The merchant glosses over the disagreement and presses on, "I have an arrangement with a village nearby - Bartleby's Cross. They send me some exotic hardwoods with their regular lumber shipments to Orfallen. Their shipments have started to shrink and slip lately. I've sent messages when I've passed through town but I'm getting no answers. And now I have irate customers to deal with who were expecting that wood."
"I'd like you to wander up to Bartleby's Cross and find out what's happening. If they are just having a hard time finding my wood - fine. No supply lasts forever. I can make other arrangements. But if there is something jamming their process so I can't get my wood, I'd like you to unjam it, if possible."
"What? No one 'has it out' for me. It was just a little tavern dust-up."
Jayse looks at the gnome with a disbelieving smile, "Yah, a little tavern dust-up between a seemingly harmless gnome and a guy who was trying to disguise who he was. Nothing weird there." He shrugs, "Or maybe the last couple of months have just made me paranoid."
He turns back to the small merchant, "I'm happy to look into the problem. You guys have any thoughts on it?"
Ushari nods, "Riight, Strae. Nothing unusual about it at all. Anyway, I think getting out of Orfallen now would be prudent." She turns to Jayse, "I don't see a problem with this, seems like just a harmless little jaunt but I just think we need to be cautious anyway. We tend to draw trouble to ourselves."
"We tend to draw trouble to ourselves."
"It was just a dust-up! And he doesn't necessarily know that I know about his disguise."
Bit claps his hands with delight. "Excellent! I appreciate the help. You can even take your boat. Head North along the coast. You'll come to a wide river mouth just outside the city. That's the Wishika river. Head up-river maybe a hundred miles and you'll see Bartleby's Cross. It's the first village you'll run across - you can't miss it. The Hetmon there is named Aidep."
He thinks for a moment, "The river is wide. The only real danger is running into lumber-barges at night. Hmm, but you will be going against the current all the way."
Bit runs over to his cart and starts searching beneath a tarped corner. He hoots with delight and returns with a bundle which he tosses down on the table. "Here. Use this."
It appears to be a large parcel of folded canvas with metal reinforced eyelets along several edges.
Having no memories of sailing, Jofram eyes the parcel with curiosity. As he examines the grommeted canvas, a thought occurs to him. "How are our supplies? I might like to visit the local fletcher, before we go."
Jayse looks at the fabric thing, "So what does that do? Help us go against the wind or something?"
Bit says conspiratorially and with obvious delight, "It's a special sail - it finds it's own wind. Upstream, downstream, deadwinds, or headwinds... it doesn't matter. This sail keeps you on the course you want."
Ushari takes the package from the gnome merchant, amazed at how light the canvas felt in her hands.
"Thank you, Bititborium! I have a feeling this will come in very handy should we run into any Reavers as well."She looks at the merchant, "How much would it cost to purchase this sail?"
A light appears in the little merchant's eyes. "In gold? Perhaps 12,000 Sovereigns or a bit more. But barter is my preferred currency - unusual items for unusual items. Are you interested in a trade? Have you found something rare or unique since last we met?" He eyes her as if she might be hiding something of interest in her clothes.
Ushari blushes slightly as the gnome eyes her like she was a piece of candy. I wonder if the romantic affections of a necromancer would qualify as rare...
She fingers her pouch where Skitter resides, wondering why he was so quiet recently. Most of her other possessions were either valued by her for sentimentality reasons, or still needed by the group as a whole.
Nothing else came to her, as she replied "Sorry Bit, I do not have anything which would qualify as rare. Perhaps we can discover something at Bartleby's Cross which would qualify as rare..."
The gnome deflates a bit. "Bartleby's Cross doesn't have much more than trees... so perhaps another time. Maybe your further travels will take you somewhere a bit more exotic."
"I'm sure they will. I'd say we can definitely claim some uniqueness, unfortunately they are things we can't or won't part with. Not that that helps you much, I'm sure."
He shrugs, "Another time then. I don't have anyone interested in buying the sail at this point so it's likely to stay in my stock for awhile."
