Labyrinth Lord Red Tides (3): Robinson Crusoe ville

Zantar

A child is missing from the group that was originally abducted by the seaside bandits. Bruno and Zantar go to "Bandit valley", bringing along all 8 village men. Toshi and Zacary accompany Zantar. Toshi is craven and won't enter the cave. They discover 600gp in 3 foot lockers but the fourth is open and looted. Footprints show up and down a hallway and into the previously unexplored drowning chamber, a cone shaped room with a spiral walkway that decends into a sea water fed pool. It's quickly determined that between all the small holes and tunnels the water level must fluctuate with the sea level.

The missing child is in the
chamber at bottom of the pool. Zantar dives in and recovers the child. After removing a silk string wrapped pouch around the childs neck, it opens glowing red eyes and attacks. Bruno knocks her
into the pool, and Zantar tosses flaming oil on the surface. Regaining the surface and now on fire, the child attacks bruno, bites lump of thigh out. The Pouch around the childs neck is a threatening message by Lo Pan.

Zachary the villager is fearless and checks various tunnels by crawling down them. He finds an escape out into entrance under a bramble bush. Hunting around they find, then lose foot tracks though.

Elrond

Back at the strand the woman and children forage. One brings word to Elrond and Wendyberg of a man on poling boat. He approaches and waves, then Elrond sleeps him and he collapses into the ocean. An adolescent manages to save him, but not the boat. He awakens to Elrond's sword and pleads neutrality. Uncle Chu is from a village about 12 miles to the north west. It's called stormspite, hope, or mostly just the village. A hard scrabble living is to be had there. Elrond impresses (in the imtimidating way "good health benefits if you join us") Chu as a local scout. White port is reported to the northwest about 24 miles and engages in some commerce with the shogunate. There are rumors of renegade Kueh Samurai in the interior of the island who wish to topple the shogunate. Overland routes and sea routes are known to be very treacherous.

Chu recognizes some of the bandits as being exiles form his village, for breaking the few rules (regarding murder, rape, food and water theft, etc). One cries out that he will share info if taken away from the others.

Wendyberg casts discern evil intentions, and finds 3 of the 5 are evil. One not evil is the man crying out. She questions him and he reveals that Lo Pan gathered in the exiles and they engaged in rituals to 'the gods'. Rewards were obtained, random ship crashes and wanders found and taken when needed. The rituals worsened and victims send to the caves. Kwong (the confessing bandit) panics when he finds out that Lo Pan isn't dead and begs to be protected. Wendyberg offers him a holy symbol of the maker and converts him.


The entire clan heads to the bandit valley to take up residence. Water is a scarce resource so far. The bandits try to trade their knowledge for freedom, but Elrond has none of it. He manages to trick them into revealing 2 sources of intermittent water (Rain gathering pools). Rationing is instituted. One of the captives is totally simple and can only say Hodor. They release him and try and chase him off, but he hangs around like a dog and is eventually accepted.

Zantar, Bruno, and Zachary find a grass hut while hunting around the surrounding area with a stout cauldron and rank midden pit near the escape tunnel. They encounter a hunchbacked crone by the name Moshi. She makes fine tea for Zantar and explains she is a trader. Zantar doesn't have enough money for her 'rarities', but she explains she'd be very generous to one whom could find her a husband. She loses her husbands to bad luck and freak accidents she claims, and suggests the gods might be cursing her. Zantar observes it would be unwise to oppose the gods will and then quickly backpedals from her dark look. The hag appears to be a frequent victim of bird dung.

Zantar charms a bandit and sneaks him away from the camp so Elrond won't murder him during his 'escape'. The bandit agrees to woo the fine woman, although is certainly less excited once he sees Moshi. Zantar agrees to return the next day with a priest to marry them.