"If they do, it's likely merged with the Cavalier of Quetacoatl chapterhouse. I was told there's one of those here." Erick comments.
"Well then, if WE heard about more frequent undead attacks back in the city, they should certainly know about them here! Time to pound the cobblestones!" Magnus grins.
"Hm. I wonder if the Wing has a chapter house out here? We aren't large, but we are popular!" Magnus smiles, lightly touching his medallion hanging around his neck. (It is a stylized winged Coatl forming a circle)
"Well, wherever there are travelers, you will find swordsmen. Either showing off or training, or drinking. Or all of the above! We do love to tell our tales. Particularly about ourselves, erm, our adventures. I'll find the local watering hole where the duelists hang out, that's the starting point for me!"
Fort Trevins is a solidly constrcuted fortified town. The walls are build along the edges of the island, which rises about 10-15 meters from the waterline on rocky cliffs. The waterline is built up in a maze of docks and boardwalks. There look to be dwelling build up the side of the cliffs and even into caves in the cliff sides all the way to the base of the walls.
A large portcullised gate at the end of a steep ramp leads into the town proper. A squadron of guards at the gate checks incoming travelers and cargo.
Erick gets in line for the city proper. His business requires starting with the local chapterhouses, which are highly unlikely to be in the docks area. He frowns at the sight of buildings built up to the walls, and into the cliffs under the walls. "Not much use building a wall and then undermining it yourself." He mutters under his breath.
Magnus follows the others, still looking at everything with a slightly-amused look on his face.
"Perhaps they ran out room inside? Or they just like being close to their work?" Magnus says offhandedly.
"Although, if a swarm of those bloody skeletons shows up here, I'm sure they'd rather be INside the walls than out!"
The gate guards give them a once over, ask their business, and assuming that the party asks them no questions lets them through the gate for a silver coin each.
Inside the gate the town is laid out in a very military grid. The houses are native stone, and feature stout doors and flat roofs with crenelated edges. Most have a slender tower attached to the side as well. These are likely for prayer callers, but look as if they could double as lookouts during wartime.
The center part of Fort Trevins is another smaller castle-keep. Surrounding it are the shops and chapter houses of various Military orders. Most people here are either under arms or traveling upriver. Leapers and Lumpers line the streets, their scaly hides and feathery manes giving a splash of color to the slate-colored streets
Once inside, Erick looks around for a guardsman, and then gives them a polite nod and a tip of his hat. "Excuse me, [sir/madam] . I've just arrived, obviously, and am seeking Cavalier Chapterhouses. Order of the Tome if there is one, or any others if there is not. Would you happen to know of either?"
Magnus cannot help but grin as he takes in the town. He notices the particularly military layout of the place, but still is imagining how much fun one could have finding and avoiding trouble with such a setup.
For now, the elf seems content to follow the others. His usual self-absorbed chatting temporarily silenced as he explores this new place.
A guard points to the center of town
"There's one towards the keep. Look for the hanging shield above the door. . It'll have your heraldic device on it [/i]
Erick nods. "Thank you sir." He tips his hat, and heads off toward the indicated direction. He moves slow enough that if anyone from the boat wants to go along with him, they can.
Once he arrives at the Order of the Tome chapterhouse, he heads on inside, looking for whoever is on guard/welcome duty. Taking off his hat, he hangs it on the wall. "Afternoon. Erick Bonestihl, mind telling me who's in charge, and how I get an appointment with them? Order business." He taps his coat sleeve, showing the Tome Symbol on it.
Magnus follows Erick cheerfully. When they arrive at the chapterhouse, he takes a look around, and decides to go in as well, to check the place out.
Erick nods. "Thank you sir." He tips his hat, and heads off toward the indicated direction. He moves slow enough that if anyone from the boat wants to go along with him, they can.
