05/13/15 Virtues Session 2: Shore Leave

Rydin Meirdarel

In the Captain’s war room Zilinias and his wife Teneel hosted a small meal with the five companions after routing the pirates; the food and beverages tasted as good as ever.

“How long ago did the Evening Isles begin their drift?” Rydin asked the captain curiously, the elf was at last feeling better and more like himself.

“It was seven hundred years ago when all the earth seemed to erupt and the Evening Isles began their drift.” Teneel Marks, the captain’s wife and navigator said firmly. The look in her face left no question.

Rydin Meirdarel was an elf, a race known for their longevity, and thought there must be elves who are still alive when this all occurred.

“Is there anyone known to still be alive from that time?” Rydin inquired hopefully.

It was Captain Zilinias who answered, “Oh I’m sure there are some elves out there, as are those who embrace the dragons.”

“Are there any other kind?” Rydin asked in jest.

“Yes, my elf-friend, there are virtuous dragons as well.” Teneel answered cryptically.

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We begin our session catching up with Rydin Meirdarel while the rest of us flew off to deal with the sky-pirate’s secret weapon. Essaugh, the tall elf, explaining what Rydin's role would be in the coming battle; he would be sent to see Marinote Lapencia for a fitting into a snuggie-like outfit for his responsibilities. The human male investigator of balloon lander two, Scheton gives Rydin alchemy to ease his sickness just as the Overwrought Companion abruptly turns toward the trailing pirates on their raised shipwreck.  Rydin would use the outfit to sneak aboard the enemy craft and return with whatever information he could gather.  Rydin was successful in getting aboard the enemy craft, killing an enemy spell-caster after making a Mounted Crossbow magical. 

 

Island Remnants 

After the battle was finished and the pirates in retreat we unite to recount our adventures and share in the recovered items, some of us got some upgrades with the rest being sold off later. The bolts, Kyras points out that the bolts are blessed+1. We discussed our purpose here and theorized since we all represented different races: drow, human, dwarf, half-elf and elf; that we are likely emissaries. Syrendross, Dramen, Dolgrin, and Rydin are from another realm, theorized because of our shared knowledge of gods not native to this world, while Kyras is from this world. We further theorize that the four ‘realms’ individuals have somehow traveled here, met up with Kyras, and from there are supposed to travel to the Evening Isles. Hopefully the details of why will reveal themselves along the way. We assumed that volcanic gasses from the island from which we were rescued were the cause of our amnesia.

Two weeks go by as the Overwrought Companion descends in long intervals; In the evenings Essaugh or Oldacia trained arcane spell-casters who gained two spells from their tutelage; we receive balloon landing training; and Teneel Marks gives Rydin an old map of Africa and where the Evening Islands once was located. The Captain and several crew members reveal their mission is to chart the topographical changes in the sea left behind when the Evening Isles went adrift. In its wake ocean currents were being shifted; the islands movements leaving in its wake a great swell; small islands, where they found us; as well as other dangers. The Captain and Teneel firmly believe this started 700 years ago, and that there may be elves and dragons that are still alive from that time. Their ultimate destination is Mailise Tar however, on the Evening Isles.

Gibraltar is a large city of industry with a huge crescent shaped bay on the north side of the straight, its sister city across the narrow straight on the south side is the slaver city of Tingis. When the Evening Isles moved it caused the great destruction of a two mile long stone bridge connecting the two cities that stood for centuries.

Dramen Geist

We land a half day out and approach through the shipping lanes leaving behind our balloon landers to catch up to us in a week. The city was noisy and polluted with thousands of citizens, but most of the smoke came from the mountain that once was the base of the colossal bridge which seems to be a focal point of Gibraltar culture. They revere Poseidon in their daily lives and have a complex trade economic system in place. Tingis on the other hand was a dark specter; a slaver city on the northern tip of Africa, a city of thieves and underdark races where they revere cults and other nefarious sects. 

Our first priority was for Zilinias to make good on his reward, then liquidate our excess equipment, and resupply ourselves. Arriving first at the Grand Eye Affairs Zilinias pays us, but then a GEA (pronounced 'gay') representative talks Dramen and Rydin into membership by which they gain all kinds of incentives, access to other GEA branches, closed job boards, as well as tokens to track their business practices. They also inquire about endorsed local providers and are ultimately referred to the Longhouse.

Before he leaves Zilinias invites us to a special dinner at the Silo Inn where he has also set us up for the week. Looking at the job boards we gravitate to a Noble by the name of Ranoughy who wants an item retrieved from Tingis. We are then greeted by Torphine Athraky, a third tier GEA merchant member and puzzle master, who informs us of the Palerium and that Endroth Rynmund will teach there in two days and that is where we could find him. Torphine asks Rydin to translate a book found in the ruins of the arch at that time because he will meet with us there. Torphine is later asked to join us to the Ranoughy estate and on our quest to Tingis.

The Longhouse

At the Longhouse we find a stock-exchange type of business ran by dwarves where they take a 2% fee and require a minimum of 10 gp in trade value. Here we were able to trade with Essilia a human priest of Gaea, a motherly primordial goddess. Other things were purchased as well; dwarven made armor, a couple bottles of wine, and healing potions.

Later we arrive at the Silo Inn where Zilinias and his wife sit with us to express their honest concern about our situation and offer us jobs on the Overwrought Companion until Mailise Tar. We freely tell him of our logical conclusions and are confident we will start to remember things once we get to the Evening Isles but agree to his offer to leave with him in a week. Dramen gives the captain the wine and smokes before we adjourn to the meal with the ship captain and crew.

Essaugh joins the party and finds us. He gives the arcane spellcasters a sample of scraphite (to extend a spell in emergencies), two spells (skinbook and dizzying bolt) and sells us each a blank spell book. Meanwhile Kyras, who does not drink to excess, discovers and runs off a thief of some kind only to find out the next day that Belpaw Undick was robbed at the party.

Essaugh was asked about any ways to restore memories and he explained that the Church of Zeus will provide divine favors for a fee.  Seeing our concern due to a lack of funds he refers us to the mines who need help with some giant ants . The dwarves there have agreed to pay for divine spells at the church of Zeus as recompense. The tall elf also says he too will join us in two days at the Palerium.

Torphine Athraky

We eat bacon, rest, and meet Torphine for breakfast where Rydin asks Torphine for local knowledge on the Ranoughy family. They are an old family who deal with shady elements but are real estate investors; as for Tingis, it is known for having several racial faiths including evil dragons.

Rhios Ranoughy

The captain asks us, while in Tingis to recover a necklace that was wrongfully claimed as a tariff. We are to meet with his contact who will give us a Letter of Marque to avoid any future tariffs in Tingis.

Later that morning we meet with Rhios Ranoughy, a venerable human with great resources: we are to try to find any information on his stolen ship the Landskipper that carried a cargo of cannon powder. If the information is viable Rhios hopes that we act. He offers 10% of the recovered value plus 1,000 gp for proof of the cults activity against Ranoughy; should the recovery exceed 5,000 he will pay for our group to have an increased merchant status at the Grand Eye Affairs. He believes the piracy to be the work of duergar who worship a 'dirty earth god'. These duergar also associate with goblins, kobolds and half-ogres from the Sneeg clan. We also learn that an ex-girlfriend from the Sneeg clan, Rynocia, a human, lives in Gibraltar now and may be of help.

We begin next session with a visit to the Hollow Mountain Mines. 

Hollow Mountain Mines