The Pilot's Soundings
Found after a fight
Possible rewards: Storm Sails
5 scenes. Choices with a requirement only appear when you meet it.
A Lead Line and a Codebook
Right away1Floating in the wreckage you find a knotted sounding line and a wax-sealed pilot's codebook. Written inside is every secret safe channel through the fog and rock shoals into the Free Muster's heartland—and the final page lists a rendezvous rock and a price. A traitor pilot was on his way to sell the fleet's routes to the enemy.
- Take the codebook and sail to the rendezvous rock to see who is buying.Curious to meet the buyer, you plot a course for the Sounding Rock listed on the back page.
- Burn the treasonous codebook immediately to protect the fleet.You burn the waxed pages to ash, keeping the Free Muster's secret channels safe.+1 The Free Captains standingThe questline ends here.
The Secret Channels
Right away2 Examine the dead pilot's codebook of secret channels.
Your navigator studies the codebook in awe: every fog-channel, cloud depth, and bell-signal used by the Free Muster's gray pilot sloops is recorded inside. The traitor's meeting at the Sounding Rock is two days away, and the Pilots' Guildhall is not much farther.
- Head straight for the rendezvous at the Sounding Rock.Using the dead pilot's shortcut from the book, you steer for the Sounding Rock and reveal two nearby sectors along the way.Reveal 2 waypoints
- Copy the secret channels onto your own navigation chart before heading to the rock.Your navigator spends the night copying the secret passages onto your map, revealing four sectors—though any Free Muster pilot who sees your chart will recognize their secret code.Reveal 4 waypoints
- [Helm 2] Have crewmate memorize the pilots' fog-bell signals on the way to the rock.Crew: Helm 2+crewmate memorizes the entire bell-signal code by dawn, gaining helm experience and guiding the ship through the hidden shortcut.+1 Helm skill XPReveal 2 waypoints
- Skip the rendezvous and return the codebook straight to the Pilots' Hall.Leaving the buyer waiting in the fog, you set course directly for the Pilots' Hall.
The Buyer in the Fog
Sail to The Sounding Rock (2–4 passages away)3 Meet the mysterious buyer at the Sounding Rock.
Blinding fog wraps the Sounding Rock. A signal bell tolls twice through the mist, and an armed Crown hunter cutter glides out of the gray with her captain holding up a heavy coin purse. "You're not the pilot I arranged to meet—no matter. Hand over the sounding book, and the hundred-and-five silver is yours."
- Open fire and destroy the Crown cutter in the fog.Sighting by the sound of her signal bell, your gun crews open fire through the blinding mist.Battle: Household ship · FogIf you win:+40 silver
- Sell the pilot's codebook to the Crown captain for 105 silver.She pays you a hundred and five silver in fresh Crown coin, giving the royal navy every secret channel into the Free Muster.+105 silver+2 The Crown standing−2 The Free Captains standing−1 heatThe questline ends here.
- [Forged papers] Sell her a doctored copy with false channels that will ground her fleet.1 forged papersShe pays seventy silver for the falsified chart and sails off to run her ships onto the rocks. When the Free Muster pilots hear of the trick, they laugh for a week and outfit your yards with their prized storm-canvas sails.The questline ends here.
- Refuse her offer, slip away into the fog, and bring the book to the Pilots' Hall.
- Leave it for now.You pull back into the mist as her signal bell rings twice more and falls silent.
The Pilots' Hall
At a port4 Deliver the traitor's codebook to the Pilots' Hall.
Inside the Pilots' Hall, a dozen gray-sloop captains examine the handwriting in grim recognition. The Lutrine warden looks up at you. "So the Crown buyer is still waiting at the Sounding Rock—we'll send a hunter squadron to greet her. How shall we pay our debt to you, Captain?"
- Take the 70 silver finder's fee.The warden pays you seventy silver as an armed squadron of pilot sloops sets sail for the Sounding Rock.+70 silver+1 The Free Captains standingThe questline ends here.
- Recruit one of their skilled navigators onto your crew.An eager young rigger who trained under the disgraced pilot signs onto your crew, bringing every secret channel of the Muster in her head.New crewmate: Rigger+1 The Free Captains standingThe questline ends here.
- Admit that you copied their channels onto your chart before they spot it.The warden inspects your copied chart, corrects two depth soundings with her own pen, and pays you eighty silver along with full chart data for four sectors.+80 silverReveal 4 waypoints+1 The Free Captains standingThe questline ends here.
The Pilots' Gratitude
Right away5 Turn the recovered codebook over to the Free Muster pilots.
Drawn by the cannon fire, four gray pilot sloops glide out of the fog and come alongside. Their warden, an elderly Lutrine with a sounding line looped around her neck, verifies that every page of the codebook is intact. "You kept our channels out of Crown hands, Captain. Do you want ninety silver from our guild chest, or a suit of our gray storm-sails?"
- Take the gray pilot storm-sails.The pilots reclaim their codebook and rig your ship with their signature gray storm-canvas, built to hold steady in fog and gale alike.Fitting: Storm SailsThe questline ends here.
- Take the 90 silver reward.The warden pays you ninety silver for recovering the book and sinking the Crown buyer.+90 silver+1 The Free Captains standingThe questline ends here.
- Admit that you copied their channels onto your chart before they spot it.The warden studies your chart for a long moment, then takes a pen and corrects two depth markings for you. "Better a proven friend holds an accurate copy than a flawed one." She outfits your ship with gray storm-sails and reveals four more sectors on your map.The questline ends here.
Data from Magehold Fairwinds v1.9.26. Spotted something out of date? Discord