Chapter 3-2 - Seabird to Leilon
Waking early, the party convened in Ryoko's room for breakfast and to plan for the day. Miaug explained she needed to go see Olexia to pick up the explosive arrows she had ordered the previous night. Ramas and Clootie were both keen to look for some new armour pieces and weapons. Aetilius and Ryoko agreed to head straight to the dock and make sure the ship was ready to leave by eleven. With a plan in place, the group split up and went about their errands.
Ramas and Clootie made their way to the Blaze of Glory to speak to Raven Cathloy. At Clootie's request, Raven was able to use some leather offcut materials and an old dagger to fashion a long leather gauntlet with an elbow blade. Clootie flexed her elbow, and performed a couple of mock Elbow Drops while whispering quietly to herself. Ramas started speaking to the armourer. He explained he was looking for some sort of custom mask, both protective and intimidating. Raven looked thoughtfully, asking if he had anything in particular in mind. Clootie jumped up into the space between them, trying to position herself in their sight line,
"Oooh. Can I get a Kabuki mask?" she chattered eagerly.
Raven looked a little confused, but Clootie grabbed a piece of parchment and quill from the counter and began to sketch out a crude design. Raven picked up the finished drawing, and started to appraise it,
"I could probably do this. I'll need a few days, maybe a week" she muttered.
Ramas and Clootie agreed, explaining that they'd be back in a few weeks, so they'd probably pick it up then. Clootie handed Raven a stack of gold coins to cover the work. Ramas decided to spend some time fleshing out a concept for his mask, and promised to send a sketch to Raven once they made it to Leilon.
Miaug made her way back to Olexia's shop. The little gnome looked tired when she opened the door. Miaug was surprised to still see Arwyl sitting next to the shop counter, looking serene with a cup of tea in her hand. Olexia offered Miaug a cup, while she rummaged around behind the counter for the arrows,
"How could you lose them already?" Arwyl laughed melodically, "You just finished them an hour ago"
"I don't know. This shop is like a Bag of Holding, stuff just seems to get sucked into the piles. It's not me - it's magic. Ah ha! Got em!" Olexia hopped up from behind a pile of parts, triumphantly holding two more explosive arrows. Miaug grinned, and gave the gnome a couple more gold pieces,
"Sorry it took you so long" Miaug apologised,
"It's ok, I understand" Olexia pocketed the coins, "Where are you heading off to in such a rush anyway?"
"We're leaving for Leilon in a couple of hours" Miaug explained, "We've got a charter for the Seabird"
"Is that the fancy looking ship with the weird pigeon captain?" Olexia asked, looking confused as Miaug laughed and Arwyl spluttered into her tea.
Ryoko and Aetilius arrived at the Seabird, laden with the majority of the party's luggage. Captain Killiwake popped his head back over the side of the ship, fixing them with a beady black eye,
"Mornin' milord, milady. You ready to depart?"
"Nearly. The rest of the group are running some errands, but we'd like to come aboard, if that's alright"
"Not at all." Killiwake bowed ostentatiously, then turned his head and barked orders at the crew,
"A'right ya lazy curs. Lower the gangplank. And let's get her shipshape and ready to go."
A flurry of activity, and a large wooden plank slid over the side of the boat and landed firmly on the jetty, forming a boarding ramp. As Aetilius and Ryoko walked up and onto the Seabird, Killiwake extended a feathered wing in greeting. He shook Aetilius's hand warmly, and dropped to one knee to kiss Ryoko's hand,
"Welcome aboard the Seabird. In me open humble opinion, she's the best vessel in the Empire. I'm the Captain... you can call me Killiwake. This is me first mate, Larson." He cocked his head to indicate the barrel chested man standing behind him, with a close shaved head and a weather-beaten completion
"Larson, could you show our guests where to stow their gear. The crew's just getting ready, then we'll be ready to depart within the hour"
Killiwake abruptly stopped talking and walked away up to the upper deck. Larson grinned warmly at the surprised look on Aetilius and Ryoko's faces,
"Don't mind the Cap'n. He's an odd bird, but he's the best Cap'n I've served under. Mon' then – I'll show you to yer quarters"
He led them through a set of doors under the foredeck. The doors opened into a short corridor with two rooms on either side. Larson pushed open one of the doors to reveal a small passenger's berth with two beds,
"All four of these rooms are for yer use. I'll leave y'all to stow yer gear. Feel free to come back up on deck whenever yer ready"
Meanwhile, Ramas and Clootie made their way around the corner from the Blaze of Glory to the Tempered Blade, Donn Ingram's weaponsmiths. The husky dwarf looked up at them and smiled as they entered,
"Ah, the heroes of the hour. What can I do for you?"
"Can I see a dagger please?" Clootie asked sweetly,
"Of course" Donn opened one of the display cabinets and pulled out a beautifully wrought ornate steel dagger and held it down to the little gnome. Clootie looked at the blade, then up at the dwarf. Then she started to slowly back away towards the door, her eyes never leaving Donn's face. Donn looked incredulously as Clootie reached the door, fumbled around behind her for the handle, then slipped out of the shop. Donn looked up at Ramas, utterly confused,
"Is she alright?"
"It's PTSD" Ramas explained, matter of factly, "You got a telescope?"
"A telescope? What's that then"
"You know, round thing, see things far away?"
"You mean a spyglass?"
"Yeah, that'll do"
"I wouldn't know where to start with one of those. I'm just a smith. Maybe try asking that pink haired gnome down at the tinkers."
"Ah. I know where that is. Thank you" Ramas turned and left.
Donn stood alone in his shop, shaking his head in bewilderment at the whole exchange
About an hour later Miaug, Ramas and Clootie arrived at the Seabird. On her way back to the Dock, Miaug had picked up a few extra healing potions at the Radiant Flask. Meanwhile Ramas had gone to see Olexia and had purchased a collapsible spyglass and a small brass compass.
As they stepped up onto the deck of the ship, Ryoko and Aetilius waved them over. The ship was alive with activity. Sailors scurried back and forth; teams of men hauled on lengths of rope, coiling them neatly beside the railings; crewmen scampered up the rigging around the sails. In the midst of the chaos, Killiwake stood on the aft deck, leaning lightly against the wheel as he barked orders,
"Awright lads. Cast us off. Let's catch this breeze before it leaves us and you have to row"
A couple of sailors leaped onto the jetty and untied the lines holding the ship to it's mooring.
"Raise the mizzen"
A team of sailors hauled on a rope at the rear of the main deck. As they pulled, a wooden arm swung up from the boom above Killiwake's head, unfurling a bright red triangular sail. Once it reached the full position, Killiwake shouted again,
"Hold on lads – off we go!"
The Kenku hauled on a rope at the side of the mizzen deck, and the boom swung hard to the side. The sail, which had been fluttering in the breeze, suddenly caught and filled with air, straining against the aft mast. With a sudden lurch, accompanied by a groan of protest from the hull, the Seabird began to slip backwards, picking up speed at it moved along the jetty. As soon as the Seabird cleared the dock, Killiwake spun the vessel's wheel with a flourish. The nose of the ship started to turn towards the sea. Killiwake hauled on the sail line, gradually swinging the boom across the mizzen deck, keeping the sail aligned with the wind,
"Trim the jib lads"
Teams of crew members hauled on lines at the front of the vessel, and a sail unfurled from the front mast. The crew swung the front sail across to the opposite side of the vessel from the mizzen sail, as Killiwake centred the wheel. The Seabird's heading straightened out and the little ship began to glide across the waves towards the harbour entrance.
Once the ship passed the breaker wall, the waves became more intense, rocking the little ship violently from side to side. Killiwake swung the ship around, so that Neverwinter sat on the port side. The teams of crew at the front of the boat quickly redressed the jib to ensure it caught the wind,
"Haul up the mainsail"
The rest crew leaped into action, scampering up the mainsail rigging like monkeys, and climbing out along the sail yardarms to loosen ties. After a few moments, a massive red sail dropped down the mast. The rest of the sailors grabbed trailing lines from the bottom of the sail, and tied them off to the mast, tensioning the sail. With practiced speed, the whole crew forms into two teams. Each team grabbed a rope running out from the main mast. One team began to pay out, while the other reeled in. The main sail gradually began to swivel, until it suddenly filled and the ship noticeably leaped forward in the water with a jolt. The sailors tied the lines off on the ships rail, and everybody visibly relaxed.
Over the side of the vessel, the party watched the coastline slip past quickly as the Seabird sped south
Straight away, Miaug scampered up the rigging and into the Crow's Nest. The young sailor sitting on the crossbar at the top of the rigging leapt to his feet in surprise as the Tabaxi pulled herself up, almost overbalancing and falling to the deck. Miaug reached out a paw and steadied him. He looked at her gratefully,
"Thanks. So, who are you?" he stuttered, "What are you doing up here?"
"I'm Miaug. And I don't know, it seemed quieter up here."
The lad relaxed visibly, "It is. I like it up here. Nice and quiet. I'm Bartoz" he explained, extending his hand. Miaug shook it,
"Crow's Nest is a fairly easy job. I mostly sits up here and relax. But if you're up here, the crew'll expect you to help. So, I'll quickly show you how to raise and lower the main sail. It needs two folk anyway. We'll both climb out along the yardarm to those pulleys, and if you haul up on the line, you can furl the sail. Then you just tie it off over here. If we hit a storm, we'll need to get the mainsail up or we'll risk breaking the mast. If you're stayin' up here, you ok with that job?"
Miaug nodded in agreement, and the two sat down on the crossbar to admire the view.
Ramas scanned the crew's faces, before locking eyes with a grizzled old sailor. The sailor smiled and winked, before heading off towards the doors at the rear of the main deck. Ramas followed him, through the doors and downstairs to a decent sized galley mess. Along the length one of the long bench tables sat a small group of sailors, with a stack of coins and a set of dice. The sailor Ramas had followed took a seat at the bench, and motioned for Ramas to do the same,
"Game of 38s. 10 gold ante. You in?" he grunted. Ramas nodded, taking a seat.
Ramas joined in the sailor's game of dice. Taking care not to win too often, he used the opportunity to get a feel for the crew, their relationship with the Captain, and any other useful information he could glean.
The man he'd initially followed was named Martyn Belloc. He'd been on the Seabird for a good few years now, and for most of it the vessel had been in service of the Duke as a pirate hunter vessel. Captain Killiwake was unusual, both in appearance and social situations; but the crew have developed a deep fondness for the Kenku, in spite of his obvious social awkwardness. Ramas tried to subtly probe for further details about the Captain, but the sailors at the table were not forthcoming.
Up on the deck, Larson sauntered over to the rail beside Ryoko,
"So, where are you from?" he asked casually, passing her a mug of ale. Ryoko took a long swig, and then started to explain all about Quan and how she ended up with the party. After a minute or so, Larson's eyes began to glaze over,
"Just making conversation. Didn't ask for her life story" he muttered under his breath. He didn't count on Ryoko's acute hearing. The Iskathi stopped suddenly and glared at the sailor, before stamping away angrily. Larson looked after her, confused.
