Chapter 9: A Primitive Sea

[Ken]

Belarin's eyes go wide at the surprising twist in the discussion. Then he puts a hand to his mouth to muffle his chuckling.

"Well said," Sem says to Streko with a smile. He looks around and raises his hand. "Who else will side with our twisted professor here simply because it would keep a powerful and potentially dangerous artifact out of the hands of marginally more nefarious agencies?"

"Oooh, me!" he says, his hand shooting up. He looks at Larest and shrugs. "Well, certainly. Oh yes, I completely accept all your well-reasoned arguments and will fight beside you to keep even shadier folks from possessing the Eye. But... well... you did prevent my friend Condign here from having a date." He shakes his head sadly.

Then he smiles. "But we don't have to be friends to be allies."

[Dave B.]

Shorak can't help but chuckle at the exchange happening.

"Do keep in mind, there is a chance one of the Drow tribes protects the eye. They may not even know what it is. Many of the ruins and artifacts within them are protected by Drow."

"So Belarin. Shall we see what kind of nefarious and devious rumors we can come up with?"

[Ken]

"Indeed," says Belarin with an amused smirk, "although I fear our work may be doubly difficult. I sense the bar for devious comments has been raised. If you will excuse us, gentlemen, Lerrhana..." he smiles knowingly at Histra "...Histra... and you, Kal."

[Jeff]

The Merrow has little advantage over the Patriot in Shargon's Teeth in regards to speed: here, it's about maneuverability, not power. But the Blue Fin sahuagin have steered you right, and the isles and shoals glide on harmlessly past. No rival tribes arise to ambush or challenge The Merrow Down. With Morsha up and about, and the presumed defense of her unseen elemental allies, you sense a certain reputation keeping you safer than most ships would enjoy.

As the next couple of days roll past, you sense a certain anxiety growing in Larest. Many words were exchanged about what would happen to him when you stepped off the ship onto the docks of Stormreach. Threats of violence, mostly, and none of Morsha's protection to save his hide.

Then, at dusk one day, a crewmen calls down that land has been sighted beyond Shargon's Teeth:

Xen'drik, the dark continent, is coming into view. You can see it stretching across the horizon.

To Shorak, it's home. But he knows there are still a thousand places of mystery in that vast wilderness and he only knows of one little corner.

Sem walks up to your party. "Have I told you about the Traveler's Curse?"

Of all of you, only Shorak has heard of this phrase before.

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Chapter 9 is coming to an end. If you have any prep or fake-rumor creating you'd like to do before making landfall in Stormreach, now's the time!

[Darren]

Kal spends a bit of time walking the deck, his sharrash thumping loudly with each step. It feels good to have the weapon back in his hands. He eyes Larest, watching and studying the other human, not trying to hide from him.

Seeing the professor by himself, Kal moves to stand next to him. "Our agreement still holds," he says as he folds his arms, exposing his dragonmark and cradling his Halfling weapon in his elbow. ( www.ashlock.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=gameplay&thread=202&page=23#14530 ) "Despite anything that has been said, we have agreed to journey with you and we will do so. If it is within our power to find the Eye before everyone else, we will do that, too. I meant what I said about possession of it, though. I don't know what you intend to do with it, so I don't know if you are the best person to have it. But I will not betray you on the way there, nor will I betray you when we find it. If you can show me that you deserve it, then we will decide." Kal turns to look Larest in the eyes. "But do not fear for your safety while you travel with us. Understood?"

[Jeff]

Genuine relief starts to creep back into Larest's eyes. Kal can sense that there is some real fear in him, but fear of what? For getting in over his head? For dealing with angry expeditioners? For the dangers that no doubt lie ahead in Xen'drik? He just can't tell.

"That is a comfort," he says with an easier smile. "And I promise you...I have..." A smirk. "Few tricks up my sleeve remaining, and certainly no intention to betray anyone. I hope to prove my interests to you, and I think you will find that I am a lesser of the evils ahead."

Then his voice takes an academic tone. "And I hope that I can be some service to you in the fields of the arcane." He glances toward Sem, who is some distance away at that moment. "He won't admit it, but some of the rituals he knows came from me first. I've known the Zil...perhaps not for a very long time, but well enough."