"Well, then thanks for the help; I'm sure it'll prove invaluable. Unless you guys have anything you want to do," he looks around the table at his teammates, "I say we leave first thing in the morning."
He can't help himself, though, "That is, if you can keep out of trouble that long, Strae."
Ushari nods, "Sounds like a plan to me. Should we do anything about ol' Bent-Nose however? I don't relish the idea of having a possible enemy behind my back; we have enough enemies as it is."
He can't help himself, though, "That is, if you can keep out of trouble that long, Strae."
He scrunches his face. "I was happy to sit here and drink last night until someone decided to pull my glass and get all mother-henish, forcing me to seek entertainment elsewhere."
Ushari nods, "Sounds like a plan to me. Should we do anything about ol' Bent-Nose however? I don't relish the idea of having a possible enemy behind my back; we have enough enemies as it is."
"Possible being the operative word. It was a brawl. If he sees it that way, there's no problem. I was just a drunk gnome talking to his girl and we both got beat up for our trouble."
"Possible being the operative word. It was a brawl. If he sees it that way, there's no problem. I was just a drunk gnome talking to his girl and we both got beat up for our trouble."
Ushari looks at the gnome, "Are you forgetting something, namely his disguise? If he was just a brawler, then why the disguise? Was he somehow ashamed of his looks?"
"Yes, and I'm sure your evening would have turned out far different had I not taken that drink from you. My opinion about ole Bent-nose thing is that we don't know what the deal is there. Either we think it was odd enough to really investigate, or we should just walk away. Strae doesn't think it was a big deal, so I'm happy to leave it alone. I'm ready to move out when you all are."
"I'm teasing, Jayse. I made my own bed on this little mis-adventure."
He turns to the cleric. "OK, let's follow your logic to its conclusion then. Bent-Nose was disguised. Maybe he is in hiding. Or maybe, which I'm thinking is your suspicion, is that he is nefarious in some way - a thief or assassin perhaps. Is that where you are going?"
"That would be fine by me, Jayse." Ushari then responds to Straehan, "That thought had crossed my mind. It may be a good idea to check into this after we have taken care of the problem in Bartleby's Cross."
"Fine. So let's assume he's a thief or assassin in disguise. I clearly wasn't the target - I wasn't robbed and I'm not dead. And given my state, and his 'friends', if his intention was to rob or kill me, it would have happened. Right?"
Jayse shakes his head with a smile as he stands up, his chair making a scuffing noise on the wooden floor, "Well, while you two work this out, I'm gonna go get my gear."
Ushari ignores the monk, instead responding to the gnome "Right, but what if you were not his target? Maybe one of us is his target, maybe all of us are his targets. He may not want to kill us, instead he wants to find out what we are up to."
The gnome smiles, "Then he is the dumbest thief alive... because he blew his cover with one of his targets and alerted them all that he is around. Ask Jofram - alerting your prey before you are in a position to strike is the last thing a hunter wants to do. But why do you think any of us has attracted the attention of an Orfallen thief?"
Ushari shrugs helplessly, "I have no idea, Strae. It could be a coincidence and he just happened to be there in the wrong place at the wrong time. I for one find that hard to believe. But you are right when you say it was rather clumsy of him....a little TOO clumsy."
Strae rubs the bridge of his nose. "Let's assume he is shifty. I'm sure there are plenty of targets in this town for a thief other than us. He could have been stalking anyone else at the Strumpet or maybe he was coming for a drink after doing some nefarious deed. Since I wound up at the Strumpet on a wild hair, and Bent-Nose and I clashed over a girl he clearly knew (unless she was a flawless actress in addition to a working girl) I just don't see how it could reasonably be a set-up. We haven't pissed off the local guild here so why would they be after us? Why the elaborate ruse and feint within a feint?"
He makes a chopping motion for emphasis, "Here's my concern. Let's play the odds and assume this guy is shifty and that crossing me was accidental. If we start snooping around after this guy, we are going to draw the exact sort of guild attention that we want to avoid. Maybe they will think that this bar brawl wasn't so innocent after all."
"You raise a good point there, Strae. I suggest we let them make the first move assuming this is some elaborate sting operation. We play dumb for right now and see if they follow us or cause any trouble after we leave town. If nothing comes of this, then we just let this matter go."
