Recaps

Renato defeated the Myrkul Worshipper, whose soul had been bound to a Relic Casket so he could possess a Kingdom Knight’s body. After destroying the casket and killing him, Renato told Selina to search the hold for coins while watching for any remaining undead.

• Renato overwhelmed the armored Necromancy Mage in sword combat, disarmed him, and cut off his forearm.
• The Necromancy Mage summoned spirits and cast Life Drain, but Renato’s shadows dispersed the spirits and the Silent Lady’s runes erased the spell.
• Renato pinned the mage to the cabin wall, then drained the knight’s body with Touch of Dakoul until the Myrkul Worshipper died.
• Renato crushed the Relic Casket and realized it had allowed the mage to transfer his soul between bodies.
• Selina entered the hold, and Renato sent her to search its front half for coins while he searched the back and warned her to watch for undead.

After defeating the Necromancy Mage, Renato and Selina cleared the ruined Pickle Barrel and collected valuable loot, including a rare Grave Sword. Renato waited aboard the ship until Barnaby arrived, then confronted him for leaving Renato to handle the commission alone.

• Renato and Selina searched the wreckage, put the damaged zombies to rest, and recovered spell components, magic items, and more than three hundred gold coins.
• Renato examined the Necromancy Mage’s spellbook and used an unusable magic item to recharge the Hellforged Multiverse Wanderer.
• Renato inspected the Grave Sword, a rare magic weapon that dealt necrotic damage and could exhaust its targets.
• Renato waited aboard the wrecked Pickle Barrel as guards and onlookers gathered at the pier without boarding the ship.
• Barnaby arrived in the morning, and Renato rebuked him for making him wait after completing the commission; Barnaby apologized and offered to escort him ashore.

After returning to High Tide, Renato received gold and a magic Water Walking Ring from the Black Wave Duke. He considered how the ring could transform his options in naval combat and planned to test it near White Harbor’s docks.

• Renato received a sealed purse and letter from White Harbor’s officials, along with two hundred gold coins and Santos, Old Whale’s Skull Hammer from Pye and the Ironhook Gang.
• Renato counted his growing wealth and decided that a luxurious manor and a life of comfort no longer appealed to him.
• The [Guide] identified the Black Wave Duke’s gift as a Water Walking Ring with three charges that let its wearer walk across liquid surfaces for an hour.
• Renato recognized that the ring would let him cross the sea between ships and attack or pursue enemies without the usual mobility limits.
• Renato planned to test the ring near White Harbor’s docks before relying on it in combat.

Renato reached level 9 and reflected on how his growing Constitution had pushed him beyond ordinary mortal limits. After remembering Gorlag’s death and his battle-hungry sense of honor, Renato invited Selina to shop for ranged weapons and protective gear.

• Renato spent 20,000 experience points to advance to Champion Warrior level 9, gaining Constitution and hit points.
• Renato considered how his increased Constitution helped him endure harsh conditions, toxins, wounds, and lack of air.
• Selina explained that she saw shared food and the hunt itself as sufficient reward, leaving Renato unable to explain landfolk customs of payment and contracts.
• Renato remembered Gorlag’s steadfastness in battle and his final words about the glory of battle.
• Renato asked Selina to accompany him to a magic shop and help choose ranged weapons and armor suited to life on land.

Renato searched White Harbor’s largest magic shop for an enchanted ranged weapon while Selina tried on unusual scale armor. The armor fit Selina perfectly, and Renato discovered through the [Guide] that it had been made from the hide of a Sharkva Deep Diver.

• Renato found that the shop’s shortbow and heavy crossbows were unsuitable for the enemies he faced.
• Barnaby pressured the proprietor to show Renato a custom enchanted heavy crossbow reserved for a Governor’s Mansion employee.
• Selina came downstairs wearing enchanted Fish-Scale Armor that had tightened to fit her body.
• Renato touched the armor and noticed that its scales felt like living skin and reacted to his touch.
• Renato consulted the [Guide] and learned that the armor was Sharkva Deep Diver’s scaly hide, with stealth and defensive enchantments.