Aetilius wandered up the stairs to the rear deck of the boat, making his way over to Killiwake. The Kenku cocked his head, fixing Aetilius with a curious eye,
"Afternoon milord. Anything I can help with?"
Aetilius started to try and make conversation, but Killiwake answered each question in a succinct brief statement leaving little room for further discussion, all the while staring at Aetilius with a single unblinking eye. After a few minutes, Aetilius gave up and wandered back down to the main deck and Killiwake swivelled his head to focus on the horizon ahead.
Up in the rigging, Bartoz and Miaug chatted amiably. Miaug spoke about her childhood in the Kelteth Woods, Bartoz told her about growing up poor on Astartes and loitering around the docks with the other children,
"How long have you been aboard the Seabird?" Miaug asked,
"Not long. Only a couple of months. She's a good ship though. The crew are all good folk, and the Captain's actually a decent sort. A bit strange, sure, but he's good to the crew. Some of the older guys on board occasionally mention the old Captain, before Killiwake, but I get the impression that they prefer things now."
The rocking motion of the vessel was starting to affect Ryoko, and she could feel the ale Larson had given her start to burble unpleasantly in her stomach. She decided to head to bed and try to get some rest. Hopefully she'd find her sea-legs by the time she woke up.
Although she didn't sleep, an hour spent lying on her bunk helped Ryoko adjust to the movement of the ship. She returned to the deck, feeling a little better and looking for a fresh drink. As she wandered around the main deck she spotted a cluster of bent and battered nails protruding loosely from the mainmast, around shoulder height. From one of the nails a rusty old hammer hung by a twisted leather cord. One of the sailors standing nearby noticed her gaze,
"Oh aye. It's a game what we play oan occasion. Stump we calls it!"
Intrigued, Ryoko picked up the hammer, rubbing off some of the rust,
"Ya fancy a game?" the old sailor grinned at her wickedly,
"Sure. Why not?" Ryoko answered confidently,
"Allan" the sailor extended his hand,
"Ryoko" Ryoko shook it
"Oi! Peter, Randall, fancy a game o' Stump?"
Two other sailors wandered over, carrying fistfuls of ale.
" Right. We all playing? Grand. That's four nails." Allan got down to business, "Aubdy pick one. That's your nail. So ya try to flip the hammer. Like this." Allan tossed the rusty hammer high in the air, spinning it backwards as he did. He grabbed it out of the air by the handle and brought it down on one of the nails in the mast in one smooth motion,
"You wanna catch it, and in the same move ya wanna hit somebody's nail. Wherever ya catch it, that's where you gotta swing it. If you hit a nail, they drink. If you drop the hammer, we all yell 'Pissflaps' and you drink. If your nail gets driven right in, you're out and ya have to do a waterfall. Last nail standing wins. Oh aye - and if you get sparks, everybody drinks. Got it?"
Ryoko looked confused, but nodded agreement anyway. Four nails were lightly tapped into the mast, and Peter went first. He threw up the hammer, caught it awkwardly by the head, and banged the handle against the mast. The group laughed and he passed the hammer to Randall, who confidently threw it up and caught it lightly at the tip of the handle. He brought it down on Peter's nail with a solid thud and grinned as Peter tossed back a hefty mouthful of ale. Randall then passed the hammer to Ryoko. She tested the weight for a moment, then threw it up in the air. As she reached up to grab it, she misjudged it's position and knocked the hammer into the mast. It clattered to the deck and the three sailors shouted in unison,
"Pissflaps!" Ryoko threw back a big gulp of ale as the rest of the group laughed.
Clootie wandered over to the mast, drawn by the raucous laughter of Ryoko and the sailors. As she watched, Ryoko dropped the hammer twice more before finally catching it, to roars of approval from the sailors. Nonetheless she missed all the nails twice in a row, and by this point was starting to get fairly inebriated. Once she was drunk enough she was starting to miss the hammer again, Clootie intervened and shepherded the Iskathi back to her bunk.
Meanwhile, Aetilius and Larson had started to talk,
"Care for some grog?" Larson offered as he wandered over and leaned against the ships railing beside Aetilius. The Tiefling accepted, and as they drank and watched the laughter at the mast, Larson looked at Aetilius,
"So... What's the deal. Why are y' all going to Leilon?"
"We're actually heading further south, to Quan" Aetilius responded
"Quan? Really. Didn't think anybody actually chose to go there... I heard there's tribes of cannibal lizards living in the jungle. Fucking scary if you ask me..."
"What do you think of Leilon?" Aetilius asked,
"T'salright. Nice enough port, a few decent taverns. Locals are generally good to sailors like me'sel. A couple of nice whores there too. And the canals are kinda pretty, a bit unusual an' that. All in all, the harbour bit's quite nice actually. Never really visited further inland."
Aetilius grunted and they went back to drinking in silence. After a minute or so, Aetilius piped up,
"So how did you end up sailing under a Captain like Killiwake?"
"Aye, figured that's come up. Killiwake's a strange bird, pun intended, but he's a damn fine Cap'n. We both sailed together on the Seabird under the former master of the vessel, Cap'n Marivaldi. Killiwake was First Mate, he'd been with Marivaldi for years by the time he brought me on.
Anyways, Killiwake ended up... inheriting the Seabird. There's a story there I might tell you if I'm drunk enough."
Aetilius looked at him in shock,
"No no no. Nothing like that. It wasn't a mutiny or anything. After Marivaldi's death the crew elected him Captain. An' it's worked out pretty well for us. Kenku are mimics, so his whole Cap'n persona, it's an imitation of Marivaldi. A pretty damn good one too. But Marivaldi was a selfish pirate at heart, and Kenku are flock birds. They don't really have much concept of self-importance. So, where Marivaldi would always squirrel away an extra bit of the take for himself, or would always make sure he came out on top, Killiwake actually puts the crew first. That's just how he's built. I gotta tell you, I've sailed with a lot of Captains, and that's a refreshing change."
"But the most important thing about the Cap'n is his memory. I mentioned already that Kenku are imitators. As far as I'm aware, they're never usually sailors. Usually they end up either as scribes in temples, or working for accountants, or doing forgeries for Thieves Guilds. But one neat trick they've got is their... what do you call it.. Edentink Memory? Basically, the Cap'n remembers everything he's ever seen, perfectly. That’s a useful trick for a scribe or a forger, but it turns out it's fucking excellent for a sailor. We don't use maps on the Seabird any more, Killiwake has the entire map of the Sundered Sea memorized. He's been on this sea for the last twenty years, and he's got a perfect recall of every landmark and sandbank he's seen. He might lack imagination, but we've been pirate hunters for the last eight years. Pirates are a canny bunch, and the Seabird is better armed than any of them around the same size. Marivaldi was a big fan of dwarven weaponry. So the Pirates tried some fairly inventive tricks to escape us or sink us. And Killiwake learned it all."
"Genuinely, there's not a Captain on the Sundered Sea I'd rather sail under. And I feel confident speaking for every other member of this crew. So aye – you lot are lucky here – best ship in the Empire, with the best crew. The Duke must really owe you one."
Aetilius raised an eyebrow,
"Dwarven weaponry, you said?"
Larson led Aetilius down into bowels of the ship, into a mid-sized chamber directly below the front quarters where the party were berthed. The centre of the room was occupied by a large construction of brass and bronze. A central chair, mounted on a gimbal, was located behind a massive brass cannon. Three huge cylindrical barrels ran along a central shaft, resting in the teeth of a complex gear mechanism at either end. The walls of the hull were reinforced with thick steel plates, and a ratchet and pawl ran up the wall near the entrance of the room,
"Grab a seat" Larson waved at the chair, "As I says, Marivaldi was really interested in some of this dwarven stuff. We'd meet guys in Jarviksholm sometimes for retrofits and upgrades. But this is the pride of the Seabird's arsenal."
Aetilius slid into the bronze seat. In front of him were two handles, each set at a comfortable distance in front of his arms. He grabbed on to them. Larson pulled down a lever beside the ratchet mechanism, and suddenly with a groan the front wall of the room slid downwards like an opening mouth, revealing the horizon in front of the vessel. As the wall moved, it released the barrel of the cannon, and suddenly the whole mechanism, barrel and chair included, started to move on the gimbal. Aetilius instinctively pulled back on one the handles and the cannon swung to the left. After a few moments, Aetilius started to get a handle on the mechanism, and he was able to balance the cannon out,
"This is a Bao'Ran cannon. There's another of these at the back of the ship. Gives us a firing arc totally unlike any other ship on the sea, plus roughly six times the fire rate. We can take down ships much larger or more heavily armed than the Seabird. If we're unlucky enough to need it while you're on board, I'll even let you use one of them" Larson grinned proudly,
"Right, pop it back in the middle and I'll get her closed up again."
As they made their way back up onto the main deck, Aetilius asked Larson about the Marivaldi's death,
"Aye well. A few years before, there'd been a... bit of a shift in the Seabird's... revenue stream. If you catch my drift..." Aetilius looked blankly. Larson sighed,
"Marivaldi used to be a pirate, the Seabird was a pirate vessel. Something happened, and he abruptly went straight. Don't ask, I don't know any details about that. Anyway, things had changed, and some of the original crew had gotten a bit sour about it. We were all getting paid pretty well and pretty consistently. Me mysel', I was definitely earning better than I had on the other side of the law, but some of the old hands missed the chance of a big score. When you're a pirate, you're always chasing the next big one, where you'll get enough to set you up for life. It never works out that way, but I think it's the idea that most pirates love more than the money. I'll tell you, sailors are romantics at heart."
Larson looked wistful,
"Aye anyway, a few of the old hands were disgruntled. They disappeared one night when we were docked in Southmarch, never came back to the ship. We waited for a while, but eventually we gave up and headed out. We were heading east, just skirting along the edge of the Kraken's Spine, when we were ambushed by a gang of pirates. Somebody had tipped them off to our route, and they were waiting for us hiding in the Spine. We were surrounded, forced back into the Spine. Nowhere to run, so we fought. But even with the Seabird's cannons, we were outgunned. We sunk a couple of theirs, but they damn near crippled the ship, then boarded us. A few of them, including out missing crewmembers (no prizes for guessing who sold us out) surrounded the Cap'n. Killiwake and I got to him a moment too late. Killiwake grabbed the Cap'n pistols and took out the traitors, I killed the other pirates.
Next thing I know, Killiwake grabbed Marivaldi's hat and jumped up on the railing, barking orders and sounding exactly like Marivaldi did. I don't know if the rest of the crew even noticed it wasn't him, but even if they did, the familiar voice taking charge just put everyone at ease. Killiwake swung us around and we headed deep into the Spine. I didn't think anyone could navigate through it, but somehow he guided us through all the sunken rocks and sandbanks. Two of the surviving ships tried to follow us, but they didn't make it far. Once the mist started to close it, we knew we were safe. We made some rough repairs, then limped back to Southmarch. After pulling that off, we all decided just to keep Killiwake as the Captain. Haven't looked back since."
