Not far down the winding dock did they come across an older woman fitting the short description Hogi had given them. She had a lean, thin body, crouched Indian style on a fluffed carpet sitting idly on the cement. Her cracked, rough brown hands were circling over a giant clear orb sitting on the pillow between her legs. With her head bent down, the party could gather her short, white wavy hair dried from the humidity, and one brown eye. The other, her right eye, had been covered by what seemed to be a makeshift eyepatch. Huffing under her breath, she muttered as she focused his attention on the orb below.
Magnolia, attentively approaching the older woman, attempted to start a conversation with her, but was startled when the woman’s bony hand instantly moved. Her wrist was ensnared by the woman’s sudden grasp, and Magnolia slightly jumped in fright. “Ahhhh—yes, I’ve been waiting.” The older woman crooned before lifting her head up for the group to see. Her sharp, but slightly pockmarked face greeted them as she dragged the half elf down.
“Come half elf, come! I do not bite.” She released Magnolia and then turned back to her orb. “Ahhhh yes—I see it. Your future is quite—spectacular.” The slight pause in her assessment caused Magnolia some cause for concern.
“Enough old hag.” Eugene, tired of seeing Magnolia being dragged into everything, yanked the girl back up by her forearm. “Are you McKinnon or not?”
Cassidy stood on guard, as Alex tensed.
“Yes, I am.” She slowly replied, looking up at each and everyone one of them. Her brown aged eyes trained equally on each before smiling a crooked, yellow toothed smile. “What can this old hag do for you then Dragonborn?”
Eugene ignored the quip, “Answer, did you meet someone by the name of Emrys?”
The old woman crackled, heaving some heavy breaths in between her laugh. “No, I don’t know the name.”
“That’s odd,” Cassidy narrowed her eyes, “a man named Hogi stated you did meet him.”
As if calling her out on her lie, she heavily breathed. Though not deterred, she continued as if she always had spoken the truth. “I did meet him then, I did. Interesting fellow, wanted to know more about the shrine.”
Alex jumped at the opportunity hoping the old lady wouldn’t lie again. “Shrine? What shrine are you talking about?”
The old mystic yawned into her rough skinned hand. “Who said anything about a shrine? I don’t know of any shrines.” She made it very apparent with her other free hand by rubbing her index finger and thumb up and down. If she was going to tell the truth, she was going to need some gold.
Eugene pulled out two gold coins and dropped them unceremoniously onto her carpet. “Here’s two to start, and if I like your answers old hag, I’ll give you three more.”
She greedily accepted the gold coins and cackled. “Yes, yes, yes, I do remember there being a shrine now. The Shrine of Istishia. But terrible things have come from within the shrine.” She tsk’ed as if upset by the whole ordeal. “Couldn’t stop the beasts inside, had t’ stay away. Misfor’une was on m’side that day when I ran into that man. Bad man, he interr’pted m’cleansin’ ritual and made the shrine into a dilapidated fix’ure.”
A loud beep popped up from their wrists as a new notification popped up on their screen. Ignoring it for now, Magnolia knelt by the old woman. She gazed silently at her, gauging her for truthfulness.
“The beasts flow out still, more powerful as they come—but you!” McKinnon snapped her attention back to their druid. “I sense a great power within you. You can seal shrine. Save the shrine. I beg you.” She then pulled out a slip of parchment tied together with a twine rope.
Eugene tossed three more coins at the old woman as Magnolia accepted the parchment with some concern.
“This purification ritual will only work for you magic types. You know what you must do. Don’t you?”
Cassidy grabbed Magnolia by the arm and they immediately left the heavily breathing woman. As soon as they were out of earshot of her, did they stop and examine the parchment and their notification.
Main Quest 2: Shrine of Istishia
Your party has met with the mystic Kittra McKinnon. Eerily, she has informed you all of the troubles that have been ongoing within the Shrine of Istishia after Emrys had tampered within. She mentioned further that monsters have been continually getting stronger, and the only way to stop the fleet of monsters is to purify the irregularity that has affected the once beautiful shrine. Giving a purification ritual over to their Cleric, McKinnon begs them to clear the shrine of its evils and stop the monsters from pouring out into the shores of Bellcester.
Subquest: A Crabfull Morn
You’ve learned from Hogi that he is lacking in materials for his customers Cleo and Eled. He desperately needs five crab claws, several packs of crab and shark brains, about 20 reef shark teeth, and a dorsal fin of a reef shark.
