Recaps

Renato toured the Hispaniola with Captain De Leon and learned how the short-handed crew planned to sail back to White Harbor. He confronted Andrei after overhearing the young noble suspect him of serving an evil god, then revealed he had recognized Andrei as a woman.

• Renato watched the Hispaniola’s sailors work and asked De Leon whether the pardoned mutineers could be trusted.
• De Leon explained that the sailors had to cooperate to reach port and were frightened by Renato’s strength.
• De Leon showed Renato the gun deck and described the ship’s twelve cannons.
• Renato overheard Andrei calling him suspicious and asking Lectus to use his paladin abilities to judge Renato.
• Andrei ran into Renato’s armor, and Renato accused her of slandering him and offered to teach her noble etiquette.

Lectus challenged Andrei’s assumption that Paladins and Clerics could identify a person’s morality through divine magic, explaining that judgments of good and evil depended on context and law. He then addressed Renato directly, warning that Tyr’s justice would eventually reach him if he had sinned.

• Renato’s blunt words exposed Andrei’s identity, while Lectus and Captain De Leon showed little reaction.
• Lectus explained that Detect Evil and Good sensed certain creature types rather than judging a person’s morality, and said Clerics could still deceive or break the law.
• Lectus asked Andrei about a historical law sentencing young thieves to death and explained how different circumstances shaped people’s ideas of justice.
• Andrei fell silent after Lectus argued that rules and order guided people toward good, while changing standards made a universal spell for judging morality impossible.
• Lectus warned Renato that he need not fear him if he had committed no sin, but Tyr’s justice would eventually reach him if he had.

Renato considered the dangers of The Edict of Dakoul and decided to delay reading it until he could learn more about its effects. Afterward, he enjoyed a lavish dinner aboard the returning Hispaniola.

• Renato recalled that The Edict of Dakoul was draining the knowledge and spiritual essence from the Skin of the Nameless One.
• Renato remembered Klauthsura's warning that the black grimoire contained dangerously toxic knowledge.
• Renato put both grimoires away and planned to have scholars investigate The Edict of Dakoul before he read it.
• Renato ate the pan-fried mackerel Captain De Leon had prepared and savored the meal.

Renato learned why fishing from the fast-moving Hispaniola was difficult, then questioned the imprisoned pirate Barnaby for intelligence about White Harbor. Barnaby began describing the port while Andrei continued watching Renato, and the ship was still en route to its destination.

• De Leon explained that the Hispaniola's speed and the scarcity of fish in deep waters made fishing unlikely, and estimated the voyage would take at least fifteen days.
• Renato abandoned his fishing attempt after hours without a bite and learned that large fish were more likely near islands, currents, or schools of fish.
• Renato visited Barnaby in the hold to ask about White Harbor's factions, port management, and governor, since De Leon's view of the place seemed biased.
• Barnaby flattered Renato and began offering information about White Harbor while Andrei watched Renato closely.

Renato questioned Barnaby about White Harbor’s trade and factions while Andrei disparaged the port. Their discussion ended when a mysterious tapping and rattling chains signaled that Sea Devils had targeted the ship.

• Barnaby described White Harbor as a crowded port dependent on passing ships and their trade.
• Andrei recalled the filth and disorder he had seen when the Hispaniola stopped at White Harbor.
• Barnaby explained that Governor Alvaro de Sousa held authority over the harbor and commanded the respect of pirates.
• Renato rose and gripped the Black Sword when rhythmic tapping sounded against the ship’s hull.
• Barnaby panicked, begged to be freed, and warned that Sea Devils were attacking the ship.

Renato stayed aboard the Hispaniola to defend it from the Sahuagin, whose organized attack began as the fog thickened. The sea creatures climbed over the gunwales, and Renato prepared to fight.

• Renato cut through Barnaby’s cell chains, and Barnaby warned that Merfolk called Sea Devils were approaching the Hispaniola.
• Andrei identified the creatures as Sahuagin, armed a matchlock, and ran to the deck to fight alongside the crew.
• Renato followed Andrei onto the deck and spotted the Sahuagin encircling the ship underwater.
• De Leon called Renato to the sterncastle as the Hunting Conch sounded across the foggy sea.
• Sahuagin armed with bone cleavers climbed over both sides of the Hispaniola and began storming the deck.

Renato and Andrei faced a Sahuagin boarding attack as the ship’s sailors fired on the creatures. When Andrei bravely tried to hold the line, Renato lifted him out of the fight, warning that he was outmatched.

• Andrei shot the foremost Sahuagin in the eye, and Renato caught the harpoon it hurled back.
• Nearly a hundred Sahuagin charged across the deck as the captain ordered the sailors to fire their matchlocks.
• The bullets wounded few of the attackers, and the pirate leader fled belowdecks while Andrei stayed beside Renato.
• Andrei drew his dagger and offered to hold the left flank despite his fear.
• Renato praised Andrei’s courage, then grabbed his collar and lifted him off the deck to keep him out of the fight.