The rest of the journey passed pleasantly enough in a haze of alcohol and conversation. Clootie took care of Ryoko as a combination of vessel sway and excessive ale consumption left her retching into a bucket. Ramas baffled the crew members with an uncanny streak of luck on the dice, coming away with a stack of gold coins and more than a few suspicious gazes. Miaug spent the majority of the time on the Seabird in the rigging with Bartoz, watching the waves race across the horizon. Aetilius busied himself talking and drinking with the crew, and learning to handle some of the sails.
The next day, Aetilius came up on deck before the sunrise. The ship was quiet, most of the crew and passengers were sleeping off hangovers, Killiwake stood alone at the wheel, keeping the ship on course. A light mist hung over the waves, hiding the horizon. Aetilius wandered up the stairs to talk to the Kenku again. As Killiwake cocked his head at him again, Aetilius decided to ask the question which was actually on his mind,
"Have you heard of the Nethonris?"
Killiwake's eye opened wider and he blinked in surprise,
"Aye lad. I haven't heard that name in quite some time. Not something folks should talk much about" Killiwake turned his head to focus on the horizon, as though to signal the conversation was over. Aetilius reached into his tunic and pulled out the Nethonris amulet he carried. Killiwake's reaction was instant. He pulled out a pistol from his strap and levelled it directly at Aetilius's head,
"The only reason you're not dead where you stand is I trust the Duke, and he trusts you. Why do you wear that accursed symbol? Are you Nethonris?"
Aetilius dropped the necklace,
"So you recognise it. No - I'm not Nethonris. Actually they're hunting us I think." Killiwake relaxed, and he slipped his pistol back into it's holster,
"Last time I saw that symbol, it damn near cost me everything." He turned his head to sweep around the deck. After confirming it was clear, and the rest of the crew was still below decks, he turned his eye back to focus on Aetilius,
"Years back, the Seabird was sailing along the edge of the Kraken's Spine. Marivaldi was the Captain, and we were still a pirate vessel. We were in the habit of hiding in the edge of the Spine and ambushing unsuspecting traders. It was fairly lucrative, and pretty easy. But one day, we were fairly deep in the Spine when a particularly thick mist started coming in. Worried we'd run aground, Marivaldi had us furl all the sails and use punts to guide us through the rocks back into open water. We almost ran aground on a small island, not something you usually see in the Kraken's Spine, it's just jagged rocks. Calhoun was up the Crow's Nest, and he spotted buildings on the island, ruins he said. Marivaldi's eyes lit up at the thought of a haul of lost treasure. He had us anchor the 'Bird and got a party to go ashore.
Myself, Marivaldi, Calhoun, Bronco and Deek. We headed up into the ruins. I'd have sworn we were in a drowned city, seaweed and algae everywhere. We spent at least an hour wandering through buildings. Each one we entered got Marivaldi more annoyed, we didn't find anything of value, or almost anything at all which hadn't been ruined by the sea's touch. Eventually we came across what looked like a palace. Inside we found a room covered with that very symbol, carved into all the walls, and floor and ceiling. The middle of the room had a huge round table, with a map set out on it. The map was bone dry, and recent, showing up to date cities and towns, which seemed out of place to me. I started to study it, that's what I do.
The locations of various Empire military forces were set out on the map, as were a bunch of symbols I didn't recognise. But Marivaldi's eyes were drawn to the middle of the table, where a massive purple crystal sat. The crystal made me uneasy, it seemed to glow with a sickly purple light. But Marivaldi was entranced. He reached out to grab it, and the moment his hand touched it there was a pulse of purple light and his eyes rolled up in his head. But he kept standing, just shaking and convulsing where he stood. At the same time, the shadows around the room seemed to come together and formed into three huge dark figures with long talon like fingers.
Two of them grabbed Calhoun and tore his head clean off. Another one advanced on Bronco, pinning him in the corner and just sliced him right down the belly with it's claws. Deek screamed and bolted for the door, and two of the figures went after him. I grabbed Marivaldi, slung him over my shoulder, and bolted. I heard this screaming sound as the things chased after me, but I barely remember the details of the chase. I just remember getting back to the boat with Marivaldi and setting sail before those things could catch me. I never saw Deek again, but to be fair he probably saved my life without meaning to. Once the Seabird got a few miles away from that island, Marivaldi snapped out of it. He had a haunted look in his eyes though.
He never told me what happened to him, but after that he became a man obsessed. We started heading to ports in the North and meeting with strange characters. After a while we started taking bounties from fellows up in Jarviksholm to hunt down specific trading vessels. I asked him why we were sinking traders and not even claiming any loot from them. He told me that the cargo wasn't the target, it was the people on board. Whatever he'd seen when he touched that crystal had scared him badly, and it was all to do with a group he called the Nethonris. He said they were a cult of fanatics working to destroy the Veil. They was the reason he'd decided to go straight. The men he'd met with in Jarviskholm called themselves Druids, and the vessels we'd sunk were carrying Nethonris agents. That was the beginning of the end for Marivaldi. He was never the same afterwards. He grew more and more obsessed. We lost most of the original crew, bored with the lack of booty I think. In the end, a couple of the old hands mutinied against us, allied with a group of pirates and tried to sink us. We escaped, but Marivaldi died in the battle.
So aye, last time I saw that symbol it took three of my friends from me, and set my Captain on a course he couldn't steer clear of."
Aetilius thought on this for a moment. Then, he asked solemnly,
"Do you think you could find that island again?"
Killiwake looked taken aback,
"I can't fathom why you'd ever want to find that place of death. But yes, I could find it again. But I'll not be setting foot ashore. Savvy?"
Aetilius nodded.
Around an hour later the rest of the party had joined Aetilius on deck, and the majority of the crew was at work around the vessel. The sun had just begun to rise, seeming to ignite the mist on the horizon with a pale golden glow. A voice drifted down from the Crow's Nest,
"Leilon ahead!"
As the ship drew closer, Ryoko caught a glimpse of a flickering orange glow in the mist on the port side of the vessel see a flickering orange glow in the mist on the port side of the vessel, high above the height of the Seabird's yardarm. As they drew closer, the mist began to boil away, revealing a massive lighthouse built on a rocky islet, dark granite cliffs towering at least thirty feet above the sea level. The tower itself was formed of three huge square tiers of white stone blocks, each tier around ten feet tall, narrowing slightly as they ascended to form two open terraces enclosed by half height walls. A spiral stone staircase wound around the upper tier, leading up from the top terrace to the very pinnacle of the tower, where a huge bonfire blazed.
"The Flame of Eithen" Larson explained to a surprised Ryoko, "Guides ships into the Leilon harbour. They keep it burning day and night. Eithen was the name of some ancient pagan sea god or sommat. Don't believe in all that nonsense, but doesn't hurt to say a wee prayer as we pass"
On either side of the lighthouse, huge sea walls built of the same white stone as the tower, extended out from the islet and curved all the way around to smaller towers on the coast. A huge gap in either span of wall allowed for passage of ships in and out of the sheltered harbour. Across each gap spanned huge ached stone bridges, allowing foot traffic passage from the shore to the lighthouse.
"Furl the mainsail", Killiwake's voice echoed from the back of the vessel. The crew set to work, scurrying along the yardarm and hauling up the mainsail.
"Jib to starboard"
The jib swung across the front of the vessel to join the mizzen sail on the opposite side from the coastline. Killiwake spun the wheel and hauled in on one of the mizzen sail lines. The Seabird started to carve a wide sweeping arc towards the harbour walls,
"Trim the jib"
As the vessel turned towards the wind, the sails began to flutter. The crew hauled the jib back across the bow, leaving the sail nearly parallel to the wind. Killiwake mirrored this position at the back. The Seabird glided silently across the water like a graceful swan, and passed cleanly through the gap in the harbour wall. Beyond the wall, the wind died down to a breeze,
"Alright lads - I'll take it from here" Killiwake called from the helm. The crew hauled in the jib, tying it up firmly to the foremast. Killiwake began to zigzag the Seabird across the wind, flipping the mizzen sail back and forth across the aft deck. The ship skipped nimbly across the waves as it closed on the harbour jetties.
The Kenku lined the mizzen sail up with the wind, and a team of sailors on the main deck gently furled the sail back down onto the boom. Killiwake gently slipped the ship into a berth beside one of the jetties, and one of the crewmembers leaped onto the dock with a heavy rope, which he looped around a pole and hauled tight. As the Seabird came to a gentle stop, Killiwake swept of his tricorner hat with a flourish, bowing deeply to the party,
"There ya go Lords and Ladies. Welcome to Leilon."
The Captain wandered down the stairs to the main deck amid good natured laughter and a flurry of applause from the crew,
"This is Leilon. Duke Blackwater has chartered us to your service for the next few months, so if you don't mind I'm going to give the crew an extended shore leave here while we wait for your return. Do you have any idea how long you'll be?" Killwake asked, his head cocked slightly and unblinking black eye fixed on Aetilius,
"I'm honestly not sure. A couple of months at most probably" Aetilius responded,
"I assume whatever you're here to do is dangerous. Y'all have a reputation... How likely is it that you'll make it back?"
"Well, we don't plan on dying if that's what you mean" Ramas answered with a raised eyebrow.
Killiwake swivelled his head to fix his eye on the half-elf,
"I'll arrange with the dockmaster for us to take an extended berth. We'll wait here until the 11th of Nadar, just after Eleach wanes. That's a week of good fortune, hopefully it'll bring you some. If you're not back by then, we'll head back to Neverwinter and pass on news of your deaths to Count Blackwater" he nodded sagely
"Can you recommend anywhere to stay in Leilon?" Clootie asked the Kenku,
"Aye I can indeed. The Merrow's Crown, just over in the Fishmarket, is a nice enough place. The halfling who runs it, Beau Tamlis, is fairly new to town. He's only been here five or six years. He doesn't share some of the intolerances the older residents have."
"I don't suppose you could give us directions?"
Killiwake nodded again, "You see those two buildings over there? Head through that alley, and follow straight along until you hit a row of buildings. There's another little alley just to the right, follow that and you'll come out at one of the canals. That's you in the Fishmarket. There'll be a bridge to your left, cross that and the building right in front of you is the Merrow's Crown."
The party gathered their gear, and bid farewell the crew of the Seabird. They made their way through Leilon, following Killiwake's directions. The buildings were tall and narrow, most three storeys tall or higher and closely packed together, seeming to loom oppressively overhead as the group made their way through the alley. Before long they came to a row of terraced buildings, just as Killiwake had described. Ahead and to the right, an ominous looking stone archway led through the terrace, the ragged stonework around the opening giving it the sense of a gaping stone mouth.
