
Descending the clifftside quickly, they moved into the town's outskirts where they encountered a slaver patrol: Ulkin Hammerfast, a dwarf enforcer; three Scarlet Triad sneaks; and a blood boar being used as a hunting animal. The patrol was in the process of capturing a fisherman named Leppin Deesk when combat erupted. The fight turned decisively in the party's favor. Frazzle's blunderbuss—Warp in the Weld—unleashed devastating cosmic fire that incinerated one sneak entirely. A second sneak fled. The boar fell to concentrated attacks. Facing overwhelming force and recognizing his tactical disadvantage, Ulkin surrendered.
Under interrogation, Ulkin revealed the operation's structure: the raid was led by One-Eye Amnin, a brutally effective captain stationed on the roof of the Nine Shields Smokehouse with two pet flame drakes. Amnin's first mate, a kalavakus demon named Bullbutcher, guarded the ship's hold. About two dozen slavers were scattered through town, having struck at dawn. Sixteen hostages—including the town's elderly leader Xerelilah—were locked in the smokehouse. Thirty-eight townspeople had already been chained and stowed in the ship's hold. The plan was to burn the boathouse and waterfront before departure. The operation had been sanctioned by Laslunn, a gnoll running Sunset Imports in Kintargo and serving as senior Scarlet Triad leadership for the region.
The party bound Ulkin and the surviving sneak with their own restraints and secured them in an abandoned cottage nearby. Nadira, in keeping with Sarenrae's doctrine, tended to their wounds before securing them. The freed prisoner Leppin provided directions and local knowledge. The party then turned toward Cypress Point proper to address the ongoing crisis.
Session Notes
Key events:
- Party emerged from Dreamgate and witnessed Cypress Point under attack
- Encountered and defeated slaver patrol on town outskirts
- Killed one sneak, blood boar; one sneak fled; Ulkin and second sneak surrendered
- Obtained detailed intelligence on Scarlet Triad operation structure and leadership
- Secured prisoners in abandoned cottage, treated their wounds
NPCs encountered:
- Ulkin Hammerfast (dwarf slaver enforcer, captured)
- Scarlet Triad sneaks (three; one killed, one fled, one captured)
- Leppin Deesk (fisherman, rescued)
- Xerelilah (elderly town leader, status: held hostage in smokehouse)
- One-Eye Amnin (captain, stationed at smokehouse roof)
- Bullbutcher (kalavakus demon, first mate on the ship)
- Laslunn (gnoll, senior Triad leadership in Kintargo)
Combat:
- Scarlet Triad patrol (blood boar, dwarf enforcer, three sneaks)
- Decisive victory: one sneak and boar killed, enemies surrendered
Party decisions:
- Chose fast, direct approach over stealth
- Showed mercy to surrendered slavers; Nadira treated their wounds
- Secured prisoners at neutral location rather than risking extended combat
- Gathered intelligence before advancing deeper into town
Unresolved threads:
- ~30-40 enslaved townspeople still in ship's hold
- 16 hostages locked in smokehouse under Amnin's control
- Waterfront targeted for deliberate destruction
- Bullbutcher and Amnin remain unconfronted
- Escaped sneak may alert other patrols
Rewards/loot:
- None recorded