"Agreed. Moreover, if someone is curious about us, playing 'tourist' will give us a chance to identify them. I'm going to follow Jayse's example and pack-up. I'll see you folks down here in a bit." Straehan heads upstairs.
You all quickly gather your belongings and meet downstairs. The town is fairly quiet at this early hour and the 10 minute journey to the docks is uneventful. After being identified as the rightful owners by the customs officers and with a nod to the guards, you leap aboard the Mako, secure your gear, and cast off. You tack away from shore before pulling down your sail and replacing it with Bitiborium's one.
Despite the headwind, the sail fills with an unfelt wind that pushes the Mako away from shore. No matter the course you set, the sail stays full, propelling you forward. You head northward, paralleling the coastline, and watch Orfallen slip into your wake.
True to Bitiborium's word, within the hour you come to a wide river mouth with a small, central, muddy island. You pilot the Mako up the wide, slow river...
Day 2 - Hand of Fate:
Day 3 - Hand of Fate:
Day 4 - Hand of Fate:
The first day proceeds without incident. The muddy delta waters become greenish as you wind your way up the wide Wishika river. As you move away from the city and the coast, a quietness grows along with the trees. By evening, the patches of trees have fully given way to a spartan forest of conifers. Seeing few animals, and no real dangers, you camp for the night.
In the morning, you pilot the Mako and her ever-full sails further into the deepening forest. The river is peaceful and quiet. While you remain watchful, you relax a bit and take turns casting lines off the back of the boat - trawl fishing as you head upriver. The stillness of the river is broken by the gnome quietly swearing at his constantly lost bait and hooks that only seem to catch algae while Jofram hauls in a constant supply of delicious fish.
The evening of the second day finds you surrounded by a forest whose tops are growing high enough that only noonday light strikes the water. Still, it is peaceful and quiet. There are a few animals, mostly birds, but none of particular note. Vaelos' presence seems to scare many birds away.
Around noon of the third day, you pass logsmen. A half dozen of them balance atop the shifting flotilla of loosely tied logs. They pole the massive 'raft' down the river, watching you as they pass - clearly intrigued by your billowing sail and ability to go upstream without tacking. Their glances aren't unfriendly, merely curious. Soon they are lost around a bend in the narrowing river that seems positively hemmed in by the colossal old growth forest. The trees tower over the water, allowing only narrow slivers of light to shine down. As you settle down for the evening under the branches, there is a strange non-unpleasant mustiness to the forest. It seems very, very old and patient.
Jofram Survival
Ushari Survival
Straehan Survival
The next day dawns and you set sail once again. You are encouraged when, only a couple of hours into your journey, the forest starts to thin and shows evidence of harvesting. Around noon, you clear a patch of trees and see a small thorp on a tree-less bend in the river. On the south end of the town are a variety of shanty shacks near a ramshackle dock crowded with small fishing boats. At the furthest spit of land are better docks that lie near a large lumber mill, sheds, and sloping grounds where piles of logs are being gathered and stripped in preparation for transshipment.
Work seems to proceed slowly, nearly at a standstill. The few people you see set about their tasks in silence and seem determined to finish as quickly as possible. Jayse and Jofram watch the townsfolk briefly before giving voice to the same inner sense of wrongness.
They both say quietly, "Something isn't right here." The village smells of anxiety and an undercurrent of fear.
Seeing few options, you steer the Mako towards an empty slip near the southern docks. The few locals you see watch you from a wary distance. As you step your sail and tie up your boat, an odd couple hustles out from the center of town to greet you - a middle aged but strongly built human male and a well-proportioned and smiling halfling. They stop at the foot of the dock and await your approach.
The human eyes you all and nods politely, "I'm Aidep - Hetmon here. What manner of wind brings you to us? Are you here on business?"