Renato slaughtered the sahuagin attacking the Hispaniola while the Sahuagin Priestess supported them from the sea. She raised a towering wave that struck the ship and threatened to sweep its crew overboard.

• Renato hurled a harpoon through a sahuagin and cut down several more with the Silent Lady.
• Renato spotted the Sahuagin Priestess casting Mass Healing Word but stayed aboard the Hispaniola because the ocean and her shark guards made approaching her dangerous.
• Renato used Shadow Shield and Dakoul's Blessing to fight without defending himself, killing more than twenty sahuagin in seconds.
• The surviving sahuagin hesitated, and the Sahuagin Priestess raised her glowing staff and conjured a huge wave beside the ship.
• The wave slammed into the Hispaniola, tilting it sharply and sweeping water, blood, and debris across the deck.

Renato, Captain De Leon, and the crew fought off the Sahuagin attack aboard the enchanted Hispaniola, while Lectus killed the Sahuagin Priestess and calmed the sea. As the crew prepared to resume sailing, Lectus spotted a human corpse in the water, prompting De Leon to check whether anyone had fallen overboard.

• Renato stood firm as the Sahuagin's magic rocked the Hispaniola, whose enchantments kept the ship upright and intact.
• Captain De Leon led the crew's counterattack, and Renato and the sailors fought the Sahuagin warriors on deck.
• Lectus walked across the water and killed the Sahuagin Priestess with Divine Smite, causing the sea to calm.
• The remaining Sahuagin fled, and the sailors celebrated their victory as De Leon ordered them to stay alert.
• Lectus spotted a human corpse floating beneath the ship, and De Leon ordered a head count to find out whether anyone had fallen overboard.

After the Sahuagin attack, De Leon punished Barnaby while Renato and the crew discovered an unconscious Sea Elf and locked her in a cabin. Andreia confessed her real name and offered to repay Renato, who held her in place and suggested she do so immediately.

• De Leon punched Barnaby for abandoning the crew but honored his promise to let him reach White Harbor alive, and the sailors beat Barnaby before dragging him to the hold.
• Renato and the sailors hauled an unconscious Sea Elf from the water and discovered her gills and distinctive appearance.
• De Leon and Lectus overruled sailors who wanted to throw the Sea Elf overboard, and De Leon locked her in a cabin for observation.
• Andreia waited outside Renato's room, thanked him for saving her, and revealed that Andreia was her real name.
• Andreia promised to repay Renato someday, and Renato caught her by the shoulders and told her she could repay him immediately.

Renato questioned Andreia about the unconscious Sea Elf and learned that Sea Elves and islanders clashed over fishing grounds, with generations of hostility between them. Andreia said she felt no such hatred because she was a Marian descended from conquerors, not a fishing family.

• Renato kept Andreia in his cabin and asked her about Sea Elves.
• Andreia explained that Sea Elves lived in shallow-water settlements and suggested the unconscious Elf might have been abandoned after the Sahuagin attack.
• Andreia said islanders and Sea Elves competed for fishing grounds, and old stories of Sea Elf attacks had fueled generations of hostility.
• Renato asked why Andreia did not share the islanders’ hatred, and she declared that she was a Marian from Marispan descended from conquerors.

After the Sahuagin raid, the Hispaniola’s crew discovered that the rescued Sea Elf had awakened but refused to speak. Renato used Elvish to make her answer, and the chapter ended as he began questioning Selena Darktide.

• The Hispaniola’s crew found the Sea Elf awake in the lower hold, but she ignored their questions and resisted Lectus’s Zone of Truth.
• The second mate suggested throwing her overboard, while Barnaby urged selling her; Lectus argued that rescuing her was required by law and that selling slaves could bring trouble from the Harpers.
• Andreia suggested the Sea Elf might not understand Common, and Renato agreed to speak with her in Elvish.
• Renato confronted the frightened Sea Elf and asked her name; after preparing a magical attack, she relaxed and introduced herself as Selena Darktide.
• Renato told Selena that cooperation was her only way to survive and began asking her questions.

Renato pieced together how Selina had been captured by the Sahuagin after her village’s food crisis forced her to join a hunting party. When Captain De Leon prepared to put her fate to a vote, Selina asked Renato to take her to White Harbor, and he declared that he would deliver her there safely.

• Selina told Renato that humans’ fishing practices and harsh sea temperatures had left her Sea Elf village short of food.
• Selina recounted how a Sahuagin Raiding Party overwhelmed her hunting party and kept her captive as provisions for half a month.
• Captain De Leon proposed a vote on whether to leave Selina behind.
• Selina asked Renato to take her to the islands where ships dock, hoping to find Sea Elves who could help her return home.
• After seeing a quest in the [Adventurer's Guide], Renato stopped the vote and announced that he would take Selina safely to White Harbor.