As soon as they passed through the archway, the oppressive back-alley atmosphere opened up immediately into the dull hubbub of a bustling city. In front lay a narrow canal, roughly twenty foot across. Narrow pavements ran alongside the canal on either side, a couple of feet above the waterline. The paths were full of people scurrying around, while narrow flat bottomed punts slid along the surface of the canal or were moored to the side. Three plain and utilitarian stone arch bridges arced over the canal, one a short distance to the right and two to the left. Forty feet to the right, the canal met another in a T-junction. While midway between the bridges to the left, another canal branched off to the right. On the far side of the furthest bridge, the canal joined yet another T-junction. I was clear that this was but a tiny part of a much larger network.
On the opposite side of the canal stood another tall building, a ramshackle looking wooden façade mounted onto a solid stone structure. Large glass windows filled most of the wall at street level, through them the group glimpsed a large wood trimmed taproom with a long stone hearth running down the centre. A wooden sign hung down above the door, with a stylised picture of a sharp toothed merman wearing an ornate golden crown. Underneath it read 'The Merrow's Crown'
As they opened the door, a little bell tinkled melodically and the party found themselves a good sized taproom. Tables were arranged under the windows next to the street. A long stone hearth, with a low open fire burning in it, ran along the middle of the room. Around the hearth, a number of stools were arranged, and around half of them were occupied by various bar patrons, talking and laughing. Over by the far wall stood a sturdy wooden bar, and stacked along the wall behind lay a selection of large wooden casks. Behind the bar a tall, thin man leant on the counter and chatted with a bar patron, a stocky human with long ginger hair and a pleated ginger beard. At the sound of the bell, the man looked and smiled broadly, waving the party over,
"Good morning good sirs and ladies, can I help you?" he bellowed joyfully.
The group made their way across the room, and Ramas slipped onto a stool at the bar,
"We're looking for board for a couple of days. Our ship's Captain recommended this place."
The man smiled,
"Not a problem. We have a number of rooms available to rent, just up the stairs behind you" he gestured at a set of wooden stairs leading upstairs to the right of the bar. Ramas nodded and grinned at the barman, looking strangely predatory,
"Say. What's your name friend?"
"Beau Tamlis"
"Well Beau, I have a proposition for you. We have, in our company, one of the most famous bards in the whole of the Summer's Coast. Clootie McToot. She would gladly play a set for your patrons each night, in exchange for… let say two rooms, for her and our companions? What do you say?"
Beau looked slightly uneasy,
"I don't know. Live music isn't really a particular draw of my establishment…"
Suddenly, his eyes lighted on Ramas's signet ring, and his eyes widened,
"Oh. Forgive me milord. I didn't realise you were Lords and Ladies of Neverwinter. I'm a dutiful servant of the Duke. How about I offer you a discounted rate for the night? 2GP for two rooms?"
Ramas shrugged and stuck his hand out. Beau grabbed it and shook it vigorously. Beau turned around and disappeared. Ramas leaned forward, and saw that Beau had stepped off a raised wooden platform behind the bar. Now that he stood on the ground, Ramas could see that the barman was a halfling, standing only around four feet tall. He walked to the back of the bar, where a series of keys hung on hooks, and grabbed two. He tossed them to Ramas, then clambered back on to the raised platform,
"First two rooms on the left. Make yourselves at home"
Once they were settled and had stowed their luggage, the group decided to explore the immediate area, known as the Fishmarket. The streets were crowded, bustling with passers-by. The party turned right and started to explore along the block. Clootie and Ryoko spotted a shop selling an odd combination of battleaxes and garish shirts named All The Rage and decided to head in for a browse. Ramas and Aetilius noted the name of a merchant's on the opposite side of the canal, Barrett's Boomsticks, and both ran across like excited children. Miaug shrugged and headed towards Aquamarine General Goods to pick up supplies for the group.
Inside All The Rage, Clootie was entranced by the myriad of increasingly loud and eccentric patterned shirts. A huge, barrel chested half-giant with immaculately coiffured hair and dressed in a pair of tight leather trousers and a black mesh tank top spotted her and strode purposefully towards her,
"Oh my. Aren't you just precious?" he gushed affectionately, dropping down on his haunches to look the little gnome in the face, "What can old Gnart do for you?"
Normally Clootie would have taken a comment like that as condescension and immediately bristled, but something in the half-giant's quiet, effeminate voice sounded sincere, and she found herself warming to him immediately. Within ten minutes Clootie left the shop with two large silk shirts adorned with loud, clashing geometric patterns; and a purse a good few gold pieces lighter.
Ramas and Aetilius discovered that Barrett's Boomsticks specialised in unusual dwarven weapons. Their design reminded Aetilius of the cannons on the Seabird. After a long discussion with the shopkeeper, a human called Vincent Valentine, Ramas bought himself a fearsome looking Twin Shot pistol.
Miaug walked into the General Store and the dark skinned shopkeeper looked up with a grin. As soon as she recognised Miaug though, her smile fell away and her eyes hardened,
"You'll not find whatever it is you're looking for here, cat. Best be on your way"
Miaug was taken aback by this naked hostility,
"I'm sorry." She stuttered, "Did I do something to offend you?"
A fleeting expression of confusion raced across the shopkeepers face,
"We don't serve your kind here" she said, sounding a little less confident,
"My kind?" Miaug asked, "You mean a Tabaxi? Have you seen other Tabaxi in here?"
Something in Miaug's confused by curious demeanour seemed to convince the shopkeeper,
"You're not from around here are you?" she asked. Miaug shook her head,
"We get a few Tabaxi here. Not a lot, but usually a cat will come to town once or twice a year. They start asking around about someone, or something, or someplace. After a few days they leave. Then a couple of days later, the person they were asking about mysteriously dies, or goes missing, or the place they wanted information about goes up in flames. Folks around here have gotten wary of their kind."
Miaug looked shocked,
"What do you mean?"
"Well, for example… Most folks here remember about twenty years ago, when the Sisters down at that jungle Mission took in a couple of stray cats. We all warned them it were dangerous, but the Sisters didn't listen. The cats stayed with them for a couple of months, next thing you know the whole mission burned to ground. Every Sister in the place was dead!"
"How do you know all this?"
"Certain unscrupulous types have tried to loot the ruins. The sisters supposedly had piles of precious gems and stuff, gifts from the savages in the jungles, but the place is supposedly haunted. Ha! Probably just scary stories, but I tell you one thing for free. You wouldn't fucking catch me going into a place like that. Anyways, look… you seem different from the other cats I've dealt with, so I'll give you one piece of free advice. Watch your back in Leilon, your kind are not welcome here. You head back to wherever you're staying, nice and quiet like. And you get yourself out of the city shortly after. Otherwise, the next misfortune anybody suffers, it'll be laid at your feet."
As she walked back to the Merrow's Crown, Miaug could feel dozens of eyes burning into her. She wasn't sure if she was imagining it now, after the conversation with the shopkeeper, or if there was actually a tangible atmosphere of hostility. She pulled her hood up around her head and slunk back to the inn. She reunited with the rest of the party in the taproom, settling into a stool beside her friends in the comforting glow of the hearth. The group joked and laughed merrily, but as Ryoko passed Miaug an ale she noticed her expression,
"What's wrong?" she asked the Tabaxi. Miaug explained about her encounter in the General Store and the sense of unease and paranoia she'd felt on the way back to the tavern,
"I've never met another Tabaxi before. What if my race are actually evil? What does that mean?"
Clootie gently patted her on the hand,
"They're just being racist, nobody is destined to do anything because of their race or their species. Look at me, nobody would expect a gnome to be the world's greatest wrestler, but here we are. And even if the other Tabaxi are against us, that doesn't mean anything for you. You're already a hero"
Miaug hugged the little gnome, and Ryoko passed her a fresh ale.
After a few rounds, the ginger haired barfly teetered over and sat down between Ryoko and Clootie, looking at them with unfocused watery eyes,
"I've seen y' all flashing them purdy rings around. Ye definitely dinnae look like nobles t' me. So what's the deal. I got a bet goin on wi' me mate there. He says you rescued the Duke's cat from a tree, I say you found him some big ass gold mine or sommat." He gestured vaguely in the direction of empty stools at the bar. Ramas looks at him steadily for a moment, then starts to explain,
"We killed an Aboleth in the sewers of Neverwinter, and saved half the population. Then we fought back a siege of goblins and undead monsters, and saved the other half. After that, the Duke was pretty grateful."
The man stared at him intently for a bit, his eyes suddenly seemed sharp and focused. Ramas has a niggling feeling he might be getting played here. Then suddenly the drunk broke the silence,
"Fair enough. I guess I owe you all a drink. Hey Beau, get a round over here for me new mates"
The drunk man waved at Beau behind the bar, who nodded, then he slumped back in the chair and put his feet up on the stone hearth,
"Me name's Benn. I've got a knack for reading people. I can tell if they're lying. Dunno how, but it works. And as odd as your story sounds, you're not lying. So in that case, you're either legitimate heroes and I should buy you a pint; or you're properly crazy, and I don't want to piss you off. So either way, cheers!"
Beau brought over two fistfuls of ale flagons, placing them on the hearth and swatting Benn's legs off the stone. Benn grabbed one of the flagons and drained half of it in one long swig. Then he leaned forward conspiratorially,
"As I mentioned, I can tell if people are hiding something. And I've gotta say, there's folks in here are definitely hiding something. What's more, whatever it is it's got something to do with you... You see that guy over there, he keeps glancing over at you lot, and over at the door there. And he's barely touched his drink."
Benn slugged the rest of his ale down his throat and let out a long belch,
"So I've got an inkling that somethings about to happen. I'd appreciate it if you'd let me be on my way before whatever it is, starts. I've not kept my youthful complexion by getting in the middle of other people's fights. So… thank you all for your service, but I'll be on my way..."
He stood up and waved at the barman,
"Oi Beau – I'll settle up with you tomorrow"
And with that he tottered out of the door.
The party glanced at the strange man Benn had pointed out, and Miaug could feel that same paranoia begin to creep up her spine. With a sigh, Ramas stood up and walked over to the mysterious patron. An older man, with thinning hair and pointed features and a greasy complexion, he looked up nervously at Ramas's approach. The half-elf pulled out a chair, spun it around and sat astride it leaning on the back intently,
"So you've been watching me and my friends? Something we can help you with?" he asked genially enough, but with a thinly veiled hint of menace. The man swallowed hard,
"I apologise if I've made you uncomfortable." He stammered in response, "To be honest, I'm just a little nervous about the Tabaxi in your party. But I didn't want to offend anyone, so I've just sat here finishing my drink before I go."
"What's your name friend?" Ramas asked, with a hint of threat on the final syllable.
"Salazar Mercier. I'm just a fisherman. Please, just let me finish my drink and I'll be on my way. I don't want any trouble"
"Allow me to help you with that" Ramas took Salazar's flagon and drained the last of his ale,
"Now you can go. And take your racist shit with you"
The man stood up and half-ran towards the door, stopping to glare at Ramas before he left. Ramas returned to the hearth, sat down with the group and nodded at Miaug. Beau brought over another round of ale,
"I'm sorry about that. There's some old fashioned views in this city. Here, take these on the house."
