3,383 Therimakarion 10
K,
A lot has happened in the past month. According to Athyn and Arktouros, the Polemarch believes the Shorestalkers are planning an assault on Neolantika and asked us to do something about it. Athyn came up with a plan to infiltrate the Triton Village and get more information from one of their wave priests.
There was a distinct chill in the air as we set off, along with Autolycus, Maia, and some of the town guards who brought extra mounts in case we needed to flee back to Neolantika. Athyn was well disguised as a traveling bard.
The guards mentioned that vandals burned down the Garden of Karametra the previous night and were especially upset with The Blessing of the Beasts festival in two weeks.
We followed the coast south for a couple of hours until we spotted the Triton Village beyond the plains. Along with the guards and mounts, we sought shelter in the hills while Athyn continued alone across the plains.
While we waited, a small giant wandered by but did not discover us. I was itching to engage with it if it was looking for trouble, but I did not want to risk any commotion that might lead to us being spotted by the tritons.
It was evening when I spotted Athyn returning from the sea. She said the mission was a success so we mounted our steeds and headed back toward Neolantika.
After being questioned at the gate, Athyn was brought to the temple of Thassa where she met the priest. She was forced to kneel and participate in a ritual. At the altar was a huge conch with a tail and a large pearl. The locals explained that trade was bad since the war, and blamed the landwalkers. She visited Pontreus’ contact, who shared that despite losing her daughter in the war, she didn’t believe the temples were teaching Thassa’s will. Athyn returned to the temple at dusk to witness the ceremony, which was held in honor of Kiora, the avatar of Thassa come back in the flesh. She learned that Kiora was recruiting Thassa’s warriors in the deep to overthrow the landwalkers.
On the way back to Neolantika, we stopped for a lone traveler pulling a cart. He introduced himself as Jox. We offered to assist him, but he was unwilling to trade for a meal of his tasty-looking seafood.
When we reached Neolantika, the guards arrested Maia for burning down Karametra’s garden. Athyn mentioned that Maia had been carrying an unusual amount of oil on her.
The next day, we learned that Maia had admitted to the crime and was publically punished and fined. Athyn paid off her fine and she was free to leave. Athyn wanted to investigate the potential location of the Shorestalkers, so I accompanied her along with Arktouros, Autolycus, and Maia.
The skies were clear and the still air was brisk as we traveled north for two hours until we reached Lover’s Leap. A stone jutted out from a cliff and a large boulder was not far off. The ocean was about a hundred feet below.
Autokycus told a tale of the place's origin.
Athyn heard a singing voice come from a small hole in the side of the cliff. Arktouros recognized it as the Akroan word for jump.
We lowered Athyn down a rope until she disappeared into the water.
When we pulled Athyn back up, she said there was a grotto below that we should explore. We walked back down from the cliff until we reached the beach where we tried to make a raft, but it would not hold us.
Not wanting to risk swimming to the grotto, we returned to Neolantika and purchased a barge from a friend of Aribantes.
The next day we returned to the grotto. Peaking in a foor, Athyn saw some Shorestalkers plotting, including one named Pelomon who she had seen in the Triton Village.
The priest emerged before we could hide and we had no choice but to fight them. Not knowing how many more might emerge from the grotto, we dashed for our barge under cover of the tritons’ Fog Clouds and managed to escape back to Neolantika.
I’d rather be hunting down the Nightmare Court, but these tritons have been causing a lot of trouble. They attacked our ship when we first set sail for Neolantika, initiated a fight was us on our way home to Neolantika, and have been disrupting trade throughout the sea. Yet I feel obliged to hunt those who would abduct the innocent magic users.
Matthias
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