>> Map of Shulong Beach (Tactical)
After a long planning session with the pirates of the Bay of Ghosts, some sort of plan is kind of decided on. There are two major objectives: stealing the Soul Anchor artefact from the Theyarus elf that leads the Shulong Beach operation - and rescuing the enslaved Hacuum, half-orc father of Happy and his brother Huuk.
The group decides to split into two teams at first:
- Team Estate with Jeff, Drem, Baraka and Cabuga. Their goal is to scout out the Theyarus Estate in the south of the beach, entering stealthily from the river that connects the estate with the ocean, then sending a message through Baraka to the other team to start the second part of the plan while Team Estate retrieves the Soul Anchor and takes the Theyarus elf als hostage.
- Team Circle with Flo, Happy, Gawrth, Huuk and the Crew of the Floating Seamen. They will pretend to be mercenaries that caught and intend to return two slaves (Happy and Huuk) to the elves to infiltrate Fort Valyssa that is protected by a magical barrier. The plan is for the two half-orcs to be brought into the slave camps where they search for their father, then rescue him and return to the Floating Seamen. Meanwhile, the others want to destroy the teleportation circle in the fort to cut off potential reinforcements.
The other pirates will stand by in a safe distance and wait for a signal to either lay siege to the fort or attack the light house south of it.
In preparation, Flo is able to get a scroll of teleportation out of his bag of many things, as well as some sticks of dynamite. On the 10 day travel to the beach, Happy is able to cast some divinations to get divine premonitions about the coming operation. Sacrificing some healing potion for the ritual, he is able to ascertain that there might be some phoenix like creature being held in the light house on Shulong beach, potentially powering the force barrier around the fort or maybe used as fail-safe in case of big problems. Happy also asks his divine patron Zios about the whereabouts of Lorekeeper Amón that may be in trouble (again). Zios answers in a vision that he is also unsure about what is going on with his brother Amon and asks Happy to meet him in his temple in Zeantis.
When the fleet arrives in the target area, the Floating Seamen drops off Team Estate at the river intersection, then circles around the beach for Team Circle to await the signal to start. Team Estate is able to stealth close to the estate and Jeff scouts the location from the sky, transformed into a bat.
The estate is a C-shaped long pavilion that is built partially into the lake Naru Galar. A big platinum tower pierces the palm trees around at the eastern most point of the estate, holding a big sunlight emitting crystal that light up the area in artificial sunlight. In the courtyard stands a giant golden palm tree on a platform. Songblade guards patrol the whole estate and a child elf that turns out to be a prince of Ryvenor and a half-elven woman can be seen.
Reporting back to the rest of Team Estate, the group makes a camp for the night to infiltrate the target location in the morning. They inform Team Circle that also start to rest until the next morning.
When the day of assault arrives, Team Circle starts with the plan to disguise the Floating Seamen as a mercenary ship. Happy and Huuk are shackled while they leave their equipment back on the ship. Happy only keeps his religious symbol and Huuk hides the scroll of teleportation in a wooden arm that Smellyfeet Joe crafted for him. It is decided that smellyfeet takes over the talking part to convince the approaching Songblade guards. The plan works and Smelly convinces the flying guards with an professional ease that they are just mercenaries. The magical barrier is lowered and the ship is granted passage into the port of the fort.
While Smellyfeet (disguised as "Johannes Freshfeet"), Happy and Huuk are escorted by two Songblades and the Songblade commander Sundra to the keep in order to discuss business, Flo and Gawrth convince another songblade to shop in the harbour area while the rest of the crew remains on the ship. They browse for some supplies until the guard observing them becomes unwary. Inside a general store owned by an older gnome, Flo starts a distraction that the shopkeeper seems to see through. He demands from the guard that they leave the shop and that they should be searched for stealing. Flo and Gawrth take the opportunity to attack the songblade, killing him within seconds of combat, possibly without alarming anyone outside. The shopkeeper is knocked out and shackled while Flo's sword absorbs the soul of the killed guard.