[Darren]

Kal's eyebrow shoots up involuntarily. "Is that so?" he asks, trying not to betray genuine interest. "And how do I know you wouldn't just teach me something that would turn me into a newt?" Kal stares at Larest with steely eyes. Then he grins. "I joke, Larest. Calm yourself. Gods, I thought you were going to jump overboard for a moment." Leather creaks as Kal stretches his right leg. "I would be....grateful....for anything that you could teach."

[Joe]

Streko walks up to Kal's side, listens it, frowns slightly, but nods in agreement.

"I find it hard to beoth forgive and forget what you did to us. I do not like being manipulated in such a manner...or in ANY manner come to think of it. However, Kalarian has the right of it. Despite your deeds, we are all men of honor and shall be judged accordingly. You, too, shall be judged according to your actions. In the meantime, know that I shall neither harm you nor cause you to be harmed, so long as you take no future actions to harm us or cause us to be harmed. I suspect we shall all have need of each other's gifts soon enough. Does that satisfy you?"

Streko asks Larest, but he looks up at Kal while doing so, his eyebrow arched, as if asking his friend the same question.

[Brian]

Standing behind Streko, Condign adds, "I do not forgive, nor do I forget." He pokes a finger hard into Larest's chest. "I am unused to letting someone do what you did and let it pass. But I will not ignore my friends or our promise. So, until we have all decided otherwise, I will go along on this farcical collaboration you have forced on us." Then he grins, and his sharp teeth gleam in the sunlight. "Do not be surprised if you end up as my breakfast one day."

[Dave B.]

Shorak looks towards Sem. "The Traveler's Curse will certainly help to thin out the competition. " He looks thoughtful for a moment. "There are those who are said to be unaffected by the curse, Drow being one. My half-blood status does not make me immune to it."

Turning towards Larest he adds, "You might want to consider hiring on a Drow to travel with the party or one of the other races that are considered immune to the curse. Unless of course, you know of some way to counteract it."

[Dave W.]

"I am not familiar with the Traveller's Curse. I have seen the "Old Soldier's Curse"* in action. I am of course immune to that one."

"Is this other curse real? What is it?"

-----------
* the Old Soldiers Curse was slang during the American Civil War for diarrhea.

[Jeff]

"You might want to consider hiring on a Drow to travel with the party or one of the other races that are considered immune to the curse. Unless of course, you know of some way to counteract it."

Larest frowns. "I'm not entirely convinced the Traveler's Curse is anything but superstition. After all, it's not the sort of thing one can explain, or prove. In any case, I'd hoped having a drow among us, even a half-drow, would suffice to appease whatever it is that creates the phenomena."

Adamant:

"I am not familiar with the Traveller's Curse. I have seen the "Old Soldier's Curse"* in action. I am of course immune to that one."

Sem chuckles at Adamant. "Oh yes. In Xen'drik, they call that Cul'sir's Revenge."

Then Sem looks toward the rest of you. "The Traveler's Curse is the name given to the disorientation, foul luck, and all-around unaccountable circumstances that frustrate geographic travel across Xen'drik. If two expeditions set out for the same destination two-hundred miles away and take the same overland route, they are likely to arrive days, or weeks, apart. Great magics once played across this continent, and devastated it. The cataclysms of war. They don't call Xen'drik the Shattered Land for now reason."

[Darren]

"Then certainly the Drow have made an industry out of serving as guides, no?" Kal asks, looking from Larest to Sem and finally at Shorak.

[Jeff]

"In fact, no." Sem shakes his head. "Most drow tribes will have nothing to do with foreigners...except feather them with bolts or inject them with scorpion venom. They are territorial and xenophobic, largely. The drow you will see in Stormreach are, like Shorak, the odd ones out. The outcasts, the refugees, the exiled. There is no organization of drow guides. Each one is a one-off, a gamble."

"The are also giants in and around Stormreach, mostly hill giants, who are allegedly immune to the Traveler's Curse. But you'll never get one on your expedition. They're primitive, shamanic, more concerned with protecting the land than anything else. Some of them are even nice...but we won't find them helpful in seeking the Eye of Azalar. Many of our rivals will, no doubt, try to secure their help. A fruitless endeavor."

