The tide is low and we're supposed to venture out into the newly uncovered sand, but the 'Pacification of the Sea Witch' isn't as big of a secret as I thought. Pirates have come to scavenge the beach, and the Captain says they're too ratty looking to be any member of his crew. I bet they're looking for the treasure too. We need to apprehend them, and check their pockets for anything they might have stolen from here.
The lone pirates were carrying around these old stone arrowheads in their pockets, likely to sell for some gold. Their edges are smooth despite being extremely old. Even though there are so many littered in the sand, the arrowheads are too uniform to have been made by amateurs. I doubt people were just shooting arrows into the sea to fish for dinner. I'd say there was a fierce fight here, maybe even a war.
Items Required:
Rewards:
Requirements: Must have completed the previous quest.
While we were rounding up those pirates, I saw limbs on the beach. Not real ones. They're likely the remains of the straw dolls used in previous years. They're all rotted and gross looking from being waterlogged for so long. And yes, we are going to pick them up! I want to check if the "Sea Witch" is actually taking these things.
Rhubarb poked at the limbs and said they're surprisingly lifelike, er well, corpse-like. Apparently the hay grays and bloats in the sea water like how you'd expect a real person to. I was fine with collecting the scraps with my bare hands but after he said that, I'm feeling a bit nauseous. The seagulls were pecking at the doll limbs so they've been tricked, but there's no sign of any Sea Witch tampering with them…hmm, tricked…
Items Required:
- Straw Scraps Collected x5
- Click on blue arrows on Screens 2 and 3
Rewards:
Requirements: Must have completed the previous quest.
The 'Pacify the Sea Witch' Ritual requires the straw dolls to be placed in an area where the tide will eventually rise back up. Let's be cautious and take a look around before we get to work. I feel a chill and it's not from a brisk summer breeze. Rhubarb's saying he felt the same chill from the beds of Ghostly Eels that gather around shipwrecks. If you happen to see any, teach me how to get rid of them when there isn't a cleric on hand.
According to the Captain, Ghostly Eels swarm shipwrecks and shores where large amounts of drownings occur. They lurk in the water waiting for new victims so they can chew on the bodies left behind. That's strange, there haven't been any major incidents here lately. That could mean something happened in the distant past. My theory about the arrowheads might hold some water!
Items Required:
Rewards:
Requirements: Must have completed the previous quest.
The townsfolk that made the straw dolls trusted us to finish the second half of their Ritual. It's easy, just slightly grim. We lay the dolls on their backs, and weigh them down with heavy stones in places on the beach where the tide will rise above their heads. That way, they'll symbolically drown and become gifts for the 'Sea Witch.' Make sure the pirates and eels don't mess with them.
I was hoping Captain Rhubarb would be distracted by fending off the eels and pirates but he noticed the dolls' clothing. Keep this between you and me for now. I didn't just ask him to help me because he was an experienced pirate. His family is from the town where these dolls were made - Rheum. I doubt he grew up there, but his parents or grandparents or great grandparents have their roots in that town. I'll tell you why it's important later.
Items Required:
- Straw Doll Placed x5
- Click on blue arrows on Screens 3 and 4
- Eels Exorcized x6
- Pirates Apprehended x8
Rewards:
Requirements: Must have completed the previous quest.
It isn't just eels poking at the straw dolls with their noses. Do you see those ghostly jellyfish? Tentacles are disgusting but these jellyfish are so pretty. It's like they're made out of the fancy lace my big sister used to sew with. If I didn't know that they'd sting me to heck, I'd want to grab them. Help me and Rhubarb fight them off. We don't want them bothering us while we finish off the rest of the Ritual.
The big squishy top part of a jellyfish is called a bell? That's a cute name for a critter with a shocking sting. Rhubarb told me you can even eat the bell as long as you toss the tentacles. I'm not in an adventurous enough mood to try these though. Now that we're getting a closer look, is it just me or do you see a face in those bells? Actually, the way their blotches are arranged resemble a…skull?
Items Required:
Rewards:
Requirements: Must have completed the previous quest.
Captain Rhubarb suggested that we start digging. With all of these ghosts lurking around, I think we all know what we're going to find. Straw dolls and scarecrows are meant to trick crows into thinking they're real humans after all. The Captain grabbed a few shovels from the cart. Take one and dig until the only thing you can see is sand.
It's nothing but bones. Full human skeletons laid on their backs, weighed down by rocks. Rhubarb and I didn't find any sign of the bones being broken, or any chains that tied their limbs together. They were here willingly. Traditions change over time, and I think the current ritual evolved from a version where the town sacrificed their own people to appease the 'Sea Witch.' Eventually, they tried to trick her by using fakes.
Items Required:
- Grave Unearthed x3
- Click on the blue arrows on Screen 5
Rewards:
Requirements: Must have completed the previous quest.
The town of Rheum was willing to sacrifice hundreds if not thousands of their own people before they resorted to trying to trick the 'Sea Witch' with straw dolls. I do know what the treasure is and it might be worth the price. But what sort of monster would make them conduct such a horrific ritual? There are ghostly sea creatures infesting the beach. Maybe we can learn more about the 'Witch' from investigating them.
Shoot, I'm not seeing anything. The Captain's getting frustrated. 'We not be blind oracles that can read animal giblets!' he says, which is true. This one's on me. I was worried that if I told too many people, spies might catch on and try to take the treasure first. I should have brought experts or consulted locals. Huh, maybe if we wait around long enough, someone who lives nearby might visit?
Items Required:
- Translucent Tentacle x6
- Eel Guts x6
Rewards:
Requirements: Must have completed the previous quest.
There's a woman exploring the beach out there. She looks so fiery and regal! Definitely not a pirate but she's being menaced by them! Let's help her out! Then, we could have a little chat. She might know something about the Ritual, the Sea Witch, and the treasure we're looking for.
That is the first time I've talked to a member of the Order of the Burnt Phoenix. And it just so happened to be an Archmage that you know really well. That means her knowledge and opinions aren't something we can ignore, even if she wants us to. What if the straw dolls weren't the only reinterpreted portion of the original Ritual? What if the Sea Witch is actually Neso, the Avatar of Water?
Items Required:
- Fake Gold Teeth x7
- Talk to Pyralis x1
Rewards:
Requirements: Must have completed the previous quest.
I did promise to finish the Ritual, and we could learn the last of the beach's secrets this way. The final step of the Ritual involves the pedestal at the edge of the tide. It's to pay our respects to the drowned and those who will be drowned. Could you and Rhubarb step on to the pedestal with me? Right at the very center. Afterwards…I'm not sure where to go from there. Maybe some more digging.
The pedestal started glowing! The Rheum townsfolk never mentioned this happening to the prison's entrance before. Could it be because of the Captain's…Wait, what's that mist seeping out of the pedestal?
Items Required:
- Examine Pedestal x1
- Click on the blue arrow on Screen 6
Rewards:
Requirements: Must have completed the previous quest.
There's a wraith guarding the pedestal! It smells earthy all of a sudden. Like the musky scent you would smell in the depths of a cavern. It's warding away the salty tide. Whoever this ghost is doesn't have a connection to the element of water. I'll save the conjecture for later. It's aiming to take out Captain Rhubarb, we need to stop it!
Exorcizing spirits is as easy as throwing a punch! Huh, that musky smell turned into a sweet scent. It reminds me of exploring meadows between the mountain valleys.
Items Required:
Rewards:
x1