Once he arrives at the Order of the Tome chapterhouse, he heads on inside, looking for whoever is on guard/welcome duty. Taking off his hat, he hangs it on the wall. "Afternoon. Erick Bonestihl, mind telling me who's in charge, and how I get an appointment with them? Order business." He taps his coat sleeve, showing the Tome Symbol on it.
The gentleman at the desk smiles and stands, extending a hand.
"Georgiano Bellavaqua at your service Ser Bonestihl. Our Captain is Harmous ak-Rasith. He should be in his office if you'd like me to see if he'll see you?"
Erick takes off his gloves, and slides them into a pocket on his long coat. He reaches into the coat and pulls out an official Tome order, showing the Tome Seal, proof he's on official business, and the date it was issued, which is relatively recently. He keeps the paper folded to hide the exact orders. "Yes, please Ser Bellavaqua, and let him know it's official business. If it's inconvenient, I can wait a bit. But would like to see him today if possible."
Magnus watches all unfold with an air of bemusement.
Most of his sword-club's 'meetings' tended to take place in taverns and pubs, and with a lot less formality. He supposed he could see the appeal of discipline and order to certain personality-types, and could forgive them for being so outwardly stiff.
The lack of obvious alcohol was another matter entirely.
Ser Bellavaqua nods
"Of course. "
He looks over at Erick's piratical associate
"Is this your bondsman?"
Erick laughs. "No, just a travelling companion. Depending on the response from Ser ak-Rasith, there might be some work for him. So he's tagging along. Obviously, he'll be waiting out here. Ser Bellavaqua, Ser Darkenstar. Ser Darkenstar, Ser Bellavaqua."
Egan as stated previously will circumvent the island in his Canoe, just looking around... Whisperwing flying above...
Any passengers???
Egan paddles around the island, looking at the cliffs and castle walls. There is a lot of traffic on the Opal River. Paddle wheelers chug upstream, as do pole boats, barges, and a myriad of smaller craft. There are a lot of folks in canoes as well. Egan can see that the waters around the island are a honeycomb of activity. There is a separate town built among the maze of docks and cliffs. He spies many taverns, most of a dockside quality. He also passes a corpse floating gently down river, arms outstretched as it heads to its eventual destination in the ocean.
The currents are tricky, but Egan handles them.
Erick laughs. "No, just a travelling companion. Depending on the response from Ser ak-Rasith, there might be some work for him. So he's tagging along. Obviously, he'll be waiting out here. Ser Bellavaqua, Ser Darkenstar. Ser Darkenstar, Ser Bellavaqua."
Magnus also chuckles, and shrugs self-deprecatingly.
"Never been called a bondsman before. Although that's one of the nicer things I've been called in my career." Magnus grins.
"It's a pleasure." Magnus says as he reaches out and shakes the hand of Bellavaqua.
"Busy place like a fort town, most likely doesn't allow for the 'free time' to keep a dueling club open. But I don't suppose that you would know where traveling duelists might gather to keep their skills sharp while traveling through, would you?" Magnus inquires politely.
Erick laughs. "No, just a travelling companion. Depending on the response from Ser ak-Rasith, there might be some work for him. So he's tagging along. Obviously, he'll be waiting out here. Ser Bellavaqua, Ser Darkenstar. Ser Darkenstar, Ser Bellavaqua."Magnus also chuckles, and shrugs self-deprecatingly.
"Never been called a bondsman before. Although that's one of the nicer things I've been called in my career." Magnus grins.
"It's a pleasure." Magnus says as he reaches out and shakes the hand of Bellavaqua.
"Busy place like a fort town, most likely doesn't allow for the 'free time' to keep a dueling club open. But I don't suppose that you would know where traveling duelists might gather to keep their skills sharp while traveling through, would you?" Magnus inquires politely.
Bellavaqua laughs.
"We may be in the outlands, but we are still Opalline here. There is a common-use duelling club five buildings down."