"Is that guy a regular?" Clootie asked,
"Nope, never seen him before"
Next: Chapter 3-3 - Leilon
Previous: Chapter 3-1 - Tari Ce Brineah
Ramas and Clootie made their way to the Blaze of Glory to speak to Raven Cathloy. At Clootie's request, Raven was able to use some leather offcut materials and an old dagger to fashion a long leather gauntlet with an elbow blade. Clootie flexed her elbow, and performed a couple of mock Elbow Drops while whispering quietly to herself. Ramas started speaking to the armourer. He explained he was looking for some sort of custom mask, both protective and intimidating. Raven looked thoughtfully, asking if he had anything in particular in mind. Clootie jumped up into the space between them, trying to position herself in their sight line,
"Oooh. Can I get a Kabuki mask?" she chattered eagerly.
Raven looked a little confused, but Clootie grabbed a piece of parchment and quill from the counter and began to sketch out a crude design. Raven picked up the finished drawing, and started to appraise it,
"I could probably do this. I'll need a few days, maybe a week" she muttered.
Ramas and Clootie agreed, explaining that they'd be back in a few weeks, so they'd probably pick it up then. Clootie handed Raven a stack of gold coins to cover the work. Ramas decided to spend some time fleshing out a concept for his mask, and promised to send a sketch to Raven once they made it to Leilon.
Miaug made her way back to Olexia's shop. The little gnome looked tired when she opened the door. Miaug was surprised to still see Arwyl sitting next to the shop counter, looking serene with a cup of tea in her hand. Olexia offered Miaug a cup, while she rummaged around behind the counter for the arrows,
"How could you lose them already?" Arwyl laughed melodically, "You just finished them an hour ago"
"I don't know. This shop is like a Bag of Holding, stuff just seems to get sucked into the piles. It's not me - it's magic. Ah ha! Got em!" Olexia hopped up from behind a pile of parts, triumphantly holding two more explosive arrows. Miaug grinned, and gave the gnome a couple more gold pieces,
"Sorry it took you so long" Miaug apologised,
"It's ok, I understand" Olexia pocketed the coins, "Where are you heading off to in such a rush anyway?"
"We're leaving for Leilon in a couple of hours" Miaug explained, "We've got a charter for the Seabird"
"Is that the fancy looking ship with the weird pigeon captain?" Olexia asked, looking confused as Miaug laughed and Arwyl spluttered into her tea.
Ryoko and Aetilius arrived at the Seabird, laden with the majority of the party's luggage. Captain Killiwake popped his head back over the side of the ship, fixing them with a beady black eye,
"Mornin' milord, milady. You ready to depart?"
"Nearly. The rest of the group are running some errands, but we'd like to come aboard, if that's alright"
"Not at all." Killiwake bowed ostentatiously, then turned his head and barked orders at the crew,
"A'right ya lazy curs. Lower the gangplank. And let's get her shipshape and ready to go."
A flurry of activity, and a large wooden plank slid over the side of the boat and landed firmly on the jetty, forming a boarding ramp. As Aetilius and Ryoko walked up and onto the Seabird, Killiwake extended a feathered wing in greeting. He shook Aetilius's hand warmly, and dropped to one knee to kiss Ryoko's hand,
"Welcome aboard the Seabird. In me open humble opinion, she's the best vessel in the Empire. I'm the Captain... you can call me Killiwake. This is me first mate, Larson." He cocked his head to indicate the barrel chested man standing behind him, with a close shaved head and a weather-beaten completion
"Larson, could you show our guests where to stow their gear. The crew's just getting ready, then we'll be ready to depart within the hour"
Killiwake abruptly stopped talking and walked away up to the upper deck. Larson grinned warmly at the surprised look on Aetilius and Ryoko's faces,
"Don't mind the Cap'n. He's an odd bird, but he's the best Cap'n I've served under. Mon' then – I'll show you to yer quarters"
He led them through a set of doors under the foredeck. The doors opened into a short corridor with two rooms on either side. Larson pushed open one of the doors to reveal a small passenger's berth with two beds,
"All four of these rooms are for yer use. I'll leave y'all to stow yer gear. Feel free to come back up on deck whenever yer ready"
Meanwhile, Ramas and Clootie made their way around the corner from the Blaze of Glory to the Tempered Blade, Donn Ingram's weaponsmiths. The husky dwarf looked up at them and smiled as they entered,
"Ah, the heroes of the hour. What can I do for you?"
"Can I see a dagger please?" Clootie asked sweetly,
"Of course" Donn opened one of the display cabinets and pulled out a beautifully wrought ornate steel dagger and held it down to the little gnome. Clootie looked at the blade, then up at the dwarf. Then she started to slowly back away towards the door, her eyes never leaving Donn's face. Donn looked incredulously as Clootie reached the door, fumbled around behind her for the handle, then slipped out of the shop. Donn looked up at Ramas, utterly confused,
"Is she alright?"
"It's PTSD" Ramas explained, matter of factly, "You got a telescope?"
"A telescope? What's that then"
"You know, round thing, see things far away?"
"You mean a spyglass?"
"Yeah, that'll do"
"I wouldn't know where to start with one of those. I'm just a smith. Maybe try asking that pink haired gnome down at the tinkers."
"Ah. I know where that is. Thank you" Ramas turned and left.
Donn stood alone in his shop, shaking his head in bewilderment at the whole exchange
About an hour later Miaug, Ramas and Clootie arrived at the Seabird. On her way back to the Dock, Miaug had picked up a few extra healing potions at the Radiant Flask. Meanwhile Ramas had gone to see Olexia and had purchased a collapsible spyglass and a small brass compass.
As they stepped up onto the deck of the ship, Ryoko and Aetilius waved them over. The ship was alive with activity. Sailors scurried back and forth; teams of men hauled on lengths of rope, coiling them neatly beside the railings; crewmen scampered up the rigging around the sails. In the midst of the chaos, Killiwake stood on the aft deck, leaning lightly against the wheel as he barked orders,
"Awright lads. Cast us off. Let's catch this breeze before it leaves us and you have to row"
A couple of sailors leaped onto the jetty and untied the lines holding the ship to it's mooring.
"Raise the mizzen"
A team of sailors hauled on a rope at the rear of the main deck. As they pulled, a wooden arm swung up from the boom above Killiwake's head, unfurling a bright red triangular sail. Once it reached the full position, Killiwake shouted again,
"Hold on lads – off we go!"
The Kenku hauled on a rope at the side of the mizzen deck, and the boom swung hard to the side. The sail, which had been fluttering in the breeze, suddenly caught and filled with air, straining against the aft mast. With a sudden lurch, accompanied by a groan of protest from the hull, the Seabird began to slip backwards, picking up speed at it moved along the jetty. As soon as the Seabird cleared the dock, Killiwake spun the vessel's wheel with a flourish. The nose of the ship started to turn towards the sea. Killiwake hauled on the sail line, gradually swinging the boom across the mizzen deck, keeping the sail aligned with the wind,
"Trim the jib lads"
Teams of crew members hauled on lines at the front of the vessel, and a sail unfurled from the front mast. The crew swung the front sail across to the opposite side of the vessel from the mizzen sail, as Killiwake centred the wheel. The Seabird's heading straightened out and the little ship began to glide across the waves towards the harbour entrance.
Once the ship passed the breaker wall, the waves became more intense, rocking the little ship violently from side to side. Killiwake swung the ship around, so that Neverwinter sat on the port side. The teams of crew at the front of the boat quickly redressed the jib to ensure it caught the wind,
"Haul up the mainsail"
The rest crew leaped into action, scampering up the mainsail rigging like monkeys, and climbing out along the sail yardarms to loosen ties. After a few moments, a massive red sail dropped down the mast. The rest of the sailors grabbed trailing lines from the bottom of the sail, and tied them off to the mast, tensioning the sail. With practiced speed, the whole crew forms into two teams. Each team grabbed a rope running out from the main mast. One team began to pay out, while the other reeled in. The main sail gradually began to swivel, until it suddenly filled and the ship noticeably leaped forward in the water with a jolt. The sailors tied the lines off on the ships rail, and everybody visibly relaxed.
Over the side of the vessel, the party watched the coastline slip past quickly as the Seabird sped south
Straight away, Miaug scampered up the rigging and into the Crow's Nest. The young sailor sitting on the crossbar at the top of the rigging leapt to his feet in surprise as the Tabaxi pulled herself up, almost overbalancing and falling to the deck. Miaug reached out a paw and steadied him. He looked at her gratefully,
"Thanks. So, who are you?" he stuttered, "What are you doing up here?"
"I'm Miaug. And I don't know, it seemed quieter up here."
The lad relaxed visibly, "It is. I like it up here. Nice and quiet. I'm Bartoz" he explained, extending his hand. Miaug shook it,
"Crow's Nest is a fairly easy job. I mostly sits up here and relax. But if you're up here, the crew'll expect you to help. So, I'll quickly show you how to raise and lower the main sail. It needs two folk anyway. We'll both climb out along the yardarm to those pulleys, and if you haul up on the line, you can furl the sail. Then you just tie it off over here. If we hit a storm, we'll need to get the mainsail up or we'll risk breaking the mast. If you're stayin' up here, you ok with that job?"
Miaug nodded in agreement, and the two sat down on the crossbar to admire the view.
Ramas scanned the crew's faces, before locking eyes with a grizzled old sailor. The sailor smiled and winked, before heading off towards the doors at the rear of the main deck. Ramas followed him, through the doors and downstairs to a decent sized galley mess. Along the length one of the long bench tables sat a small group of sailors, with a stack of coins and a set of dice. The sailor Ramas had followed took a seat at the bench, and motioned for Ramas to do the same,
"Game of 38s. 10 gold ante. You in?" he grunted. Ramas nodded, taking a seat.
Ramas joined in the sailor's game of dice. Taking care not to win too often, he used the opportunity to get a feel for the crew, their relationship with the Captain, and any other useful information he could glean.
The man he'd initially followed was named Martyn Belloc. He'd been on the Seabird for a good few years now, and for most of it the vessel had been in service of the Duke as a pirate hunter vessel. Captain Killiwake was unusual, both in appearance and social situations; but the crew have developed a deep fondness for the Kenku, in spite of his obvious social awkwardness. Ramas tried to subtly probe for further details about the Captain, but the sailors at the table were not forthcoming.
Up on the deck, Larson sauntered over to the rail beside Ryoko,
"So, where are you from?" he asked casually, passing her a mug of ale. Ryoko took a long swig, and then started to explain all about Quan and how she ended up with the party. After a minute or so, Larson's eyes began to glaze over,
"Just making conversation. Didn't ask for her life story" he muttered under his breath. He didn't count on Ryoko's acute hearing. The Iskathi stopped suddenly and glared at the sailor, before stamping away angrily. Larson looked after her, confused.
Aetilius wandered up the stairs to the rear deck of the boat, making his way over to Killiwake. The Kenku cocked his head, fixing Aetilius with a curious eye,
"Afternoon milord. Anything I can help with?"