Renato bought Selina the Sharkdeep Diver's Scales, then Accountant Gaska arrived to invite him to Governor De Sousa's private treasury to choose a ranged weapon. Gaska ordered the shopkeeper to return Renato's gold, claiming the Treasury Office would cover his purchases.

• Renato paid thirty-five gold coins for the Sharkdeep Diver's Scales after it adjusted itself to fit Selina.
• Barnaby argued with the sorcerer shopkeeper while Selina examined the coins on the counter.
• Accountant Gaska entered the shop and politely asked Renato whether he wanted to buy a ranged weapon.
• Gaska invited Renato to Governor De Sousa's private treasury, saying the Governor admired his fight against the pirates.
• Gaska ordered the shopkeeper to return Renato's money because the Treasury Office would pay for his purchases.

Renato visited Governor De Sousa’s fortified mansion with Selina and learned that the Pickle Barrel had carried hundreds of magically preserved corpses tied to a wider conspiracy beyond White Harbor. At the mansion, Selina reacted tensely to a preserved bronze dragon’s head, while Gaska recounted how De Sousa had supposedly slain the dragon during his conquest of the island.

• Renato considered how the corpses aboard the Pickle Barrel might connect to the Dead Three’s plans and concluded that the conspiracy targeted somewhere beyond White Harbor Island.
• Renato and Selina entered the Governor’s Mansion under Gaska’s escort, and Renato surveyed its defenses and lavish grounds.
• Selina stiffened at the sight of a preserved bronze dragon’s head above the mansion entrance, and Renato reassured her that the dragon was dead.
• Gaska said Governor De Sousa had personally taken the dragon’s head as a trophy after defeating the Harpers who had killed the previous governor and disrupted White Harbor’s trade.
• Gaska claimed De Sousa had climbed to the island’s summit alone and struck off the bronze dragon’s head amid a storm.

Renato met Governor De Sousa at the Governor’s Mansion after hearing accounts of the ruler’s power and influence. De Sousa welcomed Renato as a friend and ordered his treasured weapons brought in, leaving their meeting poised to turn to a discussion of what Renato might choose.

• Armed retainers stopped Selina and Barnaby in the mansion hall, and Renato told them to wait while he went upstairs with Gaska.
• Renato reached the reception room and recognized Governor De Sousa from his portrait, but was astonished by the governor’s immense size and casual demeanor.
• De Sousa praised Renato for saving the Hispaniola and defeating pirates, declaring him a friend of both himself and White Harbor.
• De Sousa ordered his servants to bring up his treasured weapons and invited Renato to choose anything that caught his fancy.

Renato inspected the Governor's magical ranged weapons and chose the Thunder Cobalt Javelin over the Sea Dragon Heavy Crossbow because it suited his close-combat style. He accepted it as his reward and told Governor De Sousa that the Black Blade's sword would not disappoint White Harbor.

• Governor De Sousa presented Renato with a collection of magical ranged weapons, then focused on the Sea Dragon Heavy Crossbow and recounted its history and limitations.
• Renato examined the Sea Dragon Heavy Crossbow and decided its size, slow reload, and demands on his fighting style made it a poor fit.
• De Sousa opened the second case and showed Renato a powerful Thunder Cobalt Javelin that returned to its wielder after being thrown and could unleash lightning.
• Renato chose the Thunder Cobalt Javelin without hearing its drawbacks and told De Sousa he was not skilled with heavy crossbows.
• Renato accepted the javelin as his reward and assured De Sousa that the Black Blade's sword would not disappoint White Harbor.

Governor De Sousa gave Renato a powerful enchanted javelin without asking for anything in return and invited him to a banquet where he could make useful connections. Back at the High Tide inn, Renato tested the Thunder Cobalt Javelin’s extraordinary range and return, leaving the watching mercenaries startled.

• Governor De Sousa praised Renato’s defeat of the Myrkul Worshipper and gave him the Lightning Javelin as a friend, without setting any conditions.
• De Sousa invited Renato to a noble banquet the following week, and Renato accepted the opportunity to meet shipowners and consuls.
• Renato reflected that friendship and favors in the Sea of Archipelagos depended on each person having something valuable to offer.
• At the High Tide inn, Renato hurled the Thunder Cobalt Javelin across the sky and summoned it back to his raised hand.
• The javelin’s return blasted dust through the courtyard, and the mercenaries fled when Renato told them not to block the entrance.

