The eastbound ship glides into Crescent Harbor beneath towering cliffs, where forgotten council sigils gleam faintly through the dawn mist. Saltwater laps against the ancient quay.
Penelope stands beside a weathered golden gate, her unmistakable azure scales softened by drifting fog. Behind her, the gate’s sealed arches descend into the cliffside.
The shipmaster holds the vessel steady with practiced claws while the black shard pulses at Alexios’s belt, answering both Penelope and the gate in alternating cold flashes.
The Shipmaster
There is your western sigil, and there is the one it sought. I have never seen a shard choose a living witness.
Penelope raises one claw in greeting, then studies the shard’s glow. Dawn catches on the Twin Flames at her belt as the harbor’s silent stones begin to hum.
Penelope
Alexios, you found the gate. I stayed in Ithaca as promised, but I could not let this summons go unanswered.
The Shipmaster
The quay is calm for now. When you are ready, I can bring the gangplank across, and we will learn what the council buried here.
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure Penelope’s alliance at the hidden gate
“Truth be told my dear, I’m glad your here, but how in the hells did you get here first?””
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +2)
Alexios
Truth be told, my dear, I’m glad you’re here. But how in the hells did you reach this harbor before me?
Penelope’s smile softens through the dawn mist. She steps from the golden gate, while the Twin Flames catch the first sunlight and the shard pulses between them.
Penelope
The summons reached Ithaca before you sailed. Your father gave me a council skiff and two trusted sailors, and I followed the old sea-road beneath the cliffs.
She touches the gate’s weathered sigil. Faint gold travels beneath the stone, revealing a narrow channel carved into the harbor wall.
Penelope
The council records remembered this harbor, even if Ithaca’s maps did not. I arrived before dawn and waited here, hoping the shard would bring you safely.
Penelope
It seems the old road carried us both where we needed to go. Come ashore, Alexios. Whatever lies beneath this gate, we will face its truth together.
Quest Complete
Secure Penelope’s alliance at the hidden gate