Aetilius started to try and make conversation, but Killiwake answered each question in a succinct brief statement leaving little room for further discussion, all the while staring at Aetilius with a single unblinking eye. After a few minutes, Aetilius gave up and wandered back down to the main deck and Killiwake swivelled his head to focus on the horizon ahead.
Up in the rigging, Bartoz and Miaug chatted amiably. Miaug spoke about her childhood in the Kelteth Woods, Bartoz told her about growing up poor on Astartes and loitering around the docks with the other children,
"How long have you been aboard the Seabird?" Miaug asked,
"Not long. Only a couple of months. She's a good ship though. The crew are all good folk, and the Captain's actually a decent sort. A bit strange, sure, but he's good to the crew. Some of the older guys on board occasionally mention the old Captain, before Killiwake, but I get the impression that they prefer things now."
The rocking motion of the vessel was starting to affect Ryoko, and she could feel the ale Larson had given her start to burble unpleasantly in her stomach. She decided to head to bed and try to get some rest. Hopefully she'd find her sea-legs by the time she woke up.
Although she didn't sleep, an hour spent lying on her bunk helped Ryoko adjust to the movement of the ship. She returned to the deck, feeling a little better and looking for a fresh drink. As she wandered around the main deck she spotted a cluster of bent and battered nails protruding loosely from the mainmast, around shoulder height. From one of the nails a rusty old hammer hung by a twisted leather cord. One of the sailors standing nearby noticed her gaze,
"Oh aye. It's a game what we play oan occasion. Stump we calls it!"
Intrigued, Ryoko picked up the hammer, rubbing off some of the rust,
"Ya fancy a game?" the old sailor grinned at her wickedly,
"Sure. Why not?" Ryoko answered confidently,
"Allan" the sailor extended his hand,
"Ryoko" Ryoko shook it
"Oi! Peter, Randall, fancy a game o' Stump?"
Two other sailors wandered over, carrying fistfuls of ale.
" Right. We all playing? Grand. That's four nails." Allan got down to business, "Aubdy pick one. That's your nail. So ya try to flip the hammer. Like this." Allan tossed the rusty hammer high in the air, spinning it backwards as he did. He grabbed it out of the air by the handle and brought it down on one of the nails in the mast in one smooth motion,
"You wanna catch it, and in the same move ya wanna hit somebody's nail. Wherever ya catch it, that's where you gotta swing it. If you hit a nail, they drink. If you drop the hammer, we all yell 'Pissflaps' and you drink. If your nail gets driven right in, you're out and ya have to do a waterfall. Last nail standing wins. Oh aye - and if you get sparks, everybody drinks. Got it?"
Ryoko looked confused, but nodded agreement anyway. Four nails were lightly tapped into the mast, and Peter went first. He threw up the hammer, caught it awkwardly by the head, and banged the handle against the mast. The group laughed and he passed the hammer to Randall, who confidently threw it up and caught it lightly at the tip of the handle. He brought it down on Peter's nail with a solid thud and grinned as Peter tossed back a hefty mouthful of ale. Randall then passed the hammer to Ryoko. She tested the weight for a moment, then threw it up in the air. As she reached up to grab it, she misjudged it's position and knocked the hammer into the mast. It clattered to the deck and the three sailors shouted in unison,
"Pissflaps!" Ryoko threw back a big gulp of ale as the rest of the group laughed.
Clootie wandered over to the mast, drawn by the raucous laughter of Ryoko and the sailors. As she watched, Ryoko dropped the hammer twice more before finally catching it, to roars of approval from the sailors. Nonetheless she missed all the nails twice in a row, and by this point was starting to get fairly inebriated. Once she was drunk enough she was starting to miss the hammer again, Clootie intervened and shepherded the Iskathi back to her bunk.
Meanwhile, Aetilius and Larson had started to talk,
"Care for some grog?" Larson offered as he wandered over and leaned against the ships railing beside Aetilius. The Tiefling accepted, and as they drank and watched the laughter at the mast, Larson looked at Aetilius,
"So... What's the deal. Why are y' all going to Leilon?"
"We're actually heading further south, to Quan" Aetilius responded
"Quan? Really. Didn't think anybody actually chose to go there... I heard there's tribes of cannibal lizards living in the jungle. Fucking scary if you ask me..."
"What do you think of Leilon?" Aetilius asked,
"T'salright. Nice enough port, a few decent taverns. Locals are generally good to sailors like me'sel. A couple of nice whores there too. And the canals are kinda pretty, a bit unusual an' that. All in all, the harbour bit's quite nice actually. Never really visited further inland."
Aetilius grunted and they went back to drinking in silence. After a minute or so, Aetilius piped up,
"So how did you end up sailing under a Captain like Killiwake?"
"Aye, figured that's come up. Killiwake's a strange bird, pun intended, but he's a damn fine Cap'n. We both sailed together on the Seabird under the former master of the vessel, Cap'n Marivaldi. Killiwake was First Mate, he'd been with Marivaldi for years by the time he brought me on.
Anyways, Killiwake ended up... inheriting the Seabird. There's a story there I might tell you if I'm drunk enough."
Aetilius looked at him in shock,
"No no no. Nothing like that. It wasn't a mutiny or anything. After Marivaldi's death the crew elected him Captain. An' it's worked out pretty well for us. Kenku are mimics, so his whole Cap'n persona, it's an imitation of Marivaldi. A pretty damn good one too. But Marivaldi was a selfish pirate at heart, and Kenku are flock birds. They don't really have much concept of self-importance. So, where Marivaldi would always squirrel away an extra bit of the take for himself, or would always make sure he came out on top, Killiwake actually puts the crew first. That's just how he's built. I gotta tell you, I've sailed with a lot of Captains, and that's a refreshing change."
"But the most important thing about the Cap'n is his memory. I mentioned already that Kenku are imitators. As far as I'm aware, they're never usually sailors. Usually they end up either as scribes in temples, or working for accountants, or doing forgeries for Thieves Guilds. But one neat trick they've got is their... what do you call it.. Edentink Memory? Basically, the Cap'n remembers everything he's ever seen, perfectly. That’s a useful trick for a scribe or a forger, but it turns out it's fucking excellent for a sailor. We don't use maps on the Seabird any more, Killiwake has the entire map of the Sundered Sea memorized. He's been on this sea for the last twenty years, and he's got a perfect recall of every landmark and sandbank he's seen. He might lack imagination, but we've been pirate hunters for the last eight years. Pirates are a canny bunch, and the Seabird is better armed than any of them around the same size. Marivaldi was a big fan of dwarven weaponry. So the Pirates tried some fairly inventive tricks to escape us or sink us. And Killiwake learned it all."
"Genuinely, there's not a Captain on the Sundered Sea I'd rather sail under. And I feel confident speaking for every other member of this crew. So aye – you lot are lucky here – best ship in the Empire, with the best crew. The Duke must really owe you one."
Aetilius raised an eyebrow,
"Dwarven weaponry, you said?"
Larson led Aetilius down into bowels of the ship, into a mid-sized chamber directly below the front quarters where the party were berthed. The centre of the room was occupied by a large construction of brass and bronze. A central chair, mounted on a gimbal, was located behind a massive brass cannon. Three huge cylindrical barrels ran along a central shaft, resting in the teeth of a complex gear mechanism at either end. The walls of the hull were reinforced with thick steel plates, and a ratchet and pawl ran up the wall near the entrance of the room,
"Grab a seat" Larson waved at the chair, "As I says, Marivaldi was really interested in some of this dwarven stuff. We'd meet guys in Jarviksholm sometimes for retrofits and upgrades. But this is the pride of the Seabird's arsenal."
Aetilius slid into the bronze seat. In front of him were two handles, each set at a comfortable distance in front of his arms. He grabbed on to them. Larson pulled down a lever beside the ratchet mechanism, and suddenly with a groan the front wall of the room slid downwards like an opening mouth, revealing the horizon in front of the vessel. As the wall moved, it released the barrel of the cannon, and suddenly the whole mechanism, barrel and chair included, started to move on the gimbal. Aetilius instinctively pulled back on one the handles and the cannon swung to the left. After a few moments, Aetilius started to get a handle on the mechanism, and he was able to balance the cannon out,
"This is a Bao'Ran cannon. There's another of these at the back of the ship. Gives us a firing arc totally unlike any other ship on the sea, plus roughly six times the fire rate. We can take down ships much larger or more heavily armed than the Seabird. If we're unlucky enough to need it while you're on board, I'll even let you use one of them" Larson grinned proudly,
"Right, pop it back in the middle and I'll get her closed up again."
As they made their way back up onto the main deck, Aetilius asked Larson about the Marivaldi's death,
"Aye well. A few years before, there'd been a... bit of a shift in the Seabird's... revenue stream. If you catch my drift..." Aetilius looked blankly. Larson sighed,
"Marivaldi used to be a pirate, the Seabird was a pirate vessel. Something happened, and he abruptly went straight. Don't ask, I don't know any details about that. Anyway, things had changed, and some of the original crew had gotten a bit sour about it. We were all getting paid pretty well and pretty consistently. Me mysel', I was definitely earning better than I had on the other side of the law, but some of the old hands missed the chance of a big score. When you're a pirate, you're always chasing the next big one, where you'll get enough to set you up for life. It never works out that way, but I think it's the idea that most pirates love more than the money. I'll tell you, sailors are romantics at heart."
Larson looked wistful,
"Aye anyway, a few of the old hands were disgruntled. They disappeared one night when we were docked in Southmarch, never came back to the ship. We waited for a while, but eventually we gave up and headed out. We were heading east, just skirting along the edge of the Kraken's Spine, when we were ambushed by a gang of pirates. Somebody had tipped them off to our route, and they were waiting for us hiding in the Spine. We were surrounded, forced back into the Spine. Nowhere to run, so we fought. But even with the Seabird's cannons, we were outgunned. We sunk a couple of theirs, but they damn near crippled the ship, then boarded us. A few of them, including out missing crewmembers (no prizes for guessing who sold us out) surrounded the Cap'n. Killiwake and I got to him a moment too late. Killiwake grabbed the Cap'n pistols and took out the traitors, I killed the other pirates.
Next thing I know, Killiwake grabbed Marivaldi's hat and jumped up on the railing, barking orders and sounding exactly like Marivaldi did. I don't know if the rest of the crew even noticed it wasn't him, but even if they did, the familiar voice taking charge just put everyone at ease. Killiwake swung us around and we headed deep into the Spine. I didn't think anyone could navigate through it, but somehow he guided us through all the sunken rocks and sandbanks. Two of the surviving ships tried to follow us, but they didn't make it far. Once the mist started to close it, we knew we were safe. We made some rough repairs, then limped back to Southmarch. After pulling that off, we all decided just to keep Killiwake as the Captain. Haven't looked back since."