Bellavaqua leads Erick to Captain Harmous ak-Rasith's office. He knocks on a door. A voice bids him enter.
Ak-Rasith is an older man, dark hair cut short and salt and pepper. Dark hooded eyes survey Erick
"Good day, How can I help you?"
Erick enters, gives the man a respectful salute, and then withdraws his orders with two fingers, showing it's not a weapon, and hands the orders over. The official order seal is in place, and is singed by the head of the order. He hangs his hat on the back of the chair and takes a seat, removing his gloves as he does so. "Good day Captain ak-Rasith, please let me know if I am mis-pronouncing your name. I am Ser Bohnsteil. I've traveled half a world on an Order Warrant for a man who has called himself..." He lists off the aliases that the man has been known to use. "The man was an honored Knight of the Order of the Book, until he absconded with a treasury chest we were guarding. He is to be found, and dispatched, and anything left of the treasure he took returned. As an allied Order, I am requesting assistance and information on him if you have any. He has been rumored to have been seeking to reach the upper reaches of the Blue Hills to set himself up as a plantation owner. His description is..." Erick then describes the man, along with any wounds, scars, tattoos or mannerisms he has. "Do you have any information about this traitor? He may have availed himself of our orders good standing to help in his plans, without your knowledge of course."
Bellavaqua laughs.
"We may be in the outlands, but we are still Opalline here. There is a common-use duelling club five buildings down."
Magnus grin spreads and becomes one of true happiness.
"Civilization! At last!" Magnus laughs heartily.
"Thank you kindly sirrah, you just made my day!"
Seeing Bellavaqua ready to take Erick to the captain's office, Magnus waves and tells him he'll catch up to him later. As Erick is escorted inside, Magnus exits the building, re-dons his feathered hat at a jaunty angle, and heads down the street to the promised dueling club, whistling a tune he picked up from the sailors while on the barge.
as-Raskith frowns, stroking his neat beard
"I believe a man by the name of Dolloquo did come through here . He asked for lodging, and I believe he was headed to the Stump"
"I see, and what is the Stump?" He asks, not knowing the local area at all. "And was he alone or did he have retainers?"
Magnus walks down the narrow streets of the island fortress, taking in the colorful crowd. Opallines are doughty fighters, but they do not evidence the drab discipline of most troops. Dyed leather garments, rakish hats, and elaborate sashed stuffed with weapons are the norm.
Down the road a few blocks, a sign greets his eyes
Trevins Gymnasia
"I see, and what is the Stump?" He asks, not knowing the local area at all. "And was he alone or did he have retainers?"
"If he had retainers, I did not see them"
as-Raskith rises and turns to a large map on his wall
"The Stump is a village upriver. Its real name is Mangrove Cove, but everyone calls it the Stump. The town is build on an ancient tree stump, one of the largest trees ever recorded, or so I've been told"
as-Raskith pauses , and traces his finger up the map
"You head up the Opal to the Fever River. At that juncture is the Stump. A lot of explorers head off there into the Fever Swamps looking for Sliss'Pok artifacts "
Erick nods. "I see, thank you. Could you help me arrange passage to Magrove Cove? Perhaps a letter of introduction to someone trustworthy who's in charge, so they don't hang me immediately after they find me over a bloody corpse?" He gives a wry grin, a bit of gallows humor.
as-Raskith writes a missive and seals it with his signet ring
"The mayor is a woman named Alaina D'Allessario. She is an acquaintance of mine, and if she can assist you I'm sure she will. Give her this"
He frowns at Erick's second request
"We don't have our own vessels. I do know that a captain named Tad Ottarget runs a supply boat to Mangrove Cove regularly. He's always looking for paying passengers. You should find him at the upriver docks"
Erick stands, and gives the man a salute. "Many thanks, Ser as-Raskith. It is always a pleasure to deal with an honorable allied Order." He takes the writ, and places it carefully inside his jacket in the sealed pocket. "If there is anything that the Order of the Tome can do, please let me know. And if you wish, I can write an official Letter of Thanks, which you might find useful if you send any of your people off on their own extended missions."