Renato accepted the [Quest] to escort Selena Darktide to 'White Harbor' and began helping her prepare for the journey. After recognizing that Selena was more capable and secretive than she pretended, he gave her food and clothes and told her to stay near him aboard the ship.

• Captain De Leon handed Selena over to Renato and dismissed the crew from the lower hold.
• Renato suspected Selena had concealed her combat ability and knowledge of Common, but decided not to question her motives.
• Renato threw Selena an Energy Bar, and she caught and quickly ate it.
• Selena said she would pay Renato once they reached their destination, and he gave her another Energy Bar anyway.
• Renato told Selena to stand and present herself like a warrior, then gave her leather clothes and explained she should stay near him and ask before taking anything.

As the Hispaniola neared White Harbor, Renato spoke with Selina and reconsidered his assumptions about her background after noticing signs of long-term isolation. A lookout then spotted land, and Renato prepared to return ashore after more than ten days at sea.

• The sailors grew restless as the Hispaniola approached White Harbor, while Barnaby remained locked belowdecks and continued promoting the slave trade to Renato.
• Renato asked Selina how she had adjusted to traveling aboard the ship, and she explained that sea creatures could easily outpace it.
• Renato reflected on Selina’s stiff manner and changing speech, suspecting her settlement might have isolated her for a long time.
• A lookout shouted that White Harbor was visible off the port bow, and sailors rushed to the bow to celebrate.
• Captain De Leon took out his spyglass, and Renato joined him on the poop deck to look toward the distant land.

Captain De Leon confronted the armed White Harbor sailors who had mutinied and promised to let them return to land. He ordered them to leave the Hispaniola in the rowboat, while Renato watched to see whether De Leon would keep his word or seek revenge.

• The first and second mates blocked the gun deck passage as six armed White Harbor sailors threatened them, while Andreia took aim with her musket.
• Renato noticed that the paladin Lectus was absent as the Hispaniola drifted toward White Harbor and the standoff intensified.
• Captain De Leon appeared on the poop deck and ordered the sailors to put down their weapons.
• De Leon denounced the sailors for their crimes but said he would honor his promise to let them reach land safely.
• De Leon ordered the White Harbor sailors to take the rowboat and leave before he changed his mind.

The Hispaniola arrived in White Harbor, where Renato learned about the port and Andreia complained about the town and its reluctance to join the expedition. Captain De Leon thanked Renato for saving the ship, gave him a royal pistol, and promised his support as the crew prepared to repair the vessel.

• The Hispaniola passed beneath Gallows Bridge and was towed to a berth in White Harbor.
• Andreia told Renato that the harbor was lawless and that the Hispaniola had spent over three months recruiting sailors for its expedition.
• De Leon thanked Renato for saving the Hispaniola, and Renato declined a reward while considering the captain’s financial troubles.
• De Leon described clues to the Fountain of Youth on an unrecorded island in the Storm Sea and offered Renato a place aboard the ship.
• De Leon gave Renato his royal wheellock pistol and promised to help him if he encountered trouble in White Harbor.

After Barnaby was taken into custody, Renato watched him leave with suspicious confidence and questioned the nature of White Harbor’s law and order. Selina rewarded Renato for bringing her to the island, then set off alone into its poorer district, leaving him to suspect she would soon need his help again.

• Governor’s guards questioned De Leon, learned about Barnaby’s mutiny, and escorted the pirate chief away in shackles.
• Barnaby confidently told Renato he could show him around White Harbor, leading Renato to suspect the pirate had connections with the Governor’s officials.
• Selina gave Renato a large pearl from her spatial shell to honor their agreement, and he stored it in his Space Ring as nearby officials watched greedily.
• Renato asked Selina where she planned to go, but she said she had plans of her own and did not need his help.
• Selina jumped from the ship to the dock and disappeared into a district of rotting wooden houses, while Renato wondered whether she could complete her quest without trouble.

Renato arrived at White Harbor and crossed the filthy, lawless Dock District, where sailors’ stories about his encounter with a Sea Devil had already made him a subject of awe and curiosity. As he searched for directions to the Governor’s Special District, a man approached and invited him to join the Ironhook Gang.

• Renato disembarked from the Hispaniola, declined Captain De Leon’s invitation to stay aboard, and headed into White Harbor.
• Renato learned that Ironhook Town’s Dock District was crowded and neglected, while the Governor’s Special District held the island’s main businesses and seat of authority.
• Dockworkers and peddlers kept their distance from Renato and whispered about his black armor, greatsword, and rumored encounter with a Sea Devil.
• Renato tried to read the signs to find the Governor’s Special District but could not decipher them.
• A tattooed burly man approached Renato and offered him a place in the Ironhook Gang, led by “Ironhook” Pye.