Renato tested the Thunder Cobalt Javelin’s throwing, recall, and lightning abilities in the inn’s backyard. He was interrupted when a receptionist told him that his slave had jumped from upstairs and escaped.

• Renato threw the Thunder Cobalt Javelin at a straw target and recalled it to his hand.
• Renato tested the javelin’s return range and learned that he could call it back from up to roughly 400 feet away.
• Renato considered using the javelin’s recall and once-daily Lightning Javelin transformation in combat and as a trap.
• After hearing a commotion outside the inn, Renato headed toward the courtyard gate.
• The female receptionist told Renato that his slave had jumped down from upstairs and run away.

Renato learned that Selina had chased a strange woman who appeared to be the Sea Elf she had been searching for. The receptionist found the object the woman had dropped, leaving Renato with a possible clue to what she wanted to deliver.

• Renato inspected the damaged inn doors and footprints, then questioned the receptionist about Selina's sudden pursuit.
• The receptionist explained that a strange woman had entered the inn claiming she wanted to deliver something, then fled when Selina jumped down from upstairs.
• Renato concluded that the woman was likely Selina's fellow Sea Elf and decided not to chase them blindly through White Harbor.
• The receptionist described the woman as an ordinary-looking Thousand Islander and recalled that she had kept one fist clenched.
• The receptionist said the woman dropped something on the desk when Selina appeared, searched behind the desk, and found it for Renato.

Renato received a fossilized shark tooth from the inn’s receptionist and learned through the [Guide] that it was the Key of the Two-Breathers, an ancient artifact that could open a gate after being charged with mortal life force. He suspected Selina and her fellow Sea Elves planned to use it, but concealed his concerns when a guard captain arrived.

• The receptionist handed Renato a bloodstained fossilized shark tooth that a strange woman had left for him.
• Renato inspected the tooth, and the [Guide] identified it as the Key of the Two-Breathers, an artifact that could convert souls and life force into magic power to open an ancient city’s gate.
• Renato connected the key to Selina’s search, the Sea Elves’ magic circles across White Harbor, and a possible plan to revive their fortunes.
• Renato worried that the Sea Elves might use the people of White Harbor to charge the key and reached for his Thunder Cobalt Javelin.
• A guard captain questioned Renato about the wrecked inn, and Renato dismissed the damage as an accident caused by his slave.

Renato waited at the High Tide inn for Selina to return from chasing the Sea Elf who resonated with her blood. Selina apologized for going alone, then revealed that she had caught her supposed kinswoman.

• Renato meditated on the balcony of the High Tide inn and sensed Selina returning.
• Selina entered the suite and apologized for breaking their agreement by going out alone.
• Renato checked Selina for injuries and told her he was not blaming her for the chase.
• Selina explained that she had felt a powerful resonance in her blood and pursued the nearby Sea Elf.
• Selina told Renato that she had caught her supposed kinswoman.

Renato learned that Selina had found Shahualin, a fellow Sea Elf who had lived on land for four years and behaved strangely toward her. Selina refused to reveal her mission but asked Renato to take on another job, and he agreed to hear the new quest.

• Selina gave Renato a pearl, completing his quest and earning him 2,500 experience points.
• Selina told Renato that she had tackled Shahualin in the Governor's Special District and fought off humans who tried to intervene.
• Selina explained that Shahualin had disguised herself as a human, initially acted hostile, then dismissed the disguise and asked Selina to help fulfill their people's duty.
• Renato inferred that Selina had come to White Harbor on a mission, but Selina said she was not ready to tell him about it.
• Selina offered Renato three pearls for another favor, but he pushed them back and asked her to explain the new quest.

Renato learned that the sea elves planned to attack White Harbor and sacrifice its inhabitants to activate the Key of the Two-Breathers. He kept the key rather than handing it to Selina and headed to the Governor's Mansion, suspecting a large sea elf settlement was preparing to strike.

