1. 0:00

   35 min

   skillThe table is here

   1. The Empty Cabinet

   The crowded workroom of the Mended Sail, among hanging canvas, benches, needles, and half-finished repairs.

   The party examines the locked cabinet, the wet floor, and the blue thread while questioning Mara and Tovin. A careful approach uncovers evidence that the thief had shop access or copied a workshop technique.

   NextA trail of matching thread and a witness report point toward the lantern pier. If the party stalls, the harbor bell sounds and Nessa arrives with a warning about the tide.

2. 0:35

   45 min

   social

   2. Lanterns in the Harbor

   The lantern pier and neighboring boat sheds, where rumor, watch patrols, and wet planks make a direct search difficult.

   Nessa can guide the party through the harbor's back lanes and explain the shoal's shifting approaches. The party can question dockworkers, persuade the watch to open a closed pier, or follow the sound of the bell.

   NextThe party finds evidence that Captain Sorn has taken the sail toward Blackwater Shoal. A skiff or Nessa's pilot route gets them there before the tide turns.

3. 1:20

   60 min

   exploration

   3. The Wreck at Low Tide

   Blackwater Shoal at low tide, with a tilted wreck surrounded by pools, exposed rocks, and tangled rigging.

   The party crosses exposed shoal and reaches the Bellwether wreck. They can search for the sail, inspect the ship's remains, or negotiate with Sorn. The ship's bell reacts to disturbances, and the tide limits how long they can remain.

   NextOnce the party understands what binds the bell, they must choose whether to recover the sail, break its stitches, or help Sorn attempt her own solution.

4. 2:20

   45 min

   combat

   4. The Last Stitch

   The wreck's sloping deck and torn sail, with the tide climbing through the gaps in the hull.

   The party makes its final choice as the water rises. Sorn may cooperate if treated with respect and shown the truth; otherwise, the bell-woken presence presses the confrontation. Success depends on a concrete action, not merely winning a fight.

   NextThe bell's silence, or continued ringing, determines the journey back to town and the consequences for the Mended Sail.

5. 3:05

   25 min

   social

   5. A Shop Reopened

   The Mended Sail at dawn, where repaired canvas dries in the open doorway and the harbor's morning bells sound normally.

   Back in town, the party reports what happened to Mara, Tovin, and the harbor watch. They can decide whether to reveal the names in the sail, protect Sorn's grief from public scrutiny, or press the town to mark the shoal.

   NextClose the adventure with the party's chosen legacy, then use an open-ended hook if the group wants to continue.

• The Lantern Pier Ambush

  Combat or avoidable confrontation

  Narrow, wet pier planks; stacked lobster pots; mooring ropes; water deep enough to threaten anyone knocked overboard.

  Foes

  • 2 to 4 Tide-Touched Salvagers

  • 1 Bell-Woken Deckhand

  ComplicationA rising tide begins to flood the lower walkways. At the end of each round or meaningful exchange, the GM can make a route harder to use or place an exposed character at risk of being swept into the harbor.

  ScalingFor a smaller or less experienced party, use two salvagers and omit the deckhand. For a larger or more capable party, add two salvagers or give the deckhand a once-per-scene call that distracts or disorients nearby characters.

• The Wreck Below Blackwater Shoal

  Combat, exploration, or negotiation

  A half-submerged shipwreck at low tide, with unstable decks, dangling rigging, narrow passages, and pockets of air that will vanish as the tide rises.

  Foes

  • 1 Bell-Woken Deckhand

  • 2 Drowned Rigging Knots, custom animated hazards

  ComplicationThe wreck's bell rings whenever someone disturbs the sail or the ship's nameplate. The sound draws the Bell-Woken Deckhand and makes careful movement or delicate work more difficult until the bell is silenced.

  ScalingFor a gentler finale, the rigging knots hinder movement rather than directly attack, and the deckhand can be calmed by speaking the ship's name. For a tougher finale, add one knot and let the wreck shift with each strong wave.

• Mara Venn

  QuestgiverQuestgiver and owner of the Mended Sail

  WantsMara wants the stolen sail returned and the Mended Sail's reputation protected, but she is also afraid the rush job has awakened something she does not understand.

  “I can mend canvas, not the sea. But something out there is using my work to call a ship home.”

• Tovin Reed

  Witness and apprentice at the Mended Sail

  WantsTovin wants to prove he is more than an apprentice and conceal that he secretly copied the ceremonial sail's unusual stitching to impress a rival sailmaker.

  “That stitching is mine. The pattern is an old harbor mark, though I never taught it to anyone.”

• Captain Ilyra Sorn

  Antagonist and keeper of a hidden harbor secret

  WantsCaptain Ilyra Sorn wants the ceremonial sail returned to the wreck of her former ship, believing it can lay her drowned crew to rest. She will bargain before fighting, but will not abandon the plan easily.

  “I only need the sail for one night. After that, the tide can take what it came for.”

• Nessa Quill

  Ally and retired harbor pilot

  WantsOld Nessa wants to prevent another harbor disaster and persuade the town to finally mark the dangerous shoals where her family ship sank.

  “If you hear the bell, do not answer it. And if you see a lantern beneath the waves, do not follow it alone.”

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