Magnus walks down the narrow streets of the island fortress, taking in the colorful crowd. Opallines are doughty fighters, but they do not evidence the drab discipline of most troops. Dyed leather garments, rakish hats, and elaborate sashed stuffed with weapons are the norm.
Down the road a few blocks, a sign greets his eyes
Trevins Gymnasia
Magnus grins happily as he takes in the sight of the persons walking the street. He blends in here just as well as on any street back in Opal. When he reaches his goal he makes a show of kicking the dust off his boots and straightening his cape before boldly entering.
Kessel moves to find information on his own, finding a local tavern to see what he can glean:
Erick stands, and gives the man a salute. "Many thanks, Ser as-Raskith. It is always a pleasure to deal with an honorable allied Order." He takes the writ, and places it carefully inside his jacket in the sealed pocket. "If there is anything that the Order of the Tome can do, please let me know. And if you wish, I can write an official Letter of Thanks, which you might find useful if you send any of your people off on their own extended missions."
as-Raskith smiles and stands, offering his hand
"If you have time, the letter would be most appreciated. For now, there is nothing much your order can assist with, but before you leave let me give you some advice"
He assumes a solemn demeanor
"The Stump, and the Fever River beyond are dangerous places. There are the normal dangers of pirates and robbers in the town, but in the jungles and swamps beyond you have Sliss'Pok, dinosaurs, undead, Xoltec tribes, and some seriously poisonous insects and reptiles. Be on your guard."
Magnus grins happily as he takes in the sight of the persons walking the street. He blends in here just as well as on any street back in Opal. When he reaches his goal he makes a show of kicking the dust off his boots and straightening his cape before boldly entering.Magnus walks down the narrow streets of the island fortress, taking in the colorful crowd. Opallines are doughty fighters, but they do not evidence the drab discipline of most troops. Dyed leather garments, rakish hats, and elaborate sashed stuffed with weapons are the norm.
Down the road a few blocks, a sign greets his eyes
Trevins Gymnasia
The interior is spacious, with screened large doors allowing what breeze there is to circulate. A curious contraption of several linked stations manned with sweating folk in light clothing sitting and pedaling runs a set of ceiling fans that stir the thick tropical air.
Pairs of fencers spar all around the area, using a medley of weapons. Two spiked chain fighters dance and crack their weapons in a wide circle.
Magnus spies a lean woman in a jungle-patterned top and pants wearing knee-high leather boots. Her hair is raven black and plaited down her back. She is armed with the traditional machihuatl sword of the Zapatecs, the black obsidian teeth cutting the air as she swipes it back and forth. Almond-shaped eyes the color of string coffee gaze over Magnus from a tanned face. She smiles, and quirks an eyebrow at him
Kessel moves to find information on his own, finding a local tavern to see what he can glean:
[dice=Gather information]1d20+13
The River Lion is a large local temple to Two Rabbit/Cayden, and seems to be full of lively folk. Kessel picks up a lot of gossip over a few of the pale ales served by the temple staff
Rumors/Information:
- A huge opal was found in the Blue Mountains. Called the Dark Rainbow, it is headed to Opal to be sold
- The Sliss'Pok are unhappy about the recent adventuring into the Fever Swamp area. An ancient city of theirs is located within, and they have a tabu against people entering it.
- There has been an upswing in undead activity lately, after years of dwindling attacks. Many claim the undead are actually new creations, not remnants of the Xoltec Empire's old army.
