As the crew clears tangled rope and broken planks from the deck, the ship’s net jerks hard beneath the hull. A waterlogged ironbound container breaks the surface, sealed with a royal device and marked for Registrar Otho Vale.
Jack Finch
Hold the net steady. Do not cut the seal or force the hinges until we know what the crown entrusted to that crate.
A crew member braces the wet crate against the rail while Corin drags a canvas beneath it. Water streams across the black deck, carrying splinters and strands of torn fishing net.
Panko
That mark is royal, but the crate was no passenger’s luggage. It may contain records, valuables, or something the sea was meant to hide.
The container settles beside the mast with a hollow clang. Its seal remains unbroken, its iron bands furred with salt, and a thin line of bubbles escapes from beneath the lid.
Corin Vell
There. Did you hear that? A bell, inside the crate. Someone may still be trapped in it.
A faint bell sounds again from within the dripping container, three small notes muffled by iron and water. Jack keeps one hand near his sword while the crew waits for Dagg’s judgment.
✓ Quest Accepted
Rescue the trapped occupant from the royal container
“That seal is a golden lion, I think I may know whose seal that is. I know a certain King who has lions everywhere, but it has red on it and his colors are gold and blue. {Dagg turns towards the crate} I will open the crate, lets see if anyone is inside.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Strength, rolled -2)
Dagg Nabbitt
That seal is a golden lion. I may know whose it is. I know a certain king who has lions everywhere, though his colors are gold and blue. I will open the crate. Let us see if anyone is inside.
Dagg crouches beside the crate and studies the royal device, the salt-blurred lettering, and Registrar Otho Vale’s mark before touching the bands. His reading of official records confirms the seal’s form, while procedure tells him to preserve it before opening.
His superstitious caution keeps him alert for hidden danger beneath the bubbling lid. He draws his sword, channels a faint violet glow along its edge, and wedges the blade beneath the rusted hasp.
Dagg bears down with legendary strength. The hasp tears free, but the sudden release twists his shoulder and scrapes his forearm across the crate’s jagged iron rim.
The lid opens. Brackish water spills over the deck, revealing a young adult man, lean and narrow-faced, with short dark hair plastered to his forehead, in a soaked registrar’s coat, pale and barely conscious, with a small bell tied to his wrist.
The Trapped Registrar
Air... please. I was locked in after the wreck. The records... keep them dry.
Corin and Panko rush forward with canvas and a line. Jack orders the deck cleared as Dagg reaches into the open crate, securing the registrar before the ship’s roll can send him back into the water.
Quest Complete
Rescue the trapped occupant from the royal container