[Darren]

Kal places a hand on his chin and studies Shorak. "You know, an enterprising young Drow such as yourself could make a fortune by organizing your disenfranchised brethren." It's hard to tell whether or not Kal is being serious.

Turning to Larest, Kal goes on, "So do we search for a Drow guide, or do we strike out on our own?"

[Dave B.]

"Well, if you can't find a willing drow, you could always look for a thri-kreen." Shorak says with a chuckle.

"Interesting idea, Kal. I would have to find them all first. Perhaps that can be our next expedition?" He says this half seriously. But, he does seem to truly be considering Kal's suggestion.

[Ken]

Belarin, who had emerged from below decks a short time earlier, has said very little up till now. When he hasn't been working on plans to spread disinformation in Stormreach, he's been studying the black candle, and the lack of rest is apparent. At the mention of the Traveler's Curse and its effect, though, he perks up.

"'Traveler's Curse'? Magical mishaps while journeying?! That's marvelous!" he says excitedly. "I need to work that in...." he mutters to himself or someone. Then he puts his head down and wanders away, still muttering.

[Dave W.]

Dec 2, 2011 13:43:00 GMT -4 Dave B. said:

"Well, if you can't find a willing drow, you could always look for a thri-kreen." Shorak says with a chuckle.

"Oh, can we? Traveling with an insect man would be fascinating I would think. And in the same adventure to be in the company insect and fish men? That would be brilliant!"

[Jeff]

"I'll let you negotiate with the thri-kreen," Sem says to Adamant with a grin. "If you can get one as a guide...by all means, we should take one as a guide."

Soon Larest gathers those—especially Belarin—who would consult Xen'drik maps. Sem eagerly joins in. The professor's map is peppered with tiny labels indicating various known ruins. Shorak recognizes most of these and at least knows the basic identity of each. He also sees an unlabeled dot on the professor's map that indicates the ruins, Dal Olam, where his tribe once lived.

"When it appears every ten years, the citadel of Gerhest has historically been sighted either in the Fangs of Argarak, over here"—Larest points to a mountain range in the western half of the continent, situated at the edge of the massive desert called Menechtarun—"or in the jungle ruins of Tlelbek, here at the edge of the Ring of Storms." He indicates a mountain range on the eastern half.

He frowns. "The problem is, this latest appearance is suggested, by some, to appear in a new place altogether. That may be someone else's falsely-planted rumor, but it's one that a lot of people will be taking seriously." Looking to Belarin, he says, "In any case, you may wish to tailor your false maps accordingly to these two sites: the Fangs of Argarak, and the ruins of Tlelbek."

Belarin has parchment he can craft his false maps with, but he doesn't have diverse collection of ink to work with. Sem and Larest have their own inks, but nothing good for colorizing the map to make it a little more authentic. The gnome says procuring new inks will be easy in Stormreach, if Belarin can wait to put the finishing touches on his map.



______________________________

Dave B.: I've added Dal Olam on this map, but it's not really on Larest's. Just a dot. So you know.

Ken: Let me know which locations you want your false maps to point to, now that you're better informed.

[Darren]

"How far back in history do sightings of the fortress go? Do we only have record of its last appearance, or of ones before that? And once it does appear, how long do we have before it disappears again?"

[Jeff]

"Reliable accounts of the Eye of Azalar didn't come until the War of the Mark, and those were sparse indeed. And once it does appear...well, it's debatable. You see how many uncertainties there are? It is believed that when Gerhest appears, it does so for a week, maybe two, before vanishing again for ten more years."

Larest reminds you what he said of it some days ago:

"My previous expeditions were never this ambitious. I've not been back and forth to Xen'drik so many times that I know all there is to know. As for acts committed by its previous owners, there are no such stories in the modern age. There are no records of the Eye being found and brought to Khorvaire before. It's a relic from the Age of Giants, and was used by them foremost.

