Chapter Summaries

A badly wounded necromancer reached the Pickle Barrel after escaping the Old Fish Market warehouse, but he was pursued to the pier by the shadow-wreathed swordsman. A gunshot struck the necromancer in the head as he fell beside the gangplank.

• The necromancer arrived at Pier Three with his right arm and shoulder destroyed, then killed a Harbor Inspector who tried to extort him.
• The necromancer drained life energy from the inspector’s corpse to heal part of his wound and raised the corpse as a zombie servant.
• The necromancer blamed the Bhaal worshippers for provoking a hidden mage and planned to return to his ship to treat his injuries.
• The necromancer spotted the shadow-wreathed swordsman charging after him along the jetty.
• A lead bullet struck the necromancer’s head, breaking his control over the zombie and sending him falling backward beside the gangplank.

Renato pursued the wounded necromancer onto the Pickle Barrel, where he discovered the ship was guarded by an undead crew. The necromancer called the ship his laboratory and unleashed his zombie sailors, leaving Renato and Selina facing a prepared horde.

• Renato fired at the fleeing necromancer from the pier and unexpectedly struck his head, but the bullet failed to cause serious damage.
• Renato leaped onto the Pickle Barrel and found more than a dozen zombie pirate sailors guarding the injured mage.
• The necromancer speculated that Renato had planned the encounter in advance, while Renato asked whether he was the Pickle Barrel’s captain.
• More undead, including musket-wielding zombies, emerged from belowdecks and took positions around the necromancer.
• The necromancer ignited green flames on the zombies’ halberds and declared that no one could defeat him aboard the Pickle Barrel.

Renato and Selina confronted the Myrkul Worshipper and his undead aboard the Pickle Barrel. Renato destroyed the ship’s masts to crush and scatter the zombie force, then charged into the remaining undead with Selina following.

• Renato waited as the Necromancy Mage summoned zombie sailors onto the deck, while Selina prepared to fight beside him.
• The Necromancy Mage formed the undead into a halberd phalanx and challenged Renato to attack.
• Renato cut through the Pickle Barrel’s magically reinforced mainmast with the Silent Lady.
• The falling masts and rigging collapsed across the deck, crushing, entangling, and sweeping many zombies into the sea.
• Renato charged through the scattered undead, and Selina recovered from her surprise and followed the hunt.

Renato disabled the Pickle Barrel by bringing down its mast, then cut through the undead crew while searching for the Necromancy Mage. He found the mage’s blood near a hole leading into the lower hold and jumped down to pursue him.

• Renato’s fallen mast crushed many of the zombie crew and crippled the Pickle Barrel’s propulsion.
• Renato fought through the remaining undead, using the Silent Lady and Holy Sword Oil to destroy them.
• Renato searched the stern and found blood and signs that the Necromancy Mage had fallen through a hole into the lower hold.
• Selina fought the remaining zombies on deck as Renato jumped into the lower hold to pursue the mage.

Renato found the apparently dead Necromancy Mage in the Pickle Barrel’s hold, but the mage emerged from a coffin in enchanted armor and attacked him with Finger of Death. The living knight mistook Renato for an enemy of the Tyrant’s Hand and prepared to fight, while revealing clues about a sacrificial ritual and an island opening.

• Renato followed bloody drag marks through the Pickle Barrel’s hold and found the badly injured Necromancy Mage beneath an Alchemy Table.
• Renato stabbed the mage through the heart and the back of the head, but a hidden attacker unleashed Finger of Death from a coffin.
• Renato blocked the red lightning with Shadow Shield and Dakoul’s Blessing as an armored knight stepped out of the shattered coffin.
• The knight recognized Renato’s unusual powers, guessed that he had come to stop the Tyrant’s Hand’s plans, and mentioned a sacrificial ritual and an island opening.
• The knight swallowed a reliquary of Myrkul, summoned wailing specters, and vowed to imprison Renato’s soul and make him an undead servant.

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.