Jayse, with his light blue eyes still searching out the source of the unease he felt, responds under his breath. "A short, strange wind with a surprising array of surprises." His voice picks up as he answers the second question, "Business of a sort, anyway. A friend of ours asked us to look into some business issues he's having up in these parts. Though looking around, it looks like you folks may be having some issues of your own. What has everybody so anxious?" He realizes his rudeness, standing from tying off a line to extend one tattoo'd hand, "I'm Jayse. Nice to meet you, Hetmon Aidep. Is this a good place for us to tie off?"
Recognizing the name from Bit's instructions, Jofram offers up a few more details.
"Ah, Aidep, I am Jofram. - as fortune would have it, we have a matter of some business to discuss with you, on behalf of one Bitiborium. He requests news on the decreasing shipments of a certain lumber."
Ushari finishes tying down the Mako and then slips quietly behind Jayse. Seeing him handle the introduction of the group nicely, she instead glances about her scanning for any interested onlookers, before she focuses her attention on the halfling companion to Aidep.
Aidep looks concerned when Jofram invokes the half-pint merchant's name. "Greetings, folks. This is Hallis - our reverend." He nods his head toward the halfling whose smile has taken on something of a brittle quality in Ushari's eyes. "There is a fine place for your boat... let's walk over to the office and put our feet up. We can discuss your shipment."
As you walk, Aidep smiles and nods at some of the folks peering from out their windows, as if to reassure them. He says, "We're very sorry about the delays for Master Bitiborium's wood. We've gotta go far afield sometimes to find it and we've had some ill luck recently. But we aim to deliver everything he's asked for and more, at 75% cost. We just need a bit more time. Another week should do it."
Ushari realises that everyone is an interested onlooker as she mounts the steps of the lumber office and enters the building along with everyone else. Aidep shuts the door, cutting you off from all of the watching locals. The office is fairly roomy but cluttered. Half of it is Aidep's space. His desk is covered in maps of the local forest - showing where they have harvested, their plans, areas that are impassable, core samples from a dozen different trees, etc. A busted axe rests in a chair like an honored guest. Aidep and Hallis quickly pull out chairs and rearrange things to let everyone sit down.
While they do that, you have a chance to look around. The other room in the building, which you can see through the large doorway, is somewhat cluttered but far neater than Aidep's space. Its walls are lined with books, ledgers, and a massive map bureau. A slender man with thinning hair sits at the table, scribbling in a ledger, while trying to appear studiously disinterested in your group.
Aidep and Hallis spot the attempt at indifference and smile at one another. Aidep says loudly, "Oh, and that bookish fellow is Dinwat, our Archivist and Ledgerman. Don't be thorny, Din'. Say 'hello' to our visitors. They come from Master Bitiborium." The Archivist waves a greeting and buries himself back in his book, apparently satisfied now that he knows your business.
When you are all seated, Hallis and Aidep seem at a loss for words. Some unspoken communication passes between them before Hallis shrugs, "As Aidep says, the town's lumber business has been off a bit. Part of that is luck and weather. We've had a lot of rain and the forests are muddy. Hauling logs through mud is slow work."
Jayse nods, watching Dinwat for a few seconds before looking back at Hallis and Aidep, "I'm sure Bitiborium will be happy at the offered discount. He knows that supply can drop or even run out, so I imagine your troubles won't go on deaf ears. You said the weather was only part of the problem… what is the other part?"
The halfling and human exchange another series of looks. Eventually the halfling shrugs. "Tell them. It can't do any harm at this point."
Aidep defers to the priest's judgment. "So, there's something killing our citizens - our children specifically."
Hallis chimes in, "We don't know that they're dead, Aidep. They are just gone and until you show me otherwise, that's what I'm going to believe."
The Hetmon gives him a stern but sympathetic look. "I hope you're right but we've never seen nothing in these woods that won't eat a man. And we haven't found one of those kids." He looks at your group, "We don't have any clue what it is that is taking the children, but we've lost six as of last night. Everyone is scared. Those with kids aren't letting them out of sight. Theories are flying like gnats. It's tearing the town apart."
Ushari speaks up quietly, "You say your children are disappearing without a trace. I understand your concern, but I need to know when did all of this first start to occur?" She leans back in her chair, a thoughtful look on her face. "Would it be all right to talk with the parents of these children? We need some information from them."