The Channel in the Teeth
From a tavern tip
A tip bought in a tavern for 25 silver.
“A reformed wrecker claims there is a secret shortcut through the jagged rock spires of the Teeth—and that the last pilot cutter to run it is still wedged inside with her rutter book aboard.”
Possible rewards: Storm Sails Smuggler's Run
5 scenes. Choices with a requirement only appear when you meet it.
The Teeth
Sail to The Teeth (2–5 passages away)1 Locate the wrecked pilot cutter inside the rock spires of the Teeth.
The Teeth are a mile-wide maze of jagged sea spires shrouded in permanent fog. From above the mist there is nothing to see, but dropping low just above the boiling surf reveals a trail of white paint marks daubed onto the rocks, leading deep into the maze.
- Follow the white paint marks into the fog and board the wrecked pilot cutter.Landfall: The Pilot Cutter
- [Chiropteran] Send crewmate into the fog alone using echolocation to retrieve the cabin chest.Crew: ChiropteranNavigating the blind fog by echolocation, crewmate flies straight to the wrecked cutter and returns with the waxed cabin chest—taking only a minor wing-scratch from a creature nesting in the hold.20 damage to the crewmate who acted
- Leave it for now.You climb back above the fog bank for now.
The Pilot's Rutter Book
Right away2 Decide what to do with the pilot's rutter book and storm sails.
Inside the waxed cabin chest lies the master pilot's rutter book: forty years of secret shortcuts and blind channels along the Shard Coast, drawn in meticulous detail. The final page charts the very shortcut through the Teeth where she wrecked—complete except for the last turn. Overhead, her heavy-weather storm sails are still lashed neatly to the wreck's spars.
- Steer your ship through the rest of the shortcut to complete the final page of her book.You lay the open pilot's book on your binnacle and steer your bow deeper into the fog-shrouded rock spires.
- [Rigger] Have crewmate salvage the wreck's Storm Sails first, then run the channel.Crew: Riggercrewmate unlashes the heavy-duty Storm Sails from the wreck's rigging—scraping an arm on the barnacled spar—and outfits your ship before you steer into the channel!Fitting: Storm Sails10 damage to the crewmate who acted
- Climb out of the fog and take the unfinished book straight to the Pilots' Hall in port.You wrap the pilot's book safely in oilcloth, climb out of the rock maze, and set course for the nearest Pilots' Hall.
The Unmarked Fork
Right away3Guided by the pilot's book, you follow the white paint marks past razor-sharp spires until the marks abruptly end at a fork in the channel. The left passage is wide and echoing with loud surf; the right passage is narrow and dead quiet. The dead pilot's chart shows both forks, but she died before marking which one is deep enough to clear.
- Creep forward using a weighted line to test the depth (-1 provisions).Taking half a day to sound every boat-length, you confirm the narrow, quiet right-hand passage is deep water all the way through, and log the final soundings into the pilot's book.−1 provisionsReveal 3 waypoints
- Charge through the wide left-hand passage at full speed.
- [Helm 2] Have crewmate read the surface currents to pick the deep channel.Crew: Helm 2+crewmate studies the water for a minute: "White surf means shallow reef—quiet water means a deep trench." crewmate steers smoothly down the narrow right-hand passage and logs the final soundings.+1 Helm skill XPReveal 3 waypoints
- [Chiropteran] Send crewmate ahead through the fog to scout both passages.Crew: Chiropterancrewmate scouts both forks and reports back that the wide passage is a shallow reef trap while the narrow quiet passage is deep and clear all the way through.Reveal 4 waypoints
The Pilots' Hall
At a port4 Deliver the pilot's rutter book to the Pilots' Hall in port.
Inside the long chart-room of the Pilots' Hall, the chief warden turns the pages of the recovered rutter book with reverent care. "She never let the hall copy her private soundings. We'll pay you eighty-five silver to buy the book outright—or let our clerks copy it overnight, and we'll assign a sharp-eyed young pilot to join your crew with the book."
- Sell the rutter book to the Pilots' Hall for 85 silver.The Pilots' Hall pays you eighty-five silver and hangs the late pilot's name in honor above their main doors.+85 silver+1 The Guild standingThe questline ends here.
- Let them copy the book and recruit the young avian pilot into your crew.A sharp-eyed young avian pilot signs onto your crew, carrying the rutter book back aboard and marking four new sectors on your sky chart by morning!New crewmate: Avian, RiggerReveal 4 waypointsThe questline ends here.
Beyond the Teeth
Right away5The narrow channel brings you safely out on the far side of the Teeth, saving a full day's flight around the headland. Tucked into the final bend is an old pilot's mooring ring and a weatherproof tin drop-box nailed under a rock ledge. With the final page of the rutter book now complete, you can keep the master volume at your own Helm or leave it in the drop-box for coastal pilots.
- Keep the completed Pilot's Rutter Book at your Helm as a ship relic.Kept open beside your wheel, the master Pilot's Book reveals hidden shortcuts and safe gaps whenever your ship needs to slip away.Relic: Smuggler's RunThe questline ends here.
- Copy the charts for yourself and leave the rutter book in the drop-box for 60 silver.You copy the completed shortcut onto your own chart and place the book in the tin box—finding a sixty-silver reward pouch left inside for whoever finished the survey!+60 silverReveal 4 waypoints+1 The Guild standingThe questline ends here.
Data from Magehold Fairwinds v1.9.26. Spotted something out of date? Discord