• Renato left Selina asleep at High Tide and set out for the Governor's Mansion.
• Renato connected the sea elves' magic circles and the Key of the Two-Breathers to a plan to slaughter White Harbor's nearly ten thousand inhabitants.
• Renato decided not to give the key to Selina because it could shift the island's balance of power and put his own interests at risk.
• Renato concluded that a large, organized sea elf settlement nearby was preparing to attack White Harbor.

Renato warned Governor De Sousa that strange magic circles across the islands might signal a sea elf threat, but De Sousa dismissed his concerns and argued that sea elves could not attack White Harbor. The governor turned the conversation to preparations for an upcoming banquet.

• Governor De Sousa told Renato that he had ordered mages and harbor officers to deal with the strange magic circles.
• Renato warned that the circles might be connected to sea elves preparing a large-scale attack, but De Sousa dismissed the danger because the Mage Tower had detected no unusual magic.
• De Sousa explained that sea elves driven from the shallows would be unable to survive in the deep sea, where powerful monsters and hostile marine races threatened them.
• De Sousa boasted that White Harbor's defenses could withstand any attack and insisted that sea elves could not threaten the island.
• De Sousa ended the discussion and asked Renato about New Continent customs for the upcoming banquet.

Renato reviewed his investigation of the Sea Elf threat and prepared for a possible attack on White Harbor while waiting for Crooked Mouth’s coastal patrol report. Crooked Mouth arrived, but the chapter ended before he revealed what the patrol had found.

• Renato read the quest to uncover the crisis in White Harbor and considered its reward and risks.
• Renato learned that the Governor’s mages dismissed the Sea Elf magic circles and that harbor officers avoided conducting patrols.
• Renato gave Crooked Mouth authority to organize a small-boat patrol and inspect the nearby coast for hidden Sea Elf settlements.
• Renato kept the Key of the Two-Breathers from Selina and considered how it could disrupt or profit from the Sea Elves’ plans.
• Crooked Mouth arrived at Renato’s hut, and Renato asked him what the coastal patrol had discovered.

Renato reviewed the failed coastal search and concluded that key information about the Sea Elves was missing, so he turned to Shahualin as a possible source. He asked Selina to introduce him to her so they could find the shark-tooth-shaped key and uncover what the Sea Elves sought in the ruins.

• Renato reviewed the harbor inspectors’ thorough patrols, which found no signs of Sea Elves or unusual activity around White Harbor island.
• Renato reasoned that a large Sea Elf settlement could not easily survive or prepare for war in the deep sea without leaving evidence, and suspected he lacked crucial information.
• Renato decided that Shahualin’s unusual behavior and years living undercover in White Harbor might help him learn what the Sea Elves were planning.
• Selina suggested searching near the Governor’s Special District and recalled that Shahualin was perceptive, adaptable, and chosen as a captain by the tribe’s Priestess.
• Renato interrupted Selina’s repeated account and asked her to introduce him to Shahualin so he could question her directly.

Renato waited outside Shahualin’s tailor shop while questioning a local vendor about her reputation and watching for signs of her identity as a Sea Elf Spy. Shahualin opened the shop, leaving Renato poised to meet the woman her neighbors trusted and whom Selina had identified as a mastermind.

• Renato noticed that drinking the eleven bottles of magical liquor had improved his coordination and ability to divide his attention.
• Renato bought an ordinary shark-tooth necklace from the vendor and asked about fish-skin clothing and Shahualin’s work.
• The vendor described Shahualin as a skilled, generous neighbor who had lived in White Harbor for several years and ran her shop alone.
• Renato reflected that Shahualin’s kindness toward her neighbors concealed her plot to sacrifice the island’s humans, and considered how her public life could aid her secret work.
• Shahualin opened her tailor’s shop while the vendor recommended her services to Renato.

Renato visited Shahualin’s tailoring shop to investigate the Sea Elf spy and learn about her settlement. After he provoked Shahualin into an emotional outburst and stopped her from reaching a knife, Selina arrived at the shop.