- The river pirate Silver Hand has been seen on the upper reaches of the Opal. His paddle wheeler Lucky Roll took a merchant vessel last week
- An odd magus came through with an expedition, claiming to be looking for rare dinosaurs. He traveled upriver with his party and hasn't been heard of since
as-Raskith smiles and stands, offering his hand"If you have time, the letter would be most appreciated. For now, there is nothing much your order can assist with, but before you leave let me give you some advice"
He assumes a solemn demeanor
"The Stump, and the Fever River beyond are dangerous places. There are the normal dangers of pirates and robbers in the town, but in the jungles and swamps beyond you have Sliss'Pok, dinosaurs, undead, Xoltec tribes, and some seriously poisonous insects and reptiles. Be on your guard."
Erick nods. "I have the time." He takes the man's hand. "If you've a desk and some parchment to write on. And I thank you for your advice." He rubs the back of his head. "I may need to see if I can find some people willing to hunt down a robber on contingency in that case."
When provided with a desk and parchment, Erick will write out a letter of thanks to the commander, and indicate that the bearer of the missive is to be provided any reasonable assistance requested by the Order of the Tome. When complete, he signs it with his name and rank, and then melts some wax and presses his seal against it. When done, he puts the wooden seal back in his pocket.
as-Raskith nods
"If you can give me a day or so I can see if anyone is traveling that way. There might be some that would be interested in going as a group to The Stump"
Pairs of fencers spar all around the area, using a medley of weapons. Two spiked chain fighters dance and crack their weapons in a wide circle.Magnus spies a lean woman in a jungle-patterned top and pants wearing knee-high leather boots. Her hair is raven black and plaited down her back. She is armed with the traditional machihuatl sword of the Zapatecs, the black obsidian teeth cutting the air as she swipes it back and forth. Almond-shaped eyes the color of string coffee gaze over Magnus from a tanned face. She smiles, and quirks an eyebrow at him[/i]
Magnus gazes at the fan contraption for a moment, both appreciating it and trying to figure out if it was something he might try to duplicate back home.
Then the Magus wanders into the building, taking in the familiar sight of friendly sparring. When he spots the woman, already looking at him, he returns the smile and raises both eyebrows in response. The dandy makes his way towards the woman, still smiling as he draws near. Magnus doffs his hat into a sweeping bow.
"Greetings fairest of warriors! What does a traveler have to do to get a friendly match in these parts?" Magnus asks cheerfully, returning his hat to his head on a smooth motion. His over-long plume continues to sway in the slight breeze of the mechanical fan contraptions.
The woman sketches the traditional fencing bow
"Six Fox, at your service ser"
She brings her toothed blade to a guard position
"On Point!"
"Yes, you are." Magnus murmurs, barely audible.
Grinning like a kid in a candy shop, Magnus swiftly removes his baldric and drops it on a chair, somehow managing to NOT dislodge his wide-brimmed hat in the process. With a glance at the woman's saw-toothed blade, the dandy smoothly pulls out his heavier longsword instead of his usually preferred rapier from his overloaded baldric and returns her salute.
"Magnus Darkenstar, at your service my lady!"
Magnus slides into a guard position he's nicknamed 'Come and get it'.
"On Guarde!" He smiles.
Magnus and Six Fox circle and spar. She is a good swordwoman, deft at paying blows and using her weapon to best effect. Magnus is surprised the obsidian teeth don’t shatter, but they take quite a bit of abuse from the fight
“Excellent work, ser “ She says, panting and circling him
as-Raskith walks Erick to the door
“I wish you the best of luck with you journey. If I find anyone before dawn I will send them to the docks”
Magnus and Six Fox circle and spar. She is a good swordwoman, deft at paying blows and using her weapon to best effect. Magnus is surprised the obsidian teeth don’t shatter, but they take quite a bit of abuse from the fight
“Excellent work, ser “ She says, panting and circling him
"Same to you my lady, I'm amazed at how fast you can move that monstrosity." Magnus returns the compliment, trying to keep his breaths slow as he was taught, but the woman is giving him quite the workout!
Magnus smile only grows. He does enjoy a challenge. And the scenery is FAR more appealing than his last skeletal sparring partners!