The rest of the journey passed pleasantly enough in a haze of alcohol and conversation. Clootie took care of Ryoko as a combination of vessel sway and excessive ale consumption left her retching into a bucket. Ramas baffled the crew members with an uncanny streak of luck on the dice, coming away with a stack of gold coins and more than a few suspicious gazes. Miaug spent the majority of the time on the Seabird in the rigging with Bartoz, watching the waves race across the horizon. Aetilius busied himself talking and drinking with the crew, and learning to handle some of the sails.
The next day, Aetilius came up on deck before the sunrise. The ship was quiet, most of the crew and passengers were sleeping off hangovers, Killiwake stood alone at the wheel, keeping the ship on course. A light mist hung over the waves, hiding the horizon. Aetilius wandered up the stairs to talk to the Kenku again. As Killiwake cocked his head at him again, Aetilius decided to ask the question which was actually on his mind,
"Have you heard of the Nethonris?"
Killiwake's eye opened wider and he blinked in surprise,
"Aye lad. I haven't heard that name in quite some time. Not something folks should talk much about" Killiwake turned his head to focus on the horizon, as though to signal the conversation was over. Aetilius reached into his tunic and pulled out the Nethonris amulet he carried. Killiwake's reaction was instant. He pulled out a pistol from his strap and levelled it directly at Aetilius's head,
"The only reason you're not dead where you stand is I trust the Duke, and he trusts you. Why do you wear that accursed symbol? Are you Nethonris?"
Aetilius dropped the necklace,
"So you recognise it. No - I'm not Nethonris. Actually they're hunting us I think." Killiwake relaxed, and he slipped his pistol back into it's holster,
"Last time I saw that symbol, it damn near cost me everything." He turned his head to sweep around the deck. After confirming it was clear, and the rest of the crew was still below decks, he turned his eye back to focus on Aetilius,
"Years back, the Seabird was sailing along the edge of the Kraken's Spine. Marivaldi was the Captain, and we were still a pirate vessel. We were in the habit of hiding in the edge of the Spine and ambushing unsuspecting traders. It was fairly lucrative, and pretty easy. But one day, we were fairly deep in the Spine when a particularly thick mist started coming in. Worried we'd run aground, Marivaldi had us furl all the sails and use punts to guide us through the rocks back into open water. We almost ran aground on a small island, not something you usually see in the Kraken's Spine, it's just jagged rocks. Calhoun was up the Crow's Nest, and he spotted buildings on the island, ruins he said. Marivaldi's eyes lit up at the thought of a haul of lost treasure. He had us anchor the 'Bird and got a party to go ashore.
Myself, Marivaldi, Calhoun, Bronco and Deek. We headed up into the ruins. I'd have sworn we were in a drowned city, seaweed and algae everywhere. We spent at least an hour wandering through buildings. Each one we entered got Marivaldi more annoyed, we didn't find anything of value, or almost anything at all which hadn't been ruined by the sea's touch. Eventually we came across what looked like a palace. Inside we found a room covered with that very symbol, carved into all the walls, and floor and ceiling. The middle of the room had a huge round table, with a map set out on it. The map was bone dry, and recent, showing up to date cities and towns, which seemed out of place to me. I started to study it, that's what I do.
The locations of various Empire military forces were set out on the map, as were a bunch of symbols I didn't recognise. But Marivaldi's eyes were drawn to the middle of the table, where a massive purple crystal sat. The crystal made me uneasy, it seemed to glow with a sickly purple light. But Marivaldi was entranced. He reached out to grab it, and the moment his hand touched it there was a pulse of purple light and his eyes rolled up in his head. But he kept standing, just shaking and convulsing where he stood. At the same time, the shadows around the room seemed to come together and formed into three huge dark figures with long talon like fingers.
Two of them grabbed Calhoun and tore his head clean off. Another one advanced on Bronco, pinning him in the corner and just sliced him right down the belly with it's claws. Deek screamed and bolted for the door, and two of the figures went after him. I grabbed Marivaldi, slung him over my shoulder, and bolted. I heard this screaming sound as the things chased after me, but I barely remember the details of the chase. I just remember getting back to the boat with Marivaldi and setting sail before those things could catch me. I never saw Deek again, but to be fair he probably saved my life without meaning to. Once the Seabird got a few miles away from that island, Marivaldi snapped out of it. He had a haunted look in his eyes though.
He never told me what happened to him, but after that he became a man obsessed. We started heading to ports in the North and meeting with strange characters. After a while we started taking bounties from fellows up in Jarviksholm to hunt down specific trading vessels. I asked him why we were sinking traders and not even claiming any loot from them. He told me that the cargo wasn't the target, it was the people on board. Whatever he'd seen when he touched that crystal had scared him badly, and it was all to do with a group he called the Nethonris. He said they were a cult of fanatics working to destroy the Veil. They was the reason he'd decided to go straight. The men he'd met with in Jarviskholm called themselves Druids, and the vessels we'd sunk were carrying Nethonris agents. That was the beginning of the end for Marivaldi. He was never the same afterwards. He grew more and more obsessed. We lost most of the original crew, bored with the lack of booty I think. In the end, a couple of the old hands mutinied against us, allied with a group of pirates and tried to sink us. We escaped, but Marivaldi died in the battle.
So aye, last time I saw that symbol it took three of my friends from me, and set my Captain on a course he couldn't steer clear of."
Aetilius thought on this for a moment. Then, he asked solemnly,
"Do you think you could find that island again?"
Killiwake looked taken aback,
"I can't fathom why you'd ever want to find that place of death. But yes, I could find it again. But I'll not be setting foot ashore. Savvy?"
Aetilius nodded.
Around an hour later the rest of the party had joined Aetilius on deck, and the majority of the crew was at work around the vessel. The sun had just begun to rise, seeming to ignite the mist on the horizon with a pale golden glow. A voice drifted down from the Crow's Nest,
"Leilon ahead!"
As the ship drew closer, Ryoko caught a glimpse of a flickering orange glow in the mist on the port side of the vessel see a flickering orange glow in the mist on the port side of the vessel, high above the height of the Seabird's yardarm. As they drew closer, the mist began to boil away, revealing a massive lighthouse built on a rocky islet, dark granite cliffs towering at least thirty feet above the sea level. The tower itself was formed of three huge square tiers of white stone blocks, each tier around ten feet tall, narrowing slightly as they ascended to form two open terraces enclosed by half height walls. A spiral stone staircase wound around the upper tier, leading up from the top terrace to the very pinnacle of the tower, where a huge bonfire blazed.
"The Flame of Eithen" Larson explained to a surprised Ryoko, "Guides ships into the Leilon harbour. They keep it burning day and night. Eithen was the name of some ancient pagan sea god or sommat. Don't believe in all that nonsense, but doesn't hurt to say a wee prayer as we pass"
On either side of the lighthouse, huge sea walls built of the same white stone as the tower, extended out from the islet and curved all the way around to smaller towers on the coast. A huge gap in either span of wall allowed for passage of ships in and out of the sheltered harbour. Across each gap spanned huge ached stone bridges, allowing foot traffic passage from the shore to the lighthouse.
"Furl the mainsail", Killiwake's voice echoed from the back of the vessel. The crew set to work, scurrying along the yardarm and hauling up the mainsail.
"Jib to starboard"
The jib swung across the front of the vessel to join the mizzen sail on the opposite side from the coastline. Killiwake spun the wheel and hauled in on one of the mizzen sail lines. The Seabird started to carve a wide sweeping arc towards the harbour walls,
"Trim the jib"
As the vessel turned towards the wind, the sails began to flutter. The crew hauled the jib back across the bow, leaving the sail nearly parallel to the wind. Killiwake mirrored this position at the back. The Seabird glided silently across the water like a graceful swan, and passed cleanly through the gap in the harbour wall. Beyond the wall, the wind died down to a breeze,
"Alright lads - I'll take it from here" Killiwake called from the helm. The crew hauled in the jib, tying it up firmly to the foremast. Killiwake began to zigzag the Seabird across the wind, flipping the mizzen sail back and forth across the aft deck. The ship skipped nimbly across the waves as it closed on the harbour jetties.
The Kenku lined the mizzen sail up with the wind, and a team of sailors on the main deck gently furled the sail back down onto the boom. Killiwake gently slipped the ship into a berth beside one of the jetties, and one of the crewmembers leaped onto the dock with a heavy rope, which he looped around a pole and hauled tight. As the Seabird came to a gentle stop, Killiwake swept of his tricorner hat with a flourish, bowing deeply to the party,
"There ya go Lords and Ladies. Welcome to Leilon."
The Captain wandered down the stairs to the main deck amid good natured laughter and a flurry of applause from the crew,
"This is Leilon. Duke Blackwater has chartered us to your service for the next few months, so if you don't mind I'm going to give the crew an extended shore leave here while we wait for your return. Do you have any idea how long you'll be?" Killwake asked, his head cocked slightly and unblinking black eye fixed on Aetilius,
"I'm honestly not sure. A couple of months at most probably" Aetilius responded,
"I assume whatever you're here to do is dangerous. Y'all have a reputation... How likely is it that you'll make it back?"
"Well, we don't plan on dying if that's what you mean" Ramas answered with a raised eyebrow.
Killiwake swivelled his head to fix his eye on the half-elf,
"I'll arrange with the dockmaster for us to take an extended berth. We'll wait here until the 11th of Nadar, just after Eleach wanes. That's a week of good fortune, hopefully it'll bring you some. If you're not back by then, we'll head back to Neverwinter and pass on news of your deaths to Count Blackwater" he nodded sagely
"Can you recommend anywhere to stay in Leilon?" Clootie asked the Kenku,
"Aye I can indeed. The Merrow's Crown, just over in the Fishmarket, is a nice enough place. The halfling who runs it, Beau Tamlis, is fairly new to town. He's only been here five or six years. He doesn't share some of the intolerances the older residents have."
"I don't suppose you could give us directions?"
Killiwake nodded again, "You see those two buildings over there? Head through that alley, and follow straight along until you hit a row of buildings. There's another little alley just to the right, follow that and you'll come out at one of the canals. That's you in the Fishmarket. There'll be a bridge to your left, cross that and the building right in front of you is the Merrow's Crown."
The party gathered their gear, and bid farewell the crew of the Seabird. They made their way through Leilon, following Killiwake's directions. The buildings were tall and narrow, most three storeys tall or higher and closely packed together, seeming to loom oppressively overhead as the group made their way through the alley. Before long they came to a row of terraced buildings, just as Killiwake had described. Ahead and to the right, an ominous looking stone archway led through the terrace, the ragged stonework around the opening giving it the sense of a gaping stone mouth.
As soon as they passed through the archway, the oppressive back-alley atmosphere opened up immediately into the dull hubbub of a bustling city. In front lay a narrow canal, roughly twenty foot across. Narrow pavements ran alongside the canal on either side, a couple of feet above the waterline. The paths were full of people scurrying around, while narrow flat bottomed punts slid along the surface of the canal or were moored to the side. Three plain and utilitarian stone arch bridges arced over the canal, one a short distance to the right and two to the left. Forty feet to the right, the canal met another in a T-junction. While midway between the bridges to the left, another canal branched off to the right. On the far side of the furthest bridge, the canal joined yet another T-junction. I was clear that this was but a tiny part of a much larger network.