• Renato entered Shahualin’s shop under the pretense of ordering a leather outfit and searched it with his Dragonkind Senses.
• Renato noticed digging tools that suggested Shahualin had used her tailoring shop as cover while creating secret tunnels through the Dock District.
• Renato mentioned the Sea Elf who had chased someone through the streets, and Shahualin reacted with anger and fear while denouncing the Sea Elves.
• Shahualin tried to force Renato out and reach a cutting knife, but Renato restrained her and pulled her away from it.
• Renato heard a commotion outside and told Shahualin that her companion had arrived so he could take her measurements.

Renato brought Selina and Shahualin together to learn about the Sea Elves’ search for the key, but Shahualin mistook Selina’s arrival as betrayal and nearly lost control. After Selina calmed her and explained Renato’s role, he asked the pair to explain the Sea Elf terms they had mentioned, beginning with “Hunting Band Baron.”

• Selina entered the shop and accused Shahualin of betraying the Hunting Guild, while Shahualin believed Selina had sided with Renato.
• Shahualin’s disguise magic broke as she spiraled into madness, revealing her Sea Elf appearance and prompting Renato to signal Selina to calm her.
• Selina explained that Renato was her trusted human hunter and had helped her train, which restored some of Shahualin’s clarity.
• Shahualin berated Selina for entrusting the key search to a human, while Selina insisted Renato had protected and strengthened her.
• Renato interrupted their argument and asked the Sea Elves to explain their terms, starting with “Hunting Band Baron.”

Renato questioned Shahualin about the shark-tooth key, the hidden Sea Elf city, and the island’s magic arrays, while suspecting that she was concealing their true purpose. Shahualin’s hunter persona faded during another bout of memory loss, leaving her confused when she found Renato in her shop.

• Shahualin explained that the Hunting Band’s strongest warrior was called a Hunting Band Baron and that the key was meant to open a hidden Sea Elf city stocked with supplies.
• Renato questioned Shahualin about the key and the magic arrays; she claimed the arrays charged the key, while he sensed that her explanation concealed the arrays’ deadly purpose.
• Shahualin answered Renato’s questions about Sea Elf customs and religion with detailed knowledge, deepening his uncertainty about her identity.
• Shahualin used a conch to cast Disguise Self and warned Renato to find the key within a month, then said her condition prevented her from guiding him.
• Shahualin’s hunter persona vanished, and she became confused when she saw Renato and another Sea Elf; Renato told her she had fainted.

Renato left Shahualin’s tailor shop with new suspicions about the Sea Elves’ plans and resolved to question Governor De Sousa at his banquet. He then challenged Selina to consider the danger and purpose of her mission, leaving her uncertain but aware that she had another path.

• Shahualin measured Selina for a leather outfit while acting like an ordinary seamstress, and Renato concluded that her seamstress persona could not provide further intelligence.
• Renato connected Shahualin’s clues about the Hunting Guild, the Sea Baron, the Key of the Two-Breathers, and a soul-charging ritual, and decided to investigate before war reached White Harbor.
• Renato planned to ask Governor De Sousa about the marine races at the banquet the following evening.
• Renato asked Selina whether her Hunting Band Baron punished failures and what she would gain by completing the charging ritual, but she remained silent.
• Renato told Selina that she had another path and urged her to weigh the consequences of her choices, while she followed him without making up her mind.

Renato attended Governor De Sousa’s banquet in White Harbor while investigating declining fish stocks and possible links between the Sea Elves’ ritual and the Dead Three worshippers. He learned that Selina was still weighing her choice, and the chapter ended as the Governor’s banquet was about to begin.

• Selina remained withdrawn at the High Tide inn, and Renato gave her time to decide whether to return to the sea.
• Renato gathered reports from Barnaby and Pye about dwindling fish and missing fishing boats, then dressed for the Governor’s banquet.
• Renato arrived at the Governor’s Mansion, where guests recognized him as the feared Black Blade.
• Renato greeted Captain De Leon and heard that Paladin Lectus was healing and helping people in the Dock District.
• De Leon asked about the rumors that Renato had killed a Necromancy Mage, but Renato withheld what he knew and asked about Andreia.
• The mansion doors opened, and an attendant announced Governor Alvaro de Sousa as the banquet’s host.