Pity at Portian Docks

Portia • Galvanus Archipelago • Twilight Meridian

✿ Light-Hearted

🛡 Defence

⚓ Docks

Adventure Description

When a torrent of Star Plums smacks the party directly in the face, they are swiftly caught up in the latest mishaps of eternally unlucky sailor, Piti Ful. Poor Piti risks dismissal by an angry admiral with no sense of humor, unless the party can help her.

Starting the Adventure

"Your ship won't leave for hours yet, so you've found a sunny bench along Portia's white sandstone promenade. You're watching the dockworkers when something wet and heavy splatters across your face. Star plum juice drips from your hair. Above you, a mortified Chib sailor is already scrambling down from a cargo net, apologizing before she even reaches you."

Piti's legendary bad luck has finally caught up with her. Admiral Nosewright has issued an ultimatum: finish an impossible list of chores by noon, or face disciplinary action and even being kicked out of the Portian Confederacy entirely. The crew adores her, but the Admiral's word is law.

Important Characters

Piti Ful — Chib, Female, 21 (Basic Folk)

Born to Shining Sea Pirates, Piti rejected the outlaw life - she wanted to sail for something bigger. The Confederacy is that.

"Salt-crusted hair sticks out at odd angles beneath her oversized cap. Her uniform has seen better days - patches on patches."

Admiral Nosewright — Elf, Male, 53 (Blaster Knight)

The Confederacy's most decorated (and most inflexible) officer, Nosewright runs a tight fleet from his dockside offices.

"Every brass button polished, every crease razor-sharp. His magnificent nose leads him like a ship's figurehead."

Greem — Gruun, Female, 36 (Custrel)

The Calypso's first mate doubles as ship's cook - and she's taken Piti under her wing, for better or worse.

"A towering Gruun with flour-dusted hands and a comically small chef's hat perched between her ears."

Suggested Story

Set the scene, describe Piti, have her apologize for spilling plums on the party, then continue:

Admiral's Ultimatum

Admiral Nosewright walks past, shouts at Piti and says, "This is your last chance. I don't care how you get your chores done, just get them done!".
With the admiral gone, Piti slumps. She explains the stakes - and begs the party for help, offering her next voyage's wages.

Chore Chaos

First task: load supply crates to Greem's galley off the jetty. Naturally, Piti loses her balance on the gangplank and needs fishing out.
Second task: change the captain's sheets. Piti pulls back the linens and disturbs 3 nesting Bedmunk Swarms who all scream anxiously. One swarm engulfs her immediately.

Barrel of Trouble

Final task: swab the decks. Piti bumps a barrel labeled 'Mana-Fuel' - it tips, cracks, and 6 angry Goops pour out, attacking!
Greem charges up from below after one Round to help. Once the Goops are dealt with, Piti somehow ends up stuck headfirst in the empty barrel.

Lucky Break

The Admiral storms onto the deck, furious - until Piti emerges clutching his long-lost spyglass, found wedged in the barrel.
Greem points out that Piti finished her tasks, exposed two infestations, AND recovered the Admiral's treasure. Even Nosewright can't argue with that.

Sources & Adversaries

Storybeats & layout inspired from Down at the Docks by One-Shot Wonders.

Bedmunk Swarm by Quagg (Homebrew)
Goop: Source, pg. 382
Blaster Knight: Reflavored Blaster Mage. Source, pg. 366.
Night Silk: BREAK!! Blog

Key Locations

Portian Docks

"A refreshing morning breeze lifts at tarpaulins, flying them like banners. Dock workers joke with each other, and hawkers sell wares on these white sandstone streets."

The jetty the party were due to embark from is also where the Calypso is docked.
20 large crates of supplies are stacked on the jetty, waiting to be loaded onto the ship.

Deck of the Calypso

"Gleaming among the weathered hulls, the Calypso stands out - fresh paint, taut rigging, and not a barnacle in sight."

A rickety plank leads from the dock to the ship's wooden deck. The decks look clean, but still failed the admiral's morning inspection. Barrels of Mana-Fuel are kept on deck to fuel the ship's Spell Engine.

Below Decks

"The smell of Greem's cooking wafts up the stairs, accompanied by her off-key humming."

The party must load all the crates into a supply room adjoining the galley, where Greem is busy cooking. The crew sleep in hammocks, but the captain has his own room with a large bed. There are rodents nesting in the linen closet.

Secrets & Clues

Nosewright's grudge started at last year's Scion's Fair - Piti accidentally dumped a platter of star plum tarts down his dress whites.
The Admiral's foul mood has a second cause: his lucky Dew Silver spyglass has been missing for days.
Piti washed out of the Naval Academy but talked her way onto the Calypso as a deckhand - she's been proving herself ever since.
The crew loves Piti. Her disasters somehow always work out, and her cheerfulness is impossible to resist.
Tomorrow's voyage to the Sol Alliance will be the Calypso's longest yet - Piti has been dreaming of it for months.
Most of the crew is on shore leave - only Greem stayed behind to prep the galley.
Greem made a promise to Piti's older brother Bash - she'd keep an eye on the hopeless whelp.
A Confederacy dismissal would blacklist Piti from legitimate work - and even pirates won't hire someone with her reputation for chaos.
The captain of Calypso takes pride in his finest Night Silk bedrobes, and the Bedmunks found them to be suitable material for their next grand work.
The 'Mana-Fuel' barrel was mislabeled - it's actually a waste container from a refinery, Goops and all.

Quest Resolution

✦ Rewards

Piti offers the party 100C (her salary for the next voyage) to help her. If she keeps her job, Greem will give each PC Star Plumcakes [Booster Cakes] as thanks.

If the admiral is suitably persuaded via Negotiation, he will reluctantly promote Piti.

☆ Captain Rewards

If the party inform the Captain of his Bedmunk infestation, he'll nearly cry - a huge, broad Promethean - before saying he'll have to get a new set. He offers the party a Unit of "tarnished" Night Silk, magical material that is still immaculate.

Rank 1-2 Adventure

Lower Rank: There is not much to decrease here besides fewer Goops if you have a particularly squishy party.

Higher Rank: Consider replacing the Bedmunks with Mire Leech Swarms, and increasing the number of Goops.

PC Starting Coin: 100C

Art Vibeboard

"Portia Docks Inspiration"
Art by Sylvain Aublin

"Bedmunk Inspiration"
Art by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

"Portia Docks Inspiration"
Art by Ragnarock Online 2

"Galvanus Archipelago Inspiration"
Art by Varguyart

"Galvanus Archipelago Inspiration"
Art by Raul Avila

"Portia Inspiration"
Art by Ru