Renato followed Massimo through White Harbor’s gang-controlled dock district to meet Pye, the Ironhook Gang’s boss, after suspecting the gang wanted to hire him for a dangerous job. At the Drowned Man bar, Renato ignored the gangsters’ rumors about the “Sea Devil Butcher” and insisted on getting straight to Pye and discussing payment.

• Renato accepted Massimo’s invitation to meet Pye and followed him through the dock district.
• Massimo described how the Ironhook Gang had united White Harbor’s rival gangs and taken control of the neighborhood.
• Renato inferred that Pye wanted to use an unfamiliar Adventurer to handle work the gang boss could not do himself.
• Massimo brought Renato to the Drowned Man bar, where gang enforcers recognized him from rumors about the Hispaniola.
• Renato told Massimo to take him to Pye and said he would clear obstacles if the pay was right.

Renato entered the Drowned Man tavern and met Pye, the Iron Hook Gang’s leader, offering his sword in exchange for satisfactory payment. The chapter left Pye with the chance to state what work he needed done.

• Renato entered the Drowned Man and spotted wanted posters that triggered quests in his Guide interface.
• The tavern’s patrons fell silent and watched Renato, the armored swordsman carrying a massive black sword.
• Massimo brought Renato to the bar and introduced him to Pye, then accepted five silver coins and left.
• Pye introduced himself as the tavern owner and leader of the Iron Hook Gang.
• Renato introduced himself as “Black Blade” and offered to strike down Pye’s enemies for satisfactory payment.

Renato met with Pye, the Ironhook Gang’s leader, to discuss a dangerous job and learned why local dealings relied on personal ties and reputation. Pye judged Renato capable enough to continue the conversation and led him upstairs, asking whether he had heard of the Tidal Eight Nobles.

• Pye questioned Renato about his origins and proposed getting acquainted before discussing cooperation, explaining that he wanted to assess Renato’s strength.
• Pye offered Renato a glass of local wine, but Renato refused it and told Pye to test him through a spar instead of using tricks.
• Pye explained that people in the Sea of a Thousand Islands relied on personal ties because the law and contracts offered little protection at sea.
• Renato asked why Pye had sought out an unfamiliar foreigner, and Pye admitted the job was too dangerous for locals who would accept the low pay.
• Pye decided Renato seemed promising, sent the messenger to take over the bar, and led Renato upstairs while asking if he knew of the Tidal Eight Nobles.

Renato learned from Pye how the Tidal Eight Nobles became the feared pirate lords of the Sea of Archipelagos. Pye revealed that his target was connected to Aldrick, the Flaying Grand Duke, one of the Two Dukes.

• Renato asked Pye whether his targets were pirates, and Pye explained that the Tidal Eight Nobles ruled the waters around the Thousand Islands.
• Pye explained that the title originated with Marispan’s failed policy of granting pirate captains privateering licenses and noble titles to fight other pirates.
• Pye said that the Eight Nobles included Kraken Gap, the Drowned Prince, and seven pirate lords whose ranks changed over time, with two known as the Two Dukes.
• Pye had his enforcers close the door and revealed that his target was connected to Aldrick, the Flaying Grand Duke, Chosen One of the God of Murder.
• Pye said Aldrick’s flagship was the Blood Drowning, formerly the ship of Danakos, the Tide of Skulls.

Renato learned that Myles, a boatswain who deserted the Blood Drowning, was fighting the Ironhook Gang in White Harbor, and agreed to kill him for Pye. As Renato headed toward the Governor’s Special District after planning an ambush, he caught the scent of blood near a pile of crates.

• Pye clarified that Myles, not the Flaying Grand Duke Aldrick, was his target and explained that Myles had killed Ironhook Gang members.
• Renato reviewed the quest details and understood that Myles’s presence was weakening Pye’s authority over the Dock District.
• After Renato demonstrated his strength, Pye hired him to kill Myles, paid him five gold coins, and arranged a meeting for the next morning.
• Pye planned to lure Myles to the Drowned Man tavern under the pretense of negotiations so Renato could attack from hiding.
• Renato declined Pye’s offer of lodging and walked toward High Tide, but the smell of blood stopped him near a stack of crates.

Renato followed the smell of fresh blood through the Dock District and found a gruesome trail of bodies in a narrow alley. He discovered that the killer was the Sea Elf Selina, but her presence and actions remained unexplained.

• Renato smelled fresh blood near the route to the Governor's Special District and went to investigate rather than risk getting lost in the Dock District.
• He found a mutilated corpse at the alley entrance and identified the dead man as a fisherman or sailor.
• Renato followed the blood and scattered body parts deeper into the alley, where he sensed that the killer was still nearby.
• He approached a blood-covered figure holding a damaged chopping sword and recognized her as the Sea Elf Selina.