On the opposite side of the canal stood another tall building, a ramshackle looking wooden façade mounted onto a solid stone structure. Large glass windows filled most of the wall at street level, through them the group glimpsed a large wood trimmed taproom with a long stone hearth running down the centre. A wooden sign hung down above the door, with a stylised picture of a sharp toothed merman wearing an ornate golden crown. Underneath it read 'The Merrow's Crown'
As they opened the door, a little bell tinkled melodically and the party found themselves a good sized taproom. Tables were arranged under the windows next to the street. A long stone hearth, with a low open fire burning in it, ran along the middle of the room. Around the hearth, a number of stools were arranged, and around half of them were occupied by various bar patrons, talking and laughing. Over by the far wall stood a sturdy wooden bar, and stacked along the wall behind lay a selection of large wooden casks. Behind the bar a tall, thin man leant on the counter and chatted with a bar patron, a stocky human with long ginger hair and a pleated ginger beard. At the sound of the bell, the man looked and smiled broadly, waving the party over,
"Good morning good sirs and ladies, can I help you?" he bellowed joyfully.
The group made their way across the room, and Ramas slipped onto a stool at the bar,
"We're looking for board for a couple of days. Our ship's Captain recommended this place."
The man smiled,
"Not a problem. We have a number of rooms available to rent, just up the stairs behind you" he gestured at a set of wooden stairs leading upstairs to the right of the bar. Ramas nodded and grinned at the barman, looking strangely predatory,
"Say. What's your name friend?"
"Beau Tamlis"
"Well Beau, I have a proposition for you. We have, in our company, one of the most famous bards in the whole of the Summer's Coast. Clootie McToot. She would gladly play a set for your patrons each night, in exchange for… let say two rooms, for her and our companions? What do you say?"
Beau looked slightly uneasy,
"I don't know. Live music isn't really a particular draw of my establishment…"
Suddenly, his eyes lighted on Ramas's signet ring, and his eyes widened,
"Oh. Forgive me milord. I didn't realise you were Lords and Ladies of Neverwinter. I'm a dutiful servant of the Duke. How about I offer you a discounted rate for the night? 2GP for two rooms?"
Ramas shrugged and stuck his hand out. Beau grabbed it and shook it vigorously. Beau turned around and disappeared. Ramas leaned forward, and saw that Beau had stepped off a raised wooden platform behind the bar. Now that he stood on the ground, Ramas could see that the barman was a halfling, standing only around four feet tall. He walked to the back of the bar, where a series of keys hung on hooks, and grabbed two. He tossed them to Ramas, then clambered back on to the raised platform,
"First two rooms on the left. Make yourselves at home"
Once they were settled and had stowed their luggage, the group decided to explore the immediate area, known as the Fishmarket. The streets were crowded, bustling with passers-by. The party turned right and started to explore along the block. Clootie and Ryoko spotted a shop selling an odd combination of battleaxes and garish shirts named All The Rage and decided to head in for a browse. Ramas and Aetilius noted the name of a merchant's on the opposite side of the canal, Barrett's Boomsticks, and both ran across like excited children. Miaug shrugged and headed towards Aquamarine General Goods to pick up supplies for the group.
Inside All The Rage, Clootie was entranced by the myriad of increasingly loud and eccentric patterned shirts. A huge, barrel chested half-giant with immaculately coiffured hair and dressed in a pair of tight leather trousers and a black mesh tank top spotted her and strode purposefully towards her,
"Oh my. Aren't you just precious?" he gushed affectionately, dropping down on his haunches to look the little gnome in the face, "What can old Gnart do for you?"
Normally Clootie would have taken a comment like that as condescension and immediately bristled, but something in the half-giant's quiet, effeminate voice sounded sincere, and she found herself warming to him immediately. Within ten minutes Clootie left the shop with two large silk shirts adorned with loud, clashing geometric patterns; and a purse a good few gold pieces lighter.
Ramas and Aetilius discovered that Barrett's Boomsticks specialised in unusual dwarven weapons. Their design reminded Aetilius of the cannons on the Seabird. After a long discussion with the shopkeeper, a human called Vincent Valentine, Ramas bought himself a fearsome looking Twin Shot pistol.
Miaug walked into the General Store and the dark skinned shopkeeper looked up with a grin. As soon as she recognised Miaug though, her smile fell away and her eyes hardened,
"You'll not find whatever it is you're looking for here, cat. Best be on your way"
Miaug was taken aback by this naked hostility,
"I'm sorry." She stuttered, "Did I do something to offend you?"
A fleeting expression of confusion raced across the shopkeepers face,
"We don't serve your kind here" she said, sounding a little less confident,
"My kind?" Miaug asked, "You mean a Tabaxi? Have you seen other Tabaxi in here?"
Something in Miaug's confused by curious demeanour seemed to convince the shopkeeper,
"You're not from around here are you?" she asked. Miaug shook her head,
"We get a few Tabaxi here. Not a lot, but usually a cat will come to town once or twice a year. They start asking around about someone, or something, or someplace. After a few days they leave. Then a couple of days later, the person they were asking about mysteriously dies, or goes missing, or the place they wanted information about goes up in flames. Folks around here have gotten wary of their kind."
Miaug looked shocked,
"What do you mean?"
"Well, for example… Most folks here remember about twenty years ago, when the Sisters down at that jungle Mission took in a couple of stray cats. We all warned them it were dangerous, but the Sisters didn't listen. The cats stayed with them for a couple of months, next thing you know the whole mission burned to ground. Every Sister in the place was dead!"
"How do you know all this?"
"Certain unscrupulous types have tried to loot the ruins. The sisters supposedly had piles of precious gems and stuff, gifts from the savages in the jungles, but the place is supposedly haunted. Ha! Probably just scary stories, but I tell you one thing for free. You wouldn't fucking catch me going into a place like that. Anyways, look… you seem different from the other cats I've dealt with, so I'll give you one piece of free advice. Watch your back in Leilon, your kind are not welcome here. You head back to wherever you're staying, nice and quiet like. And you get yourself out of the city shortly after. Otherwise, the next misfortune anybody suffers, it'll be laid at your feet."
As she walked back to the Merrow's Crown, Miaug could feel dozens of eyes burning into her. She wasn't sure if she was imagining it now, after the conversation with the shopkeeper, or if there was actually a tangible atmosphere of hostility. She pulled her hood up around her head and slunk back to the inn. She reunited with the rest of the party in the taproom, settling into a stool beside her friends in the comforting glow of the hearth. The group joked and laughed merrily, but as Ryoko passed Miaug an ale she noticed her expression,
"What's wrong?" she asked the Tabaxi. Miaug explained about her encounter in the General Store and the sense of unease and paranoia she'd felt on the way back to the tavern,
"I've never met another Tabaxi before. What if my race are actually evil? What does that mean?"
Clootie gently patted her on the hand,
"They're just being racist, nobody is destined to do anything because of their race or their species. Look at me, nobody would expect a gnome to be the world's greatest wrestler, but here we are. And even if the other Tabaxi are against us, that doesn't mean anything for you. You're already a hero"
Miaug hugged the little gnome, and Ryoko passed her a fresh ale.
After a few rounds, the ginger haired barfly teetered over and sat down between Ryoko and Clootie, looking at them with unfocused watery eyes,
"I've seen y' all flashing them purdy rings around. Ye definitely dinnae look like nobles t' me. So what's the deal. I got a bet goin on wi' me mate there. He says you rescued the Duke's cat from a tree, I say you found him some big ass gold mine or sommat." He gestured vaguely in the direction of empty stools at the bar. Ramas looks at him steadily for a moment, then starts to explain,
"We killed an Aboleth in the sewers of Neverwinter, and saved half the population. Then we fought back a siege of goblins and undead monsters, and saved the other half. After that, the Duke was pretty grateful."
The man stared at him intently for a bit, his eyes suddenly seemed sharp and focused. Ramas has a niggling feeling he might be getting played here. Then suddenly the drunk broke the silence,
"Fair enough. I guess I owe you all a drink. Hey Beau, get a round over here for me new mates"
The drunk man waved at Beau behind the bar, who nodded, then he slumped back in the chair and put his feet up on the stone hearth,
"Me name's Benn. I've got a knack for reading people. I can tell if they're lying. Dunno how, but it works. And as odd as your story sounds, you're not lying. So in that case, you're either legitimate heroes and I should buy you a pint; or you're properly crazy, and I don't want to piss you off. So either way, cheers!"
Beau brought over two fistfuls of ale flagons, placing them on the hearth and swatting Benn's legs off the stone. Benn grabbed one of the flagons and drained half of it in one long swig. Then he leaned forward conspiratorially,
"As I mentioned, I can tell if people are hiding something. And I've gotta say, there's folks in here are definitely hiding something. What's more, whatever it is it's got something to do with you... You see that guy over there, he keeps glancing over at you lot, and over at the door there. And he's barely touched his drink."
Benn slugged the rest of his ale down his throat and let out a long belch,
"So I've got an inkling that somethings about to happen. I'd appreciate it if you'd let me be on my way before whatever it is, starts. I've not kept my youthful complexion by getting in the middle of other people's fights. So… thank you all for your service, but I'll be on my way..."
He stood up and waved at the barman,
"Oi Beau – I'll settle up with you tomorrow"
And with that he tottered out of the door.
The party glanced at the strange man Benn had pointed out, and Miaug could feel that same paranoia begin to creep up her spine. With a sigh, Ramas stood up and walked over to the mysterious patron. An older man, with thinning hair and pointed features and a greasy complexion, he looked up nervously at Ramas's approach. The half-elf pulled out a chair, spun it around and sat astride it leaning on the back intently,
"So you've been watching me and my friends? Something we can help you with?" he asked genially enough, but with a thinly veiled hint of menace. The man swallowed hard,
"I apologise if I've made you uncomfortable." He stammered in response, "To be honest, I'm just a little nervous about the Tabaxi in your party. But I didn't want to offend anyone, so I've just sat here finishing my drink before I go."
"What's your name friend?" Ramas asked, with a hint of threat on the final syllable.
"Salazar Mercier. I'm just a fisherman. Please, just let me finish my drink and I'll be on my way. I don't want any trouble"
"Allow me to help you with that" Ramas took Salazar's flagon and drained the last of his ale,
"Now you can go. And take your racist shit with you"
The man stood up and half-ran towards the door, stopping to glare at Ramas before he left. Ramas returned to the hearth, sat down with the group and nodded at Miaug. Beau brought over another round of ale,
"I'm sorry about that. There's some old fashioned views in this city. Here, take these on the house."
"Is that guy a regular?" Clootie asked,
"Nope, never seen him before"
Next: Chapter 3-3 - Leilon
Previous: Chapter 3-1 - Tari Ce Brineah
Comments