"The only accounts that follow come from the War of the Mark, more than a thousand years ago. Truly a relic of antiquity. And even then, the Eye was believed to have been found and used, but not taken. It's led many scholars to believe that it's not simply a device you can put in your pocket and walk away with. Perhaps the Eye of Azalar is a orery like the dragons are said to use, or an observatory."

"One story from that era claims that a baroness of House Tharashk found the Eye and used it to locate the soul of her dead husband, in hopes of finding him and bringing him back to the mortal realm. She ventured into Dolurrh and was never seen again."

[Brian]

Condign leans in closer to the map, studies it for a moment, and then frowns. With a red finger, he traces a river that runs through the continent.

"This waterway. It is called "The Hydra," and it seems to run close to either of the places where the fortress is known to appear. Would our competitors not use this river to get closer to either site?" He looks over at Belarin. "How would that play in your rumor ploy?"

[Jeff]

Catching wind of your talk of disguises and identities, Sem approaches.

"It is true," he says, "That most of you are...memorable in appearance. While you're not exactly household names and faces, some of you did enjoy a few weeks of 'fame' in some of the chronicles of Miss Fherina Heartsvale—Host bless her lovely little heart." The gnome grins lasciviously. "But her readership is most common in Sharn and the major cities of the Five Nations. I doubt it will extend to Stormreach. It's a city full of adventure, danger, and dungeons aplenty. There's less of a market for adventurous writings. There, the bored care more about survival." He points at Condign. "Even our red-skinned friend here won't stand out as much as he's used to. There be giants about."

Sem shrugs. "Still, it can't hurt to change your appearances a bit. We're not changelings, of course, but with the right clothing, you can be a new man. I mean any of you, not you specifically, Condign. I don't expect you can alter your appearance too much. Or...can you twist your horns so they point a different direction?" The gnome winks.

Sem looks at Adamant. "You won't need to do a thing. Warforged are expected to look like you. Add a hat or a robe and you'll stand out too much. Then again, depending upon what sort of bodyguard role you intend to play, your, err, holy symbol might be a clue to the perceptive. Most righteous followers of Dol Arrah wouldn't stoop to mere bodyguarding...unless they served an upstanding master."

To Shorak he says, "And you already blend right in. Don't change a thing. In fact, you might err on the side of playing up your drowness. Act mysterious, angry, or brooding. Like you've got a bone to pick with the world. You're much too agreeable, Shorak. What kind of self-respecting Stormreacher are you?" He laughs.

"In any case, ir'Zathyran will be holing himself to study the clues to finding Gerhest and the Eye, but that leaves me to wander about. I can hide in plain sight readily enough, so Belarin, if you'd like to factor me into your deceptions, I'd be happy to oblige. No one should know my face."

Belarin has come to know Histra well enough that she won't be of much help in misdirection. She is not subtle, and he's fairly sure she would not be willing to disguise herself, either. Starg, too, seems much too direct to be useful in this regard.

__________________________

My next post in this thread will be my last in this chapter. Please post today if you've got anything else you'd like to add.

It sure would be nice to hear from Joe again, who's not posted in three days.

[Darren]

Kal smiles. "Anything I can do to make myself stand out more?" Balls of fire begin to jump from one of Kal's hands to the other and electricity dances between his fingertips. "I really want to make an impression on the good folks of Stormreach."

Taking a few steps closer to Belarin (and away from Histra), Kal says, "Maybe it would be better if Histra came with me? She might be a more recognizable figure in Stormreach, and it would make sense that someone of my stature would find allies who are already established. Plus, Krez knows her and already knows that she travels with us."

[Dave B.]

Shorak taps the map where a mark is not named. "Here lies the ruins of Dal Olam. Which is somewhat ironic, since Dal Olam was the ruin of my tribe."

Shorak smiles at Sem's comment. "Oh, do not worry about me. The more traditional Drow in me will be much more prominent once I'm walking the streets of my home again."

[Ken]

Dec 3, 2011 12:19:09 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Looking to Belarin, he says, "In any case, you may wish to tailor your false maps accordingly to these two sites: the Fangs of Argarak, and the ruins of Tlelbek."

Belarin nods, offering an appreciative smile. "Which of the two areas is more associated with fey lore?" he asks. "That'll determine which map gets the maximum Thelanis treatment."

Dec 3, 2011 16:34:05 GMT -4 Brian said:

"This waterway. It is called "The Hydra," and it seems to run close to either of the places where the fortress is known to appear. Would our competitors not use this river to get closer to either site?" He looks over at Belarin. "How would that play in your rumor ploy?"

"Very good question, Condign," Belarin says, studying the map again. He points toward the Fangs of Argarak, and draws his finger across to the desert edge. "There, we'll have a secret route that promises a much easier path to the mountain ruins from the desert side.

"This, however," he continues, now looking at Tlebek, "could be trickier, since the Hydra does go relatively close." He smiles again. "So let's discourage folks from that option. That map will have a route leading to heretofore-unknown ruins in the Ring of Storms. An underground passage will allow travelers to completely avoid any troublesome giants. Ahem."

Dec 4, 2011 11:48:28 GMT -4 Jeff said:

"In any case, ir'Zathyran will be holing himself to study the clues to finding Gerhest and the Eye, but that leaves me to wander about. I can hide in plain sight readily enough, so Belarin, if you'd like to factor me into your deceptions, I'd be happy to oblige. No one should know my face."

"Happy for the assistance, Sem," Belarin answers. "One of my false identities is a researcher for House Orien, so having a gnome at my side won't hurt the illusion. Make yourself look... fancy.

"As for the rest of you," he continues, "I, um, happen to have a disguise kit. Granted, it hasn't gotten much use lately, but it will allow me to slightly alter my appearance or someone else's. Condign, I could happily give you some facial scars and temporarily change your hair color!"

Dec 4, 2011 12:01:33 GMT -4 Darren said:

Taking a few steps closer to Belarin (and away from Histra), Kal says, "Maybe it would be better if Histra came with me? She might be a more recognizable figure in Stormreach, and it would make sense that someone of my stature would find allies who are already established. Plus, Krez knows her and already knows that she travels with us."

Belarin hesitates for a couple of moments, then he nods. As the others look at the map, he whispers, "Agreed. She doesn't always have the most delicate touch... outside of her cabin."

[Joe]

Taking a few steps closer to Belarin (and away from Histra), Kal says, "Maybe it would be better if Histra came with me? She might be a more recognizable figure in Stormreach, and it would make sense that someone of my stature would find allies who are already established. Plus, Krez knows her and already knows that she travels with us."

"And I should then probably travel with Kalarian, as we work well together. Further, with Adamant acting as Belarin's bodyguard, it makes better sense to have our group's "healers" apart."
____________________________________________________

Sorry. I've had things like working on Saturday, fixing a broken washing machine and unpacking boxes to do on my one day off this week.

[Dave W.]

"None of the places you mention sounds particularly hospitable, Professor." Adamant looks over the map. "Maps are always confusing; things seem close that aren't. But look at these place names: Last Chance, Marsh of Desolation, Ring of Storms, Fangs of Argarak, Dread Lake. And I'm certain that some of these others are equally depressing if translated from whatever language they are. Is there nothing pleasant in this land? Where are Unicorn Run and the Rainbow Bridge?"

"Still I quite like the sound of Obsidian City. That has possibilities."

"Anyway, strategy always makes my head fuzzy, which is an impressive feat. I'm much better with tactics." Adamant admits.

"Streko makes sense, if we split into two groups, he and I should be in different ones."

"I'm eager to see what sort of deception you can devise for me. It's a little difficult to un-etch symbols from metal, and there's simply nothing to be done with a ghulra."

"Oh, and Belarin, I do have a small bottle of ink I would donate to the cause, though it's common ink. But it's yours if it would help."

[Joe]

"Belarin, let me know if any of these may be of use..."

Streko reaches into his haversack and removes some inks, pens, sealing wax and his Shadowcrest stamp.

"If so, they are at your disposal."

[Brian]

Belarin:

Condign, I could happily give you some facial scars and temporarily change your hair color!"

Condign stares at his friend, not sure if he heard the man correctly. But after a moment, he realizes he had and grins.

"I just may take you up on that," he says. "But I will need a drink--no several drinks--before I let you color my hair."